Stephen King's Best Books: #7 -- 'Salem's Lot

#7     'Salem's Lot

Salem's Lot [1975] makes this list as a sentimental favorite, as it is the first Stephen King book I ever read.

When writer Ben Mears returns to his hometown of Jerusalem's Lot [or 'Salem's Lot, for short] to write a book about the ostensibly haunted Marsten House, he discovers that the house is no longer vacant and has been purchased by the mysterious Barlow, an Austrian businessman.

In reality, Barlow is a vampire who quickly spreads the infection, transforming the townfolk into vampires.  Mears and his small band of hopelessly outnumbered allies fight to stop the infection from spreading, fighting a seemingly hopeless battle to save the town... and themselves from being turned into vampires.

'Salem's Lot was adapted into a two-part television movie in 1979--the first of several works that King subsequently brought to television.  On a personal note, the 'Salem's Lot mini series was my first exposure to King's work.  I'll never forget the terror I experienced [as an 8 year old kid] when Barlow appeared on screen for the first time...



'Salem' Lot


Salem's Lot -- Television mini series

Stephen King's Best Books: #8 -- IT

#8     It

It [1986] is another lengthy novel King [1,138 pages], which makes sense because it actually contains two books in one.

The first part of the story chronicles events that take place during 1957-1958 in fictional Derry, Maine, where a group of misfit kids who call themselves the "Loser's Club" confront a supernatural being in the guise of a frightening clown who preys upon the town's children every thirty years.  After several Derry children are gruesomely attacked, the children track the creature to its base of operations in the extensive sewer tunnels underneath Derry, and manage to drive the creature off, ending It's murderous rampage.  Afterwards, the children mysteriously forget what transpired, and go on to live separate lives away from Derry.

Thirty years later, the Loser's Club are summoned back to Derry by Mike Hanlon, the only member of the group still  living there.  Hanlon informs the group that It has returned, and the cycle of horrors is beginning all over again.  Regaining their memories of the frightening encounter in 1958, the second half of the book details the events leading up to the final confrontation between the now adult members of the Loser's Club and the monster from their nightmares that is hell bent on exacting revenge.

Given the length of this novel, It was unsuitable to be made into a feature film.  Instead, King adapted it for the small screen in 1990, delivering a largely uninspired two-part movie [split over the two timeframes covered in the book] that was most memorable for it's frightening portrayal of Pennywise the Clown.



It

Stephen King's Best Books: #9 -- Under The Dome

#9     Under The Dome

Under the Dome [2009]--one of King's lengthier novels--describes the compelling struggle of the denizens of the fictional small town of Chester's Mill, Maine, and the deplorable depths that some are willing to sink to ensure their survival after a mysterious force field in the shape of an impenetrable dome cuts the town off from the outside world.  The result is dystopian chaos that turns deadly, with the flames being fanned by small town politics and ambition... and of course, with Stephen King at the helm, you can also count on a healthy dose of malevolent lunacy being thrown into the combustible mix.  The end result is an action packed pressure cooker that conjures Lord of the Flies meets The Andy Griffith Show.

The sheer number of characters in the novel, along with each of their overlapping plot lines, made Under the Dome an ambitious undertaking, but King manages to pull it off adeptly.  Like many of King's more recent novels, there is a bit of fat that could have been trimmed to make this 1,074 page book a bit more streamlined, but despite this flaw it remains a worthwhile, engaging read.

The book was adapted into a television series that aired during the summer of 2013, and will return for a second season in 2014.


Under the Dome [novel]

Under the Dome [television series]

Stephen King's Best Books: #10 -- Different Seasons

#10     Different Seasons

I intentionally tried to leave King's many collections of short stories out of my rankings, but found it impossible to exclude Different Seasons [1982] from consideration. This book contains four separate novellas--each corresponding to a general thematic colloquialism about a season.

In Different Seasons, King not only delivered what I believe to be his all time best short story, the incomparable Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, he also spun memorable yarns like Apt Pupil--about a boy who discovers that one of his neighbors is a Nazi war criminal living in hidden seclusion in the US--and The Body, a story that most casual King fans would recognize as the basis for the movie, Stand By Me.

All three of the above stories were adapted into major motion pictures.  The fourth, The Breathing Method, is a classic Gothic horror tale in the tradition of Edgar Allen  Poe, Joseph Conrad, and H.P. Lovecraft.



Different Seasons

Shawshank Redemption
Apt Pupil
Stand By Me

It's Halloween! Stephen King's Best Books: #11 -- Needful Things

Readers:

Halloween is right around the corner, so to commemorate my favorite holiday, I'm going to do another top 10 countdown list leading up to the big day.

Last year, I tackled the scariest movies of all time.  This year I'm going to count down my favorite books from the master of horror himself, Stephen King.  Since there are actually eleven days left until Halloween, I'm going to channel my inner Spinal Tap and provide a bonus recommendation [truth be told, I had a difficult time narrowing the list down to ten].  

So without further ado, I present this year's Halloween countdown...

#11     Needful Things

Needful Things [1991] is a devious, cleverly written tale with a pervasive undercurrent of wry humor not often prevalent in Stephen King books.  Set in fictional Castle Rock, Maine [a frequently used locale that King enthusiasts will recognize], this book chronicles what happens when a mysterious curio shop proprietor, Leland Gaunt, opens a store in town that is capable of producing any rare item that patrons  desire.  The absurdly low cost of these items comes with a sinister hidden cost, however, as Gaunt forces each greedy patron to do something mean-spirited to other town residents—a situation that triggers a disastrous chain of events that eventually wreak havoc on the town.  Filled with acerbic wit and a familiar cast of characters borrowed from several other memorable King works, Needful Things is a deceptively fast paced page turner that packs an entertaining punch. 

The book was adapted into a major motion picture in 1993, featuring a virtuoso performance by Max von Sydow as Leland Gaunt.

Needful Things

Always cool to see this unsolicited tweet...

...from the editor you're working with on your novel manuscript!

1. 
   
2. Modified Editing ‏@ModifiedEditing3h

   #AmEditing client's #paranormal #manuscript. Had to stop, turn on lights! #heebeejeebees! Good stuff! Realized it's almost dawn. #ilovemyjob

Movie Review: The Conjuring

I watch a lot of horror films, and sadly the quality of the vast majority of them trends toward the low end of the scale. Often, I come across a bigger budget horror flick that has great special effects but is unsatisfyingly thin on plot. Conversely, every once in blue moon I'll stumble upon a lower budget thriller that has a great plot or a unique twist that leaves a lasting impact.

The Conjuring has the best of both.  I'm not going to go into specifics or offer any spoilers, but this was one of the better horror movies I've seen in the theater in a long time--possibly dating back to Paranormal Activity 1 and 3 [for some reason, the even movies in that series are awful, while the odd ones are great].

The Conjuring has a unique premise--which is so important in horror movies--fine acting, and high quality effects that produce lots of scares.  Even more importantly, the film taps into the Hitchcock-ian quality of using suspense to make the audience squirm in our seats.

Very satisfying watch--if you're looking for a late summer scare, I highly recommend "The Conjuring!"

Interviewed by Kayelle Press / Tomorrow anthology now available!

As part of Australian publisher Kayelle Press's marketing campaign for the upcoming Tomorrow anthology, in which my story "Affairs in Order" appears, I was recently interviewed by Kayelle's Karen Henderson.

The book recently published, and is now available via both Amazon.com and Book Depository.

Click HERE to read the interview!

Another anthology publication!

Readers--I'm excited to announce that my short story, The Wind, has been accepted for inclusion in Miseria's Chorale, Volume 1, published by Forgotten Tomb Press.

This collection promises content comprised of "...dark, atmospheric literary fiction that shows a proficiency in language and tone..[and] challenge[s] the boundaries of horror."  The table of contents for this book is filling up nicely, and has some interesting contributors already lined up.

As you can see, the anthology also has some pretty cool cover art.

Edited by David Nell, Miseria's Chorale will be released this October 2013 in eBook and paperback via Amazon.com--just in time for Halloween.  I'll post more details about where you can find this book as we get closer to publication.