Best and least best book from each decade?

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Doc Creed

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Nov 18, 2015
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Least fave book of the 70s? The Dead Zone

Least fave of the 80s? The Dark Half

Least fave of the 90s? Bag of Bones

Least fave of the 2000s? Dreamcatcher
(the only SK book I have yet to finish despite having gotten about halfway through 3 times!)

Least fave of the 2010s? A tie: Doctor Sleep & Revival
(excited to read both and wound up so, so, so disappointed in both)
CYB, really? ;)
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MarkS73

Well-Known Member
Nov 24, 2014
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Best King book of the 70s?

The Long Walk

Best of the 80s?

The Talisman


Best of the 90s?

Needful Things

Best of the 2000s?

Black House,Duma Key and Under The Dome, can't choose:)

Best of the 2010s?


11/22/63


least best King book of the 70s?

Roadwork

least best of the 80s?

the Tommyknockers

least best of the 90s?

The Regulators

least of the 2000s?

The Colorado Kid

least of the 2010s?


Revival

 

AchtungBaby

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Dec 5, 2011
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Favorites:

'70s: The Dead Zone
'80s: The Tommyknockers
'90s: Needful Things
'00s: Duma Key
'10s: Tie between 11/22/63 (seriously surprised this one hasn't gotten more love) and Revival

Least favorites:

'70s: Rage (I like this one a lot, but it's not on the same level as King's other early releases.)
'80s: Christine
'90s: The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
'00s: Cell
'10s: The Wind Through the Keyhole
 

fljoe0

Cantre Member
Apr 5, 2008
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My least favorites from each decade

70s - Roadwork (I like this one but when compared to the rest of the 70s work, it's the only choice)
80s - The Tommyknockers (I don't really remember much and haven't read it since it was published so it makes the list because if I would have liked it more, I'd remember it)
90s - The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (I may have to try again someday but I just couldn't get into this one at all)
00s - Dreamcatcher
10s - Mr. Mercedes (This was a tough one because I like this book but it was my least favorite of the trilogy and a close call for my least favorite of the decade)
 

Walter Oobleck

keeps coming back...or going, and going, and going
Mar 6, 2013
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least
70s: Carrie
80s: Firestarter
90s: Dolores Claiborne
00s: Colorado Kid
10s: Joyland

so the new story is called Sleeping Beauties, hey? at the end of the list if you follow cyb's link in post #2 not just one, plural...ah, yeah, walt, that's usually what the ess on the end of a word means. thanks, bub. give me any more lip and it's up on the roof you go. just sayin, don't need to get all huffy. :hurt:
 
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Steffen

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Aug 9, 2015
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Least favourites:

70s - Carrie (if I had to choose one from this decade)
80s - The Tommyknockers (sci-fi is not SK's strong point, but I remember enjoying the narrative until it was interrupted by the incessant rambling about Bobby's alcoholism; I only fully appreciated the situation when I read On Writing and realised what Steve's headspace was like back in this period)
90s - The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
00s - Lisey's Story (it took me 3 years of picking up and putting down before I finished this, which is the sole reason it was picked as my least favourite in a decade of SK publishing several books I enjoyed very little: Dreamcatcher, From a Buick 8, The Colorado Kid)
10s - Finders Keepers (chosen because it's the one where I spent the least amount of time with the main characters established in the first book of the trilogy)
 

Kurben

The Fool on the Hill
Apr 12, 2014
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Best:
70,s The Stand
80,s It
90,s The Green Mile
00,s Liseys Story
10,s 11/22/63

worst (or least good)
70,s Thats tough, he only wrote good ones here but with a knife at my throat i'd answer The Dead Zone
80,s The Dark Half
90,s Insomnia
00,s Dreamcatcher
10,s Doctor Sleep
 

Brooks

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Nov 4, 2014
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Good discussion. I think various decades are more top heavy than others:

1970's -- The Stand seems the easy choice.

1980's -- I think SK's best decade! Misery (love me some Annie Wilkes), IT, tommyknockers, The Stand, Different Season (with Shawshank and The body). Pretty good list.

1990's -- The Green mile collection

2000's -- The Dark Tower collection

2010's -- easily 11/23/63. Joyland was good but not to the level as 11/23/63. I'm surprised readers can even compare the two based on details and overall complexity of work. Hey, but to each his own.

Ms. Moderator, if there is every a thread we need SK's opinion, this might be it. I would love to hear him judge the quality of his work based on decades. But I guess it's hard to critique any of your "babies".
 

skimom2

Just moseyin' through...
Oct 9, 2013
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Good discussion. I think various decades are more top heavy than others:

1970's -- The Stand seems the easy choice.

1980's -- I think SK's best decade! Misery (love me some Annie Wilkes), IT, tommyknockers, The Stand, Different Season (with Shawshank and The body). Pretty good list.

1990's -- The Green mile collection

2000's -- The Dark Tower collection

2010's -- easily 11/23/63. Joyland was good but not to the level as 11/23/63. I'm surprised readers can even compare the two based on details and overall complexity of work. Hey, but to each his own.

Ms. Moderator, if there is every a thread we need SK's opinion, this might be it. I would love to hear him judge the quality of his work based on decades. But I guess it's hard to critique any of your "babies".
He seems pretty objective about his books after some time. I've read in a couple of different places that he personally dislikes Dreamcatcher and Tommyknockers, and I remember an interview years ago (probably in the 90s) where he singled out Christine as the book he's never been tempted to look at again. Those would cover three of the decades! :)
 

Kingunlucky

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Aug 20, 2016
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He seems pretty objective about his books after some time. I've read in a couple of different places that he personally dislikes Dreamcatcher and Tommyknockers, and I remember an interview years ago (probably in the 90s) where he singled out Christine as the book he's never been tempted to look at again. Those would cover three of the decades! :)

He's not fond of Insomnia either if I recall.
 

Kurben

The Fool on the Hill
Apr 12, 2014
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He seems pretty objective about his books after some time. I've read in a couple of different places that he personally dislikes Dreamcatcher and Tommyknockers, and I remember an interview years ago (probably in the 90s) where he singled out Christine as the book he's never been tempted to look at again. Those would cover three of the decades! :)
I agree about Dreamcatcher and Tommyknockers. To me these books are books that got lost. Unfulfilled promises. You can feel it lurks a better book within but it was never delivered.
 
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Kingunlucky

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Aug 20, 2016
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Seems all the books to do with Derry or where Pennywise makes a cameo (with the exception of IT novel) are disliked by King LOL. Dreamcatcher, Insomnia, and Tommyknockers.
 

PaulPK

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Mar 2, 2017
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Hmm a few tough ones here as many of these books are favorites.
70's was tough, 'The Stand''
80's Christine, book and Movie (though movie misses out on some great info)
90's Insomnia (Cause DT refs), than Green Mile/Bag of Bones
00's Black House (More for DT refs as well)
10's Revival (am currently on another read through, nearing the end, fantastic chars)
 

Kingunlucky

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Aug 20, 2016
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Hmm a few tough ones here as many of these books are favorites.
70's was tough, 'The Stand''
80's Christine, book and Movie (though movie misses out on some great info)
90's Insomnia (Cause DT refs), than Green Mile/Bag of Bones
00's Black House (More for DT refs as well)
10's Revival (am currently on another read through, nearing the end, fantastic chars)

Ooooooh!

With the exception of The Stand, it is a list of underdogs. Christine, Insomnia, Black House, and Revival!
 

Ben O'Dimm

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May 21, 2016
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Least favourites:

70s - Carrie (if I had to choose one from this decade)
80s - The Tommyknockers (sci-fi is not SK's strong point, but I remember enjoying the narrative until it was interrupted by the incessant rambling about Bobby's alcoholism; I only fully appreciated the situation when I read On Writing and realised what Steve's headspace was like back in this period)
90s - The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
00s - Lisey's Story (it took me 3 years of picking up and putting down before I finished this, which is the sole reason it was picked as my least favourite in a decade of SK publishing several books I enjoyed very little: Dreamcatcher, From a Buick 8, The Colorado Kid)
10s - Finders Keepers (chosen because it's the one where I spent the least amount of time with the main characters established in the first book of the trilogy)


I agree completely, I felt like Finder's Keepers was way out of the realm of the other two books. They were related but weren't. To me, it seemed like one of those sequels that you can read without reading the first book; but then the third book went completely back to the trilogy and I felt as though the middle one stuck out after that
 
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Steffen

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Aug 9, 2015
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I agree completely, I felt like Finder's Keepers was way out of the realm of the other two books. They were related but weren't. To me, it seemed like one of those sequels that you can read without reading the first book; but then the third book went completely back to the trilogy and I felt as though the middle one stuck out after that

Finder's reads like a Bachman book to me. As part of the trilogy though, it really does suffer from "middle-child syndrome." Filming that book is gonna be a tough sell.