Anyone else find Stephen King overrated?

If you are are as popular as King you will always have hatred be higher and love higher than usual. Whatever. He's a writer and many people really like his books. Nobody is loved by 100% of the people.

If you are are as popular as King you will always have hatred be higher and love higher than usual. Whatever. He's a writer and many people really like his books. Nobody is loved by 100% of the people.

Nifty_Shark

The Dark Tower series is amazing, as is Salem's Lot, other than that his stuff ranges from bad to pretty good.

No. Stephen King is actually underrated. He has his written his fair share of crap, but some of his horror books are classics (think Misery, It, the Shining, etc.) and he's made non-horror fiction that is as good as anything any high-brow author has written: The Shawshank Redemption, Apt Pupil, The Body (which was made into the movie Stand By Me)are shockinly high calibre and are extremely sophisticated for a horror fiction writer.

Also, Stephen King is extremely adept at writing kids. It just seems to come so natural to him.

Is Dean Koontz overrated? Definitely. To even say his work is decent is giving him too much credit IMHO.

[QUOTE="Nifty_Shark"]

If you are are as popular as King you will always have hatred be higher and love higher than usual. Whatever. He's a writer and many people really like his books. Nobody is loved by 100% of the people.

44-gun

I know. My last sentence basically was pointing that out. No problem for disliking his work.

No. Stephen King is actually underrated. He has his written his fair share of crap, but some of his horror books are classics (think Misery, It, the Shining, etc.) and he's made non-horror fiction that is as good as anything any high-brow author has written: The Shawshank Redemption, Apt Pupil, The Body (which was made into the movie Stand By Me)are shockinly high calibre andare extremely sophisticatedfor a horror fiction writer.

Also, Stephen King is extremely adept at writing kids. It just seems to come so natural to him.

Is Dean Koontz overrated? Definitely. To even say his work is decent is giving him too much credit IMHO.

But your liking/no liking him has nothing to withhim being overated. And I think his works are fine as an author. As a HORROR writer,not so much.mattykovax

Although I don't entirely agree, I think this is an interesting point mainly because his non-horror work seems to be better plotted and have stronger characters, etc. The plots don't seem as contrived and the characters seem to drive the story moreso than a strange event.

[QUOTE="Tragic_Kingdom7"]

No. Stephen King is actually underrated. He has his written his fair share of crap, but some of his horror books are classics (think Misery, It, the Shining, etc.) and he's made non-horror fiction that is as good as anything any high-brow author has written: The Shawshank Redemption, Apt Pupil, The Body (which was made into the movie Stand By Me)are shockinly high calibre andare extremely sophisticatedfor a horror fiction writer.

Also, Stephen King is extremely adept at writing kids. It just seems to come so natural to him.

Is Dean Koontz overrated? Definitely. To even say his work is decent is giving him too much credit IMHO.

mattykovax

:lol: I'm glad my posts have the power to provide enjoyment. After this comment you've just made, I dare anybody to call my posts overrated.

[QUOTE="mattykovax"]But your liking/no liking him has nothing to withhim being overated. And I think his works are fine as an author. As a HORROR writer,not so much.Tragic_Kingdom7

Although I don't entirely agree, I think this is an interesting point mainly because his non-horror work seems to be better plotted and have stronger characters, etc. The plots don't seem as contrived and the characters seem to drive the story moreso than a strange event.

I dont think anyone really calls him a great writer, but as a storyteller he is one of the best around. His stories always interest me and he is one of the few mainstream writers who still writes fantastic short stories. His last book Duma Key was one of his best by far and his non fiction book On Writing has been a huge influence on me and has helped me alot in my own writing so I do not think he is overrated at all. In fact it might sound odd but in some cases I think people underrate him, for some reason tons of people I know refuse to read his books yet they say he is trash. People like to sound smart by telling others they only read classic books like Dickens and Tolstoy but really they just sound arrogant and narrow minded. I don't think Stephen King gets much appreciation as a writer and a storyteller by many and so I do not think he is overrated.

[QUOTE="Tragic_Kingdom7"]

[QUOTE="mattykovax"]But your liking/no liking him has nothing to withhim being overated. And I think his works are fine as an author. As a HORROR writer,not so much.mattykovax

Although I don't entirely agree, I think this is an interesting point mainly because his non-horror work seems to be better plotted and have stronger characters, etc. The plots don't seem as contrived and the characters seem to drive the story moreso than a strange event.

Good analysis.

I agree completely on the point that he is close to literature. His books, while supernatural, really get to essence of the seedy underbelly of American society. His books offer more than your usual horror romp. Although some of his books are better constructed than others, the majority of them make important points about culture.

I dont think anyone really calls him a great writer, but as a storyteller he is one of the best around. His stories always interest me and he is one of the few mainstream writers who still writes fantastic short stories. His last book Duma Key was one of his best by far and his non fiction book On Writing has been a huge influence on me and has helped me alot in my own writing so I do not think he is overrated at all. In fact it might sound odd but in some cases I think people underrate him, for some reason tons of people I know refuse to read his books yet they say he is trash. People like to sound smart by telling others they only read classic books like Dickens and Tolstoy but really they just sound arrogant and narrow minded. I don't think Stephen King gets much appreciation as a writer and a storyteller by many and so I do not think he is overrated.

Film-Guy

That On Writing book that you mentioned is SUPERB. Anybody who has even a passing interest in how to write a good story should read it. The book is really full of personality. That's what makes it so great.

[QUOTE="Tragic_Kingdom7"]

[QUOTE="mattykovax"]But your liking/no liking him has nothing to withhim being overated. And I think his works are fine as an author. As a HORROR writer,not so much.mattykovax

Although I don't entirely agree, I think this is an interesting point mainly because his non-horror work seems to be better plotted and have stronger characters, etc. The plots don't seem as contrived and the characters seem to drive the story moreso than a strange event.

Literature snobs are some of the most arrogant and narrow minded idiots I know. They brag about how many classic books they have read as if anyone gives a crap and many of them call popular authors trash without reading them. I know many and they always ask me why I read trash like king and I tell them because I think he a good writer and storyteller which for some reason offends them. It is such a stupid thing to brag about, oh look at me I read nothing but classic literature that is very serious, metaphorical and intelliegent. Well guess what? NOBODY CARES! Some people just need to relax and shut the hell up.

Good analysis.

I agree completely on the point that he is close to literature. His books, while supernatural, really get to essence of the seedy underbelly of American society. His books do offer more than your usual horror romp. Although some of his books are better constructed thanothers, the majority of themmake important points about culture.

Literature snobs are some of the most arrogant and narrow minded idiots I know. They brag about how many classic books they have read as if anyone gives a crap and many of them call popular authors trash without reading them. I know many and they always ask me why I read trash like king and I tell them because I think he a good writer and storyteller which for some reason offends them. It is such a stupid thing to brag about, oh look at me I read nothing but classic literature that is very serious, metaphorical and intelliegent. Well guess what? NOBODY CARES! Some people just need to relax and shut the hell up.

Film-Guy

[QUOTE="Film-Guy"]

I dont think anyone really calls him a great writer, but as a storyteller he is one of the best around. His stories always interest me and he is one of the few mainstream writers who still writes fantastic short stories. His last book Duma Key was one of his best by far and his non fiction book On Writing has been a huge influence on me and has helped me alot in my own writing so I do not think he is overrated at all. In fact it might sound odd but in some cases I think people underrate him, for some reason tons of people I know refuse to read his books yet they say he is trash. People like to sound smart by telling others they only read classic books like Dickens and Tolstoy but really they just sound arrogant and narrow minded. I don't think Stephen King gets much appreciation as a writer and a storyteller by many and so I do not think he is overrated.

Tragic_Kingdom7

That On Writing book that you mentioned is SUPERB. Anybody who has even a passing interest in how to write a good story should read it. The book is really full of personality. That's what makes it so great.

THe autobiography part is a great read too, but the actual on writing part is very useful and it offers good advice for writers. One of the many reasons I like King is because in his books he usually has a really great intro that describes why he wrote the book and how, like Pet Semetary has a great intro that talks about how he thought it was too disturbing to publish. On Writing really shines because it is very casual in its delivery, King doesnt write or talk like an arrogant literature snob who thinks he is better than everyone else because he makes alot of money and writes alot. He is very aware that he is not an amazing writer yet his writing advice is some of the best you will ever get. Reading on writing is like having a casual conversation with King rather than a boring lecture from a literature major. He always injects his personality into his writing and not many writers do that. Also the way he describes how he nearly died after being hit by a van was a pretty interesting part to read. His entertainment weekly articles he writes sometimes are also fun to read.

[QUOTE="Tragic_Kingdom7"]

Good analysis.

I agree completely on the point that he is close to literature. His books, while supernatural, really get to essence of the seedy underbelly of American society. His books do offer more than your usual horror romp. Although some of his books are better constructed thanothers, the majority of themmake important points about culture.

mattykovax

I agree completely. I think his short stories tend to come across as more economic and thus more focused and powerful than his novels in some ways in that there is no distracting filler.King once said a really interesting thing about short stories. He said that they adapt to the big screen well, because the screenwriters don't have to cut stuff and they have just enough to work with to make a fast-paced film.

[QUOTE="Tragic_Kingdom7"]

Good analysis.

I agree completely on the point that he is close to literature. His books, while supernatural, really get to essence of the seedy underbelly of American society. His books do offer more than your usual horror romp. Although some of his books are better constructed thanothers, the majority of themmake important points about culture.

mattykovax

All his short story books are great and he really seems to find is sad that short stories are dieing out. I always find his views on literature and culture in general interesting to read.

Yes! Dont get me wrong, he's a decent writer but everyone makes him out to be the best when I see nothing recognizable about him! He's just... Boring!Morning_Revival

I have never seen anyone call him one of the best writers, I doubt many think that. As a storyteller though I think he is one of my favorites by far.

[QUOTE="mattykovax"][QUOTE="Tragic_Kingdom7"]

Good analysis.

I agree completely on the point that he is close to literature. His books, while supernatural, really get to essence of the seedy underbelly of American society. His books do offer more than your usual horror romp. Although some of his books are better constructed thanothers, the majority of themmake important points about culture.

All his short story books are great and he really seems to find is sad that short stories are dieing out. I always find his views on literature and culture in general interesting to read.

[QUOTE="Tragic_Kingdom7"]

[QUOTE="Film-Guy"]

I dont think anyone really calls him a great writer, but as a storyteller he is one of the best around. His stories always interest me and he is one of the few mainstream writers who still writes fantastic short stories. His last book Duma Key was one of his best by far and his non fiction book On Writing has been a huge influence on me and has helped me alot in my own writing so I do not think he is overrated at all. In fact it might sound odd but in some cases I think people underrate him, for some reason tons of people I know refuse to read his books yet they say he is trash. People like to sound smart by telling others they only read classic books like Dickens and Tolstoy but really they just sound arrogant and narrow minded. I don't think Stephen King gets much appreciation as a writer and a storyteller by many and so I do not think he is overrated.

Film-Guy

That On Writing book that you mentioned is SUPERB. Anybody who has even a passing interest in how to write a good story should read it. The book is really full of personality. That's what makes it so great.

THe autobiography part is a great read too, but the actual on writing part is very useful and it offers good advice for writers. One of the many reasons I like King is because in his books he usually has a really great intro that describes why he wrote the book and how, like Pet Semetary has a great intro that talks about how he thought it was too disturbing to publish. On Writing really shines because it is very casual in its delivery, King doesnt write or talk like an arrogant literature snob who thinks he is better than everyone else because he makes alot of money and writes alot. He is very aware that he is not an amazing writer yet his writing advice is some of the best you will ever get. Reading on writing is like having a casual conversation with King rather than a boring lecture from a literature major. He always injects his personality into his writing and not many writers do that. Also the way he describes how he nearly died after being hit by a van was a pretty interesting part to read. His entertainment weekly articles he writes sometimes are also fun to read.

This is a really good point. Authors that tend to be critical of themselves are usually more helpful in that they have a kind of self-awareness which is more helpful than an author who simply pats themselves on the back and as you said, lectures. It also makes an aspiring author think that writing is not as much an exclusive club as they might have thought. He really brings things down to earth for people, which is excellent.

BTW, I loved that Pet Semetary intro as well. King has some really interesting stories about his own writing.

On the subject of King, these are my favorite stories of his. Most of which are not actually horror stories in the traditional sense.

Rage

The Green mile

Needful Things

The Long Walk

The Stand

Hearts in Atlantis

Pet Semetary

Duma Key

Dolores Clairborne

Desperation

On Writing

Bag of bones

The Dark tower series

Danse Macabre

Misery

Geralds Game

Rose Madder

The Dark Half

The Shining

Salem's lot

The Dead Zone

The girl who loved tom gordan

[QUOTE="Morning_Revival"]Yes! Dont get me wrong, he's a decent writer but everyone makes him out to be the best when I see nothing recognizable about him! He's just... Boring!Film-Guy

I have never seen anyone call him one of the best writers, I doubt many think that. As a storyteller though I think he is one of my favorites by far.

Although King's prose is certainly not the cleanest and most elegant out there, it does have a distinctive voice, which earns him credit as a writer of prose. And although not elegant, it is not anywhere as clumsy and grammaticaly incorrect as the prose of JK Rowling (don't get me wrong, JK Rowling is a great storyteller, but her prose...well...it needs work).

All in all, he's a pretty good writer of prose. It's not an elegant style, but its an interesting style.

[QUOTE="Film-Guy"]

[QUOTE="Tragic_Kingdom7"]

That On Writing book that you mentioned is SUPERB. Anybody who has even a passing interest in how to write a good story should read it. The book is really full of personality. That's what makes it so great.

Tragic_Kingdom7

THe autobiography part is a great read too, but the actual on writing part is very useful and it offers good advice for writers. One of the many reasons I like King is because in his books he usually has a really great intro that describes why he wrote the book and how, like Pet Semetary has a great intro that talks about how he thought it was too disturbing to publish. On Writing really shines because it is very casual in its delivery, King doesnt write or talk like an arrogant literature snob who thinks he is better than everyone else because he makes alot of money and writes alot. He is very aware that he is not an amazing writer yet his writing advice is some of the best you will ever get. Reading on writing is like having a casual conversation with King rather than a boring lecture from a literature major. He always injects his personality into his writing and not many writers do that. Also the way he describes how he nearly died after being hit by a van was a pretty interesting part to read. His entertainment weekly articles he writes sometimes are also fun to read.

This is a really good point. Authors that tend to be critical of themselves are usually more helpful in that they have a kind of self-awareness which is more helpful than an author who simply pats themselves on the back and as you said, lectures. It also makes an aspiring author think that writing is not as much an exclusive club as they might have thought. He really brings things down to earth for people, which is excellent.

BTW, I loved that Pet Semetary intro as well. King has some really interesting stories about his own writing.

He did a great speach when he won a writing award that the national book foundation gave him. Its posted on this site here.

http://www.nationalbook.org/nbaacceptspeech_sking.html

I think it is a great speach, he is much more inspiring with his advice than most authors I have read who have given writing advice. Even writers who I think are better writers than him dont give as good advice usually.

[QUOTE="Film-Guy"]

[QUOTE="Morning_Revival"]Yes! Dont get me wrong, he's a decent writer but everyone makes him out to be the best when I see nothing recognizable about him! He's just... Boring!Tragic_Kingdom7

I have never seen anyone call him one of the best writers, I doubt many think that. As a storyteller though I think he is one of my favorites by far.

Although King's prose is certainly not the cleanest and most elegant out there, it does have a distinctive voice, which earns him credit as a writer of prose. And although not elegant, it is not anywhere as clumsy and grammaticaly incorrect as the prose of JK Rowling (don't get me wrong, JK Rowling is a great storyteller, but her prose...well...it needs work).

All in all, he's a pretty good writer of prose. It's not an elegant style, but its an interesting style.

Oddly enough he praises J.K Rowling alot, though his rant against twilight and the author of it was great.

On the subject of King, these are my favorite stories of his. Most of which are not actually horror stories in the traditional sense.

Rage

The Green mile

Needful Things

The Long Walk

The Stand

Hearts in Atlantis

Pet Semetary

Duma Key

Dolores Clairborne

Desperation

On Writing

Bag of bones

The Dark tower series

Danse Macabre

Misery

Geralds Game

Rose Madder

The Dark Half

The Shining

Salem's lot

The Dead Zone

The girl who loved tom gordan

Film-Guy

As someone who has read almost everything King has written (the only thing I haven't read is Duma Key and the new short story collection), that's a pretty good list. I like everything on it with the exception of Rose Madder. Props for including Desperation and Bag of Bones. Although after King's peak, those two books are absolutely superb. The Dead Zone is another excellent mention. That scenario in that book is extremely intriuging.

I won't write out a list that long but my favorite works of his are:

1. Different Seasons (Shawshank Redemption, Apt Pupil, The Body, the Breathing Method is pretty good as well)

2. It

3. The Shining

4. Misery

5. Cujo (great characterization in this book)

My least favorite King book is Dreamcatcher. Utter crap.

I love his short stories.

[QUOTE="Tragic_Kingdom7"]

[QUOTE="Film-Guy"]

I have never seen anyone call him one of the best writers, I doubt many think that. As a storyteller though I think he is one of my favorites by far.

Film-Guy

Although King's prose is certainly not the cleanest and most elegant out there, it does have a distinctive voice, which earns him credit as a writer of prose. And although not elegant, it is not anywhere as clumsy and grammaticaly incorrect as the prose of JK Rowling (don't get me wrong, JK Rowling is a great storyteller, but her prose...well...it needs work).

All in all, he's a pretty good writer of prose. It's not an elegant style, but its an interesting style.

Oddly enough he praises J.K Rowling alot, though his rant against twilight and the author of it was great.

I actually agree with alot of his praise of Rowling. She definitely knows how to tell a story. While her shortcomings are extremely obvious, she has the gift of making one keep turning the pages. Harry Potter is not by any means the best fantasty series out there, but it's solid storytelling.

Despite that, her prose is extremely clunky and her sentences are not well constructed.

I totally agreed with his opinion on Twilight. It's a terrible book. The problem with it is that it is not universal in the way that Harry Potter is. It has a very limited audience. And it's just not a very interesting take on the vampire genre. Plus, hearing about how beautiful the male vampire is is extremely grating. Everything about that book is grating.

BTW, thanks for the link, Film-Guy. I am always interested in hearing what King has to say.

I prefer Stephen King when he does his drama stories, like The Body and The Girl Who Loved Tom Green (or something like that). He's great at telling a coming of age story.

Problem is with his horror stories, although horror is often fictional, he's very guilty of doing Deux Ex Machina endings with most of them. I remember The Stand, it felt like he didn't know how to tie up his epic, so THE HAND OF GOD COMES CRASHING DOWN AND BLOWS EVERYONE UP! THE END!

Whether one likes to admit it to themselves or not, King as a writer gets as much hate as love from both the literati and the mainstream because of his success. While the TC likes to point out that he doesn't like him because of his popularity but because he didn't think his writing was the best ever. How he doesn't understand why he gets so much love from fans it does tell me that like how people will backlash on popular films (I won't even mention the top film to be backlashed on of late since it would be redundant to do so) readers new to King usually do so because others have hyped him up too much.

Whenever a writer gets hyped up to a new reader to the point that they end up reading their stuff just to see what all the hubbub is about they end up with so high an expectation that nothing less than brilliant will make them like what they're reading. I'm not saying this is the case for everyone but reading enough posts on who/what is "overrated" (grrr at that term) leads me to the conclusion that hype someone's work enough to another who doesn't know of it and it will ruin the experience of discovery for them.

I, for one, think King is akin to Dickens in that he writes for the masses and not for the literati. While his books may not be Pulitzer-prize material they are well-written and quite enjoyable if taken as populist writing. I've met him on several occasions during book signings and he couldn't care less what critics say about his books. One question I asked him and his answer to it summed him up as a writer. If he wanted to be accepted by the literati and win the prestigious awards in writing then he wouldn't have chosen horror as his entry into the literary industry. Like Dickens his work is easily accessible to the reader off the street, yet has enough depth to it if one was to really study it beyond what's on the surface.

His work has been uneven. His foray into more gothic themes was not my favorite but then I've always been indifferent to gothic writing in general. I will say that his earlier stuff from the late 70's up to the late 80's are some of his best stuff with his short story collections some of the best horror writing in the field. While he's not of the splatterpunk club like early Barker, Ketchum and Laymon, his stuff is closer to supernatural horror than out and out gore. One of the best vampire novels out there is his work.

So, whether one likes his stuff or not, to say he's overrated (grrr) or even underrated (grrr) pigeonholes him into a category which fails to look at his work as a whole instead of picking one book or even 10, and deciding his overall rating on that.

I prefer Stephen King when he does his drama stories, like The Body and The Girl Who Loved Tom Green (or something like that). He's great at telling a coming of age story.

Problem is with his horror stories, although horror is often fictional, he's very guilty of doing Deux Ex Machina endings with most of them. I remember The Stand, it felt like he didn't know how to tie up his epic, so THE HAND OF GOD COMES CRASHING DOWN AND BLOWS EVERYONE UP! THE END!

Evil_Saluki

Well, if one was to look at The Stand more as fantasy epic and less a horror then I don't see the Hand of God scene being too much of a cheap escape, but an almost logical conclusion to the journey the 4 men from Boulder had to make. I always though that novel could be seen as a modern reinterpretation and re-telling of The Lord of the Rings.

I prefer Stephen King when he does his drama stories, like The Body and The Girl Who Loved Tom Green (or something like that). He's great at telling a coming of age story.

Problem is with his horror stories, although horror is often fictional, he's very guilty of doing Deux Ex Machina endings with most of them. I remember The Stand, it felt like he didn't know how to tie up his epic, so THE HAND OF GOD COMES CRASHING DOWN AND BLOWS EVERYONE UP! THE END!

I have 3 Stephen King books (The Shining, The Cell and Pet Sematary), I still haven't read any of them yet. Which one should I start with?

I have 3 Stephen King books (The Shining, The Cell and Pet Sematary), I still haven't read any of them yet. Which one should I start with?

FAB_GS

I'd go with The Shining.

[QUOTE="FAB_GS"]

I have 3 Stephen King books (The Shining, The Cell and Pet Sematary), I still haven't read any of them yet. Which one should I start with?

Buck_Hotep

I'd go with The Shining.

I personally prefer Pet Semetary, that book still disturbs me to this day. Very tragic and emotional story.