Stephen King Fans discussion

If you could recommend a book to King what would it be?

Well... I would try to get him hooked on the Sookie Stackhouse series. I know Uncle Steve would love it!

The Hunger Games. He's probably already read it, but it goes so nicely with his The Long Walkand The Running Man. I think it would be right up his twisted alley.

I will be reading the Hunger Games next month and can't wait. I've heard a lot of good stuff about it.

Angie wrote: "I will be reading the Hunger Games next month and can't wait. I've heard a lot of good stuff about it. "

I just got an email telling me I won this from Goodreads! Heh....

hunger games is one That I want to get and read.

I would suggest Skin by ted dekker--definitly sounds like it would be up SK's alley. Here is info about it from this site:

A freak storm has spawned three tornadoes that are bearing down on the town of Summerville.

Yet under the cover of the storm looms a much more ominous threat: A vindictive killer known as Red who's left a string of victims in his wake and is now bent on exacting his final revenge on the unsuspecting town.

But there is an enigma surrounding Red that the FBI is unwilling to admit-closely guarded secrets of something gone terribly wrong beneath the skin of Summerville. Secrets that will destroy far more than one small town.

Wendy Davidson is caught in the middle. She's a recovering cult survivor who takes refuge in Summerville on her way to visit her estranged mother. And with her, four strangers, any of whom could be the next victim . . . or the killer.

My initial recommendation would be one I know he has already read, that being Battle Royale by Koushun Takami.

But if I had to choose one that I'm not sure whether or not he's read or not. Maybe World War Z by Max Brooks or A Game of Thrones by George RR Martin.

Ohhh World War Z is a great book. I LOVE it.

I would suggest "Be With You" by Takuji Ichikawa because it's possible he's never heard of it and I think he would like it!

Kandice wrote: "The Hunger Games. He's probably already read it, but it goes so nicely with his The Long Walkand The Running Man. I think it would be right up his twisted al..."

He actually wrote a review of Hunger Games for EW.

Did he like it? I'll have to try to find it. Thanks.

Ummm... i think so...i can't remember...i wish i knew how to post links here, i'd find it and post it.

I agree, and thats my favourite SK by far!!

Found it Rachel:

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20223...

Rob it is funny you say that because I have read that once King writes his books he doesn't go back and ever read them.

Angie wrote: "Found it Rachel:

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20223...

Rob it is funny you say that because I have read that once King writes his books he doesn't go back and ever read them. "

Thanks Angie! I had found it but couldn't post it.

Yay! Thanks for the link. He liked it.

Yeah, The Hunger Games was great, high octane, page-turning stuff -- immediately reminded me of The Running Man and The Long Walk -- although don't expect it to be THAT good or you'll be really disappointed!! Can't wait for the follow-up, Catching Fire.

Non-horror: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (staggering and beautiful - one of the best books I've read in years)

Dystopia: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

YA: Unwind by Neal Shusterman (I think he'd love the premise of this one; macabre sci-fi and smart)

Horror: Hater by David Moody (great end-of-the-world stuff)

I’d recommend Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files series, about a wizard in modern-day Chicago. I’m not all that crazy about fantasy, but damn these books are good. Butcher has King’s way of blending the impossible with the mundane.

My friend keeps trying to get me to read The Dresden Files

I read the first one and loved it. I just haven't had time to get to the rest of the series but I will I swear it!

I would recommend Season of the Witch. The writing isn't on par with King but I really liked the stories and Courville reminds me a bit of Derry, except in Michigan. Yay Michigan!

I just finished The Hunger Games and I recommend it to everyone (not just King). :)

I really enjoyed The Hunger Games as well

I'm not sure what I would recommend to him but something different from what he writes so he could get different inspiration - maybe some Haruki Murakami, I think he would like that.

Kakfa on the Shore, perhaps? While his writing is a bit retrained, his style is like each page is a steel template with the words permantantly etched into each.

I would ask him to read Watchers & One Door Away From Heaven by Dean Koontz. Because those are 2 of my favorites by Koontz, & they are really good books.

Lori wrote: " I would ask him to read Watchers & One Door Away From Heaven by Dean Koontz. Because those are 2 of my favorites by Koontz, & they are really good books."

Lori! I like your taste in books - why aren't you a member of the Dean Koontz group? come check us out :-)

Thank you Dustin, i'll do that. :)

Yeah, Patrick - Kafka on the Shore would be one I would definitely suggest. I loved that book and it has some horror-ish elements that I think King would appreciate along with the magical realism.

Earth Abides! by George Stewart. Highly recommended for any SK fan.
In some ways, it is an apocalyptic book that reads very much like _The Stand_.
Another of Kafka's of course, _Metamorphosis_
The Metamorphosis
Earth Abides

There is a wonderful book called Last Call, by Tim Powers that I read many years ago. It's about a poker game on Lake Mead, played with Tarot cards. The stakes: The Kingdome of Las Vegas, possessed by the late Bugsy Siegel. The book is phenominal and I reread it now and then, between new books. I'm currently reading Under the Dome and it's pretty good so far. I hear the ending is ridiculous - won't be the first time - but that won't stay me. I'm going for it...

John wrote: "There is a wonderful book called Last Call, by Tim Powers that I read many years ago. It's about a poker game on Lake Mead, played with Tarot cards. The stakes: The Kingdome of Las Vegas, possess..."

I will read Under the Dome when it comes out in paperback.Thanks for letting me know its good.

Well, I really don't know which one I would recomend. I guess it depends on what type of horror you like. If it were for my friends, they like IT and DREAMCATCHER, but then again I have seen a lot of The running man and such. So, I guess it just depends on what you like.

I have a feeling he's already read them....

I would offer up my book, Roadkill,a serial killer thriller about a man who loses his wife and unborn son to a woman yakking on her cell phone on the freeway. After another incident of cell phone road rage, the man goes on a killing spree on the streets of LA and Orange County to rid the world of these idiots. The book answers once and for all the question, should it be against the law to talk on your cell phone while driving, with a resounding YES! I think SK would love this book. If anyone's interested, it's an e-Book published by ireadiwrite Publishing www.ireadiwrite.com

My choice would be something by Sherri S. Tepper, like Gate to Women's Country, or Grass, for fantasy with a feminist touch - sk does have pretty strong women as his main characters (Dolores Clairborne, Lisey's Story, Bag of Bones, Rose Madder, etc)

My choice would be something by Sherri S. Tepper, like Gate to Women's Country, or Grass, for fantasy with a feminist touch - sk does have pretty strong women as his main characters (Dolores Clairborne, Lisey's Story, Bag of Bones, Rose Madder, etc)

Yea!! I LOVE Sheri Tepper!! Thanks for mentioning her.

A book on how to be a dog lover lol he's always got it in for the pooches!!!:-D

Madferrit wrote: "A book on how to be a dog lover lol he's always got it in for the pooches!!!:-D"

I think it's our gut reaction to emote for the puppy, so he's going for our gut

Madferrit wrote: "A book on how to be a dog lover lol he's always got it in for the pooches!!!:-D"

Maye that would be a hard sell, since I thought I heard that the driver of the van that hit him was messing around with their pooches instead of watching the road.

Dana wrote: "Madferrit wrote: "A book on how to be a dog lover lol he's always got it in for the pooches!!!:-D"

Maye that would be a hard sell, since I thought I heard that the driver of the van that hit him..."


Nah he has dogs of his own. A corgi for sure not sure about others. He loves dogs as much as the rest of us. I think that's why he has things like that happen because he feels that it's an awful thing too.

After all there was that great dog in The Stand who was practically a main character and the only bad thing that really happened to him is that he was the only dog that survived Captain Tripps.

Lol was just joking about the dog book!!
Funny how it sometimes pulls harder on the heart strings if its happening to an animal- some people react more strongly to animal cruelty than inhumane acts.
Children and dogs aren't fair game-their defensless, guess thats what really tugs at us.

I would recommend Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro because it's a truly horrifying story but not a horror genre book.

I would also recommend two fairy new Swedish authors who have published a few really thrilling books recently: John Ajvide Lindqvist and Johan Theorin (being Swedish myself, I'm biased of course).

I would recommend Oryx and Crake, by Margaret Atwood. I'm not sure if he's read it, or much of Atwood, but when I read Oryx and Crake I thought it would be something King would dig.

TJ wrote: "I would recommend Oryx and Crake, by Margaret Atwood. I'm not sure if he's read it, or much of Atwood, but when I read Oryx and Crake I thought it would be something King would dig."

I really enjoyed that as well. I think there's something of a sequel, but I haven't read it yet.

Yeah, there's one called After the Flood, but I have not read it yet. I'm waiting for it to come out in mass-market paperback format first.

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon is my favorite. Won't give away any spoilers about it.

Angie wrote: "Found it Rachel:

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20223...

Rob it is funny you say that because I have read that once King writes his books he doesn't go back and ever read them. "


Actually that's not true. The re-reading point, that is. Two examples are as follows:

1. The commentary King wrote on his re-release of The Stand. He says he actually went back and re-read it in order to do the things he wishes he could previously or to fix parts that he was unhappy with.

2. On the audio version of one of the 5-7 Dark Tower books, he comments on how he listened to the first 4 audiobooks read by Frank Mueller and those are what spurred him on to completing the final 3 books, even further creating a sharper image of Roland in his mind.

I know there are others (for instance, in On Writing), but I just wanted to dispel that misconception before it goes any further. At a certain point, as a writer, you do have to stop looking at your books and stop revising and editing, but King has trained himself to let his work lie where it does, except occasionally in his short stories where you might get his short story published one way and the audio another way (ex.: Just After Sunset). Why would he change a book title, etc. He approves of all changes, btw.