Stephen King--his stories and their effect on you

[Adumbros]

what does it the most for me, especially as i aspire to one day be published myself, is this:

every single story by Stephen King, whether published or not, whether widely-known or not, whether rare in quantity or abundant and easily-obtained, have the same astounding quality:

they were all based on actual experiences OF Stephen King.

what more proof does a writer need of how personal the craft truly is? you don't have to do something that others will like. King doesn't. essentially, his entire personal library is his life story.

[Tiffany]

Stephen King is the only author I've ever read that really stirs something in me, especially when he's writing children. I don't have kids yet but I love how they so often see and feel things that adults don't.

It inspires me to stay open to feeling and seeing anything. I run the risk of sounding really corny in saying this but I don't care.

His stories make me feel like there really is a bit of magic in the world.

Not the wizards and witches kind of magic but the magic of hope and love and pressing on in the face of fear.

[Adumbros]

i can see your point. at the same time, i advance this theory: if one is going to believe in the magic of Good, of the White, such as love, then one must be equalling accepting of sorcery and such. One, it only makes sense, two, though I am not what you would label 'Christian', the Bible itself, which, in large context, I take to heart, tells us tales of witchcraft, even instructs us of the evils of performing such. we would not be given such a warning if it could not be.

Advancing a further theory, one i have yet to convince anyone of: If love, hope, magic, God, all consist of faith and rituals (like it or not, prayer and worship are rituals; ritual is not itself defined as a bad thing), wouldn't it stand to reason, then, that acts of great evil, such as vampirism, sorcery, and the like, would also have to consist of faith and ritual? considering that God demands fealty in exchange for his gifts, i find it difficult to believe that the entity we common refer to as the devil would be willing to settle for any less; after all, does he not require our souls for the mere purpose (or privilege, depending on your POV) of worshipping him, of carrying through with his many sects of devoted apostles?

[Adumbros]

It's also interesting to note the way King explores children and childhood. while i'm sure many of his memories of that time are now lost, faded, or distorted, he still manages to capture quite amazingly the essence of being a child. I could not sit down and do the same, yet reading tales such as The Body, It, The Library Policemen, so accurately define the horrors and travails of youth that I find myself reliving memories I didn't know were there. It, for instance: I was "Trashmouth"; I was the smartass that always had something to say about everything, and usually in what an adult would consider a less-than-acceptable manner. I had a friend (whom I still cavort with, albeit less often) who was reminiscent of Stan: aloof, quiet, seemingly nerdy and timid, but yet, when the chips were down, balls-to-the-wall behind your back. Another friend (whom, again, I am fortunate enough to still cavort with, albeit fleetingly) who mirrored Ben Hanscom: intelligent, witty, arty, shy, rather large, rather unkeen toward confrontation, but who would charge into a line of artillery fire when the line seemed depleted. Then there was a female, who like Beverly Marsh/Rogan, preached full-tilt the wisdom and value of love. She, alas, is no longer with us, having perished along with her younger son on May 27, 2008.

The most fucked up thing is that, even though I do still chum with some of these guys on an almost daily basis, unlike the grownup Losers, who fell apart, if it weren't for King, I would've, identical to the Losers, lost those memories completely, and perhaps forever.

It sort of makes you wonder if the man doesn't keep a secret journal stashed somewhere that transports him back to those days.

[Tiffany]

Edit: I think that King knows some things that we don't, sometimes.

I'd be a total hypocrite if I turned my nose up at the thought of sorcery and the kind of magic that might fall under that category. If I can believe in psychics and ghosts (which I do), then I have to be open to even more. It's just not necessarily the kind of magic that an SK book evokes for me.
Well, maybe a little bit.

As for the ritualism of evil, I can see your point. I think in some cases, sure, there's faith and ritual but the first thing that comes to my head is chaos.

[Adumbros]

chaos.

of which, i am the chancellor.

<--

[Tiffany]

Pleasedtameetcha!

I think I need to have a re-read of Insomnia. I'm thinking of little doctors and chaos and short-timers.

Another way I could word how King's books make me feel is that there's MORE. To everything. And when I turn the last page and go outside for a smoke or just to sit with a glass of wine or iced tea, I try to see it. I want to see it.

[theBeamisHome]

i agree with you Adumbros. i'm a firm believe in both sides. it irritates me a lil when some Christian people claim that there is no such thing as sorcery and psychics when it's actually forbidden in the Bible.. if it's forbidden it must be real.. if you believe in that sort of thing... which i do.

[Adumbros]

wtf?! you took down the avatar!!!

[Jean]

i'm a firm believe in both sides. it irritates me a lil when some Christian people claim that there is no such thing as sorcery and psychics when it's actually forbidden in the Bible..

Lion - I heard, with my own years, some Christian (of Protestant denomination I don't want to name because there maybe people of the same denomination, but far more intelligent here) say that there was no devil or hell. After I tried to get it through to them that if they believed in Christian God they had no other choice than to believe in the existence of devil, too, I was answered that of course Catholics would believe anything, all sorts of magic and sorcery, and look at their rituals and saints and stained glass and rosaries and medallions. It's such wonderful logic, you know... you say, "but if it is forbidden, it means it exists?" - they answer, "no, it is forbidden, so it doesn't exist."

[theBeamisHome]

sorry Adumbros... i kept it tho

Jean, i have met some Christians from those denominations as well. and all i could say was "are we reading the same book??".... it's amazing how people in the same RELIGION don't believe the same things... i know that it's true for other religions too and is not just exclusive to Christianity, but it's crazy to me how everyone says everyone else is wrong..

[Adumbros]

i'm a firm believe in both sides. it irritates me a lil when some Christian people claim that there is no such thing as sorcery and psychics when it's actually forbidden in the Bible..

Lion - I heard, with my own years, some Christian (of Protestant denomination I don't want to name because there maybe people of the same denomination, but far more intelligent here) say that there was no devil or hell. After I tried to get it through to them that if they believed in Christian God they had no other choice than to believe in the existence of devil, too, I was answered that of course Catholics would believe anything, all sorts of magic and sorcery, and look at their rituals and saints and stained glass and rosaries and medallions. It's such wonderful logic, you know... you say, "but if it is forbidden, it means it exists?" - they answer, "no, it is forbidden, so it doesn't exist."

ok...that is retarded. That would be like a parent trying to claim that since they don't allow their teenagers to have premarital sex, penises and vaginas don't exist. I've encountered the same shit. While I may not agree with the beliefs of my peers, at least they're intelligent enough to know that, if it's forbidden, it has to exist!! WTF would be the point of forbidding something like that?! "Son, don't you dare let me find out you were playing with that Lord Voldemort boy!"

????????????!!!!!!!!!?!?!?!?!??!?

[Jean]

ok guys, now back to Stephen King stories

[theBeamisHome]

what i would like to know from them is why we're here, if that's the case... i mean, what are we fighting against? i've talked to one such person before and she was of one of those sects that believe they are the only ones going to heaven... and she said everyone else was just gonna go to the grave... but my problem with the whole thing is why would we have to work our way to heaven if there's no devil?? where did the original sin come from that made us all damned to be separated from God??? its so frustrating..

[Adumbros]

sorry Adumbros... i kept it tho

Jean, i have met some Christians from those denominations as well. and all i could say was "are we reading the same book??".... it's amazing how people in the same RELIGION don't believe the same things... i know that it's true for other religions too and is not just exclusive to Christianity, but it's crazy to me how everyone says everyone else is wrong..

actually, not to sound rude, but I think RELIGION is what is wrong with this world.

To wit: God did not say that you were going to hell if you ate meat on friday, or didn't wear a turban, or watched television, etc. etc. No more than he said that if you're not Protestant, or Methodist, or Baptist, Or Latter-Day Saint, or Catholic, or Jewish, or Nazarene, you're going to hell. I'm so fucking sick of these goddamn people cherry-picking what they want to believe from the Bible. either the whole fucking thing's real, or none of it is. The verse that people like this seem to neglect the most is the following (i'm not quoting directly, and don't have my Bible open, so don't hold it against me):

That man can ascend to Heaven by faith alone, not by works, lest he should boast.

And yet, what the fuck are these pretentious bastards and cowards doing but boasting and posturing and preening?

And you most def don't wanna get me started on the idea of the Pope; in fact, i'll draw the line there myself, 'cause otherwise you'll have to kick me off the site.

[Adumbros]

ok guys, now back to Stephen King stories

sorry about that; you posted before i got finished typing my response and i didn't see it til after i hit 'enter'

[Brice]

ok guys, now back to Stephen King stories

^^^ Please!

There are other threads more suitable for this conversation.

The religious discussion or even the In My Mind thread would work.

[Adumbros]

ok guys, now back to Stephen King stories

^^^ Please!

There are other threads more suitable for this conversation.

The religious discussion or even the In My Mind thread would work.

hey dammit i said i was sorry

[Tiffany]

How's this:

Stephen King has made me desire to keep a young outlook on life.

And also, he's helped me to love Corgis.

[theBeamisHome]

oh yes... sorry...

about Sai King and his stories effects on me... his stories keep the child in me alive and active... it's like food for the imagination. things to reflect on in life. TDT also made me think about spirituality and karma and the such. his stories about love are very touching: Bag of Bones, Lisey's Story, etc... love survives even death... he often is very romantic... in the layman's term, not so much the traditional literal meaning. and all know i'm a hopeless romantic.

[theBeamisHome]

apparently i take too long to type... hey... move the posts to the amicable religion discussion thread.

[Adumbros]

ALL romantics are hopeless.

j/k

actually, there have been times when i was in certain (seemingly insurmountable) situations, and reading a story from King taught me how to overcome those situations.

[Brice]

apparently i take too long to type... hey... move the posts to the amicable religion discussion thread.

Nah, it's fine. I can't move posts from here anyhow. I know y'all weren't ignoring Jean's request and that y'all probably just hadn't seen it yet.


Stephen King inspired me to stop all who try to reach TDT...at all costs.

[Adumbros]

You know, I actually had an idea related to TDT that I wrote about...no one will ever read it in its entirety, for fear of being sued for plagiarism, but the basic premise was about Roland renewing his Quest, only this time with the knowledge of the previous attempts to complete it, and in the end (of my version), the Gunslinger learned this:

It is not, he surmised, the writer. Nor is it the Creator, although it is of him. It is not even the sainted flora. No, thought he, the great spoke upon which the wheel of the Tower spins is none of these things. The Dark Tower is the apotheosis of the one thing he could never truly appreciate, could never comprehend, before this very moment, this epiphany.

Imagination.

Thus thinking, thus understanding, at long last, the Gunslinger lay down his guns at its door. He raised the ancient Horn and blew, trumpeting for all that he was worth, trumpeting for his father, for his lost friends, for his quivering, mortal soul, which he now felt stir in a vague sense of ecstasy which he had never known before.

He imagined Gilead, shining in its beauty. He imagined his father, Steven, proudly surveying all that he commanded. He imagined Cort, and he imagined Cort blessing him for his conquest; but that was not the true conquest, nay, the true conquest lay here, in the amazing sight which spread before his astonished, gleeful bombardier's eyes.

All-World was reviving.

The Beams were renewed, the Baronies restored, the lushness of all that had ever been in his time, intact. The Crimson King, who thrived solely on the insanity that is loss, simply was no more.

Reveling in his newfound glory, Roland Deschain clutched the Horn to his breast and cried.