Swan Song question

The Stand.

I found Swan Song to be very simple and flat. The characters you are introduced to are the characters you get. They don't grow or evolve in any way and they never really had to make any choices in anything.

I felt the characters in The Stand were much more complex and real. Constantly being pulled one way or another and having to make choices that would change who they are and deal with their internal battles.

Also it doesn't sit well with me seeing how much Swan Song ripped off The Stand and I feel like anyone who doesn't see it is in denial. Just the opinion of a random nobody on the internet who can't write a story to save his own life.

It has been a while since I have read either of these, but I would say Swan Song, easily.

While The Stand has a great beginning, and some good characters, the ending is terrible. After all that build up instead of getting what you assume will be some titanic final confrontation, what you get instead is a Deus Ex Machina of the highest and most unsatisfying order.

Swan Song, while certainly not without it's own faults, has better execution in just about every way. And while it too uses its own Deus Ex, it seems satisfying in all the ways that the Stand just wasn't.

It's a shame that everyone and their brother has heard of the Stand and Stephen King, but almost no one knows who McCammon is, and no one I know has read Swan Song, save those friends I gave a copy to (those friends have all loved it, for what it's worth). It really is the better book, in my opinion.

I would make sure I was stranded with my Kindle so I wouldn't have to choose...but then I would have to worry about the battery so I would have to be stranded with a solar battery charger.

They both had their own time, place and message and they are both were perfect for what they are and the time period they were written in.

The evil in The Stand and the ending for it is in my opinion, totally appropropriate - a the story was a tad too religous, but that too is appropriate considering the message.

I read both when they first came out, I was young and able to ignore the truths in them. Funnily enough I just re-read both of these about a month ago, and I have to say that Swan Song affected me a little more this time around; knowing now what I didn't want to see or admit to, then.

You might want to try "Floating Dragon".

I've read The Stand twice and only read Swan Song after being recommended for a book comparable to The Stand. Having said that, I really enjoyed Swan Song more. The evil in Swan Song is darker than it is in The Stand, the good in contradistinction of the two books though I'd judge at about equal. I really love the way Swan Song ended, and reading that book made me want to hunt down more by Robert McCammon (I've since bought They Thirst although I haven't started it yet).
I was already a Stephen King head having read many of his books, and this thread should open me up to more reads in this genre.

Swan Song is the only book I've read were I was actually disappointed it ended. Anything by McCammon is gold.

Another unknown, but brilliant author, is John Farris. I've read about 10 of his books, all worthwhile. WILWOOD or ALL HEADS TURN WHEN THE HUNT GOES BY are your best bets.

Swan Song, because it's a better gateway drug to an underrated author.

This book lead me to Stinger, The Wolf's Hour, and indirectly to the rest of the splatterpunk movement of the 80s (Skipp/Spector, Barker, et al).

King just lead me to heartbreak and disappointment at the wasted potential.

Have to go with Swan Song, no doubt.
When I first read The Stand, it was very engaging but it was also lacking in so many places. When I read Swan Song it felt like someone had read The Stand, had all the same disappointments and problems with it that I had, and decided to set it right. Every aspect is better from content to prose.

I hate Goodreads on my phone app. I wrote a whole comment on this, touched the screen at another spot, now it's completely gone.

These two books were written 9 years apart, and to say they ripped each other off is to say all PNR or UF are ripoffs of each other. They may have the same premise, but went in very different ways. Revelations type apocalyptic books were popular back then, but these two stand heads above all the rest. I love each equally for different reasons, have multiple copies in multiple formats of each and will re-read them until the day I can't read anymore. Amazing books, each in their own right. No point trying to compare them. Just love them both for themselves.

Didn’t they both come out at the same time? (Too close to have ripped off each other?)

Considering Swan Song is what you get when you take all the bad things out of The Stand....

All you need to know is that if you liked The Stand you'll like Swan Song (or vice versa). Everything else you read on Goodreads is personal opinion, valid only for the critic, not for anyone wondering which to read. Read both.

Since his book came out a decade after King's, it's a reasonable bet that McCammon simply decided to do his own riff on it. The plot similarities are far too many to be due to chance. I think King's characters are better presented and he also achieves a mythic feel. McCammon is clever but not quite as inspired. His book is also a bit more dated. But, really, the differences are not critical. Both are great entertainments.

Big Steven King fan, The Stand.

Although I liked the ending of Swan Song better, I enjoyed reading The Stand more. You had a greater feeling of isolation in The Stand, and the slower spread of Captain Trips was a more interesting way to die. Swan Song was BOOM whats left is left. I would have liked to have seen the good force in Swan Song manifest itself into an ethereal form like "Friend" who was no friend at all. This causes me to look for a metaphor in there but I think I am missing it (surely its not meant to be that obvious). Also the crown; she only wore it for a moment and took it off because it was too powerful. I kept waiting for the moment where she would need it to vanquish 'Friend' or to stop the Talons from doing their duty.
If I could put Swan Song ending on The Stand, I think I would go with that :)

I haven't read Swan Song yet. I will and I will chime in.

I would choose The Stand. I thought it was better written.

Swan Song is a good book but it carried on way too long.

Loved them both.... but probably would go with the Stand.

I don't know that I could pick - I love both of these books equally well for different reasons. I think I would have to try really really hard to figure out a way to get both of them on that island. I agree with the previous statement about the lack of knowledge of Swan Song - I had never heard of Swan Song until reading a post on Goodreads about it in answer to a different question about The Stand. I immediately got and read Swan Song and loved it - I would recommend Robert McCammon's works to anyone who enjoys this genre.

I like The Stand. I love, love, love Swan Song. I read it every few years

I could not finish 'Swan Song,' and it's still got a bookmark stuck in it around page 300. I love 'The Stand' and have read the unabridged edition twice.

Having said that, I need to restart 'Swan Song' and see what I missed as I am wondering what 'truths' it contains. I do recall feeling bored and frustrated reading it, as in, why am I wasting my time on this? The part with the girl's face getting covered up by a mask? Justdidntgetit.

I read a lot of horror, mystery, thriller, dystopia, scfi - etc.

Read and love them both but I would have to go with Swan Song...that book has stuck with me for years!

Both are amazing books. I read Swan Song after The Stand and I was amazed that a writer had the talent to take on a similar topic and make it just as compelling as King did The Stand. McCammon is an amazing writer, and one not many people have ever heard of. Has anyone here ever read "Mine?" by McCammon? I've always hoped that would be made into a movie some day.

I too love them both and I too have always thought Robert McCammon to be way underrated as an author. Boy's Life is one of the best books ever written and I've read Wolf's Hour at least 5 times over the years. I read his books back in the 80s but have been
rereading them lately and finding they still hold up
there's a McCammon group on Goodreads if anyone wants to check it out

I did enjoy them both but I am going to have to with Swan Song!

Love both books and both authors - for different reasons. I don't think that I could choose between the books. Of course, The Stand would last longer!
I've read all of Stephen King - some I love, some not so much. I look forward to each new book and am sad when they end.
As to McCammon - I started with Boys Life and then read anything and everything I could by same author! Have never been disappointed - but again, some I liked better than others. Boys Life will always be my favorite.

This is such a tough choice...I live both of these and have read them both several times. Going to go with The Stand, with Swan Song just a hair behind.