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    shrewd and knavish sprite flaggwalkstheline will become famous soon enough flaggwalkstheline's Avatar

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    :radioactive: tommyknockers discussion

    is there a tommyknockers discussion thread? I dunno, if there is then this will get merged. if not then here it is.
    The tommyknockers is one of my alltime favorite books by SK, i know it has a rather bad reputation and he wrote it when he was coked out of his mind but I love it anyway.

    so my first question to get the ball rolling (assuming again that there isn't already a thread)
    is this: What does Sai King when he says in the introduction that "the tommyknockers are real. If you think I'm kidding, you missed the nightly news." to WHAT is he alluding to? alien abductions? cattle mutilations? mothman? nuclear accidents? william burroughs shooting his wife? (a possible inspiration for Gardner's backstory)
    WHAT?!
    if the worlds gonna end then let's get it over with, i got shit to do

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    Not being a "smart-ass', but I always thought "all of the above". Plus, the Bermuda Triangle, Crop circles, Etc, Etc.
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    flagg - we don't seem to have a Tommyknockers thread at the moment, thank you for starting it! One of my favorite books, by the way.

    Another question is, why did you put it in Gilead? If there was no global scheme behind this choice, I'll move it to Cara Laughs, ok?

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    sure, wasn't sure which forum to put it in.

    i think that the ending to tommyknockers might be one of the most satisfyingly climactic things SK has ever written... i just reread the book and that ending...oh boy does it rock
    if the worlds gonna end then let's get it over with, i got shit to do

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    I have moved it, and added the spoilers icon to the title - we should be able to discuss it here freely

    totally agree about the ending

    Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
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    One of my favorites too. I don't understand why it constantly gets relegated to the "worst of" lists of King novels. In fact, in our very own Constant Reader Awards, The Tommyknockers placed as the fourth worst King book of all time, right after Dreamcatcher, Gerald's Game, and Faithful.

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    Quote Originally Posted by pablo View Post
    One of my favorites too. I don't understand why it constantly gets relegated to the "worst of" lists of King novels. In fact, in our very own Constant Reader Awards, The Tommyknockers placed as the fourth worst King book of all time, right after Dreamcatcher, Gerald's Game, and Faithful.

    Well I think we can all agree that "Faithful" should never have been written, but you're right folks do seem to stomp on Tommyknocker's for no seeming reason. Perhaps the so-so TV movie did it a disservice?
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    I just re-read this story earlier this year. It's definitely not one of my favorites. In a way it reminds me a little of Needful Things and Under the Dome with some Dreamcatcher mixed in.

    One of the problems IMO, is that none of the characters in the book are all that likable.

    The horrible movie certainly didn't help at all.

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    see, i like how the two main characters are rather unlikable, it makes for an entertaining read because one still sympathizes with both of them despite all their wrong doings

    the part in the begining when gardner gets thrown out of the party after going on an epic drunken anti-nuke rant is specatacular
    if the worlds gonna end then let's get it over with, i got shit to do

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    Gardner being a total trainwreck is what made me like him. That however did not make me like the book enough to ever want to read it again.

    Killing soda machine? Mr. King, you were really reaching with that one.

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    the killer coke machine was badass
    if the worlds gonna end then let's get it over with, i got shit to do

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    Yeah the killer coke machine was great. I actually thought the whole Alien ship buried/telepathy-thing was a pretty cool premise. It also ended better than quite a few other king books, like UTD for instance.
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    There was a killer Coke machine in the movie Maximum Overdrive. I don't think it was in the short story though.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Iwritecode View Post
    There was a killer Coke machine in the movie Maximum Overdrive. I don't think it was in the short story though.
    really...which version?...I didn't see that one.


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    late 80s SK is his "coked out of his mind" period
    like piccasso's blue period but with more drugs
    if the worlds gonna end then let's get it over with, i got shit to do

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    I read this about 20 years ago, and haven't re read it at all, and so can't really comment re is it one of his best etc. What I do remember was enjoying it very much.
    Also I remember loving it when he made reference to "that horror writer up the way", and that some people didn't like his stories...

    I should read it again, no doubt pick up on many things that a 15 year old would miss.

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    I love this book to pieces. How the concept of "New and Improved" works. How people change. How easily and readily bought they are. How easily and readily they merge into a mob. I love the characters, especially Gardner - but the secondary characters too, and I find the whole story of the boy, his little brother, and especially granddad one of King's absolute tops.

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    Quote Originally Posted by mystima View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Iwritecode View Post
    There was a killer Coke machine in the movie Maximum Overdrive. I don't think it was in the short story though.
    really...which version?...I didn't see that one.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn83VuCzP1k

    Not specifically a "Coke" machine but same idea.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jean View Post
    I love this book to pieces. How the concept of "New and Improved" works. How people change. How easily and readily bought they are. How easily and readily they merge into a mob. I love the characters, especially Gardner - but the secondary characters too, and I find the whole story of the boy, his little brother, and especially granddad one of King's absolute tops.


    The boy matters or nothing matters.
    DID YOU HEAR THAT, ROLAND!? lol

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    Just finished this last night and really liked it. King alludes to The Colour out of Space by Lovecraft in the intro and I can totally see this. One thing that bothered me through the whole book was the use of batteries for power. I'm glad he clarified near the end that the Tommyknockers just hadn't thought of using the AC power. The concept of a species that only improves things is quite interesting to me. Overall, not in top 5, but still high on my list.

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    Quote Originally Posted by flaggwalkstheline View Post
    late 80s SK is his "coked out of his mind" period
    like piccasso's blue period but with more drugs
    Tommyknockers was also written during the height of his addiction. I think the theme of addiction is spoken with haunting honesty in Tommyknockers. I agree about having anti-heros made for a more enjoyable read too.

    Super underrated book IMO

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dan View Post
    Just finished this last night and really liked it.
    Quote Originally Posted by Stebbins View Post
    Super underrated book IMO

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    The Tommyknockers represent unchecked and irresponsible technological progress. Specifically, nuclear power. So when King was talking about the Tommyknockers being, real, I assume he was referring to the proliferation of nuclear power plants specifically, and technological progress in general.

    For the record, I agree that it's a very underrated novel. The love story is one of King's best, although what works about it is the degree to which it demonstrates the fact that sometimes, love is nowhere near enough.

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    This novel has one of King's most tantalizing buildups. It has been a long time, but I remember through the first half of the book, asking myself "What the fuck is in the ground and what is happening to these characters." I was completely absorbed in the story. I also agree with the ending. So many of Kings endings are letdowns, and this one totally delivered.
    Sloth Love Chunk

  25. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by BROWNINGS CHILDE View Post
    This novel has one of King's most tantalizing buildups. It has been a long time, but I remember through the first half of the book, asking myself "What the fuck is in the ground and what is happening to these characters." I was completely absorbed in the story. I also agree with the ending. So many of Kings endings are letdowns, and this one totally delivered.
    yes, this, totally.

    Quote Originally Posted by Bryant Burnette View Post
    The Tommyknockers represent unchecked and irresponsible technological progress. Specifically, nuclear power. So when King was talking about the Tommyknockers being, real, I assume he was referring to the proliferation of nuclear power plants specifically, and technological progress in general.
    This must be true, although I personally have never been interested in this aspect. It is a very sad book about values, how precarious their hierarchy is in people's minds, how easily our gold reserve of humanity is traded for shit.

    The love story is one of King's best, although what works about it is the degree to which it demonstrates the fact that sometimes, love is nowhere near enough.
    Oh yes, it is, at least for the salvation of one soul.

    Quote Originally Posted by costanza View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Jean View Post
    I love this book to pieces. How the concept of "New and Improved" works. How people change. How easily and readily bought they are. How easily and readily they merge into a mob. I love the characters, especially Gardner - but the secondary characters too, and I find the whole story of the boy, his little brother, and especially granddad one of King's absolute tops.

    The boy matters or nothing matters.
    DID YOU HEAR THAT, ROLAND!? lol
    Amen. Or, in the context of the book we're discussing here, the dog matters - or nothing does.

    Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
    When one is in agreement with bears one is always correct. (mae)

    bears are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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