New Stephen King fan group - First post - What is your favourite Stephen King book?

Thanks for joining the new group. Lets start with the most obvious. Please tell us what is your favourite Stephen King book and why?

Hello, my name is 1Dragones and I am a Stephen King addict. :) No, really, I am. I've been buying every book of his I can get my hands on... mostly in hard cover, but I do have some mass market paperbacks and a couple audio books...

Hmm... I don't believe I have just one favorite Stephen King book. Probably more like at least three. For the best novel... Duma Key. I like the way he snuck up on me from behind. For short story collection - hmm probably Skeleton Crew. This collection has a nice variety, including my very favorite novella length story, The Mist, which was later published separately and has been made into a movie. Oh, and I love the Dark Tower series... so there goes my theory about having three favorites. The main series alone has seven books; and no, I'm not counting the graphic novel prequels because I'm not interested in that format at all.

Well, the best novel for me simply has to be The Shining. It remains one of those books that simply give you the creeps without using too much graphic violence. That's what distinguishes a good horror novel for me. A close second for me is The Dark Half, followed by The Stand. But I have to admit, I've not read Duma Key or Under the Dome yet...

I haven't read Under the Dome yet either... so many books, so little time. :)

I would have to pick The Dark tower The Drawing Of The Three. I did buy Dark Tower:Gunslinger born as my first graphic novel and although the drawings were excellent, I didn't feel the same magic. I also hope they don't make a movie from the series. I think it would be pretty pointless.

Hello everyone my name is Beatles1964 and I too am a Stephen King addict. It's nice to see you all here today. In fact I would have to say I'm really more than an Addict for me it more of an obsession, or a religion almost. I'm a real Fanatic about anything written by Stephen King or written by other Authors about his books movies or his life. When the Stephen King bug bit me it didn't just bite me it started me on the road to being a Stephen King fanatic and it all started with the very first Stephen King book I ever bought way back in July '78 which was Nightshift. Up until that fateful day I had never read one word or sentence from a Stephen King novel. But it was an impulse buy for me because the paperback cover of the book had a handful of eyes looking at you and I just had to have that book and find out what was uo with the handful of eyes. From that moment on I was hooked on Stephen King. Over the years it grew from just being an average every day run of the mill fan to a full blown obsessed fanatic who must buy his books whenever I find out there's a different cover for one of the books, who must buy his movies, cut out newspaper and magazine clippings on his books, movies or mini-series, who arranges all of his books in alphabetical order, who has several books in foreign languages I can't even read with the possible exception of the books printed in England.

Back in the 90s I didn't even think twice about spending $100 apeice for 3 shingles recovered from the King's house from a dumpster in Bangor, Maine by Betts Book Store, or who has spent several hundred $$$$$$$$ on signed, numbered limited editions, and Audio Books on both Audio Cassettes and DVD. I was even lucky enough to get to see him perform with his Rock Band, The Rock Bottom Remainders, I have several VHS video tapes of him being interviewed on The Today Show, Good Morning America, etc. I even have two cans of Cola plus two cardboard license plates and a table cloth from the mini-series The Langoliers, t-shirts, a baseball cap, a full-sized poster of his face with the story The Rainy Season on it, other Stephen King posters, magnets, book marks and a lot of things as well. I can relate to Annie Wilkes in Misery, I'm Your Number One Fan.

Anyway my favorite Stepen King books are in no particular order:

IT
The Shining
Nightshift since it was my very first book of his I ever read
The Stand: The Complete & Uncut Edition
Pet Sematary
Salem's Lot
Rose Madder
Needful Things

I've never gotten around to reading the entire seven volumes of The Dark Tower Series but I plan to on doing it eventualyy and for the time being I'm gonna avoid the posts with all of the Spoilers about The Dark Tower series since I don't want to find anything out until I actually read it myself. I plan on starting all over again beginning with The Dark Tower and reading the series all the way through like I did with the Harry Potter seven volume series.

Beatles1964

Hi everybody! Thanks for the invite. If any of you hang out at Stephen's official site, I'm sure I know you! Hard to say my favorite SK book. I like my favorites for different reasons. My first was Salem's Lot, so it is a sentimental favorite. The Talisman was the first book to ever make me cry (but he wrote that with Peter). On Writing was a wonderfully anecdotal book.

Too hard, too hard.

We sure do have some hardcore king addicts here! lol Welcome new members, great choices.

Yea, that oes for me too Starmap. Thanks for the invite to your Stephen King Addicts group. I also wanted to say that I'm also a fan of his wife, Tabitha as well and I do own a book by Joe Hill too. In fact I own five different copies of her book The Trap.

Beatles1964

I am a very lucky girl because my mother-in-law has been a member of the Stephen King Library for some time now and one year she asked me what I wanted for my birthday so I asked her for 1 year of the SK Library. Not only did she do that for me, but she's been doing it for me for the past 3 years! I've got a nice little collection going.

I'd have to say my favorites are
1. Lisey's Story
2. It
3. Duma Key
4. Cell
5. Bag of Bones
6. Salem's Lot
7. The Talisman, Black House
8. Needful Things

And that's not even including any of the short stories or novellas I like. Huge fan!

Thanks for posting here guys and please if you get an idea about anything for a new thread go ahead and start one up!

Would it be cheating to list my favorite Stephen King books by listing all of them? Ok, thought so. Anyway, in no particular order, I like The Stand, Insomnia, Needful Things, The Shining, and Eyes of the Dragon. As for novella, The Long Walk. That might be my favorite King story of any length. I've probably read it 20 times. Thanks for the invite.

I've been a member of the SK Library for about 6 or 7 years, and have hardback copies of every book of his, plus each of the yearly desk calendars, and the awesome special edition of Salem's Lot. It's cool to meet another member of the SKL.

I love the calendars too!! And I didn't list The Eyes of the Dragon. I love that one.

Absolute favorite is Firestarter. Its one of his earlier and best books. I read it all in one sitting. Also, I've never seen the movie, so my memories of the book haven't been corrupted in any way.

I'm disappointed though in some of you guys...I think SK betrayed us by allowing too many people to survive in Duma Key, its like he lost his edge. I loved the setting, but the end just wasn't right.

Cujo. The only book to ever get me up and out of bed to shut my closet door when I got done reading. Loved it.

I'm pretty sure my favorite SK book is Insomnia.

Lisey's Story was wonderful, IMO - his best 'post accident' writing.

The Stand, definitely, although It is a close second.

In no order and for different reasons:

The Stand
Dolores Claiborne
Pet Semetary
The Running Man
Salem's Lot
The Shining
It
The Talisman
Different Seasons
On Writing

If I would choose just one, it will be Salem's Lot. But there are others great novels like Desperation, Pet Sematary, The Shinning (Although I preffer Kubric's movie) and The Stand.

Carrie has always been my favorite, i have literally read it 1 million times (not that i have been counting hahaha)

Just finished 33 A.D.. It's not Stephen King, but reminds me of his early writing style. Anyone else read any of his work?

Another big fan here, I think I've got all his books in one form or another. My favourites would probably be :

The Stand - obviously the full version, it's an extraordinarily epic book.
Needful Things - the first SK book I read, I love the Castle Rock books and the way he keeps a big cast without making any of them feel wholly peripheral is excellent.
Under The Dome - best he's done in years. Although the ending let it down slightly, I couldn't think of a better way to finish it.
Insomnia - first SK book I bought, I was amazed at how easily I could relate to characters 50 years older than me!
Firestarter - the book that Dean Koontz would have written if he was as good as Stephen King
Eyes Of The Dragon - the medieval theme was a refreshing change and any book with Randall Flagg is always good.
The Green Mile - yes, I know it's a little cheesy, but it's a wonderful story, and John Coffey is one of my favourite characters (Michael Clarke Duncan was perfect in the film.)

The first King book i ever read was Eyes of the Dragon, when i was about thirteen. It's not much like any of his other books, but it was my first time meeting Randall Flagg who was one of the most sinister characters i have ever read.

Since then i have read so many of King's books, although after reading the first in the dark tower series, i couldn't be bothered to go on and read the others. They are not my sort of thing.

My favourite King book...hmmm...let's see. It is so difficult to choose. Lisey's Story was incredible, and so was The Shining and The Dead Zone. Bag of Bones was definitely an intense book. The rape scene and the murder of the little boy were especially harrowing. The Stand, obviously, has got to be on the shortlist. I don't even understand the kind of genius it takes to write a book of that scale. Same goes for Under the Dome which i have almost finished. Firestarter had a pretty clever plot. If the Bachman books count, i'd probably put The Long Walk on the shortlist too. I understand he wrote that novel when he was eighteen which, for me, makes it even better.

I don't think i can select one. I don't think it's possible. There's a time and a place for each book. Sometimes i'll be in the mood for a behemoth epic, so i'll reread The Stand, sometimes i'll be looking for a shorter, easier-going book and i'll go for Carrie. Sometimes i'll want real scary monsters (It), and sometimes i'll want even scarier, closer to real life crazy people (Misery).

So there you go, a uselessly indecisive post.

But anyway, I've never known any hardcore King fans, so hello everyone, i'm loooking forward to getting involved in some discussions about his work.

Welcome to the group breathtest it seems you fit in with the rest of us King fanatics. How do yo feel about the Movie and Mini-Series versions that have been made from his books? Any favourites there? Do you collect any King memorabilia, multiple copies of his books with different covers, Audio Books, his books in foreign languages or anything else?

Beatles1964

Hi beatles1964. Thanks for welcoming me. And just as i was thinking i'd never find anyone i'd fit in with...

I've seen some of the movies made from his books, like the shining which i thought was good but, like King thought himself, it missed out a few vital parts of the book, like the fact that Torrance was meant to be a sane man pushed over the edge partly by his childhood memories and partly by the hotel itself. I have also seen quite a bit of misery the film, and i thought that was pretty okay. Annie Wilkes was quite convincing, i thought. Again, the book was better. Also i think when i was a bit younger i saw some of Delores Claiborne, although i haven't read the book, and it seemed very good. I think i'd better read the book before i go anywhere near the film again though. Shawshank redemption, wonderful wonderful film. That's the only one i think comes anywhere close to as good as the original story. Also the body is pretty good. And oh yeah i'm forgetting secret window from his novella secret window, secret garden. Johnny depp plays the role of troubled writer magnificently, and that's another adaptation that comes close. Apart from those i can't remember seeing any others off the top of my head. What about you, any favourites?

I haven't actually seen any of the mini-series although i heard from a friend a while ago that the stand was pretty good as a mini-series. I'm a bit sceptical about these though, as usually they are filled with bad acting and are quite often less than mediocre adaptations. That's just my opinion, though. If anybody could recommend any of the mini-series that were good, then i'd definitely give them a try. Can't knock it till you've tried it after all. And i understand King makes a guest appearance in one or two.

But no except for owning a great number of his books i don't collect any memorabilia. I did download the audio version of his different seasons. I was surprised at how much i enjoyed being read the stories, rather than reading them myself. Which i'm sure a lot of people feel after listening to an audio book for the first time.

With regards to multiple copies of books and all that stuff, i find that the words are the only thing that matter to me, so as long as i have a copy of the book, any readable copy, even a tattered and torn and battered and bruised version, i'm happy!

Well, personally I do like the Mini-Series version of The Stand which is an 8 hour epic shown of 4 episodes there is also IT which I feel is a real good version of the book and the Clown Pennywise ix very creepy and scary too.
I also own the 15 part Mini-Series Kingdom Hospital which is really great if you don't mind a real long Mini-Series. I seen Kingdom Hospital twice, IT about 4 times and The Stand about 4 or 5 times and those totals aren't even counting the versions I seen on tv. I also like The Tommyknockers and The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer too.

You might want to look into watching those Mini-Series. I also collect news paper and magazine articles of his book,movie and mini-series reviews, books by other Authors about him, his books and movies, posters, signed, numbered, limited editions, foreign editions of his books, or just about anything else on Stephen King.

Beatles1964

Beatles1964 - Wow that's cool, i wish i was as dedicated a fan as you, i feel like i'm missing out on loads. Have you seen the interviews of Stephen King on Youtube, i watch those every now and then and he is such a fascinating guy. He is pretty clever and has a lot of insightful information. Definitely check those out if you haven't already.

I will definitely try and check out those mini-series, as well as IT, the tommyknockers and the diary of ellen rimbauer. If they're good enough for the dedicated fans in this group, they're certainly good enough for me!

I forgot to mention i've also seen the green mile, as most people probably have. I thought it was a good film, too.

I've also just finished reading under the dome and my god what a book. It's up there with the best of his work, i think.

No, I haven't caught any of his interviews on Youtube however I do video tape his interviews on tv. I'll have to try and watch them sometime.

Beatles1964

I love It and The Stand but my absolut favourite is Tommyknockers. I love its characters but the story is also wicked. Finding an UFO in your backyard (ok, forest...), how cool is that?! It's also amazing how he references to addiction, it's even more amazing I didn't even realise it until I read about it. *rolleyes*

I discovered Stephen King about 24 years ago while in high school and read Misery. It is in my Top 5 of King books. I have to say that Waste Lands is my favorite in the Dark Tower Series and The Stand is my favorite of his others. Really anything relating to the Dark Tower is fantastic. I hope to keep reading him until he kicks it or I do. I have been saving It to read last in case something does happen to him. I hope I don't make a mistake and kick it myself before reading it. Anyway, love everything King and here is to more books to come.

For me:

Misery
The Long Walk
Delores Claiborne
On Writing
Needful Things (the first 600 pages - the worst ending for such a well developed story to that point)

I loved the ending to the book. And the movie version is great too.

Beatles1964

Hi folks, I have been watching the other Stephen King group but thought I'd add my pennyworth to this one. I loved Duma Key and I liked Desperation, too. I'm gradually getting through his stuff but, so far, steering clear of The Stand.I have to read other stuff between his novels as a little of King goes a long way!

In my teenage years I devoured King (and Koontz) books. I think my first taste of King's writing was a battered copy of Night Shift given to me by a grandparent. I started reading it in the back of the car on the journey home. I was hooked! Standout stories for me were Graveyard Shift (I could really picture the descent into hell), I Am the Doorway (awesome concept), The Boogeyman and Grey Matter (both really creepy), Battleground and Trucks (really tense action), The Ledge and Quitters, Inc. (non-supernatural high concept stories). Despite its bad rep The Mangler terrified me as a child, and when I got to the last paragraph I had to go into another room where there were people (I'd been reading in the parlour). Children of the Corn is amazing (and a partial influence on my first novel). The Last Rung on the Ladder is also a beautiful work, personal horror and it really hit me in the gut.

I worked my way through many other King novels, including the Bachman Books, enjoying Pet Sematary, The Shining, Desperation, and my all-time favourite, IT. I love the way the IT story is revealed over the two timescapes, and the many faces of horror that appear within the novel.

I loved both King and Koontz for their differences. Koontz generally got down to things straightaway, whereas King would spend a lot longer building up the story. Koontz usually offered some kind of 'scientific' explanation, whereas King was happy to allow a hidden world without it needing explaining. I was so proud of all those horror books on my bookcase, and always looked forward to going back to them. (Repeated from another thread, sorry!)

Hi all im new :) my favorite SK book? hardest question ever! I have to go with the Gunslinger though, i know not many people like this one but i thought it was the perfect introduction to the biggest BAMF ever! close 2nd would be the Stand and then Under the Dome!!

my favourite book is the stand

Hello fellow King fans. Greetings from London.

What a graet guy he is, and my favourites are:

Pet Sematary; IT; Salem's Lot and Thinner.

The first King I ever read was The Shining in 1981. Still my favorite.

The Green Mile is EPIC!!!!!!!

For me, it would have to be The Shining as well, with Carrie as a close second, though if we're talking about story, I would have to go with Secret Window, Secret Garden (later adapted into a Johnny Depp movie, Secret Garden). Secret Window, Secret Garden was a great short story I thought because again it, just like in The Shining and Carrie, followed the mental breakdown of someone under far too much stress and anxiety about their life choices and basic lifestyle. While Carrie breaks away and is even more of an in-depth character study on acceptance and societies and families role on shaping our identity, Secret Window, Secret Garden and The Shining are both about breaking down or degrading such a mental and spiritual complexity due to what we experience.