By Brandon Engel
When it comes to book-to-film adaptations, Stephen King doesn’t really have a consistent track record. Some film adaptations are awful and some are great. With anticipation building for the release of the film Cell with John Cusack, and murmurs about a new film series based on The Stand, one wonders how these new films will measure up against older film/tv adaptations of King’s dystopian stories.
You might remember the TV miniseries adaptation of the "The Stand" which debuted in 1994. It was based on a novel by King from 1978, which told the story of a weaponized version of the flu that escapes from a government lab, and it wipes out most of humanity, except for a few people scattered throughout the United States. In the TV adaptation, these survivors are portrayed by famous performers: “Nick Andros,” a deaf man from Arkansas, was played by Rob Lowe, and “Frannie Goldsmith,” a Maine teenager played by Molly Ringwald. The survivors start to have visions of either the kindly “Mother Abagail,” played by Ruby Dee, or the demonic “Randall Flagg,” played by Jamey Sheridan. Survivors are told to travel to Nebraska to meet Mother Abagail, or to go to Las Vegas to join Flagg.
The eight hour “Stand” miniseries is faithful to the over 1,000 page book, but it is more similar to the earlier abridged version that was released in the seventies than the complete, uncut edition that Doubleday published in 1990. The A.V. Club said in its review that the miniseries reduced the story to a simple-minded duel between good and evil, without the complex nuances of the book.
Entertainment Weekly offered a somewhat backhanded compliment, stating that the "Stand" miniseries was a "sheer messy sprawl" in the most affectionate way a critic can say that sort of thing. In this writer’s humble opinion? The TV miniseries has not aged well. The music, the special effects, and even the actors chosen seem a little dated and cheesy.
Speaking of dated and cheesy: you might also recall an Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle based on a book that was attributed, not to King directly, but to King’s nome-de-plume, Richard Bachman. The novel was, of course, “The Running Man,” which “Bachman” wrote in 1982. The novel talks about a man named Ben Richards, who lives in the middle of the United States in the year 2025. The world economy has collapsed, and the general public is demoralized. Richards has a daughter who is violently ill. Because he lacks the finances to pay for her medical treatments, he agrees to participate in a new TV program entitled “The Running Man,” which is sort of like American Gladiators, but infinitely more barbaric.
Contestants on the program try to evade “hunters” — hitmen who are employed to track contestants down, and snuff them out. Contestants win money for every hour they stay alive, plus money for every hunter they manage to kill themselves, plus a billion dollars if they make it for a whole month without getting caught.
When producers approached King with the desire to turn the novel into a film, King insisted that the story be credited to Bachman. The film (released in 1987) starred Arnold Schwarzenegger as Ben Richards, and the story was changed. In King’s novel, Richards was an impotent civilian acting out of desperation for the sake of his family. In the feature film, Richards is a former police officer who is wrongfully accused of killing civilians. He is put in prison, but manages finds a way out when he is invited to compete on “The Running Man.”
According to Roger Ebert, "The Running Man" film felt sort of like a videogame or a comic book for the big screen. The film is repetitive, highly stylized, and heavy-handed, but still manages to capture some of the cynical satire of King’s novel. Regardless, ultimately, the film shares many weaknesses with the TV adaptation of “The Stand” — it’s overwrought with dated cliches, and it featured a lot of dubious casting choices.
The bad news? Dystopian fiction is easy to sell to people. It doesn’t even have to be especially well-written (just think about “The Hunger Games” or “Divergent” series). Perhaps part of the reason why there are so many dystopian novels and films in the first place. While King’s dystopian novels are well constructed, bad things happen to these stories when producers get their hands on them. The film studios pander to the audience, and what results are subpar films that look even more ridiculous over time. Cell will be, in its own way, capitalizing on the popularity of the zombie craze. The unlikely pairing of Samuel L. Jackson and John Cusack is also worrisome. Cell will probably not be a very good movie. Hopefully, I’ll be proven wrong on this point.
The good news? There are Stephen King film adaptations that were pretty great, such as The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile, which still air regularly on satellite TV networks (more info here). For every thirty crumby Stephen King derivative films, maybe one or two will be truly excellent. Such is life.
Showing posts with label Cell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cell. Show all posts
King On Colbert (2009)
This is great! From colbertnation.com (December 16, 2009)
The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive
CELL production to begin in May
www.screendaily.com has posted news that Cargo Entertainment has selected Tod “Kip” Williams to direct the Stephen King adaptation Cell. The movie will star John Cusack and production will start in May.
This is actually one project I imagine translating better to film than it did print.
Cusack to star in CELL
Jeremy Kay at Screen Daily reports that John Causack will star in Stephen King's CELL. Causack aslo starred in the King film, 1408. The film is being produced by Richard Saperstein, Brian Witten and Shara Kay.
The Screen play is co-written by Stephen King, "with The Last House On The Left screenwriter Adam Alleca. The producers are currently out to directors." Kay quotes Saperstein as saying, “Cell is an intelligent psychological thriller that delivers on both a visceral and emotional level.”
The Screen Daily article is HERE.
Interview With Matt Jacobs of SK Fancast
Glad to present an interview with the man behind the Stephen King Fancast. If you haven't listened to the most recent Fancast, I encourage you to -- as well as his movie reviews. My favorite section actually is the movies!
The interview is below, but first the links. . .
- The Stephen King Fancast
- The Stephen King Movie Club
- On FACEBOOK
- The Movie Club on YOUTUBE
Okay, now the interview!
Talk Stephen King: Hi! I know you are very serious about the world of Stephen King. Tell me about yourself.
Matt Jacobs: I started as a fan of Stephen King because of his Movies. My wife has always been a big fan of King's novels and I started "reading" them at her recommendation. By reading I clearly mean listening to.
Seeing as how I am a huge proponent of the podcast scene, I started a podcast based on King fandom, unknowing that the Kingcast already existed. So I guess I owe Bob an apology for treading all over his territory.
Non-King stuff about me. I am married to my high-school sweetheart. We have been together for almost half of my life and I love her more than anything else. I also love heavy metal music, pop divas, dubstep, Twitter, my beard, anything to do with Nerdist and British TV. My iPhone too. I have no children and have no intent on having any, a choice that my mom and grandma remind me is a bad idea on a daily basis. LOL!
TSK: Is your family enthusiastic about this obsession?
Matt Jacobs: Only my wife. She is wonderfully supportive! I know she will read this even though she doesn't have to. Love you sugarfoot! #Petnames My family barely knows the internet exists. They think it's that wonderful thing that streams them movies and holds their Facebook pages and that's it.
TSK: Do you own a dog named Cujo? A child named Carrie? A pet buried in the Pet Sematary? How messed up over this King stuff are you?
Matt Jacobs: My wife wouldn't allow me to name the dog Cujo or Pennywise, although I tried both.
TSK: Well, I guess if it's between a dog named Cujo and a wife, I would choose the same.
Matt Jacobs: I guess my obsession goes to the extent of my blog, podcasts and the fact that I own 5 or 6 King related t-shirts. If you were to math out the amount of time I spend writing, recording and editing audio or video, it's nearly a full-time job. Now if I could convince my readers, listeners and viewers to pay me to do it, I would be a happy camper. Then again, I doubt that I have the audience that Bob has podcast wise, and you and Honk have me beat on readers and hits, I'm sure. My site is growing though, so I am hopeful.
TSK: I enjoy Stephen King Fancast. It is a unique site in the mix of many Stephen King websites. What makes the Fancast different?
Matt Jacobs: I think my site stands out because, in my opinion, its very media heavy. Whether you want to read about King, hear about King, or watch videos having to do with King, you can get any of that.
I know that you, Honk and Lilja have been at this for a while, so if I am going to try to leave my mark, I will have to make sure that virtually any King fan can find something they are interested in.
I am also trying to appeal to the nerd crowd. It's my opinion that King fans are already pretty nerdy, so it's not much of a jump to get nerds into King, or I would like to think.
TSK: What is your favorite Fancast episode?
Matt Jacobs: My favorite episode... wow. I had a BLAST with Stephen Lindsay, Jeff Lane, Bob and Bryant! Bryant stands out the most, but it's also the most recent. I am huge fan of everything all of them do, as well.
I think my episode with Luanne was my favorite though. I have been friends with her since we attended community college together 10 years ago. We lost track of each other for a few years, due to our own university agendas and various other things. That episode of the fancast was a great friendship being re-kindled after years of dormancy. All those nostalgic nights of RPG's (the super nerdy old school kind that require books!) and endless hours in the smoking section at the school comparing notes on Psych classes. I know that we both looked back on those times with great fondness. Now we have an excuse to do that again, just with King instead of psych or RPG's. That's pretty biased, but I also believe those dudes would understand. Still waiting for you to get Skype and join me on an episode... #UnderPressure Then again, I made your blog's FB page, so I should know how resistant you are to tech. Which is a little hilarious, considering you're a blogger. LOL!
TSK: I know you have big plans for the website. . . tell us more.
Matt Jacobs: Well, I wanted my Constant Listeners (which is what I call my podcast listeners), blog readers and Movie Club viewers to be able to guide the hand of what is to come with my website and fund it if they are interested.
What they don't know, is that I have every intention on re-building and re-branding the website and creating a mobile app whether I get funded or not.
I am really excited about the mobile app, mainly because then people can read blog posts, listen to the Fancast or watch the movie club from their smartphones, for only 99 cents. I am going to charge a tiny amount for the app simply to cover the cost of the app and future time invested for updates and such that I will have to make.
TSK: Okay, now the gloves come off. Star Wars or Star Trek?
Matt Jacobs: Star Trek, if I must pick one.
TSK: Is that a typo? I'm sending a star destroyer your way, and there is nothing captain Kirk can do about it.
Matt Jacobs: But I would give up both of those for Doctor Who, Torchwood and Sherlock.
TSK: More seriously – like, on the level of things that actually matter in life. . . what is your favorite Stephen King book?
Matt Jacobs: Either Cell or Black House. I really like Black House because I tend to identify with the character of Beezer St. Pierre.
TSK: What is your reaction to King adding stories to an already complete series with Wind Through The Keyhole?
Matt Jacobs: All things serve the beam... including King.
TSK: Oh, and while on the topic. . . what did you think of the revision of Gunslinger?
Matt Jacobs: I never got into the series until the newer version of Gunslinger was released. I haven't gotten around to reading the old version yet.
TSK: Wasn’t the end of the Dark Tower a lot like the reboot of Star Trek? Just restart the timeline. . .
Matt Jacobs: Sure. I always thought it would be cool if the DT movies were made from the perspective of being that reboot. DT 2.0, if you will.
TSK: That would be cool! And keep people from saying "it wasn't like the book."
TSK: This is important: Do you think we’ve seen the last of Richard Bachman, or are there more trunks full of forgotten manuscripts out there? We all know you know, so tell us, okay.
Matt Jacobs: We haven't seen the end of Bachman...
TSK: Do you have other favorite writers? . . . Are you secretly a Laura Ingalls Wilder fan?
Matt Jacobs: LOL! The only Wilder I enjoy is Gene.
TSK: What do you think of Joe Hill’s work?
Matt Jacobs: I am a big fan of Joe Hill. I also am a big fan of Jeff Lane, Stephen Lindsay, Aldous Huxley, the Classic Greeks, Doyle, and Rowling.
TSK: WOW! I loved your review of the Langoliers! Laughing very hard. Only, you punished us by showing us the ending sequence twice. I’ve got to be honest, I don’t know that I ever made it all the way to the end of that movie. I’m glad you’re not afraid to tell the truth about some of these movies, because the Stephen King universe has certainly produced its fair share of stinkers! Any other movies stand out as just absolutely bad in the Stephen King movie bucket?
Matt Jacobs: Where to start... First off, my favorite King movie, is "Storm of the Century," so I really like your logo.
TSK: I put it there just for you, Matt.
Matt Jacobs: Sleepwalkers and Lawnmower Man stand out as being horrible. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy watching them however.
TSK: You mentioned in the review that it reminds you to the Twilight Zone episode, The Odssey of Flight 33. Are you a Twilight Zone fan? Any outstanding episodes come to mind?
Matt Jacobs: Yes! I love the Twilight Zone! I grew up watching those holiday marathons that they have.
TSK: Me too! It wouldn't be the fourth of July without the Twilight Zone. The founding fathers were watching a TZ marathon while they waited for John Hancock to sign his name.
Matt Jacobs: I still watch them to be honest. I also have a 10 disc boxset. "Time Enough at Last" is my absolute favorite. "Real Steele" is good as well, I'm not sure if the upcoming Hugh Jackman movie is a take off of that or not, but I intend to find out.
TSK: What did you think of the recent Bag Of Bones?
Matt Jacobs: It was pretty bad... They completely lost the feel of the story, to me. That feeling was desperation. A man at the end of his rope to the point where he was ready to accept his own madness rather than fight against his fears. I didn't get that from the mini-series at all.
But I'll buy it when it comes out... Sometimes I feel like I know how Star Wars nerds feel. George Lucas has their undying love and affection, so he can put out a real piece of garbage and all they do is complain and buy it anyway. Not that different... LOL!
King's books are awesome, mostly, but the movies are rarely good or live up to my expectation.
TSK: You noted recently that your favorite method of book consumption is audio. YES! So, for those who say that isn’t really reading (I’m not saying who would say such a thing, but their initials are Bryant Burnette), do you have any response?
Matt Jacobs: HAHAHAHA! Oh snap! He got you honk... I would say to them, let's sit down over Skype and see who has a better grasp on the story. "Reading" or not, understanding is what you should take away from a story, not the fact that your eyes were able to gobble up more words than anyone else's. That is not aimed at anyone, but I have had my fair share of naysayers on the topic... yet none of them have joined me for a Skype session either. #WINNING Did I really just use that hashtag... so over. Sorry to anyone that feels awkward after seeing me use such an outdated hashtag.
TSK: I think reading the books is dangerous. . . you might smudge that nice first edition.
Matt Jacobs: In my house there is always the fear that my wife will spill something on it. She's kind of clutsy. Sorry Lovebutt! #MorePetnames
TSK: HAHAHA! My wife READ my first edition Dark Tower 7 and smudged it. She said she had to, as she had to finish the series and could not wait for a paperback. I complained, and she bought me an atist edition.
TSK: The web is a tangled place for Stephen King fans. There are some really great websites. What are some of your favorite haunts?
Matt Jacobs: TSK, Kingcast, Honk, Club Stephen King (a must if you have Twitter), Tower Junky and this new one I found called Discordia19... It's pretty good. He also runs a podcast, but not King dedicated.
TSK: I liked your interview with the Honk Mafah. He always shoots straight! I’m just so happy you both love bacon so much – But seriously, how can you talk to someone who won the contest at Lilja’s? And he knows more about the Stephen King Universe than I do. That makes me mad.
Matt Jacobs: Honk is my guy! He's a big fan of my beard... check the iTunes reviews of Stephen King Movie Club if you don't believe me. LOL! He is more dedicated to the King universe than anyone I know. It kinda makes me feel guilty...
TSK: And by the way, I'm one of "THOSE PEOPLE" you and Bryant refer to -- who like the books more than the movies. So what are you and Bryant going to do about it. . . HUH?
Matt Jacobs: Not a damn thing good sir. :) I refer to "THOSE PEOPLE" in a lot of different ways on my blog. I'm sure I have encompassed every person by now... including myself. HAHAHA!
TSK: Do you collect the books? If so, any treasured pieces?
Matt Jacobs: My wife and I have a pretty big collection. We are pretty proud of a first edition of "The Shining" that we have. I have a couple of variant cover DT comics that I show off now and again.
TSK: Thanks for taking time to do this. We are all expecting great things from the fancast as you take over the internet one byte at a time.
Matt Jacobs: That is my plan exactly. Look out Lilja! There's a n00b in the building! (I was shooting for funny there...) Thanx so much for having me! It was a real pleasure to be interviewed by someone as prolific as you! :)
Cell: A True Story
I enjoyed Alledria Hurt's short article about reading CELL. Short, and will make you smile.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2870424/cell_a_true_story.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2870424/cell_a_true_story.html
blogcritic: Review Of Cells
blogcritic has a very insightful review of Cell. Just a few quotes, but check out the website because the review really is strong:
Characters:
"What's important is how King makes us feel and for these characters, and we genuinely care what becomes of them. Characters are not introduced as fodder for these crazed attackers, but if and when new characters come along before you know it — even it's only just a few chapters later — we suddenly fret if they find themselves in any sort of danger."
Brilliant:
"the brilliance of Cell is how King manages to mix exploration of humanity with a powerful and engaging apocalyptic story. Those hungry for King's more macabre, even horrible, descriptions are all there. These zombies — or, as King calls them, "Phone Crazies" and later "Phoners" — are more like humans than the ones found in either George A. Romero (whom the book is dedicated to) or Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead. To begin with they still speak, but only in babbling form. Just about the time of Gayton Academy and when a couple more survival companions come into the picture, the revelation of the advancement of these Phoners is revealed, and it brings a deeper layer to the proceedings. What could have been over-the-top nonsense instead becomes over-the-top and fascinating. The areas King gets into are both satisfying — often in their lack of description as much as in their abundance of description — and shocking."
Verdict:
Cell represents a refreshing, grizzly, creepy and often powerful exploration of the nature of humanity, what happens to a society when the rules have been stripped away and it's every man, woman and child — whether they're aware of it or not — for themselves. As always, King is unmatched in his description of things ranging from the out of the ordinary (for example, a muscled young man frantically stabbing car aerials into the air) to the mundane. The 355 page novel is nowhere near Stephen King's best — can he ever top classics like The Shining and Misery, and would fans admit so even if he did? — but it's a thoroughly engrossing and satisfying read.
http://blogcritics.org/books/article/book-review-cell-by-stephen-king2/
Characters:
"What's important is how King makes us feel and for these characters, and we genuinely care what becomes of them. Characters are not introduced as fodder for these crazed attackers, but if and when new characters come along before you know it — even it's only just a few chapters later — we suddenly fret if they find themselves in any sort of danger."
Brilliant:
"the brilliance of Cell is how King manages to mix exploration of humanity with a powerful and engaging apocalyptic story. Those hungry for King's more macabre, even horrible, descriptions are all there. These zombies — or, as King calls them, "Phone Crazies" and later "Phoners" — are more like humans than the ones found in either George A. Romero (whom the book is dedicated to) or Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead. To begin with they still speak, but only in babbling form. Just about the time of Gayton Academy and when a couple more survival companions come into the picture, the revelation of the advancement of these Phoners is revealed, and it brings a deeper layer to the proceedings. What could have been over-the-top nonsense instead becomes over-the-top and fascinating. The areas King gets into are both satisfying — often in their lack of description as much as in their abundance of description — and shocking."
Verdict:
Cell represents a refreshing, grizzly, creepy and often powerful exploration of the nature of humanity, what happens to a society when the rules have been stripped away and it's every man, woman and child — whether they're aware of it or not — for themselves. As always, King is unmatched in his description of things ranging from the out of the ordinary (for example, a muscled young man frantically stabbing car aerials into the air) to the mundane. The 355 page novel is nowhere near Stephen King's best — can he ever top classics like The Shining and Misery, and would fans admit so even if he did? — but it's a thoroughly engrossing and satisfying read.
http://blogcritics.org/books/article/book-review-cell-by-stephen-king2/
It's The Story -- Not He Who Reads It
Since Eli Roth removed himself from work on Cell, not much news has come out. Until King made a recent appearance and mentioned that he had just finished a script for the movie. Cool! He also mentioned that he had gotten so many complaints about the end of the book that he "I changed everything."
.So, uh. . . all the constant readers whining does matter! Does Annie Wilkes really get to decide what will happen to Misery?
.May I say, simply, that if it's about the story, not the one who tells it -- it is also not about the one who reads it.
.Since Annie does get her say. . . I might lodge the following complaints:
.1. The ending of The Mist. That was messed up! Bachmanesque.
.2. The end of the Dark Tower VII. Constant readers know what I mean.
.3. Where's the sequal for Eyes of the Dragon? Come on, the Talisman doesn't end, but Eyes just slips off the radar.
.4. Give us the orginal endings to the shining.
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5. The death of Nick.
.Now the deal is: Constant reader, constant complainer, reviewer and so on really shouldn't get a say. The story is simply the story.
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By the way, it's been a pretty busy week for King fans. Summerized pretty well here:
Cell: The Mini-Series
Originally Stephen King's novel Cell was slated to be a feature film directed by Eli Roth. However,
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Fangoria reports: "Harrison is scripting Cell for the Weinstein Co., which had originally planned to turn the book into a theatrical feature (with Eli Roth attached at one point to direct), but decided to abandon those plans and will be shopping the project to networks instead. Having served as assistant director/composer on the King-scripted Creepshow and helmed Tales From the Darkside: The Movie (including an adaptation of the author's "Cat From Hell"), Harrison considers Cell one of King's best recent books, with opening chapters that will make an incredible first 30 minutes on screen. The filmmaker adds that he doesn't see this as a zombie story so much as a Village of the Damned-esque chiller and enjoys the fact that the infected populace possesses a hive mentality."
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http://www.fangoria.com/home/news/9-film-news/3203-stephen-kings-cell-will-now-ring-as-tv-miniseries.html
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http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/07/13/stephen-kings-cell-now-to-be-a-miniseries-from-john-harrison/
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Fangoria reports: "Harrison is scripting Cell for the Weinstein Co., which had originally planned to turn the book into a theatrical feature (with Eli Roth attached at one point to direct), but decided to abandon those plans and will be shopping the project to networks instead. Having served as assistant director/composer on the King-scripted Creepshow and helmed Tales From the Darkside: The Movie (including an adaptation of the author's "Cat From Hell"), Harrison considers Cell one of King's best recent books, with opening chapters that will make an incredible first 30 minutes on screen. The filmmaker adds that he doesn't see this as a zombie story so much as a Village of the Damned-esque chiller and enjoys the fact that the infected populace possesses a hive mentality."
.
http://www.fangoria.com/home/news/9-film-news/3203-stephen-kings-cell-will-now-ring-as-tv-miniseries.html
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http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/07/13/stephen-kings-cell-now-to-be-a-miniseries-from-john-harrison/
10 Scariest Stephen King Novels
scifiwire posted "10 scariest Stephen King novels." http://scifiwire.com/2009/10/10-scariest-stephen-king.php So here it is. See if you see a problem:
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1. The Shining (1977)
2. 'Salem's Lot (1975)
3. Pet Semetary (1982)
4. Cujo (1981)
5. Misery (1987)
6. The Stand (Complete and Uncut Version) (1990)
7. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (1999)
8. Cell (2006)
9. Gerald's Game (1992)
10. Carrie (1974)
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Do these people read Stephen King very often? Are these the only books they've read?
.
As Halloween approaches, the most frustrating thing is that everyone publishes their scary book list on Halloween. Kinda misses the "season" -- doesn't it? You aren't going to read 10, or even 1, scary book just on Halloween. And after Halloween, let's all face it, Christmas season begins. Now that's truly scary!
.
First of all: Geralds Game and Cujo, while intense and well written, are not exactly scary! That was the list, right? Scary. So, let me offer my list of truly scary King books:
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1. It. Why didn't IT even make their list? A monster stalks little kids -- and scifiwire wasn't scared? Come on! I was shivering under the sheets. This book is the true face of horror.
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2. The Shining. A haunted hotel. This was great
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3. 'Salem's Lot. Dracula comes to America. True Halloween stuff
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4. Needful Things. The fight in the street, knifes and such -- wonderful. Gory. Truly scary
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5. Pet Semetary. A dead child buried in ancient Indian grounds comes back alive. . . and ready to kill mommy and daddy. Anyone not scared? It's like a haunting version of Christianity. Resurrection gone bad!
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6. The Stand. This one has scenes that are scary. The tunnel, other Abigail and the wolves, etc
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7. Desperation. A book that opens with a crucified cat should be on anyones list of most scary King novels. And Tac the Demon Sheriff deserves a little more credit for his scaryness.
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8. Cell. First King brought Vampires to America, then modern America got a cell phone call: The zombies are coming!
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9. The Dark Half. What if your alter-ego was alive and well -- killing people? I thought it was scary.
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10. Carrie. Short and to the point, I think this book is really more a novella. However, it is definately spooky. It rightly set the stage to typecast the author as the King of Horror.
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Anyone want to offer their 10 scariest King novels?
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Stephen King: End of the world
Stephen King isn't afraid to end the world as we know it. It's one of the things that makes reading King such a treat.
I've been re-reading Cell this summer. King himself compared it to the stand -- in both books he took great pleasure in destroying the world. Of course in The Stand it takes 150 pages to really get society nice and dead -- in Cell the destruction begins in the first few lines.
It's also enjoyable because King doesn't destroy a world we don't understand. For instance, Tom Clancy keeps things at a military level. But King drops down to the everyday joe.
Quick notes, a few books King destroyed the world:
- The Stand.
- The Mist.
- The Dark Tower (Rolands world has passed away)
- Needful Things. (Destroyed Castle Rock)
- Cell.
It's also nice that stories where the world is at stake, for the most part, the characters are simply part of the story. They don't have to save the planet! It's not Star Trek! King suggested that Under The Dome would have similiar storyline to the Stand
Stephen King's 10 Best Novels
The Essential Stephen King sought to rank the novels and work of Stephen King. Of course, since it wasn't MY list, he got it wrong. (Come on, who doesn't put the Stand at the top of the list? Seriously!)
10. Salem's Lot
9. Cell
8. The Mist (Skeleton Crew)
7. Dolores Claiborne (I loved the connection to Geralds Game)
6. Dreamcatcher
5. Wolves Of The Calla
4. The Shining
3. Needful Things
2. IT
1. The Stand
10. Salem's Lot
9. Cell
8. The Mist (Skeleton Crew)
7. Dolores Claiborne (I loved the connection to Geralds Game)
6. Dreamcatcher
5. Wolves Of The Calla
4. The Shining
3. Needful Things
2. IT
1. The Stand
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