Question of the Day #51: Do you enjoy reading Stephen King's Non-Fiction stories as much as his Fictional ones?

Yes, I enjoy Stephen King's Non-fiction (articles, short stories, novels, novellas, etc.) just as much as his Fictional stories because of his eloquent writing style.  He ropes me in to whatever real experience he is describing in a humorous and vivid way. 

For example: 

Ever Et Raw Meat? And Other Wierd Questions? by Stephen King

Head Down from Nightmares and Dreamscapes was a great read.  I loved reading about Bangor West's exciting season. 

Question of the Day #48: What one book would you suggest someone read who has never read any of King's books?

The Gunslinger 'nuff said.


*Post your opinions or thoughts in comments.

Question of the Day #45: Do you feel that 'Rage' was the catalyst for some actual school shootings?

Was Rage the only catalyst?  No, I don't believe it was the only catalyst.  Any
"slasher-type" movie, book, short story or video game in the hands of someone with a problem distinguishing reality from fantasy could be the catalyst.  IMO, I am sure that the shooters, mentioned in Wiki, had many other influences besides Rage.  (This is a topic that I could write about all day but I am going to try to keep it short.  I have so many thoughts and opinions on this subject.)  My other thought on Rage is that this is a book for mature readers only. Weren't the parents/guardians of these young people paying attention to what they were doing at all?  There had to be some sort of red flag or sign that these troubled teens exhibited. The parents/guardians could have probably prevented these incidents from  happening at all.  To hold Rage fully responsible for these shootings is unreasonable.

Here's another question:  Do you feel that stopping publication will prevent it from possibly getting into the wrong hands in the future?  No, probably not because anyone wanting to read all of Stephen King's work will find a way to get it and read it.  Will I let my 12-13 year old read Rage anytime soon?  No, I will explain to him that he must wait until he is old enough to handle the themes in this novel.  This is a case of a few bad apples spoiling the bunch.  On a scale of 1-10, I give this novel an (8.5).

Stephen King's Keynote Address  

Reader feedback on this topic is greatly appreciated.  The question about Rage is one I have wanted to pose for weeks now but finally thought it over before writing about it.  (I may add more to this post in the future as I continue to mull over this topic.)

*Please post your thoughts or opinions on this or any other topic in comments.

'The Dark Tower' now in Ron Howard's hands

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot production company, which has long sought to crack Stephen King's "The Dark Tower" book series as a television series, no longer has the rights to one of the author's biggest properties.

Bad Robot has returned the rights to the best-selling author. Now Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and Akiva Goldsman are teaming up to tackle the fantasy Western.

The three are in discussions to adapt the material as a movie, to be written by Goldsman and directed by Howard, that would lead to a TV series produced by Imagine's small-screen division.

"Tower" is not set up for production, nor has any option deal been made, but insiders say Universal, home to full story

Ron Howard is such a gifted filmmaker, directing films such as The Da Vinci Code, and A Beautiful Mind (This is a  film I will never forget as long as I live.  I still think Russell Crowe should have won Best Actor for that film.  He won Best Actor in my book.)  The Dark Tower films would be epic and they would blow LOTR out of the water.  Let casting for Roland begin....

Question of the Day #41: Has anyone asked you what types of books you like to read and when you tell them Stephen King's books they look at you like you have a problem?

Yes, this has happened to me on several occasions through the years.  Honestly people, they are just books! I want to tell them geeze, I'm not evil  because I  like to read SK's books. If the people who completely clam up, crease their eyebrows, or look surprised would just give his books a chance they may  find some of his literature very entertaining with hours of reading pleasure.  His books are not all "Doom and Gloom", so to speak.


Here is an example of some of the responses that I have received, this happened to me on Facebook:  I posted that I was waiting in line overnight to meet my favorite author Stephen King for a book signing.  My friends on FB were asking, "YOU like him?" I told them that it had been a dream of mine to meet him for years. (Again, you must be a weirdo, came through in the posts.) I only had one or two people seem sincerely happy for me.  I even had posters tell me that they thought he was weird--but not one name caller had read any of his books. (Imagine that.)  I seriously doubt they had ever read or watched any of his interviews either.  His interviews are engaging and funny, even if you aren't a fan.  He has never come through as a weirdo during any interview that I have seen.  Even one of my FB friend's favorite movies was Shawshank Redemption and was totally unaware that King had written that one. (That was funny.) They have this pop culture perception of him that I feel is just wrong. The media has tried to paint a darker picture of him that I feel may discourage some people from reading his books which in my opinion, is a crying shame. The thing that is so cool about SK is that he is just a regular, "down to earth" guy, who cares about his readers and people in general. Stephen King has worked his whole life to provide enjoyment, through reading, to the masses.  Sorry to be so wordy, but this has been bugging me for a very long time.

*Post your opinions or thoughts in comments.

Question of the Day #33: Where do you most like to read SK's books?

The place I most like to read SK's books is on that Godforsaken treadmill!!  If it weren't for his books, that treadmill would have been sold a long time ago.  At least I can kill two birds with one stone, right?  



*Post your thoughts or opinions in comments.

Question of the Day #32: Did you sign up for the lottery to purchase Special Editions of Blockade Billy?

I wonder what my odds are?  Well, let's see there are 402 books up for grabs and how many people trying to get 1 or 2 of those 402 books?  I'm not holding my breath but it is worth a try. 

Question of the Day #30: Approximately how my SK books do you own?

I'm not picky, I have paperbacks and hardcovers alike.  My collection consists of  multiple copies of some books.  (Mostly, because I didn't realize I already had a particular title.) Approximately 70 books in all.  I just acquired The Colorado Kid paperback at a used book store.  Oh happy day!  (This does not include graphic novels and comic books.)   :)



*Post your thoughts or opinions in comments.

Question of the Day #28: Did you get tickets for Charlotte County Big Read hosted by SK tomorrow?

Unfortunately, I didn't get tickets for The Big Read (here's the Flyer), but if anyone would like to drop me a post on how it all went, I would be so grateful!  I bet it is going to a blast listening to SK! Have fun! If you record any of the event please leave me a link to it in comments! Thanks in advance for any posts from All Things Stephen King!


*Post your thoughts or opinions in comments.

Question of the Day #22: Do you think Stephen King's writing should be given more recognition?

Yes, Stephen King should get recognition for being a master storyteller.  SK's books are so much more than horror.  His books focus mostly on his characters' reactions to hard-to-imagine events.  Every character's reaction in every book, is consistent with the personality that SK builds for that character.  IMO, his books focus on the very heart of human nature, love, hate, greed, fear, selfishness, and lust.  Do you agree or disagree?  Let me know. 


*Post your thoughts or opinions in comments.

Question of the Day #21: Have you read any books written by Joe Hill, Owen King, or Tabitha King?

The books that I have read were written by Joe Hill. Heart-Shaped Box, and 20th Century Ghosts.  My understanding is that Stephen King's wife Tabitha King is also an accomplished author.  For a list of novels written by Tabitha King visit Wikipedia. She has also submitted photos that are placed on the flaps of some of SK's books.  I have yet to read any of her books but at some point I plan to read of some of them.  Owen King has authored  We're All In This Together: A Novella and Stories and his work has also appeared in various newspapers and magazines.

Watch this video:
Stephen, Tabitha, and Owen King speak in D.C.- Library of Congress 4/4/08


*Post your thoughts or opinions in comments

Question of the Day #17: Would you like to be a fly on the wall while SK is writing one of his books?

Heck yeah, watching the master at work would be the ultimate in the Book Of Ultimates. (Not being the fly, though, for obvious reasons.)  I would definitely try to land on his shoulder and try to read what he was writing about.  After having read what he was writing, I would whisper The Plant repeatedly in his ear and hope he would take the bait.  The other thing I would do is try to avoid getting squashed so I could look around his study with great detail to see if there were any other unpublished manuscripts or stories just laying around.   I would love to watch the process from brain to paper to see how naturally it comes to him.  I almost think it is effortless for him.



 *Post your thoughts or opinions in comments.   

Question of the Day #8: What are your top 3 favorite films by SK?

1.  The Shawshank Redemption
2.  The Green Mile (a close second)
3.  Misery



*Post your thoughts or opinions in comments.

Question of the Day #7: When reading SK's books, what intrigues you the most about his writing?

Mostly I am in awe of his character development.  When he writes about someone, I feel like I had just personally met them.  To me, that is a very difficult thing to do as a writer, making the reader feel "close" to a fictional character.  Whether it be anger, endearment, distaste, pity, fear, joy, sadness, he manages to make me feel all of these feelings (and many more) when he writes.  There is just so much depth to each character he creates.  The other thing about his writing that intrigues me is just how much he has written and continues to write.  Articles, short stories, novellas, screenplays, novels, you name it he writes it.     




*Post your thoughts or opinions in comments.

Want a DARK novel to read for Valentine's Day?

Joe Hill, Stephen King's son, wrote a book that was published a few years back about a guy named Judas Coyne. Judas is a mature rocker that is a collector of macabre items. When he gets an email to add one more dark item to his ever-growing collection he can't resist the temptation.  Heart-Shaped Box speeds through to the climax.  Rock, goth, fear and death for the masses, good job Joe.

Season's Greetings from All Things Stephen King!

Season's Greetings to all! If you just happened to stumble on my site, great, or if you are back for some more info, I will be watching a few more movies over the holidays. Also, I will be reading a lot more so I can post many more thoughts and opinions. When I get new information, I usually add to the previous post that it applies to, while creating a new post. So, please be safe this holiday season and when you have a few moments to spare stop by, read, and post anything you wish to comment on. I sure would like to hear about what's going on with you!

NHPR-Interview over an hour long

New Hampshire Public Radio sat down with Stephen King on 12/3/2009. The interview was very entertaining. Stephen talks about acting, his favorite movies from his books, DT, what superpower would he like to have? He talked about his addiction and recovery.

For full interview click
http://www.nhpr.org/node/28149

Stephen King and Tabitha King help out the troops!

This news was so nice to hear! Follow the link to read the story about how the Kings helped out the troops for the holidays. This is just another reason to love the Kings and to buy their books. Way to go you guys! :)

I am posting a few different news sources. I loved this first one!
Boston Herald
http://bostonherald.com/news/national/northeast/view.bg?articleid=1218743

Bangor Daily News (his local newspaper)
http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/132676.html#comments-post

Fox News
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,580128,00.html

Yahoo
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/091213/entertainment/us_people_stephen_king_troops

If you like what he did go to this link and post a comment:
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/national/northeast/view.bg?articleid=1218611&format=comments&sort=newest

What does Stephen King have in store for us in 2010?

Marvel will be adding to the current graphic series, it will be called Dark Tower: The Gunslinger
http://www.stephenking.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15171

There will also be a new graphic novel American Vampire (this is the first time Stephen King will be working with Vertigo/DC Comics) and a new book Ghost Brothers of Darkland County. There will be more details later when the information is available.


If you would like to read the entire press release for American Vampire please visit:
http://www.stephenking.com/promo/american_vampire/press_release/

Stephen King book signing Dundalk, MD

FYI: During this video, Mr. King asks for Richard Chizmar, a friend of his. He is Founder of Cemetery Dance publisher in Maryland. They publish special editions of Stephen King's works. Here is a link to the Richard Chizmar's bio and website Cemetery Dance.

http://www.cemeterydance.com/page/CDP/CTGY/CHIZMAR

I also wanted to thank Paul Kram, Store Manager, Dundalk, MD for all of his effort and work he put forth for this book signing. This event was so well organized by you and your staff. Thank you, thank you, a thousand times thank you! :)