Slap Happy Fun Time

 'Salem's Lot Stephen King                                                                                  It's hard to believe that 'Salem's Lot is Stephen King's second novel or maybe it isn't so hard to believe. When we think of King now a lot of words come to mind, but back then, he was simply a new writer trying to find his voice. Carrie was a great introduction to King's writing style and what an introduction it was. Carrie is a classic horror novel and showed us how great horror could be if done correctly. 'Salem's Lot was King's attempt at story about vampires invading a small town and it includes a few Easter Eggs as a nod to Bram Stoker's classic novel. I remember reading this as a kid and not liking it all that much so I hadn't bothered to reread it. One day I pic...

     Finders Keepers - Stephen King 5/5                                                                           I started reading Finders Keepers on a Saturday but I couldn't read a lot due to my kids visiting, but on Sunday I started reading it before I went to bed. It was one of those nights when I couldn't go to sleep no matter what I did so I went downstairs for a cigarette and a cup of decaf, and read for two hours. I can't tell you the last time I read a King novel like this. To find two back to back is quite rare. The one thing I kept seeing in reviews is that this is sort of like Misery and that is pure bullshit. Misery is utterly terrifying, and while Finders Keepers does have some terrifying moments these are some misleading comparisons. At its core Keepers is a book...

     Stephen King - Mr Mercedes 5/5       Mr. Mercedes Review                                                   I know I complain a lot about Stephen King's current output, and maybe it's a little mean. King after all was a huge influence on me and made realize that I wanted to be a writer. Had it not been for Pet Sematary I would have never become a writer, and it's quite possible that I wouldn't have been such an avid reader. This was the only writer I have ever followed with rabid obsession. When you bought a Stephen King book you knew what you were getting into. To a twelve year old kid this was some serious shit. No one wrote like King. There would of course be other horror writers later on, but Stephen King was my gateway drug. Now the odds of him creating a classic horror novel are pretty slim, and I haven't been a fan...