My high school creative writing teacher was a huge fan of Stephen King. This was my first real experience with the man. Before this point, I knew him just as the guy with the scary clown guy that my stepmom still has nightmares of.
Mr. Wilson had our class read King’s On Writing, which gave my baby writing brain some solid pieces of advice. Also, it was funny, which I enjoyed. It’s not a textbook, it’s a memoir/advice hybrid gives the readers insights into how the hell King does what he does.
Mr. Wilson then took us to the school’s library. If your last name started with A-M, you were to check out a King book. If you were N-Z, you were told to pick from another of his favorite authors, Dean Koontz. Having the second most common last name in the nation, Johnson, meant that I had to pick a King book.
Internally I groaned. Why couldn’t Mr. Wilson have been a Sanderson fan? Begrudgingly, I searched the pair of shelves housing King’s works and settled on Sleeping Beauties, co-written by Stephen King and his son, Owen. We weren’t required to read the whole book, just enough to get a taste for the prose and style of the author.
I hate to admit it, but I wasn’t a fan. Horror was not my genre, considering that the main theme to Luigi’s Mansion still makes me a little uncomfortable. Also, still being a very innocent young Mormon at the time meant that anything too vulgar, graphic, or raunchy filled me with guilt and the feeling that god was reading over my shoulder and taking notes on the sins I was indulging in. Little baby Saige was predisposed to be 100% not a fan or Mr. King. The poor dear.
I don’t remember much from the brief taste I got. Something about women getting stuck in cocoons? That’s all I got. I read enough to be able to bs my way through the assignment and turned in the novel, now assured that King was not for me and I could live without his books.
What followed was an insane several weeks of wonderful writing. I was hooked from the get go, watching as a plague spread through the world and killed without prejudice. There were moments very reminiscent of the COVID-19 spread and subsequent lockdowns. The characters were fascinating and enjoyable to follow. The slow connecting of plot lines and the eventual founding of a safe haven in Colorado were exciting. And the climax was full of tears, stress reading, and cursing at Ava. The ending was bittersweet and memorable to say the least. It’s safe to say I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Fast forward a few months. In our book club, Ava once again had a King novel for us to read. This time, it was Fairy Tale. Once again, I was swept up into another narrative and enjoyed the way Kings characters and worlds felt raw, real, and really enjoyable to follow. I was two successful books in now.
Just as Ava had shared with me her love of King, I had shared with her my love of Sanderson. She gobbled down books faster than your average bibliophile, and a part of me felt that I owed her the same. So, I headed to Libby to check out a few novels. Of course, being the popular man he is, there would be a wait for most of these books. I placed holds on a few and waited to see what would come up first.
Uh oh.
I didn’t think it would be this one. With trepidation, I pressed play on my first King book not for book club. Pet Sematary. Guys. It was really good. And a wonderful introduction of some of the more intimate and disturbing things I’d come to expect from King. Nothing is off limits to this man. Not killing beloved cats, not hitting young children with speeding semis, not even exhuming the body of said child to revive him into a hollow version of his former self. Yikes. It was dark, disturbing, and oh so enjoyable. Another point for King. Next up: The Shining.
Believe it or not, I hadn’t ever seen the infamous movie when I had started this book. I wasn’t totally sure what to expect, other than something about an axe and ‘Here’s Johnny,’ and the fact that the trivia show Um, Actually! had a question about the hedge animals being replaced with a maze in the movie.
This was yet another point in favor of King. This novel was haunting, full of the mysteries of the Overlook Hotel, Jack’s slow descent into madness, and the power of the Shine that his son wields. This may be my favorite King book thus far, and definitely holds up as one of his most famous works. And don’t worry, I’ve seen the movie now.
After that, Carrie arrived on my digital bookshelf. I knew the main plot points of this book, but was astounded by the raw emotions and empathy I felt for Carrie. How close she was to being happy and getting her fairy tale prom. But the actions of one bitter girl and her misguided boyfriend, as well as years of verbal and physical abuse from her religious zealot of a mother, led Carrie to her brutal march through town and descent into madness.
Misery came up next. This was a novel I had seen while doing Wikipedia deep dives, which I am prone to do during slow days of subbing. I hadn’t heard but about this novel, but Ava assured me it was good, and that I had to picture Kathy Bates the whole time I was listening. And oh did I. King does this thing where he had authors serve as main characters in his book, and the irony of a famous author getting abducted by a fan was not lost on me. Annie was truly a delight in the worst possible way. Makes you wonder what kinds of rabid fans King himself has encountered…
This brings us to my most recent King read: The Tommyknockers, selected by Ava for our sci-fi round of book club. After reading Skyward and Dune, I was looking forward to Kings f-ed up interpretation of science fiction. He did not disappoint! Kooky inventions, an unearthed space craft, and the mystery lying in the locked shed. Wow, was this book something else.
Wow! What a journey I’ve gone through. From reluctant reader to devout devourer, I’ve read seven King books so far this year. And that’s compared to only one Sanderson! I’m so glad I was able to give Stephen King another go. I have a few more King books in mind for my next read (Kujo and The Long Walk being top contenders). It’s safe to say that I’m converted into a fan, which leads me with no shortage of novels to continue sinking my teeth into.
Thank you, Ava, for making me see the light.
Curious about how I’ve returned the favor? Check out Ava’s article on how I corrupted her here!
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