Stephen King to RETIRE?!!!

[TheUnknown285]

CNN.com reports that Stephen King, the Master of Suspense, will retire from publishing after five more books. Meaning the short-story collection Everything's Eventual, the novel From A Buick 8, and the last three novels of The Dark Tower series will be his last works.

I'm destroyed about this. King is so underrated as an actual writer, in my opinion. What do you think?

Here's the article http://www.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/book...ing/index.html

[Redlass]

From what I've read about the man, he may retire from publishing, but he won't be able to stop writing. It would be like asking the average office worker to stop drinking coffee.

[vania]

Hmmm, I would venture to say that King is more OVERrated a writer than underrated. But that's just me.

He's got some classic novels and some amazing short stories and novellas, but, frankly, a lot of what he has published recently hasn't managed to sustain my interest at all.

Five more novels, coming from someone who's done as much and been through as much as King has, is still pretty good. I would never have expected more than that.

But... I agree with the thought above that he will never stop writing!

valerie, who does love King's "On Writing" book....

[poseidon]

For all you know, he might be doing nothing more than blowing smoke in hopes of landing a more lucrative deal with his publisher or a competing publisher. Stephen King consistently puts out best-sellers -- something that any publisher would pay major bucks for.

As far as King being OVERRATED, I couldn't disagree with you more. I would agree that he is very UNDERRATED.

Part of the problem is his movies. We've not yet seen the last installment of Rose Red, but so far I am VERY impressed. I went into this thinking it would be the usual schlock that King's books-turn-into-screenplays becomes (Carrie, Christine, It, Lawnmower Man, 'Salem's Lot, Firestarter, Misery, The Stand, Thinner, Needful Things -- I can go on and on).

The exception to the rule would be The Green Mile and if the ending doesn't suck, Rose Red.

But his books are amazingly well-written, well-thought out and leave very few holes in the storyline. Part of the problem with King's books being turned into movies is that he plays so well on the imagination and the fear that lies within that it is many times too difficult and too complex to put it into film (or at least put it into manageable film time).

Aside from C.S. Lewis, Stephen King is my favorite author. I'd hate to see him hang up his hat. And, like was said above, I'm not even sure it is possible.

Jeff

[vania]

Ah, we must agree to disagree then.

I have a hard time with King's writing style sometimes. Just doesn't appeal to me at all.

His Dark Tower series started off brilliant, and has gotten worse with each book. He had the potential for an alternate-world realistic story with minor supernatural elements, but now he's just got a band of annoying riff-raff traipsing across his old stories' plotlines.

His best effort was The Long Walk. No supernatural crap. Pure, raw human-vs-human willpower. The ultimate evil is when you struggle against yourself for survival, and he hit that mother on the head with that effort.

[magenta321]

5 new books and 1 new collection of short stories.

The take I heard on it was that he was trying to go out in Seinfeld fashion -- while he's still on top.

But we all remember how much that last Seinfeld episode sucked, right?

Margaret, who was most partial to "The Body" by Stephen King.

[poseidon]

Originally posted by file13
His Dark Tower series started off brilliant, and has gotten worse with each book. He had the potential for an alternate-world realistic story with minor supernatural elements, but now he's just got a band of annoying riff-raff traipsing across his old stories' plotlines.

His best effort was The Long Walk. No supernatural crap. Pure, raw human-vs-human willpower. The ultimate evil is when you struggle against yourself for survival, and he hit that mother on the head with that effort.

File,

Almost all of his novels are intertwined with one of his previous stories. The few true originals that weren't intertwined (yet) are The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon and Hearts in Atlantis.

It was obvious in The Gunslinger that it was an intertwined story into previous works. Roland and The Man in Black aren't original to the Dark Tower series. It is loosely tied into several books, most noteably The Stand.

The good news is about the only books you have to read together to grasp the story are those in the Dark Tower series, along with The Regulators and Desperation. I'll admit I've not read the second part to The Talisman yet. But the rest of the books do stand on their own to the new reader.

Jeff

[Grouch]

File this in the "I'll Believe It When I See It" wing of the Library of Not-Quite-Retired Writers. SK is a publishing machine. He's not a man anymore--he's a word factory. Some of those words are darned good ("The Regulators" and "Desperation" being his last really great books), some aren't (80% of his post "Pet Semetary" output--at least the ones I've read). But if a car accident, near-death, and the execrable "Tommyknockers" can't persuade SK to stop writing, nothing will.

And--just to stir up the pot a bit--I think the writing in "Rose Red" is exactly what's WRONG with that mini-series. Decent special effects, nice Gothic atmosphere, so-so premise (which we've seen countless times---"The Haunting," anyone?)...but the dialogue is about as inane as anything I've seen on TV recently (and that's INCLUDING those episodes of "The Chamber" and "The Chair"). Consequently, the acting is on par with something you'd expect from refugees from an Ed Wood flick. Only Julian Sands has managed to carry off his part with any shred of respectability.

Note to ABC: I'd like my four hours back, please.

[poseidon]

Grouch,

You liked The Regulators? Really? Geez I hated that, but loved Desperation.

And I'll admit that the dialogue in Rose Red is kinda on par with the dialogue in 99% of King's movies. They're always better in the book than on film for some reason.

But you don't like 80% of what he's written post-Pet Semetary? Wow he's put out some great ones since then.

The best thing he's put out IMO since Pet Semetary is Bag of Bones. But I'm desperately hoping there won't be a screenplay of it because I'm not sure it's possible without destroying the story.

[Dani257]

I also think it's impossible for him to stop writing. I haven't read any of his novels, but I loved On Writing.

(I thought the movie IT was okay. Not too scary, even for my tastes. But, I guess that defeats the whole purpose of a Stephen King novel)

[poseidon]

Originally posted by Dani257
I also think it's impossible for him to stop writing. I haven't read any of his novels, but I loved On Writing.

(I thought the movie IT was okay. Not too scary, even for my tastes. But, I guess that defeats the whole purpose of a Stephen King novel)

See, and that's part of the problem. The book really wigged me out. The movie was stupid.

[vania]

Originally posted by file13
His Dark Tower series started off brilliant, and has gotten worse with each book. He had the potential for an alternate-world realistic story with minor supernatural elements, but now he's just got a band of annoying riff-raff traipsing across his old stories' plotlines.

His best effort was The Long Walk. No supernatural crap. Pure, raw human-vs-human willpower. The ultimate evil is when you struggle against yourself for survival, and he hit that mother on the head with that effort.

Exactly! I loved the first part of 'The Dark Tower' series. Then I remember tying to pick one of the later ones up and found it to be virtually unreadable..... along with most of his recent stuff (anything within the past 10 years or so.) HATED 'The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. Hated 'Bag of bones.' Hated 'Hearts in Atlantis.'

BTW, I LOVED 'The Long Walk.' That was brilliant.

[lynnzop[$]]

Well, I could go on about King for hours (one of my co-workers called me a freak the other day when I started going on and on...imagine that), but I won't.

Here are a couple of comments:
Rose Red - concept is fine, the lead actress (her name escapes me) is laughable. I'm looking forward to the last part tomorrow nite to see how it all works out.

The Stand - best of King's books, bar none. The entire concept (end of the world, good v. evil) has been written over and over again, but King's development of characters makes the novel.

Dark Tower series - I love each and every one of these books. Book one is a little short and choppy, Book 4 made me cry. If you are interested in a short excerpt from Book 5, go to
Dark Tower 5 on Steve's home site and read it online. If you are a freak (like I am), you will smile at the correlation to an earlier book. (And I'd be curious to know if you "got it" - PM me )

Will King ever stop writing? Gosh, I hope not. After the horrid Tommyknockers (I love Grouch's comment), I would have PAID him to stop writing, but it's gone back uphill again. Dreamcatchers, I could have done without. (Too close to Tommyknockers concept IMHO.) But Black House came back with a bang (Jeff, you've GOT to read it), and I am hoping that he will continue on for many, many years.

Lynn

[dijinn]

He's an EX-PARROT!! He's pushing up the daisies... He's having his mail delivered by goPHers! He's an EX-PARROT! heh.

To be honest I am a bit surprised by how many people still read Mr. King and his fiction. Believe it or not the turning point for me was reading his comments on plot in his On Writing where he states quite emmotively that he doesn't actively plot out his novels. This was the key that unlocked his books for me.

I always wondered why such great ideas could end so poorly (minus Misery, The Shining, The Stand & a few other shots in the dark). The books themselves would be very intriguing until he had to actually deliver what the hype was all about. It's Innerstellar Clowns from Hell really burnt me on the whole non-plot concept.... but I didn't realize it tell I read his little writing book and it made perfect sense.

BUT, when it comes to the Dark tower - I am sticking with it to the end. I figured the man survived that accident just so he could finish it. (sad I know) And I do realize that if ANY of his books arn't ploted it's definitely the Dark Tower books (Charlie the talking choo choo?? Come now). And yet Roland and I are melded some how. King has to finish it. So although it is wierd at times I think it is by far and away his most magical stuff.

Outside of the Dark Tower though he could put his typewriter away I wouldn't even notice he was gone. Plot is just too important (well for a horror/thriller writer anyway) for me. Funny that it was his brilliant little how to book that turned me off on the man all together.

Dij

[Grouch]

Originally posted by poseidon
Grouch,
But you don't like 80% of what he's written post-Pet Semetary? Wow he's put out some great ones since then.

Here's my horrific assessment of his works:

Worth It
Desperation
The Regulators
Bag of Bones
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
Four Past Midnight
The Green Mile
On Writing



Forget It
The Talisman
Misery (movie was much, much better)
The Tommyknockers
Needful Things
Gerald's Game
Insomnia
Rose Madder (perhaps the worst of the worst)
Hearts in Atlantis
Dreamcatcher
Thinner


Haven't Read It
It (that's right, "haven't read It"--heh)
Eyes of the Dragon
any of the Dark Towers
The Dark Half
Dolores Claiborne
Black House
Nightmares and Dreamscapes


Okay, so I stand corrected. I liked 7 out of 17 post-Pet Semetary works. But of those 7, I only truly LOVED Desperation--a good, old-fashioned return to Prime Time King.

I still maintain that Rose Red belongs in the Forget It column.

[rich2003dm]

I love King.

King bores me to death.

King scares the hell out of me.

Can't stand King.

All depends on the book.

I think he's just too damn prolific. Hard to keep up the quality when you put a new book out every three or four days.

Rich

(I tend to like Koontz better. The early Koontz; when he was more like the early King.)

[drmomentum[$]]

I grew up with King's horror fiction and so no matter what he continues to write, I'll always have a fondness for that.

I've never been truly disappointed by his creepy writing, but I am not the avid reader that many are. I jsut don't read enough fiction in general. I tend to stick to nonfiction related to whatever my current hobby is.

I met Stephen King once (at a mall near where I live). I think it might reveal too much about me to tell you that I think I creeped him out a little. But that probably surprises no one here.

-JP

[vania]

Originally posted by rich2003dm
I love King.

King bores me to death.

King scares the hell out of me.

Can't stand King.

All depends on the book.

That's a good way to put it. King's writing is in no way consistent. Seems like every time I hit a bookstore he's got a new one out. Maybe the answer isn't for him to quit writing altogether. Maybe it's to put more time, effort and thought into what he does publish.

v.

[lynnzop[$]]

Originally posted by drmomentum
I met Stephen King once (at a mall near where I live). I think it might reveal too much about me to tell you that I think I creeped him out a little. But that probably surprises no one here.

-JP

My monitor thanks you JP, for causing me to spew mass quantities of Diet Mountain Dew all over it.

Just curious...did you meet SK before or after he wrote Misery? Hmmmm....perhaps you were an inspiration for a storyline?

Lynn