What do you feel was going on in the field?

  • This message board permanently closed on June 30th, 2020 at 4PM EDT and is no longer accepting new members.

Gerald

Well-Known Member
Sep 8, 2011
2,201
7,168
The Netherlands
I liked the story a lot. I loved the characters and while it becomes really horrific you keep wanting to read on.

What I never really got though is what was wrong with the field. I don't think there is a very clear answer. Been some time since I read it, but I recall there was a black stone or rock in the middle of the field. But I don't think it was really specified what the origin of it was, or why it was there.
I also don't believe it is tied to the Dark Tower.

I suppose this is one where you have to use your own imagination, but what was your idea?
I don't really have any ideas myself though, the story gave me too little to go on.
 

Gerald

Well-Known Member
Sep 8, 2011
2,201
7,168
The Netherlands
I had the feeling it was either some ancient sacrificial place to some deity (like in Children of the Corn what it mostly reminded me of), or something out of space - but it says the rock rose out of the ground, so I don't really think it came from outer space.

There were little figures on it. I think the little figures represented the people getting lost in the field. But the figures of people being carved in the rock (although it was not actually visible if they were in the rock or somewhat above it) suggest that somehow it was INTENDED people got lost there. I think it is most closely to Children of the Corn (I believe it even mentions the state Children of the Corn took place in), there was something that upset the natural balance and that was the rock in this case, and the intention seemed sacrifice of people.

I think Stephen and Joe must have some idea what it was. You don't write a story without any idea what it is about. Too bad I'm never close to a place where they sign.
Could try ask Joe on Twitter, but don't know if he replies a lot to people - Stephen doesn't and seeing how many replies he gets, it's no wonder.
 

Gerald

Well-Known Member
Sep 8, 2011
2,201
7,168
The Netherlands
Nobody has any other ideas?

I always like it when not everything is explained in a horror story (a mystery that is fully explained isn't very mysterious anymore), but I don't like when NOTHING is explained - you gotta at least have some idea of what the answer could be or in which direction to think.

Anyway, Joe is mostly too busy for Twitter he's tweeted. Stephen is gonna answer questions on Thursday, but I don't know at which time or if he just picks some random ones from any time. Could try that, but I'm sure thousands have questions, so it's a small chance...
 

Leif

Expose yourself to your deepest fear.
Aug 11, 2015
450
2,260
OK, Just my thoughts......

I just read this as well. I believe when he writes, the story flows as it comes and one thing leads to another in his mind. I believe he asks himself what if at each turn. What if they stop by this field and hear cries of a lost boy...what happens then. Pretty simple, right?

I then think he gets himself into a corner and has to explain it or rationalize the situation somehow. How he explains it or rationalizes the event may cause him to bring in some thoughts or ideas from previous writings and they may seem similar.

To answer the question... What was wrong with the field? I believe GNTLGNT has it right or at least is pointing in the right direction. "Another Lovecraftian type homage" The field is a conduit or lure for the black stone. Some extraterrestrial beings dropped a rock from space and is sucking people up using the field and people trapped in it due to the powers of the black rock. The little stick figures are the lost souls. Is there any parallel to anything? What does it mean? I don't know. No good deed goes unpunished? SK always seems to leave thing to you're imagination or interpretation and that's a good thing.

Leif
 

Gerald

Well-Known Member
Sep 8, 2011
2,201
7,168
The Netherlands
OK, Just my thoughts......

I just read this as well. I believe when he writes, the story flows as it comes and one thing leads to another in his mind. I believe he asks himself what if at each turn. What if they stop by this field and hear cries of a lost boy...what happens then. Pretty simple, right?

I then think he gets himself into a corner and has to explain it or rationalize the situation somehow. How he explains it or rationalizes the event may cause him to bring in some thoughts or ideas from previous writings and they may seem similar.

I think you're right that he doesn't seem to have a complete idea of the plot until he's finished the story or book. This is sometimes the weakness in his writing for me. In the other collaboration with Joe, 'Throttle', the basic plot device comes down to a character accidentally overhearing a conversation by the protagonists early on in the story: the chance that the character would just HAPPEN to be close by to overhear something so important directly related to him is extremely small. The plot really isn't thought out or expanded upon well.
 

Gerald

Well-Known Member
Sep 8, 2011
2,201
7,168
The Netherlands
To answer the question... What was wrong with the field? I believe GNTLGNT has it right or at least is pointing in the right direction. "Another Lovecraftian type homage" The field is a conduit or lure for the black stone. Some extraterrestrial beings dropped a rock from space and is sucking people up using the field and people trapped in it due to the powers of the black rock. The little stick figures are the lost souls. Is there any parallel to anything? What does it mean? I don't know. No good deed goes unpunished? SK always seems to leave thing to you're imagination or interpretation and that's a good thing.

I suppose the link to Lovecraft comes from 'The Colour out of Space', which was about a meteorite which had an unusual effect on its surroundings. But with 'In the Tall Grass' purely from the story it is impossible to know for sure if it was from space, or that it was from another dimension, time etc. In the end I find stories like that a bit frustrating, it feels like a backstory is completely missing.
 
Last edited:

Walter Oobleck

keeps coming back...or going, and going, and going
Mar 6, 2013
11,749
34,805
I don't recall the story, read it, but other than that, dunno. This talk about a black stone reminds me of Clarke's 2001: A Space Odyssey...and too, his Childhood's End. If you're familiar with the opening of 2001, there is that black obelisk just sitting there, the caveman studying it...and there's another on the moon. Childhood's End...there's another like-kind exchange with something black and memory doesn't serve me well here, either. I remember 2001 and I read that one 40 years ago. Go figure. And the black in both of Clarke's stories brings to mind dark matter...scientific term for stuff...you can search engine it...but as I understand it, it is matter that exists and scientists are not clear on its...something...use? origin? meaning? I say who's to say it has had a use or that that use has been put in place? Maybe it is waiting and its use will come later. So...dark matter...black stones...Clarke's 2001, black obelisks.
 

Gerald

Well-Known Member
Sep 8, 2011
2,201
7,168
The Netherlands
I don't recall the story, read it, but other than that, dunno. This talk about a black stone reminds me of Clarke's 2001: A Space Odyssey...and too, his Childhood's End. If you're familiar with the opening of 2001, there is that black obelisk just sitting there, the caveman studying it...and there's another on the moon. Childhood's End...there's another like-kind exchange with something black and memory doesn't serve me well here, either. I remember 2001 and I read that one 40 years ago. Go figure. And the black in both of Clarke's stories brings to mind dark matter...scientific term for stuff...you can search engine it...but as I understand it, it is matter that exists and scientists are not clear on its...something...use? origin? meaning? I say who's to say it has had a use or that that use has been put in place? Maybe it is waiting and its use will come later. So...dark matter...black stones...Clarke's 2001, black obelisks.

The obelisk from 2001 is an interesting reference. As far as I understand dark matter, it is not something that can actually been seen, it is just hypothesized, but the largest amount of matter in the universe. But I don't think it has anything to do with 'black' as such.
 

Gerald

Well-Known Member
Sep 8, 2011
2,201
7,168
The Netherlands
It didn't really feel like N to me. I can see similarities, but I thought the function of the rock(s) was different in each story. In N it is a passageway where something evil can come into our world if we're not careful and in In the Tall Grass it was something that lured people in and made them disappear.
Both good stories, but N is more satisfying plotwise to me.

But I think the basic point in In the Tall Grass indeed is that it is a trap, by who or what we will never know.
 

Gerald

Well-Known Member
Sep 8, 2011
2,201
7,168
The Netherlands
Joe Hill was just in my country at Dutch Comic Con. I was thinking of going there and asking him about this story, but I just find these comic cons so expensive, I didn't go in the end. When you want something autographed it costs up to 30 euro, which is insane. I just don't want to risk going there and doing that, so better not go at all.

I don't know if authors charge that money too or just the actors, but it would be crazy: you already bought a book (or more than one), it costs a couple of seconds to autograph something...

The point of the story is probably that it's above human comprehension. What I'm wondering though is: if you write such a story do you have an idea yourself what could be behind it all? You thought all this out and wrote it down; you must have some idea what is going on even though you don't explain it in the story itself...
 

skimom2

Just moseyin' through...
Oct 9, 2013
15,683
92,168
USA
Yeah, I agree with everyone saying they don't need to know. I like thinking it was something too complex to put into human words.
This is an interesting discussion! I might be frustrated by a story that doesn't feed the reader the answer, but those types of stories ultimately satisfy the part of me that relishes realism, even in the face of fantastic situations. If you put yourself in the shoes of the protagonists of this story--if it was happening to YOU--what do you think the odds are that you would ever understand what the heck was going on and the background of why it was happening to you? My guess that your choices would be 'slim' and 'none'. That is absolutely terrifying, that lack of control, but it's absolutely realistic.

As far as Mr. King and Mr. Hill's state of mind when writing the story, they might have had a fully fleshed back story, but they just as easily could have started with the premise, "Wouldn't it be cool if there was this killer field with a mysterious rock in the middle? Never mind why it was there; I wonder what would happen if..." :)
 

Gerald

Well-Known Member
Sep 8, 2011
2,201
7,168
The Netherlands
I feel in a horrorstory (or fantastic tale) there should be a
This is an interesting discussion! I might be frustrated by a story that doesn't feed the reader the answer, but those types of stories ultimately satisfy the part of me that relishes realism, even in the face of fantastic situations. If you put yourself in the shoes of the protagonists of this story--if it was happening to YOU--what do you think the odds are that you would ever understand what the heck was going on and the background of why it was happening to you? My guess that your choices would be 'slim' and 'none'. That is absolutely terrifying, that lack of control, but it's absolutely realistic.

As far as Mr. King and Mr. Hill's state of mind when writing the story, they might have had a fully fleshed back story, but they just as easily could have started with the premise, "Wouldn't it be cool if there was this killer field with a mysterious rock in the middle? Never mind why it was there; I wonder what would happen if..." :)

Yes, that is a very good point.

For me for a horrorstory (or fantastic tale) to be successful or satisfying there must be a (very delicate) balance: just enough should be revealed that you are intrigued and captivated, but not so much that the entire mystery is gone.
I think in this case the mystery intrigued me so much, that it becomes frustrating not to know more. But I think in general short stories tend to give less answers. If this was the start of a novel (which it easily could have been) we WOULD have found out more about the rock and the purpose of luring people into the field. In a novel the main characters usually try to find out what is going on when strange things start happening and they may not find a complete explanation by the end, but often a good deal is revealed.
A story like this doesn't do that; it just presents a mystery, an unnatural or supernatural event, and that's it.