The Official Stephen King Thread

[TheBaxter]

From io9:
Listen to Stephen King read a chapter from the sequel to The Shining

At an awards ceremony at George Mason University last Friday, Stephen King regaled audiences with a chapter from Doctor Sleep, his upcoming novel about a grown-up Danny Torrance from The Shining.

In the book, Danny is a hospice worker who uses his powers to help ill patients to pass away without pain. Unfortunately, he runs afoul of a gang of wandering psychic vampires who feed on people's energy.

King is almost finished with the book — and here I imagined the sequel would be called The Shining 2: Johnny's Back!

Via Lilja's Library. Thanks Gregory!

i would've gone with The Shining 2: Electric BOO!-galoo

[Hermanator X]

A good spoiler free review of Kings new book 11/22/63

Not a huge King fan, but like to dip into his books now and again. This sounds like a one I will be keen to pick up at launch, rather than just when I see it cheap in a book store.
I do like a good time travel yarn, and going by the reviewers assessment it sounds pretty well done. The mechanism of the time travel itself sounds like it has real promise in it for cool story choices.

[TheButcher]

Stephen King and Son Embrace ROAD RAGE with IDW

[caruso_stalker217]

Publication date set for Dr. Sleep, and a synopsis and such:

U.S. publication date for Doctor Sleep has been tentatively set for January 15, 2013
Posted: May 8th, 2012 9:08:34 am EDT

Stephen King returns to the characters and territory of one of his most popular novels ever, The Shining, in this instantly riveting novel about the now middle-aged Dan Torrance (the boy protagonist of The Shining) and the very special twelve-year-old girl he must save from a tribe of murderous paranormals.

On highways across America, a tribe of people called The True Knot travel in search of sustenance. They look harmless—mostly old, lots of polyester, and married to their RVs. But as Dan Torrance knows, and tween Abra Stone learns, The True Knot are quasi-immortal, living off the “steam” that children with the “shining” produce when they are slowly tortured to death.

Haunted by the inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel where he spent one horrific childhood year, Dan has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father’s legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence. Finally, he settles in a New Hampshire town, an AA community that sustains him, and a job at a nursing home where his remnant “shining” power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, he becomes “Doctor Sleep.”

Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her spectacular gift, the brightest shining ever seen, that reignites Dan’s own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra’s soul and survival. This is an epic war between good and evil, a gory, glorious story that will thrill the millions of hyper-devoted readers of The Shining and wildly satisfy anyone new to the territory of this icon in the King canon.

This sounds like Insomnia crossed with Dean Koontz crossed with shit. A triple-layer shit-burger with shit-toppings and an order of shit-dressing on the side and served on a steaming pile of shit.

"Aided by a prescient cat." Jesus.

Jesus.

[justcheckin]

Publication date set for Dr. Sleep, and a synopsis and such:

U.S. publication date for Doctor Sleep has been tentatively set for January 15, 2013
Posted: May 8th, 2012 9:08:34 am EDT

Stephen King returns to the characters and territory of one of his most popular novels ever, The Shining, in this instantly riveting novel about the now middle-aged Dan Torrance (the boy protagonist of The Shining) and the very special twelve-year-old girl he must save from a tribe of murderous paranormals.

On highways across America, a tribe of people called The True Knot travel in search of sustenance. They look harmless—mostly old, lots of polyester, and married to their RVs. But as Dan Torrance knows, and tween Abra Stone learns, The True Knot are quasi-immortal, living off the “steam” that children with the “shining” produce when they are slowly tortured to death.

Haunted by the inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel where he spent one horrific childhood year, Dan has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father’s legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence. Finally, he settles in a New Hampshire town, an AA community that sustains him, and a job at a nursing home where his remnant “shining” power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, he becomes “Doctor Sleep.”

Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her spectacular gift, the brightest shining ever seen, that reignites Dan’s own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra’s soul and survival. This is an epic war between good and evil, a gory, glorious story that will thrill the millions of hyper-devoted readers of The Shining and wildly satisfy anyone new to the territory of this icon in the King canon.

This sounds like Insomnia crossed with Dean Koontz crossed with shit. A triple-layer shit-burger with shit-toppings and an order of shit-dressing on the side and served on a steaming pile of shit.

"Aided by a prescient cat." Jesus.

Jesus.

I liked the new dark tower book but is he going back through his books now and seeing which ones he can write sequels off of. Seems lazy...

[so sorry]

This sounds like Insomnia crossed with Dean Koontz crossed with shit. A triple-layer shit-burger with shit-toppings and an order of shit-dressing on the side and served on a steaming pile of shit.

"Aided by a prescient cat." Jesus.

Jesus.

So a man and girl who can "shine", paranormal ghosts who haunt them, and polyester clad immortals don't phase you, but a sentient cat does?

[Peven]

This sounds like Insomnia crossed with Dean Koontz crossed with shit. A triple-layer shit-burger with shit-toppings and an order of shit-dressing on the side and served on a steaming pile of shit.

"Aided by a prescient cat." Jesus.

Jesus.

So a man and girl who can "shine", paranormal ghosts who haunt them, and polyester clad immortals don't phase you, but a sentient cat does?

a reader has to draw the line somewhere

[caruso_stalker217]

This sounds like Insomnia crossed with Dean Koontz crossed with shit. A triple-layer shit-burger with shit-toppings and an order of shit-dressing on the side and served on a steaming pile of shit.

"Aided by a prescient cat." Jesus.

Jesus.

So a man and girl who can "shine", paranormal ghosts who haunt them, and polyester clad immortals don't phase you, but a sentient cat does?

The rest sounds bad, too, but the cat just puts it over the top. Like I said, sounds like something out of a Koontz book.

I did listen to the first chapter on the audio version of The Wind Through The Keyhole and it was pretty good. It's the rest that gives me doubts.

[TheBaxter]

This sounds like Insomnia crossed with Dean Koontz crossed with shit. A triple-layer shit-burger with shit-toppings and an order of shit-dressing on the side and served on a steaming pile of shit.

"Aided by a prescient cat." Jesus.

Jesus.

So a man and girl who can "shine", paranormal ghosts who haunt them, and polyester clad immortals don't phase you, but a sentient cat does?

i'm pretty sure all cats are "sentient"

actually, a "prescient" cat isn't all that strange. you hear stories all the time about dogs and cats in nursing homes that seem to be able to sense when someone's on the way out and they go and sleep on their chests or rub up against them or something, and it sounds from the description like this is more in line with the type of cat in the story. now if we're talking about the cat psychically talking to him and saying "hey, buddy, the old lady in room 4B is about to kick the bucket, you might want to pay her a visit", then yeah, now that would be ALF. i think it's just the way they phrased it ... "aided by a prescient cat"... that makes it sound goofy, in context if it's done the way i think it won't be as goofy as it sounds.

[so sorry]

This sounds like Insomnia crossed with Dean Koontz crossed with shit. A triple-layer shit-burger with shit-toppings and an order of shit-dressing on the side and served on a steaming pile of shit.

"Aided by a prescient cat." Jesus.

Jesus.

So a man and girl who can "shine", paranormal ghosts who haunt them, and polyester clad immortals don't phase you, but a sentient cat does?

i'm pretty sure all cats are "sentient"

actually, a "prescient" cat isn't all that strange. you hear stories all the time about dogs and cats in nursing homes that seem to be able to sense when someone's on the way out and they go and sleep on their chests or rub up against them or something, and it sounds from the description like this is more in line with the type of cat in the story. now if we're talking about the cat psychically talking to him and saying "hey, buddy, the old lady in room 4B is about to kick the bucket, you might want to pay her a visit", then yeah, now that would be ALF. i think it's just the way they phrased it ... "aided by a prescient cat"... that makes it sound goofy, in context if it's done the way i think it won't be as goofy as it sounds.

Nice, the first post by you in weeks and its to call me out as an idiot!

[TheBaxter]

This sounds like Insomnia crossed with Dean Koontz crossed with shit. A triple-layer shit-burger with shit-toppings and an order of shit-dressing on the side and served on a steaming pile of shit.

"Aided by a prescient cat." Jesus.

Jesus.

So a man and girl who can "shine", paranormal ghosts who haunt them, and polyester clad immortals don't phase you, but a sentient cat does?

i'm pretty sure all cats are "sentient"

actually, a "prescient" cat isn't all that strange. you hear stories all the time about dogs and cats in nursing homes that seem to be able to sense when someone's on the way out and they go and sleep on their chests or rub up against them or something, and it sounds from the description like this is more in line with the type of cat in the story. now if we're talking about the cat psychically talking to him and saying "hey, buddy, the old lady in room 4B is about to kick the bucket, you might want to pay her a visit", then yeah, now that would be ALF. i think it's just the way they phrased it ... "aided by a prescient cat"... that makes it sound goofy, in context if it's done the way i think it won't be as goofy as it sounds.

Nice, the first post by you in weeks and its to call me out as an idiot!

i gotta pick my moments.

[caruso_stalker217]

This sounds like Insomnia crossed with Dean Koontz crossed with shit. A triple-layer shit-burger with shit-toppings and an order of shit-dressing on the side and served on a steaming pile of shit.

"Aided by a prescient cat." Jesus.

Jesus.

So a man and girl who can "shine", paranormal ghosts who haunt them, and polyester clad immortals don't phase you, but a sentient cat does?

i'm pretty sure all cats are "sentient"

actually, a "prescient" cat isn't all that strange. you hear stories all the time about dogs and cats in nursing homes that seem to be able to sense when someone's on the way out and they go and sleep on their chests or rub up against them or something, and it sounds from the description like this is more in line with the type of cat in the story. now if we're talking about the cat psychically talking to him and saying "hey, buddy, the old lady in room 4B is about to kick the bucket, you might want to pay her a visit", then yeah, now that would be ALF. i think it's just the way they phrased it ... "aided by a prescient cat"... that makes it sound goofy, in context if it's done the way i think it won't be as goofy as it sounds.

Everybody knows that cats sleep on peoples' chests so they can steal their breath. It's science.

[TheBaxter]

Everybody knows that cats sleep on peoples' chests so they can steal their breath. It's science.

no no no. TROLLS steal your breath. cats protect you from the trolls.

[caruso_stalker217]

Everybody knows that cats sleep on peoples' chests so they can steal their breath. It's science.

no no no. TROLLS steal your breath. cats protect you from the trolls.

Damn this American education system!

[justcheckin]

Everybody knows that cats sleep on peoples' chests so they can steal their breath. It's science.

no no no. TROLLS steal your breath. cats protect you from the trolls.

Damn this American education system!

The best part was what the record was playing.

[TheBaxter]

Under the Dome is officially becoming a miniseries now

hopefully it'll be better than the book was.

[so sorry]

Under the Dome is officially becoming a miniseries now

hopefully it'll be better than the book was.

Not likely.

[Fievel]

Looking back, typical King book. There's so much I like about it and an ending that left me flat.
Why does Network Television think they can get Stephen King right? His tone, at its best, is brutal and vicious, and not meant for children. This should be on cable at best, and really on HBO or Showtime. But standard King production warnings apply - Keep Mick Garris away from this.

And M.C. Gainey for Big Jim Renney. Although, I've seen Talkback suggestions for John Goodman that I can't fault, either.

[Fievel]

Why the retread on this news?
Stephen King's 'Under the Dome' gets CBS series order

Notice the headline doesn't say miniseries.......

Fans of the novel shouldn’t expect an exact retelling of the same story. Last we heard, writer Brian K. Vaughan’s (Lost) script for Dome was wisely using the novel’s setup as a launch pad for its own TV-format-friendly version of the story and might even lay the groundwork for a different outcome than the novel’s ending. Also, the CBS version is definitely a series, not a mini-series, with a finale episode that will leave the story open for more seasons.

We need a WTF smiley.

[caruso_stalker217]

I haven't read it, but the book is like a thousand fucking pages. They could squeeze at least three seasons out of this bitch.

[TheBaxter]

I haven't read it, but the book is like a thousand fucking pages. They could squeeze at least three seasons out of this bitch.

hopefully the tv show has a better editor than the book.
or make that, hopefully the tv show has an editor, period.

[caruso_stalker217]

Doctor Sleep Cover Revealed

Very sexy.

[justcheckin]

Doctor Sleep Cover Revealed

Very sexy.

Nice!