Step Over to the Dark Side...Have You Converted Anyone? How did you do it?

[Erin]

Clyde? I'm surprised he hasn't read them before, considering the other stuff he likes.

[Bethany]

I have a friend who doesn't really like stephen king but I told her if she reads Gunslinger then i'll bake her a cake she is in the process of reading it now

I haven't thought of using baked goods.

[kluker]

I have a friend who doesn't really like stephen king but I told her if she reads Gunslinger then i'll bake her a cake she is in the process of reading it now

I haven't thought of using baked goods.

it works fairly well

[RUBE]

I got my boss to start reading The Dark Tower just before Christmas. We talk about movies and books all the time and I always compared them to The Dark Tower. Finally he said that he was going to have to read it so he would know what I was talking about.

[Letti]

I have a friend who doesn't really like stephen king but I told her if she reads Gunslinger then i'll bake her a cake she is in the process of reading it now

I haven't thought of using baked goods.

it works fairly well

In my case I think it would work better if I said "if you don't read the books I will bake you a cake."

[RainInSpain]

Yesterday I was browsing through profiles of my coworkers on vkontakte (a Russian doppelganger for fb), and at one point my heart almost skipped a beat - I saw that one of the guys (whom I barely know) has a VERY familiar pic on his av - Roland stepping through the door, with the DT in the background. Today, I was practically sprinting to work, anxious to find out if I have met a fellow DT junkie (would have been way cool!). Alas, the pic meant nothing to him - he just liked it for its artistic quality.
However, I used this opportunity to tell him and the guy at the desk next to him, how awesome DT is So hopefully, this will lead to another couple of converts joining our ranks

[KatetOfNineteen]

A coworker of mine read The Gunslinger then quit reading books to write his own novel. While I respect his wishes to fully focus on developing his own book and not using others as basis for his plot and characters, I did convince him to read The Drawing of the Three. He was happy that I did because he had become lost with his book and needed the break. He is reading the Waste Lands now and all we do is talk about the Dark Tower and our other coworkers have no idea what is going on. We talk in High Speech and all.

[Girlystevedave]

Awesome. I wonder, is it even possible for someone to read The Drawing of the Three without getting addicted?

[Girlystevedave]

I have this image as the wallpaper on my work computer. Jacob saw it the other day, and asked:

"Mama, what's that picture?"
Me: "It's from a book series I've read, called The Dark Tower."
Jacob: [staring at the picture for a moment] "It's really cool."
Me: "It sure is."
On the inside, I was thinking "You're only 5 years old, and I'm already planning to convert you to a DT junkie as soon as you're old enough. You being cool enough to appreciate this picture is the first step in the right direction."
[rubs hands together]

[Jean]

I hope we'll all still be here chewing the fat when he is old enough to read it

[Girlystevedave]

I tried to get my friend to read The Dark Tower series a few years back. She started it, but never got into it at the time. She called me last night and said she is officially hooked on Drawing of the Three. It is a glorious day!

[Merlin1958]

My son and my daughter, in like 2003. I just told them, "Daddy, wants you to read this". They did!!! LOL

[Jon]

I just got a co worker hooked. She is on SoS.

She got frustrated with another co-worker last week and slipped.

"I am going to kill him and send his corpse to todash!"

[Derg Corra]

I converted my younger brother years ago.

[AstroDad]

Just got two of my boys hooked recently, 14 & 12. The 14 year old is only half way through The Gunslinger, but says he is in enjoying it. The 12 year old tore through The Gunslinger in 3 days and is on to DotT. Very excited they are getting into King, although many of his books I don't think I will le tthem read for a few more years.

Is there a website with a parental guide to Stephen King somewhere?

[Girlystevedave]

Just got two of my boys hooked recently, 14 & 12. The 14 year old is only half way through The Gunslinger, but says he is in enjoying it. The 12 year old tore through The Gunslinger in 3 days and is on to DotT. Very excited they are getting into King, although many of his books I don't think I will le tthem read for a few more years.

Is there a website with a parental guide to Stephen King somewhere?

That's so awesome that you're getting to share King with your kids. And it's especially exciting that one of them is about to experience DotT for the first time.

I don't know if there's a parental guide anywhere. But, searching for it, I stumbled upon this article about banned Stephen King books. I only knew about Rage being banned. I had no idea about these other ones mentioned. http://thecensorshipofstephenking.we...g-factors.html Sorry, it's not a parent guide. I got sidetracked.

And I know it's kinda hard to judge what SK you want your kids to read, but I was 12 when I read Night Shift and Cujo and didn't have nightmares/issues after. I think there's definitely a lot of King material you could let them read.

Heck, maybe creating a SK Parent Guide wouldn't be a bad idea.

[AstroDad]

Thanks! Yes, I originally dismissed the idea of King at their age until I realized they were right around the age I was when I started reading him and I don't recall thinking twice about the content a that age, nor do I recall anything being off limits.

I still plan to put a little thought into it before handing over each one, but I've told them to if there is anything that bothers them or they have questions about that they read to just come to me and we will talk about it.

[RainInSpain]

Agree with Girlystevedave - I started reading King and Koontz when I was about 14, and did not have any nightmares. I also read a lot of other books that were relatively explicit in nature (historical novels mostly, some with pretty graphic descriptions of sex and violence) - because at that age I read anything and everything I could lay my hands on, and my parents had a large library - and I do not think it has affected me negatively in any way (at least not that I can tell).

And as to horror literature as a genre, those books are much more scary to read now that I'm a parent myself.

I'd say, let your kids read it if they are interested, and be there for them if/when they want to discuss what they've read.

[Girlystevedave]

Thanks! Yes, I originally dismissed the idea of King at their age until I realized they were right around the age I was when I started reading him and I don't recall thinking twice about the content a that age, nor do I recall anything being off limits.

I still plan to put a little thought into it before handing over each one, but I've told them to if there is anything that bothers them or they have questions about that they read to just come to me and we will talk about it.

I think it's cool that you are being open with them about it and telling them to come to you if they have questions.
I hope that I can one day share Stephen King with my son. (The only reason I discovered King was because my parents had Night Shift and Cujo on their bookshelf. That plunged me into being obsessed with everything King.) He's 6 right now, but told me recently that, if I still have Revival when he's bigger, he wants to read it. I said "Okay, when you're older, I'll let you read it."
His response: "What, when I'm like 7 or 8?"

Agree with Girlystevedave - I started reading King and Koontz when I was about 14, and did not have any nightmares. I also read a lot of other books that were relatively explicit in nature (historical novels mostly, some with pretty graphic descriptions of sex and violence) - because at that age I read anything and everything I could lay my hands on, and my parents had a large library - and I do not think it has affected me negatively in any way (at least not that I can tell).

And as to horror literature as a genre, those books are much more scary to read now that I'm a parent myself.

I'd say, let your kids read it if they are interested, and be there for them if/when they want to discuss what they've read.

I hope I can be open with my son like my parents were with me in regards to movies/books. It's funny how, as a parent, your filter changes a bit (at least for me). I think about all the things I was exposed to and enjoyed, but then think about him, and over-analyze every aspect of it like "what age should he be to read/watch/listen to this?"
I agree with you about letting them read what interests them and just being there to discuss it with them when they want. That's the only way for them to find out what they really like.

[Jon]

Age...I got really tired of waiting between the OG Gunslinger and DT7. It really made me an old man!

[Girlystevedave]

My friend is reading The Wastelands! [punches the air triumphantly]

[Nickelwise]

I've got my 16 year old nephew on the verge of starting The Gunslinger. Right now he's too bogged down with school work, but promises he'll start it soon and I'm planning on holding him to it.

[chucknbuck]

I bought the first book for a friend two weeks ago, and he is now almost done with the second book and appears to be as hooked as I was. I hope he doesn't resent the recommendation once he is done, as it is an emotionally exhausting series. I also want to get my wife to read it and see if she has the same strong reaction.

[Girlystevedave]

I have a coworker who loves Stephen King, but has not read The Dark Tower yet. I may or may not have just ordered a copy of The Gunslinger for her.

[racerx45]

I have a coworker who loves Stephen King, but has not read The Dark Tower yet. I may or may not have just ordered a copy of The Gunslinger for her.

Excellent. I have a few friends that need more friends like you… oh wait I could do that too.