A Little Darkness on Their Back

I've seen maybe half a dozen movies based on Stephen King books, but my direct exposure to his output consists of hearing a couple of his short stories read aloud at a dormroom Halloween party in 1988. I'm therefore unqualified to comment on whether he deserves the "annual medal for distinguished contribution to American letters" that the National Book Foundation is awarding him. But I'm happy to see literateurs making a gesture towards taking genre writers seriously, whether or not King is the right pulpster to honor.

Comments

[Douglas Fletcher]

I read 'the Shining' a long time ago, but I never wanted to read another one of his books.

[Evilcor]

Stephen King's stories being read aloud at a Halloween dorm party? Whoa, Jesse! You must have been a party DEMON back then!
Just think, right now some law students are probably cutting loose with some wild and crazy John Gresham-oriented antics and going to bed - alone - at almost 9:30!

[Chris Puzak]

There are probably better stylists out there in the field of fantastic literature, but I would say that he is a much better author than most of the ones that make the bestseller lists. Then agian, I've read pretty much everything he's ever written.

Anyway, this isn't the first serious literary award he's won. He won the O.Henry award for best short story in 1996.

[Mattcid]

His recent books are far better written than his earlier successes. King has come a long way as an author... worth checking out.

[Kevin Carson]

Mattcid,

I'm a big King fan myself. I think his mid-career stuff from the '80s was better than his current output. Much of his recent work has a feminist "empowering the voiceless" theme that's a little more obtrusive than necessary; and his attempts to create a unified fictional universe for all his stories also seems pretty forced. But I still look forward to his new books coming out.