In middle school I saw the Kubrick version of The Shining and loved it. So I read King's original book and was really bored. Never read any other King. Then when IT: Chapter One came out, I liked the movie so I read the book. And I hated it.

Recently I have decided to get back into writing because I loved that when I was younger. Somehow I was talked into reading On Writing and I am loving it. It is making me think that maybe I had King all wrong and should try reading him again.

Any recommendations for other King material based on what I said?

  • Neckbeard_Prime [they/them,he/him]
    ·
    3 years ago

    On Writing is great! It was like the TV Tropes of its day -- I think that was also the book where he recommends Strunk & White's Elements of Style, which is a goldmine.

    As for recommendations, what are you normally into? Here are the usual suspects:

    • Distant future post-apocalyptic western sci-fi/fantasy: The Dark Tower series (The Gunslinger, The Drawing of the Three, The Waste Lands, etc.)
    • Basically 2020: The Stand
    • Lighter fantasy; almost tween/teen/YA territory: The Eyes of the Dragon
    • Car culture, redux: Christine
    • Parasocial relationships and their unexpected consequences: Misery
    • Wot if time travel, but only to Maine in the late 1950s: 11/22/63 (TV miniseries was decent, albeit nowhere near factual re: Lee Harvey Oswald, but otherwise has some real Quantum Leap vibes)

    Short story collections:

    • Night Shift (Trucks, The Lawnmower Man, Children of the Corn)
    • Different Seasons (Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, Apt Pupil)
    • Skeleton Crew (The Mist)

    Note: this is by no means exhaustive, because I haven't really kept up much since the early 2000s.