For many of us, one of the mysteries of the universe has long been: Why is the unabridged Stand not on audio? Seconded only by: Why isn't Swan Song on audio book? Thanks to audible, Swan Song on audio is now a reality, read by Tom Stechschulte. Swan Song is also available as a Kindle download.
People are already making the connection to The Stand in the comments section of audible. One poster writes, "If you loved The Stand, you HAVE to get this book. If you don’t mind the hairs standing up on the back of your neck, get this book. If you’re looking for an epic good read that you can’t put down, get this book. It will scare you and keep your nerves tied up from start to finish. It's one of those books that you don't want to end."
I think McCammon doesn't like the comparison -- but I think it is a natural one. The two books are not at all "the same", but they have similar themes and tone.
Get it here at AUDIBLE.
I read the novel maybe a year or so after reading "The Stand" for the first time, and I assumed it was an intentional ripoff of King's novel, at least in terms of the apocalyptic setting and the good-versus-evil aspects. But it was so great a novel that I didn't care.
ReplyDeleteGlad to see there's an audio edition out there. Maybe it'll help get McCammon's work back in the spotlight a bit.
McCammon can be an odd duck when it comes to his early work; almost seeming to resent the fact that fans might actually enjoy his early writings! He refuses to talk or write about Swan Song, saying it's done and he wants to move on.
ReplyDeleteThat's kind of a shame. Ah, well; temperamental artist, and all that...
ReplyDeleteIf it comes to that, what is Pete Straub's Ghost Story except a damned entertaining rip off of Salem's Lot with ghosts instead of vampires?
ReplyDeleteIt's been a while since I read the Straub novel, but I don't recall that "Salem's Lot" and "Ghost Story" are particularly similar at all. I take your point, though.
ReplyDeleteMy thing is, I really don't care if something is a "ripoff," whatever you define that as. Some people think "Under the Dome" is a ripoff of "The Simpsons Movie," or that "The Green Mile" is a ripoff of an episode of "Amazing Stories," or "11/22/63" a ripoff of an episode of "Quantum Leap." Even if they were, though ... so what? In all three cases, King went so far away from the material he was supposedly ripping off that it effectively ceased having any relation to those works.
Quality is quality as far as I'm concerned, and from what I recall "Swan Song" is definitely quality.
YES!
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting!