Stephen King is a great writer. I have to admit. But sometimes when I read his stuff or see his movies, I feel crappy afterwards. His stories most of the time seem to soak into my brain and affect me negatively.

Does he affect you in this way? Do you like his stuff?

(This topic of discussion is connected to an entry I wrote at my website: ALIVE AT FORTY-FIVE! GETTING MY KICKS AT FORTY-SIX! The entry is entitled: "Too Damn Much To Do/The Cooking Habit/Stephen King Comes A Haunting", and is dated Friday, June 23, 2000.)

-- Zoomer (fortyfiver@yahoo.com), June 28, 2000

Answers

Em, have your ever read the Koontz book, "Intensity"? Yikes! Is it ever intense! So much so I had to put it down and haven't picked it up since. It scared the you-know-what outta me!

-- Zoomer (fortyfiver@yahoo.com), June 28, 2000.

I think King affects everyone and they just don't realize it. His work is very powerful and that's why he is so popular. King, of course, isn't the only one who writes about dark, foreboding, scary subjects. I'm reading a Dean Koontz book right now, and find myself feeling unsettled and haunted. The story is very griping, and I can't stop reading it, especially now that I'm nearing the end. But, I can tell that it changes my mood. It doesn't usually last long, but there definitely is a change in my me that occurs due to reading the story. When I read negative, sad, scary books, I become more reflective, but only on negative things. I brood on the things I perceive as wrong in my life. Or things I think are wrong about me. The way I look, or act. It only stands to reason. The story causes me to think in a certain mode, and brings certain emotions forward. Negative ones.

I find that TV programs and movies do the same thing. Sad movies make me sad, and happy movies make me happy. TV affects me in other ways too. I've been trying to watch what I eat in order to lose weight, but when I watch TV I become obsessed with food, and can't seem to stop eating. I don't know exactly what causes this reaction. It's not always the food commercials, because this last weekend I watched two shows that I rented and ate practically non stop through both of them. Four hours of eating is not conducive to losing weight. Thus, I become upset with myself, and eventhough the movies were not depressing, or sad, I became upset and depressed because I overate.

I don't have any solutions for these problems and there is no moral to this story, only thoughts I have on the subject that I wanted to share with you.

M

-- Marilynn Karbonski (karbonskim@yesd.k12.or.us), June 28, 2000.

Stephen King is a master writer and his words are very powerful.

As Maxwell Smart would say: "If only he used his talents for niceness instead of badness"

Until he does I would suggest you heed the words of Bill Burroughs:

"if, after spending some time with someone you feel drained avoid that person. We don't like to hear the word "Vampire" around here...".

hey zoomer, wanna sign our guestbook ( http://www.infocus.to/irvinebank )

-- Phillip Charlier (netizenx@cyberwizards.com.au), June 28, 2000.

Yes, I think I did read "Intensity", but now I can't remember what it was about. I read so much that after a while they all run together.

My oldest daughter collects Steven King. She has all of his books, in hardcover. It's quite a collection. It'll be worth some big money someday.

I should finish "Winter Moon", the Dean Koontz book tonight. I only have a few pages left. I'm at the part where the hero and heroine are burning down their beautiful Victorian house full of priceless antiques, to try and kill the tentacled, evil, black, slimy alien. (every scary story's gotta have one, right?). And the alien is being controlled by their little boy who the alien was trying to possess, but the boy figured out how to only let it in his mind far enough that he could then get into it's mind and hold it down and control it instead. Of course the little boy is only 5, but he is brilliant, as well as cute and charming. Storyland. Ain't it grand! Hopefully all of the negative vibes coming from this book won't invade my mind and make me do scary things, or give me nightmares. em

-- Marilynn Karbonski (karbonskim@yesd.k12.or.us), June 29, 2000.

King is the King. I love his stories, I own all of his books in Hard Cover. His scary stories do not affect my moods in a negative way. I don't know why that is. If I watch a romantic comedy on TV or read the book I usually end up crying. Nine times out of ten I will cry when watching a movie. Even when reading a book. Maybe, that is why I like the Stephen King, and Koontz thrillers on occasion becasuse they don't tug on my heart strings so much. Next time you rent or watch a Stephen King movie give Shawshank Redemption a try. It's not scary and was a great movie. A lot of people don't realize that King wrote that story. As far as Green Mile goes...It goes a thousand miles in my book. It was the best movie ever, and definitely should win many awards. And of course, I bawled at the end of that one too, and I even knew how the story would end because I read the book. Have a great one, think nice thoughts. April

-- April Richardson (April8819@aol.com), July 01, 2000.

I never read a Stephen King's book yet, but I'm planing to dig out a few good ones to read. I watched a few movie base on King's books like Neatful things, sleep walker etc. but wasn't really impressed untill I watched Shawshank Redemption. It's an absolute amazing movie, when I found out the movie was base on a book writen by Stephen King, I'd know I'll wanted to read more of his works.

Lou

-- Lou (mamailis@excite.com), October 29, 2000.

he make's me scared by me seeing pet sematary

-- marci diane underwood (marci@yahoo.com), May 08, 2001.

Stephen King is a wonderfully, entertaining writer and once I met him in Houston. After that meeting I read his books more but found the stories disturbing. The stories do seem to soak into the brain and cause negative affects. A friend was reading one of his books and apparantly was so stressed her eyes became bloodshot. Weird? Yes. True? Yes. She put her reading down and drove to visit with me. She said she felt unnerved by the reading and wanted some friendly company. She'd been wanting to show me a family photo. We enjoyed her "kodak moment" of loved ones. But when she was ready to leave we had to search the entire living room to no avail. The photo had vanished or maybe my dog ate it. Weird? Yes. True? Yes. She said when she got home she threw the Stephen King book in the trash.

-- Ruth A. Rodriguez (laguna2000@go.com), January 16, 2002.

I have read many of his books and own a nice portion, but i have yet to find myself in a negative mood when reading a novel. Though I am hypnotized while reading that I feel like I am in the book and cant break free, but that's just me, unable to put the book down. I have found that the earlier screen plays have been much of a let down, the newer up to date movies are muck better.

-- Rainy MacDonald (rzh14@hotmail.com), June 02, 2002.

Stephen King is the only author i read from the "horror" section with the exception of Dean Koontz. Koontz is in a different class. I have read all his books as I have king`s so, while not being a qualified critique, my opinion is that king does not compare. But hey i am not after a tit for tat debate about the greatness of one or other - I have obtained great pleasure from stephen King particularly Needful Things, Salem`s Lot and his numerous collections of short stories but he cannot maintain a novel.

-- Ryan Raynes (Edinburger@blueyonder.co.uk), July 11, 2002.