Question for Stephen King fans.

[DrWeird]

I have never been able to finish any of King's novels except for the Dark Tower series, so perhaps somebody could clear up some confusion I have after watching tonight's "Salem's Lot" TV movie.

I was under the impression that "Salem's Lot" was set in the 19th, in a haunted mansion, and guest-starred Lovecraft's second favorite McGuffin: Unausprechlin Kulten. As opposed to modern times, and a bunch of cliched vampires.

So either King wrote two works with the same title, or the "short story" I read was really an extended excerpt involving a flashback or some such thing, or I'm just plain nucking futs.

[Union Thug]

1. it's been twenty years..

but Salems lot (the novel)was not set in the 19th cent. It was in the (then) present. I enjoyed the novel, never heard of the short story.

[jus_the_facts]

2. It was set in the 20th century....

......not in the 19th....and the short story is called 'Jerusalems Lot'....from the collection 'NIGHT SHIFT'. :)

[DrWeird]

4. Ahh, OK.

I guess I can't be the first confused by that.

[jus_the_facts]

5. Nahh....I doubt it....

.....yer not nuts afterall! :D :hi:

[Melodybe]

3. No Salem's Lot is set in the time it was written, 1975.

There is also a movie, which is pretty faithful to the book.

There is a really bad movie sequel for Salem's Lot, as well, that I think takes place in an Amish village. It was so dumb that I couldn't watch it all.

I have read many of King's books including Salem's Lot and although I am a fan of most of his short stories, the Stand, Carrie and IT, I thought Stephen's foray into vampire novels was pretty lame. The book starts out ok, but the ending is lame and the vampires are totally recycled Bram Stoker.

If you haven't read the Stand or It, I highly recommend both. IT is the scariest book I have ever read, hands down. At over a thousand pages, it may be time consuming but IMHO IT is worth reading.

I have never read any of the Bachman books, but I know plenty that love them and as soon as Kerry is in the White House and I don't have to worry about any coming apocalypses, I plan on giving the Dark Tower series a go.

I hope that this answers your questions.

[CanuckAmok]

7. Yreah, "IT" is super-scary!!

And, horror or not, I've never read a book which so successfully captures adolescent life in a small town.

Except for the demonic clown, of course.

[RebelOne]

9. The Stand is one of his best novels.

I have read both versions. The edited and unedited.

[demigoddess]

6. One thing King fans have to remember is that some of his short stories

do have a longer and very different Long version. The Stand for example I ran across a short version that has nothing to do with the longer version, except a few points such as a flu that kills off everybody( nobody immune, it just takes longer for you to die) and Salem's lot , which has someone traveling in a car and coming across a village that has succumbed to the vampires and come after the people stranded in a car. Some of it is vague in my memory because it has been a long time since I read King. I don't have the time lately.

[jus_the_facts]

8. That short story was also in 'Night Shift'.....

....it was called 'Night Surf'! :hi:

on edit.....also a condensed 'Children Of The Corn'...a completely different 'Lawnmower Man'....and 'Trucks' was the premis for the movie 'Maximum Overdrive'...are also in 'Night Shift' :)

[Bhaisahab]

10. You haven't finished any of King's novels?

You're the first person I came across who said that. Man, those books of his, once you start you just can't stop. its not for nothing that King tops my list as America's greatest contemporary story teller.
does the horror turn you off?
you should read "rita hayworth and the shawshank redemption". that's one glorious story. and the movie based on the story is the only movie based on King's stories which did not mutilate the story(anyone remember the movie version of "children of the corn"? that sucked!).

[DrWeird]

12. I've read his Dark Tower series.

If King is a modern day "Dickens" like that one poster said, it's that kids will be reading in english class a hundred years from now.

Can't remember if I finished The Stand.

Everything else was really bad.

[geniph]

11. The only fan letter I've ever sent in my life was to Stephen King

I think he's the Dickens of this era. Dickens was shrugged off for writing popular fiction in his day, too. King is a great storyteller, with a true storyteller's ear for dialog. I have all his books in hardcover - it's one of my self-indulgences.

That being said, he has produced some weak-ass shit alongside some true, lasting gems. 'Salem's Lot is some of the weak-ass shit. The short story was contemporary, but some of the extrapolations on it have had flashbacks to the 18th century. Vampire stories don't do it for me anyway, and that's a particularly egregious example of bad vampire story. It's actually quite boring.

Look up King's expanded edition of The Stand, the serialized novel The Green Mile, or the short story collection Night Shift. In particular, read the short story The Mangler, then tell me that story didn't haunt you even when you knew parts of it could have been better written. Read the collaboration he did with Peter Straub, the Talisman (the sequel is much weaker). As someone posted earlier, look up Rita Haywork and the Shawshank Redemption. I defy anyone who's not a total snob to tell me those stories are not great storytelling.

(Oh, and he answered my fan letter with a very nice reply, which I treasure. The man is polite to his fans.)

[Aristus]

13. "Jerusalem's Lot" is one of two short stories that

neatly bookend the novel 'Salem's Lot'. The other (also in 'Night Shift') is "One For The Road", very creepy story!

'Jerusalem's Lot' is a terrific little story. Structurally, it resembles Stoker's 'Dracula', with the epistolary style, and all. Stylistically and thematically, it is an homage to Lovecraft. And it has a muted, dreamy quality that brings to mind Shirley Jackson. So most of King's own faves are present in the story.