I thought I had read/heard somewhere that King wrote the first chapter for Under the Dome back in the 70's, but didn't finish the novel until many years later. Has anyone else heard that too?
Robert Rick McCammon
- Thread starter MadamMack
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Just wondered about opinions about Baal, Bethanys Sin, Ushers Passing, Night Boat and Mystery Walk. Are they as good as the ones i read? I read They Thirst, Boys Life, Wolfs Hour, Speaks the Nightbird and just started Swan Song. I like them all. Have Stinger and Mine waiting in my TBR-list. But are the books i mentioned first as good as the rest? And as different? His books differ a lot from eachother in tone. Glad for opinions and advice.
So.... when you say "just started" Swan Song, ah....... which page would you be on?
currently page 170. I expect to croos the 200-line this evening.
Kurben, all of those books are good. Most are very early novels in Rick's career, when he was still 'cutting his teeth' with his writing. Each is different in tone and texture. Are they excellant? I wouldn't consider them to be his best. He grows as a writer with each novel he writes- that's the best synopsis I can give you.
Mystery Walk is my very favorite. Most of it takes place where I live and my hometown even makes an appearance!
Vrooooooooommmmm! (the sound of you leaving me in the dust.
)I'm on page 140. This book is quite good! (apart from being a little predictable, at times)
Maybe so, but I'm predicting you're going to need some Kleenex before you finish it!Vrooooooooommmmm! (the sound of you leaving me in the dust.
I'm on page 140. This book is quite good! (apart from being a little predictable, at times)
I didn't really care for Swan Song.
Who said that? *looks around*
Who said that? *looks around*
If it's anything like Boy's Life in character development, then yar... I'm not surprised.Maybe so, but I'm predicting you're going to need some Kleenex before you finish it!
Baal was pretty good. The others I consider to be OK. Not great but not terrible.
You should check out Blue World if you haven't already. Great short story collection. Pin is a standout there.
Also, you should try and find a copy of Under The Fang. It's a vampire anthology that McCammon edited. The introduction and his short story Miracle Mile are top notch.
I reached 250 now. But now it is weektime and will be less reading time. So far i'm enjoying it.Vrooooooooommmmm! (the sound of you leaving me in the dust.
I'm on page 140. This book is quite good! (apart from being a little predictable, at times)
Ahhh, you're killing me here...
(I slept a solid 8 hours last night, which is completely unheard of for me... and has seriously cut into my reading time this weekend.
)Your body probably needed that sleep. Take it as a gift. you will catch up later because tuesday Finders Keepers is here!!Ahhh, you're killing me here...
(I slept a solid 8 hours last night, which is completely unheard of for me... and has seriously cut into my reading time this weekend.
I really did need that sleep. And yes! (Why on earth did I start something as long as Swan Song so close to June 2nd?
)
I read somewhere that McCammon almost gave up writing because he was frustrated with being called the poor man's Stephen King. But that might also be something of a compliment. There are a lot of similar books. They Thirst = Salem's Lot. Swan Song = The Stand. As a SK fan, I never really cared for many other popular horror authors like Dean Koontz and Clive Barker, but I do enjoy what I've read from McCammon. And one good thing about discovering an author late is that there are a wealth of books to choose from.
I hadn't heard this... I am however, really pleased that I have (as you say) so many new books ahead of me.
But.... hey Hunter, [ goathunter] any possibility of asking Mr. McCammon if he wouldn't mind slinging a few titles to New Zealand? They're awfully difficult to pick up in this area.
There was a lot more to it than that, but yes, he found that very frustrating. I think you'd all find this interview from May 2007 interesting:
Writing the Books He Wants To Read: Robert R. McCammon | Julie's Portfolio
Two is "a lot"? Those are, really, the only McCammon books that are similar to King books in any way (and he acknowledged in a 1987 interview that 'Salem's Lot inspired They Thirst: "Yes, I was influenced by 'Salem's Lot. It made me wonder what I could do with the vampire scenario. I thought: if Steve King can do a vampire novel on the scale of a small town in New England, I can do one on the scale of a major city.")
Robert McCammon » McCammon Interview: Footsteps, November 1987
People also like to compare Boy's Life with "The Body," but as far as I know, McCammon never read "The Body." In any case, any similarities, IMO, boil down to the fact that King and McCammon are close in age, and they grew up with pretty much the exact same influences (Bradbury, Matheson, '50s and '60s horror movies, etc). They're both writers who excel at creating characters who live and breathe.
Hunter
I can see why he would be frustrated by that, but honestly--most themes have been done by so many, that pretty much anything can be seen as having already been written by another author. (I'm sure every writer goes through this to some degree at some point.)
I really enjoy the way he writes, it is easy to slip right into the story and some of his descriptive writing is just beautiful.
Oh... and the piece of the interview where he speaks of his Grandfather was something I've (Boy's Life) read before.
(P.S also, I was completely joking about what I said earlier.
)