Stephen King's 50th Published Novel

[Merlin1958]

In my mind, and for my collection rules, if it is published in HC and should be collected (again to my rules) it is a novel/book. I don't really make a designation, collection wise, between Fiction and non-fiction. It's always "books" to me. The single exception being "Faithful", and you all know where I stand in that regard.

Whatever the final consensus, I believe we all agree that it is an amazing body of work. It also offers some timeless tome's for future generations, The Shining, The Stand, 'Salem's Lot, TDT epic, IT, just to name a few.

[RIC #520]

Joyland, at nearly 80,000 words, is most definitely a novel. The Colorado Kid, at only 35,000 words, is less clearly one.

Vincent, I agree with you. We should count Joyland as a novel, and not count The Colorado Kid & Cycle of the Werewolf.. This would make the upcoming Mr. Mercedes the big Five-O.. In checking Justin's latest 2013 edition, he classified Cycle of the Werewolf as a novella. The Colorado Kid as a novel, and Joyland as a novella. I am not understanding his logic with his classifications or he has The Colorado Kid and Joyland reversed. Maybe we can get Justin to chime in on this discussion..

[mae]

Both Joyland and The Colorado Kid are clearly novels. They're about the same length as the early Bachman novels.

[RIC #520]

Both Joyland and The Colorado Kid are clearly novels. They're about the same length as the early Bachman novels.

Good point... you concede that Cycle of the Werewolf should not be classified as a novel?

[mattgreenbean]

Will Mr. Mercedes meet the novel criteria though?

[mae]

Both Joyland and The Colorado Kid are clearly novels. They're about the same length as the early Bachman novels.

Good point... you concede that Cycle of the Werewolf should not be classified as a novel?

Since Stephen King has always considered it a novel I'll continue also to consider it a novel. Thus the 50th novel was unequivocally Joyland. Since Mr. Mercedes is around 500 pages and also referred to as a novel, it'll be a novel.

[Bev Vincent]

Both Joyland and The Colorado Kid are clearly novels. They're about the same length as the early Bachman novels.

The first four Bachman books are much longer than people realize. Even the shortest of them is nearly twice as long as The Colorado Kid. Joyland is comfortably a novel. The Colorado Kid -- that would be a judgement call.

Rage = 55,000
The Long Walk = 85,000
The Running Man = 65,000
Roadwork = 90,000

[Darkday]

The reason I would count The Colorado Kid is because the book was published as a crime novel.

I just re-read the original press release by Hardcase Crime. To me it looks like they carefully avoided using the term "novel":

Winterfall LLC, creator of the celebrated Hard Case Crime line of pulp-style paperback crime novels, today announced that a new book by Stephen King will be the lead title of the line’s second year. [...] The book was written specifically for Hard Case Crime and has never previously been published. [...] The book will be published through Winterfall’s ongoing collaboration with Dorchester Publishing, the oldest independent mass-market publisher in the United States. The book will also be available in audiobook and e-book editions from Simon & Schuster, publisher of Stephen King’s work since 1998. [...] "We originally contacted him to see if he’d be willing to write a blurb for our line, and he decided that what he really wanted to do was write a book for us instead. [...]"

Source

[mae]

Another thing that to me makes Cycle of the Werewolf a novel is that it has a dedication. Short stories or novellas for the most part do not have dedications.

[dnemec]

This is just fascinating. I don't really care what's counted as a novel, novella, novelette, or toilet paper (which is how Merlin would probably classify Faithful). As someone who studied literature, I'm just intrigued by the conversation!

And for the record, as long as he keeps writing, I don't care how many "novels" he's written!

[mae]

Well it sort of is important, I think. King has written a quantifiable amount of works. It sometimes peeves me a bit when often in news articles or reports they refer to him having written X amount of novels or this many books or (I've seen this) 400 or so short stories (when it's also an exact number and much less than that). So the 50th novel and the 50th book should theoretically be important career mileposts. Hopefully we'll get to his 100th book before there won't be any more.

[Br!an]

COTW is not a novel. I don't think there is any legitimate debate about it unless the term has no definition beyond "a work of fiction." If we use the accepted modern day US definitions then it just doesn't qualify.

As far as it being listed on the SK.com site as a novel, the site also lists Salem's Lot Illustrated Edition, The Plant (incomplete e-book) and each Green Mile segment separately. It also fails to list the Grant Dark Tower books but does list the Viking and Scribner versions. It is hardly an authoritative source for answers to this question.

The Colorado Kid, while a little short by word count should rise to the level of "novel" in my humble opinion. The Stand Complete and Uncut qualifies in its own right.

Counting both would make Joyland the 50th novel. This would be the correct count without extra qualifications.

Counting only discrete novels would discount TSCU as partially previously published and make Doctor Sleep the 50th novel.

Further limiting the list by some arbitrary criteria, such as a word count, would be necessary to make Mr. Mercedes the 50th.

[mae]

As far as it being listed on the SK.com site as a novel, the site also lists Salem's Lot Illustrated Edition, The Plant (incomplete e-book) and each Green Mile segment separately. It also fails to list the Grant Dark Tower books but does list the Viking and Scribner versions. It is hardly an authoritative source for answers to this question.

Again, it's listed under novels in all King books with an Also By page. You can't get more authoritative than black and white in an official King book.

[herbertwest]

As far as it being listed on the SK.com site as a novel, the site also lists Salem's Lot Illustrated Edition, The Plant (incomplete e-book) and each Green Mile segment separately. It also fails to list the Grant Dark Tower books but does list the Viking and Scribner versions. It is hardly an authoritative source for answers to this question.

Again, it's listed under novels in all King books with an Also By page. You can't get more authoritative than black and white in an official King book.

Are you sure that they include ALL of his books, even those published by other publishers?
I've noticed that, from time to time, in some french books. Omitting books released by other publishers

[CyberGhostface]

With SK at least I've noticed that his book lists usually include his whole bibliography.

[mae]

Yeah I meant US books.

[Merlin1958]

OMG, there are 3 pages of posts on this!!!

Spoiler:

http://www.nfl.com/play60

[stroppygoblin]

OMG, there are 3 pages of posts on this!!!

Spoiler:

http://www.nfl.com/play60

Yeah - you wonder why everyone is passionate about a bunch of books. Oh wait where am I posting again......

[Jean]

OMG, there are 3 pages of posts on this!!!

Spoiler:

http://www.nfl.com/play60

Yeah - you wonder why everyone is passionate about a bunch of books. Oh wait where am I posting again......

but it is really an interesting topic. We've just had a passionate debate in Dutch Hill as to what should or shouldn't be considered a novel (by the way, the Top half of the 100 Novels list is now being voted on), and haven't come to a conclusive opinon.

Now that I saw this thread, I first decided to check how many King novels I would be able to remember within 5 minutes. The resulting list contained 46 titles: I forgot Green Mile and didn't count in Mr.Mercedes, which makes it 48; but I could never have guessed that the other missing two - Cycle of the Werewolf and The Colorado Kid - were also novels.

As many people have said in this thread, they are just too short. If they are novels, why Sun Dog or The Langoliers (etc) aren't? Only because the former were published separately and the latter make part of collections?

[mae]

In a word, yes. That's how the author sees these works. To me that's all-important. Everything else is secondary.

[WeDealInLead]

In a word, yes. That's how the author sees these works. To me that's all-important. Everything else is secondary.

Feel free to do a recount then. He considers all DT books "one long novel." Straight from his mouth at the Toronto event.

[Jean]

He considers all DT books "one long novel.

precisely as I do. Luckily, we entered it as "one long novel" into Top 100.

[mae]

In a word, yes. That's how the author sees these works. To me that's all-important. Everything else is secondary.

Feel free to do a recount then. He considers all DT books "one long novel." Straight from his mouth at the Toronto event.

That's different, not really the same. He's obviously not speaking literally. You can't with all due respect view The Dark Tower as a single novel. It's been published with many years in between volumes, all very different from one another. And the first volume could also technically be considered a collection.

[Bev Vincent]

But that's how the author sees it. Can't argue with that!

[Merlin1958]

OMG, there are 3 pages of posts on this!!!

Spoiler:

http://www.nfl.com/play60

Yeah - you wonder why everyone is passionate about a bunch of books. Oh wait where am I posting again......

I only meant to kid everyone is all. Goblin's are too intense!! LOL LOL