Stephen King: Is he still good?

[mrhappyface]

Well before the last Dark Tower book, I was a rabid SK fan. I read all his books and short stories and watched all his movies too. However, when I got to the point of the last book in the Dark Tower series, I got sort of shaken. Stephen King appearing and indirectly saving the world several times in his OWN book made me feel skepticism in his skill as a professional writer and not as a Fanfiction.net scrub. Also, the ending of the book made me kind of feel bad. Not to mention that a battle with robots and anthromorphic animals in a 50's esque suburb populated by psychics in a transdimensional desert with lasers and trikes and machine pistols made me feel doubt in whether he was on drugs while writing...But enough about my opinion, are there any good books he writes anymore?

 

[Julianking93]

I've yet to read his new stuff, but I enjoyed the stuff I have read.

 

[BlueTomfoolery]

The only book I read was 'Misery', So what you just explained now seems really weird.

 

[Umberphoenix]

I used to really like Stephen King until I realized his books all use the same basic elements:

Most take place in Maine.
Most take place in this one area of Maine, which is close to where Stephen King himself lives.
Most characters smoke Pal Mal cigarettes.
Most characters, if they don't smoke Pal Mal cigarettes, will start at some point of the book.
Most main characters have the same personality type.
Most characters chew Aspirin.
Most characters abuse alcohol.

I have come to the conclusion that Stephen King uses a lot of his own life in his books, and doesn't do a very good job if hiding it. Now I read his books when I'm out of anything else (they're still decent books, but not as good as a lot of other stuff out there).

 

[ace_of_something]

still? tDK:VII came out 6 years ago. He's written a bunch of books sense than. The Dark Tower is about the multiverse collapsing. (Time has softened) of course it's weird.

 

[JaredXE]

IS?

You mean WAS, right?

 

[mrhappyface]

IS?

You mean WAS, right?

He seems to have gotten a little strange when he got hit by a car.

 

[SilentVirus]

Stephen King is a great author, But as of today his work isn't as well written like they were. I guess times change as we grow older, and what was good for use won't be for the next generation. But for gods sake its better than the Twilight series, But thats just my opinion.

 

[Talvrae]

I never really liked him... he put too much useless details in is writing, like in Misery, he pass 3 pages describings the tie of the directof of the hotel, dissecting the personality of that character.... that we never see him again after

 

[Arsen]

Dark Tower 7 ending is the most original plot twist of all time, and makes the entire series standout above the rest of fantasy as a whole.

It is better than Lord of the Rings and should be considered a true sequel to King Arthur.

 

[Quiet Stranger]

Read Clive Barker, Stephen King himself said he could be the next horror king! I quite enjoyed Clive Barker's Weave World

 

[Valksy]

Stephen King seems to have been trying to lean towards the literary in the last few years. Personally it does not work for me as his writing style lurches towards the overly verbose and over indulgent. To date I have never made it through Lisey's Story and on thumbing through the Dome one, I see little has changed.

Sad really - he was the author who wrote the only book that ever left me genuinely frightened (The Shining) and my favourite book of all time (unabridged The Stand) and now I am sworn off buying him ever again. Am inclined to agree that the serious road accident he was in seems to have been the main motivator for this change - some people think that the change was improvement, but I found it a switch to boredom.

 

[Distazo]

I still think he is amazing, he just gets very very bored and goes off the deep end every now and again (Like all great writers should)

 

[Hurr Durr Derp]

Speaking of Stephen King: Is it me or does he really, really suck at writing endings? All of his books I've read (and I admit it's not a lot, which is why I'm asking in stead of stating) were pretty good but had really stupid endings...

 

[AngryPuppy]

I never thought he was good. His books are very dull too me. I may check out a newer book or two of his to see if my opinion has changed, but I doubt it.

 

[Looking For Alaska]

Yes. Best author of the modern era, imho.

 

[Wardnath]

I wouldn't know, unfortunately, I rarely read anymore.

 

[MimsySnark]

Speaking of Stephen King: Is it me or does he really, really suck at writing endings? All of his books I've read (and I admit it's not a lot, which is why I'm asking in stead of stating) were pretty good but had really stupid endings...

Based purely on my small sample size, I agree wholeheartedly that he's terrible at endings! Sometimes, it works because I've enjoyed the rest of the book thus far so I either don't count the "bad" ending as a loss or am simply amused at the bizarre direction he chose to take.

Unfortunately, I'm not even sure when the most recent one I've read came out, but I know it's been since mid-2000s or so--"Cell"? Based on that book, I'd say yes, his more recent work has definitely suffered. It was terrible!

I find myself preferring some of the movie adaptations of his works to the books themselves (a very rare thing!), as I do thing he gets wordy when it doesn't even add anything to the atmosphere. Anyway, a book by him I thoroughly enjoyed (and would never watch a movie of) is "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon". I don't have the slightest interest in baseball, but King made me interested with his masterful storytelling. I think it also helped a lot that I listened to it on CD while on a road trip. Anyway, read it.

 

[G1eet]

His latest book (Under the Dome) can be used to combat intruders. So yes, he is still good.

 

[Lucifron]

King invented Quentin Tarantino action scenes before Quentin Tarantino had finished Middle-School. I'm currently reading the second Dark Tower book. It kicks momentous amounts of ass.

Can't say anything concerning his later works, but I can affirm that he in any case was damned good.