Not Stephen King!

Ever notice the number of authors who get compared  to Stephen King?  Or how often we hear, "He/She's the next Stephen King."  Of course, no one writes like Stephen King.  Each writer has their own approach and style.

It is true that people  who enjoy reading Stephen King generally enjoy some of the same other  authors as well.

Here are 6 authors I think in some way fall in the Stephen King box.  Each is wonderful in their own right and has their own unique way of telling a story.

1. Dean Koontz  (My favorite novel: Watchers)
2. Robert McCammon (Swan Song)
3. Brian Keene (The Conqueror Worms)
4. John Saul (I have not read John Saul)
5. Anne Rice (I never finished a Rice novel -- that was written under her name)
6. Richard Laymon (Resurrection Dreams)

Who else gets  lumped in the "like Stephen King" category?

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6 comments:

  1. Josh CaporaleAugust 28, 2012 at 9:01 PM

    Plenty of authors are dubbed the next Stephen King, even John Ajvide Lindqvist is dubbed as the Swedish Stephen King. In my mind, Stephen King is a one of a kind.

    Not only is King a one of a kind, but so are these authors. I enjoy Koontz, Saul, Laymon, and Keene. However, I don't consider them as a "like Stephen King." These are completely different authors who have excellent writing talent in their own respect.

    Koontz approaches his theme and development in a far more different way that King would. Saul is more into creating a thrill ride. Laymon blends a clever idea with gore, humor, and sex. Keene is more of a zombie writer who likes to write in a bizarre tone. McCammon is on the apocalyptic side, as Rice is a bit more romantic horror.

    You didn't mention Jack Ketchum or Edward Lee. Ketchum's a bit more into human monsters, while Lee simply writes about bizarre subjects. They have been compared to King or have had comments made by King.

    True horror fiction is far from being a bunch of authors under the umbrella known as "Stephen King." True horror fiction is plenty of different perspectives. Perhaps some are known better than others, but they're each good in their own way.

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  2. David SquyresAugust 28, 2012 at 10:27 PM

    Couldn't agree more, Josh Caporale ! Yes.

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  3. JoAugust 28, 2012 at 11:26 PM

    Brutally kicking in an open door, I've got to go with Joe Hill. He can thoroughly freak me out, and create charcters that really get under your skin.

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  4. David SquyresAugust 29, 2012 at 1:39 AM

    Joe Hill. . . hadn't even occured to me. But King himself has made the comparison.

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  5. WriterJoshNovember 25, 2015 at 2:15 PM

    Nick Cutter. I've seen Brian Lumley referred to as "the British Stephen King." I've only read Necroscope but I have to ask, what drug were they on?

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    Replies
    1. WriterJoshNovember 25, 2015 at 2:15 PM

      And Bentley Little, whom King himself called "the horror poet laureate".

      Others have compared Clive Barker to King. I don't.

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