Need Help Avoiding Getting Fucked By Steve

[Joe Wordsworth]

(I love making titles)

So, I read Stephen King's "The Dark Tower" Series... and so did my girl. And, four months later, I've gone through most of his best known novels and am starting to get burned on it.

Aside from
Salem's Lot
Desperation
The Regulaters
Needful Things
IT
The Stand
Insomnia
The Talisman
Black House
Hearts in Atlantis
The Tommyknockers
Night Shift
Christine
Carrie
Pet Cemetary
and Eyes of the Dragon

Does he have any OTHER good books anyone's read? I haven't tried "The Cell" or "Everything's Eventual" or "From a Buick 8" yet.

And then, past that... any other good book series' out there?

 

[kromen]

I found a trilogy of his book he wrote under Richard Bachman. There were Rage (raised a lot of hairs after Columbine, even though he wrote it in the seventies), The Long Walk, and Road Work.

 

[AngeloMichael]

(I love making titles)

So, I read Stephen King's "The Dark Tower" Series... and so did my girl. And, four months later, I've gone through most of his best known novels and am starting to get burned on it.

Aside from
Salem's Lot
Desperation
The Regulaters
Needful Things
IT
The Stand
Insomnia
The Talisman
Black House
Hearts in Atlantis
The Tommyknockers
Night Shift
Christine
Carrie
Pet Cemetary
and Eyes of the Dragon

Does he have any OTHER good books anyone's read? I haven't tried "The Cell" or "Everything's Eventual" or "From a Buick 8" yet.

And then, past that... any other good book series' out there?

Misery is the best SK book I've read, but I have yet to read The Stand or It.

 

[AngeloMichael]

(I love making titles)
And then, past that... any other good book series' out there?

This is what I said in the Books read, reading, will read thread:

I'll plug this series I just completed reading every chance I get.

The Prince of Nothing by R. Scott Bakker. It's a 3 book series and I just finished the last book, The Thousandfold Thought, about a month ago. There is another series planned that takes place twenty years after later, but it won't be coming out for at least another year or more.

Roughly based on the crusades and other holy wars with strong religious themes and adding into the mix a non-human force gathering strength in order to deliver the humans of this world to their destruction. Strong magic in this series and interesting explanations on how it is used and its different types.

Imagine if the Nazis had secluded themselves in a mountain hideout for two thousand years while the rest of the known world fought and squabbled amongst themselves with empires rising and falling, meanwhile this clustered community continues to perform their experiments ruthlessly and unemotionally trying to make the perfect human (in thier opinion). Then, when one of them is unleashed upon the world it not only signafies the Apocalypse is coming but he may be their only salvation. That may sound obscene, but this story focuses on a character that has the power to manipulate anyone to believe anything he wishes, pretty much make everyone love him believing he is a prophet, and the struggle of others not to fall under his spell while at the same time facing their own inner demons. All this while an unimaginable horror threatens to return and only this prophet's powers may be able to stop. Not a lot of sympathetic characters in this series which makes you appreciate the few there are all the more. The author uses sex as a powerful ingredient in his storytelling, the series is extremely well written with unique prose and emotionally exhausting.

Other excellent series:
A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin. 7 book series, status: 4 books completed and published. GRRM is the epitome of modern fantasy. Based on the medievel feudal society of Europe, but this world has been stuck in this system for thousands of years and seasons last for years. Imagine the War of the Roses going on while a dark force of evil cratures that thrive in the cold gathers to invade the world not to conquer but to just kill, oh and a decade long winter is just around the corner. Magic is almost nonexistent in the beginning which makes you apprieciate the magnitude of it all the more when it makes itself present and its use slowly builds in power and frequency as the plot gains momentum.


Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson. 10 book series, status: 6 books completed and published. This series is just fun with some strong emotional moments as well. You want magic? This book is overflowing with it. It's like a who's who of the greatest D&D characters constantly squaring off against each other but with a profound significance given to each fight and that isn't even the meat of the series, it's the world that has been given immense depth and detail and exciting intricate plots as well.

I can't recommend these series enough, they have provided me countless hours of enjoyment and envelopment.

 

[BigFatMeat]

Not sure if you'd be interested, but SK has a short-story called "Riding the Bullet" that he wrote back in 2000. It was originally published online and could only be downloaded using some software which I think was the early stages of E-book software. It's pretty good and you could download it for free if you look around.

 

[TheEarl]

I will second the recommendation of Misery, as that's still one of the finest books I've read. You've ticked most of my King reading list with that selection, but I'd also recommend 'Bag of Bones' as something worth reading.

The Earl

 

[TheEarl]

In addendum: His short story collections are definitely worth a look as well. 'Four Past Midnight' is the one I remember, but he appears to be very adept at the genre and all of his compilations are worth buying.

The Earl

 

[ibhard]

I liked "Thinner" it was a short read. He got to the point fairly quick, instead of his usual six chapters before he tells his story.

 

[Huckleman2000]

I liked the John LeCarre series about Jason Bourne - Bourne Identity, Bourne Ultimatum, and the other one. I like spy novels, though, while Stephen King just weirds me out.

 

[AngeloMichael]

I liked the John LeCarre series about Jason Bourne - Bourne Identity, Bourne Ultimatum, and the other one. I like spy novels, though, while Stephen King just weirds me out.

I believe it was Robert Ludlum who wrote that series.

 

[Joe Wordsworth]

I try and avoid Fantasy because I know I'm not good at appreciating it. Just not. Never have been, really.

But, and here's the kicker, I really like epic-ly long and involved stories. Big multi-part novels and whatnot.

 

[Huckleman2000]

I believe it was Robert Ludlum who wrote that series.

You're right.

So what did I like by LeCarre?

 

[The_Fool]

You're right.

So what did I like by LeCarre?

"The Spy Who Came In From The Cold" is the one that comes to mind.

 

[The_Fool]

Hated Cujo...

 

[AngeloMichael]

I try and avoid Fantasy because I know I'm not good at appreciating it. Just not. Never have been, really.

But, and here's the kicker, I really like epic-ly long and involved stories. Big multi-part novels and whatnot.

Have you tried "The Godfather"?

 

[Joe Wordsworth]

Have you tried "The Godfather"?

Better than the movie?

 

[AngeloMichael]

Better than the movie?

That's debatable. Some say yes, some say it is one of the rare instances where the movie is better than the book. I liked them about the same. The one book pretty much encompasses most of what happnened in parts I and II and gives more background on some minor characters like the Hollywood producer and Sonny's mistresses.

 

[togitc]

Kings best work is in his short stories. Everythings Eventual is my favorite collection of his aside from On Writing.

 

[SlickTony]

That's debatable. Some say yes, some say it is one of the rare instances where the movie is better than the book. I liked them about the same. The one book pretty much encompasses most of what happnened in parts I and II and gives more background on some minor characters like the Hollywood producer and Sonny's mistresses.

Here's another one: Advise & Consent. Of course it would have to be a hell of a bad movie (which it wasn't) to be duller than the book, the reading of which was like having to swallow down a cup of flour without even a sip of water to wash it down with. I have never wanted to read anything else by Allen Drury since.

As for Stephen King, I think he's a quite competent writer and a hell of a storyteller. My money says that one day in the future he's going to be one of these writers whom one is assigned to read in school, and I only hope that won't spoil things.

 

[SnoopDog]

You got a pretty good list there since all his masterpieces are on there. However there are still some gems left....


I can back the "Riding the Bullet" short story, very good.
Also - and I know there are other opinions out there - I loved the short story "The Sun Dog"

I can also reccomend "Dreamcatcher" which is way better than the movie - of course.

Until today where I yet haven't read the Dark Tower series farther than book 4 I have to say his best work was, is and will be "The Stand" closely followed by "It".


Snoopy

 

[SlickTony]

Loved The Stand, hated It and Pet Sematary so much I gave both away. Christine is a good story, but the movie sucked.

I've read all the Dark Tower books but the last one, and someone in Amazon spoiled it for me by revealing...well, I'm not going to compound the sin, but I haven't gotten around to buying it for that reason.

 

[Aurora Black]

What about The Green Mile and Dolores Claiborne? If you're looking for a good non-fiction read from SK, I highly recommend On Writing. I'm finishing it now, and it is very helpful for writers who want to go pro. It's illuminating and thorough (and funny) without all the heavy intellectual bullshit. He tells it like it is.

 

[TheEarl]

If you're looking for a good non-fiction read from SK, I highly recommend On Writing. I'm finishing it now, and it is very helpful for writers who want to go pro. It's illuminating and thorough (and funny) without all the heavy intellectual bullshit. He tells it like it is.

So very much seconded that I can't begin to believe that I forgot about it.

Best. Book. Ever.

The Earl

 

[Aurora Black]

So very much seconded that I can't begin to believe that I forgot about it.

Best. Book. Ever.

The Earl

I think it's my new favorite book of all time.

 

[Tom Collins]

I try and avoid Fantasy because I know I'm not good at appreciating it. Just not. Never have been, really.

But, and here's the kicker, I really like epic-ly long and involved stories. Big multi-part novels and whatnot.

If you really like epic-ly long and involved stories, big multi-part novels and whatnot, and aren't into SciFi/Fantasy you could try The Earth's Children series.

It's 5 books by Jean M. Auel and each books is very thick. Clan of the Cavebear, The Vally of Horses, The Mamoth Hunters, The Plains of Passage and The Shelters of Stone(I think the l;ast title is right, but I could have it slightly off. It could be The Sheltering Stones but I don't think so.)