Even though he’s often – unfairly – dismissed by some as the “…literary equivalent of a big mac and fries …” Stephen King is one of the most popular and talented of modern authors. Ever since Carrie, his first novel, was unleashed onto unsuspecting audiences King has been scaring people the world over with terrifying tales and scary stories. Whilst he’s always had an acute sense of the grotesque, people often forget that King’s genius lay in his ability to take ordinary people and thrust them into extraordinary situations. It’s the spark of the normal being confronted by the unknown is what has always given King’s work its unique power. It’s also why, aside from creating fantastical worlds and immense horror, King can write such understated tales at The Body (upon which the film Stand By Me was based) and Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption (and if you can’t guess which film was based on that story, then you’re clearly not paying attention).
King’s latest book, due to published on November 10th by Hodder & Stoughton, is Under The Dome an epic story that explores what happens to a Maine town when an invisible barrier suddenly seals it off from the rest of the world, in a perfect example of a King thriller. If you can’t wait to read it, then get ready to do a bit of detective work as the story has been broken into more than 5,000 snippets (scattered across hundreds of websites and locations throughout the UK) as a way to celebrate the breadth of this masterpiece and to give fans a one-off opportunity to piece the book back together before its release. Extracts of the book have been hidden across Stephen King fansites as well as horror, thriller and lifestyle websites, and offline. Fans are invited to continue this hiding process and also to find the snippets using the clues given on www.stephenking.co.uk and deliver them back to the website.
All those playing the game to uncover this hidden masterpiece will be entered into a draw to win a weekend in a London hotel to read a limited edition copy of the book the weekend before its general release. Closing date is 6th November. A creative writing competition also gives aspiring novelists the chance to have a 2,000-word piece of work judged by King himself.
For a chance to win the Under the Dome hide-and-seek competition, visit www.stephenking.co.uk. Clues and news are also available on Twitter (@under_the_dome) and Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=155501074886
Under The Dome which will be published on 10th November
Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton we have set of Stephen King books to giveaway to Culture Vultures. It consists of copies of The Stand, Misery and Different Seasons (which contains The Body and Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption). So if you would like the chance to win one please head on down to the comments box and tell us your favourite Stephen King book and why.
NB: Please be sure to read our terms and conditions which you are deemed to have accepted by entering! Winners will be picked by random so why not give it a go! Closing date: 10th November 2009.
And the winner is Julie! Congratulations – an email is heading your way now…
I liked The green mile most, first SK book I ever read, was touched by John Coffey’s Fate.
I’ve read them all, but my favorite is The Stand. It is the best tale of good vs. evil and what happens to the “good” people in the real world as it’s rebuilding is a truly complex and amazing narrative.
My favourite is The Shining as it really made my imagination work overtime and scared the life out of me. I could never enter an empty hotel now.
scariest ever film / book Salems Lot
Misery, for me, it’s such a good read – the man clearly knows about obsessive fans!
The Stand, a riveting read- each page kept me glue drawing me into and becoming fully immersed into the fates of the characters, a wonderful novel one that could quite easily become reality, this is what makes it such a compelling read.
Wow hard question great author with all books as good as the last,So I will go with the first I ever read which was “Carrie” an amazing creepy reading affect that has your heart racing and your hands shaking,I bought it for my mum it was his first book I believe.
Fab thank-you
My fav is Needful Things
Has to be ‘Carrie’ a great book to read, also turned into a timeless film, that will never date. Every time is as creepy as the first, totally terrifying.
Hard to pick one, but I think it has to be ‘The Stand’. A story of epic proportions telling the frighteningly accurate tale of a desolate world with an apocalyptic battle between good and evil. It can’t really get any better than that can it?!
x
My Favourite Stephen King book is Pet Sematary because it makes you question how far you would go if you were in that position.
the shining still my all time favourite – i can still fioeld the cold and isolation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Definately Salems lot – I had to sleep with my Mum (aged 18) after reading it – I have never lived it down – I am 66 now!
One of s.kings 1st novels I read was IT about a demon clown. I was in my early teens and I never forget reading that novel one late windy night when I was all alone in my parents house and I heard something knocking loudly outside my bedroom window. I swear I almost p****d my pants as this sound got louder and louder. As I cowered under by bedsheets, to my relief my parents came back from the date they went on. Jumping out of bed I ran downstairs expecting to see their bloodied bodies on the floor but I encountered no such scene. Instead on seeing them I also saw our pet cat Jimmy who had managed to get through our Ist floor window by shimmying up the ladder. All along it had been that cat making all that noise, I swear I nearly had a heart attack!
My favourite Stephen King novel is Desperation. It’s the one that has stuck with me past all of the more popular well-known titles. I absolutely adore it.
Needful Things – original and scary
Has to be The Stand for me this book had me glued to it’s pages from start to finish and I have read it numerous times since which is most unusual for me as once I know the story it often puts me off reading a book again so this is one of the few I have read several times and will read again.
It has to be IT
Just thinking about that book sends shivers down my spine, I found the book more terrifying than the actual movie, though the movie reinforced my fear of clowns.
Still haven’t eaten candyfloss since!
IT. An epic book, but so terrifying ‘unputdownable’ I finished it quicker than any other book I’d read previous!
Aaaargh! Almost impossible to pick just one.
I’m gonna go for ‘The Dead Zone’ as I loved Christopher Walken in the film. Made me go and buy the book the very next day, which was t’riffic.
Has to be It, as I loved this when I was a kid the clown really freaked me out and the plug hole scene with the balloon!!!!
Has to be Rose Madder as it’s one of the few King novels written from a women’s perspective & gives a very acurate portrayal of the horrors of domestic violence, but also assures you that you CAN survive.
Hard question, I have at least 5 faves. I think that The Stand is my absolute favourite, have literally read it to bits, am on my 3rd copy. Love the whole apocalyptic showdown, good vs evil and the fact that there are so many characters to care about, love it.
My favorite (and still one of my favorite books of all time) is It. Not so much because it’s creepingly scary, the tension notched up slowly until every noise makes you jump out of your skin, but the dynamic of the group as children and adults. SK somehow makes you believe that they were your friends and that you experienced the joy and horror along with them. Loved it and still read it once or twice a year!
The Stand – a proper pageturner, a really engrossing, exciting epic adventure!
I loved Misery, that was my first Stephen King. But my favourite was Bag of Bones, I can read that one over and over again. I’m still working up the courage to read The Shining, I only every get so far before it freaks me out, but I’ll do it one day.
The Green Mile is the one book that sticks in my mind.
There’s evil, fantasy, love and sadness all in the one book which makes a very memorable read
From a long list of excellent novels, my favourite ever is ‘Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption’ – superbly crafted book, doesn’t rely on shock values, and an ending nobody would ever foresee.
It has to be “The Shining” as this amazing book led to one of the best films ever made.
Misery it’s awesomne – he knows about obsession in fans!
I loved Delores Clairborne, it affected me so psychological, like all of his books have, this on a grander scale tho xx
The dark tower series – it draws you in and you want to keep reading
too many to choose from as they are all fab !
Gotta be The Dead Zone – scary Mary!
The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla
Whilst it is almost impossible to split one of the brilliant Gunslinger series out from the others, the ka-tet’s trials and fellowship through Wolves is by far the most rivetting and amazing part of the story for me.
I think Cell is the best SK book, the opening few chapters are so descriptive you could almost be there!
I liked ‘The Stand’ as there are multiple characters to engross the reader… not just a ‘read once’ book.
My favourite Stephen King book is Misery because it’s so gruesome!
The Mist for me, dead scary and a good film too!
My fave would have to be ‘Carrie’ as it reminds me of my wife – Oh no, she’s gonna know I said that – I’m in BIG trouble now…..