WELCOME SASS!!
WELCOME SASS!!
All that's left of what we were is what we have become.
oh absolutley haha. he started me off much younger, it's a whole story, really long and nonsensical but I can divulge if you want. but yeah king is like, my favorite writer!
ok it's super long so sorry about that !!
The very first Stephen King book I read, I read when I was 8. It was The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
It was a fine book, nor a horror story, not really, but decent to my 8 year old mind. I told my dad I liked it and he was happy. He'd introduced me with that book to see if I liked Kings writing style and would be willing to read more from him. If I'd hated it and refused, my life may have been very different.
Following that, he was still warming me up to the idea of horror, he gave me The Eyes of the Dragon
Now, I read the first chapter of this book and the King of the story Start off in the first chapter but eating the heart of a dragon raw. I don't know why but at 8 years old that fucking terrified and disgusted me. It took me a full year to get through the book I was so terrified.
Ironically, this is Randall Flagg (actually even going by that name!)'s first appearance uhh... Chronologically. Because the Delain Line is before the Deschain Line. Kind of. Or it might be parallel. Seeing as Roland Deschain meets the two main characters in the Eyes of the Dragon in The Gunslinger speaking of Randall Flagg who Roland doesn't know is also The Man in Black. A lot of conclusions could be drawn.
All the same!
That book terrified me. I literally cried and had Nightmares over it literally Just because of the scene in the beginning.
I didn't read another Stephen King book until I was 13.
Enter Freshman year of high school. I was young for my grade, going in at 13 well into my invader Zim phase, my dad says he wants to give me something to read.
The Tommyknockers by Stephen King. It's a book about aliens, he says. You'll like it better than the other one, he says.
And while King is quoted as saying he hates that book and it's the worst he'd ever written...
I loved it. I lived for the book. I lived for the horror of it. And so I asked my dad if i could read another King Book.
And my dad agreed. But oh did I not realize the clauses and conditions to which I was jumping in.
He hands me Carrie, the first book King ever published. I finish it in two hours. I return it to my father and ask for another. He hands over 'Salems Lot, the second book King had ever written. It looked interesting but... I asked my father if there were any more alien books.
My dad considered me. And then said, "You'll have to wait and see."
To which I had questions, of course. Why did I have to wait? I wanted to read more alien books now! He only shook his head! And he told me from here on our I'd be reading all of Kings books in the order they had been published. No skipping.
I thought it was insane! None of these, save for the dark tower seriess which I didn't even know about yet, were series! It didn't matter what order I read them in! It's not like they took place in the same universe, right?
And thus I read. And I read. And I read. Always in order! Never skipping! And I'd smile when one book would reference another or call back some obscure fact of something else.
And them slowly, as I worked through the books, I began to realize something.
Wait, this story took place in Castle Rock and-- wait wasn't that the guy from Derry? And if Rose Madder is connected to Desperation and Desperation is connected to an obscure short story called Night Flyer which makes refrence to Carrie, which is in the town next to Cujo--
Then.
Then what?
Surely the question if thought all those years ago couldn't have merit. No, no, of course not.
But then...
Why was the villian in the Eyes of the Dragon carrying the same name as the villian in The Stand. I asked my father if they were the same person.
He only smiled and shrugged and said he didn't know.
And so I read more. And I read more. And more and more did I make connected, did I make relaizstions, and finally as I read through the beginning to the dark tower series I realized that it all
Came
To one
Point
A Nexus, one might say.
And I goddamn lost my mind. I ran to my dad and my sister who was also in the same tangle as I, though father along than me. And I demanded if they knew. If they *knew" it all stemmed from the damned TOWER!
And of course they did. But they both only smiled and said they didn't know.
And so I read.
And eventually I came to a book called Insomnia and.
I don't know how to describe what I felt when I had everything I had ever thought conformed in a single fucking sentence in that book. The elation I felt to see it all come together, to know things I'd though for YEARS was Fact. Pure, canon *fact."
And as I go deeper into the works of King I find myself quite akin to Roland myself. Chasing the Tower ripping up every connection I can and holding it to my chest and having to stop myself from screaming to high fucking heaven about the goddamn TOWER every time something comes up. And every time there's a book between the next in the series. It's like torture .
But I signed away a long, long time ago to this very course.
Anyway that's all!
How did you discover the Dark Tower?
Very first Stephen King book I read was a paperback copy of Night Shift my Dad gave me. Pretty much gobbled up everything after that. His is a vast universe.
Who is your favorite character?
Is it ingratiating to say Randall-Flagg-the-owner? I've always been partial to Cujo. Poor pup didn't deserve his fate.
What is your favorite book?
I suppose that old copy of Night Shift will always be my favorite. Now as far as fine press collectible books, that's a tough call. I treasure my Lettered copy of the SubPress edition of The Shining -- I was just getting acclimated to small presses and I somehow was lucky enough to place a regular order for it. That said, I really love what Paul Suntup's doing and (though it cost me a pretty penny aftermarket) I hopped on the Dragon Rebound train. It's really hard to pick a favorite among them. Maybe Firestarter?
How old are you?
Halfway to a century.
Where are you from?
Maryland, within shouting distance of the U.S. Capital. Was actually born in Washington, D.C. Growing up, local news and national news were pretty much the one-&-the-same. Spent some time in Philly but I'm back in Maryland living halfway between Baltimore and DC. And yes I cried when the CAPS won the Cup.
do you have a nickname?
Rich is fine. My old fraternity names are irrelevant at this point.
how did you find this site?
I was researching small press collecting and stumbled across TDT a couple-three years ago. Really enjoy the site and the banter, been a regular visitor ever since. Finally properly registered and emerging from lurker territory.
Welcome, I recently joined properly as well. Its a blast. Lovely folks in here. Enjoy
Looking for SubPress Lettered:Farseer Trilogy; Shadow of the Wind, Angel's Game, Prisoner of Heaven
Looking for Centipede Press S/L: Dracula
WoW, thats a story indeed Sass. I have 2 boys of 5 and 4 yrs old and a princess of 2. Reading this I think I will keep my SK copies on the top shelf for many years to come! I will start them on the Hobbit when they are 8 and 7. That has a dragon without it’s heart being eaten Did your dad get into trouble with your mom over giving you that book as an 8yr old?
Looking for SubPress Lettered:Farseer Trilogy; Shadow of the Wind, Angel's Game, Prisoner of Heaven
Looking for Centipede Press S/L: Dracula
welcome all of you, Damn Sass you sure write posts like me lol, the girl who loved Tom Gordon i'm glad you read that one when you were 8 i myself think it's one of his worst but it's got fans and i'm glad you liked it. i haven't read all of his books yet.
but my brother is a big King Fan and i got into his books because of him pretty much and his films. really King thinks Tommyknockers is his worst novel? no i don't think it is at all, i think it's one of his best but if i'm not mistaken it's the last one he wrote while he was still drinking and doing cocaine so my guess is that's why he thinks that. i haven't read Eyes of the dragon for some reason but it's funny that one would scare you yet that is the one he wrote for his than teenage daughter.
who i believe loved it. i've never heard anyone having nightmares from it so that was a first to read that. the one i had nightmares from though i read IT at 13 was the werewolf scene in IT and than there was the kid that got killed by the damn well by pennywise but i forget the scene, when i read it a couple years back again for like the 15th time or so and i'm 40 now. but welcome to you all to the site
Welcome aboard Rich
Wish List:
Any of the following flatsigned or inscribed-
It, Shining, Salem’s Lot, Mr. Mercedes, The Stand
Brother ARC, Seed ARC
Welcome, Rich!
You don't know my kind.....You don't my mind.....Dark necessities are part of my design.....
Pennywise the Danson Clown...that is good.
Unfortunately, we already know Danson doesn't float...
Eastasia has always taught college students to feel pride or shame according to their race.
haha yeah for sure I just write and write and write for some reason. I got a lil excited. but yeah I think thats probably why he thinks that but it's still one of my favorites, but I also am like, obsessed with aliens, so that might be why. IT scared me too, but it was the uhh Spider in the sink scene that got me and the blood everywhere was just like, immensely horrifying for some reason and then no one else could see the blood at first and I was like 0: but yes thank you so much for the welcome!
:> thanks I just started Bag of Bones so I'm
1. Super excited to read more
2. A lil salty I'm gonna have to read through like, six more books to get to the next dark tower book
YES. I know it's not meant to be super scary but for SOME REASON it just freaked me out
and yes!!! the tommyknockers is so good!!
Hi everyone!
How did you discover the Dark Tower?
I discovered the Dark Tower after reading a couple of his books (starting with The Green Mile) and bought the whole series before reading a word about it.
Who is your favorite character?
This to be John Coffey from The Green Mile.
What is your favorite book?
The Green Mile
How old are you?
I'm 21 years old.
Where are you from?
The Netherlands
Do you have a nickname?
Just Robin is fine
how did you find this site?
Browsing through Stephen King forums
I'm actually looking for people who can help me with my schoolproject. I know I'm just new to this site but I just want to be honest about this.
For my schoolproject I am going to redesign The Green Mile. For this I want some people responding (and choosing) some designs and choices that I made/have to make.
It would be really awesome if some of you guys are willing to help me
If I'm going too soon please let me know as well. I just want help en be respectful toward this forum and the people in it.