Skeleton Crew First Edition

I found two copies of Skeleton Crew at a local used bookstore the other day.   Different boards and covers.  One cover wrap did not include the price and the copyright page did not have a number line.  Both clear indications it is a later edition.  However, the second copy had both.

Is  it "worth"  something?  I dunno.  Probably not  much.  I paid $1.99 for it.  But a find like that makes me pretty happy.  It appears to go on ebay for $15+.  I also have a British first edition of this book.  (I'm not sure why I bought a British edition of that particular book, except that I thought the cover cool.)

My favorite story in Skeleton Crew is by far The Mist.  The book as a whole remains among my favorite of King's short story collections.  As Kevin Quigley pointed out,

"Skeleton Crew is a frustrating instance, because a perfectly terrific version of Skeleton Crew on audio simply doesn’t exist anymore.  The collection Skeleton Crew: Selections is the only version available on audio, which is insane.  Sure, the narrators are fine – King reads “The Raft,” and it’s awesome – but there are only four stories.  Why let the terrific Frank Muller version rot in purgatory?" (interview with Kevin Quigley on THE MIST, at talkstephenking.blogspot.com)

THE RING

Check out Kevin Quigley's review of 'The Ring' and the Tricky Nature of Stephen King Nonfiction."  The Ring is published in Tin House.  Quigley takes a look at why King's non-fiction isn't as popular as his mainstream fiction.

Quigley summerizes, "Here, he turns attention on himself and his own marriage with a sweet, short piece about the symbolic nature of rings and how they’re forever, like some marriages. It’s the kind of story that would feel at home in a new edition of On Writing – while this isn’t as deep or as intense as that book, the voice is still there, and the voice is why people keep reading Stephen King."

Christine Lmited Edition

Kevin Quigley has posted a great article celebrating the Limited Edition of Christine.  He rightly assesses that Christine is not exactly a favorite among King fans.  Quoting Michael R. Collings, it's a "minor" novel.  However, Quigley makes the argument that Christine is actually "underrated."

So what's to love in Christine?  Actually, I do love this book!  It's great.  It is simply not KIng's absolute best.  It's hard to get an A- when you're an A+ student.  I found the book engaging, very scary, and insightful about teen love.  It's a young peoples novel about high school, ullies and even a touch of rock.

Quigley shares this interesting bit of news:

Now, then, seems the perfect time to celebrate the quietly enduring legacy of one of Stephen King’s most underrated novels. Enter PS Publishing, a premier British small press specializing in fine editions of genre work. PS first came on the King scene with the 2007 limited hardcover release of The Colorado Kid, initially released as a mass-market original through Hard Case Crime. The aesthetics of that book impressed fans: PS commissioned work from three different genre artists to create three unique hardcover versions of King’s slim novel, with new covers and new interior art, and all the whistles and bells of a fine limited edition.   

Quigley gives his usual detailed analysis of the new book, and most exciting to me, announcs that the book includes two new essays.  "Richard Chizmar, of Cemetery Dance Publications, provides a short, moving essay about his personal experiences with the novel, recalling his recent afterword in the Cemetery Dance anthology Turn Down the Lights. Michael Marshall Smith (We Are Here, Spares) contributes a lengthy, insightful foreword, bringing to the fore the novel’s major themes of growing up and growing apart."

The full article is at fearnet.com

Under The Dome Comes To Paperback In Two Volumes

Under The Dome has finally come to paperback in a normal size.  By normal, I mean it's not the large, oversized paperbacks  recently popularized.  So how do you get Under  The Dome in paperback without the massive tome falling apart before your finish? It's being released in two parts.

Now this makes me wonder -- why?  The Stand was a longer novel and was released in one single volume that was not oversized.  Of course, my copy quickly wore out in a single reading, but I did make it to the end.  I've never been a fan of books in multiple volumes.  What's more, while Under the Dome is long, it's not two thousand pages.

The book is selling at Books  a Million for a little over $8 for each part.  So that's $16 for a paperback edition of Under The Dome.

So what's going on with the paperback version of Under The Dome?  That's a question Kevin Quigley (CharnelHouseSK.com) jumped on in his January 10 article at Fearnet.  As always, Quigley's article is wonderful.   He even explains why  paperbacks got taller. Turns out, the people who read paperbacks are getting older!  Quigley also discuses changes Scribner has made in their approach to King's book cover designs.

Here's a snippet from Quigley's article, explaining Under The Dome's long road to paperback publication:

While previous mega-long bestsellers like It and The Stand fit easily in regular mass-market editions, the split and staggered release of the Under the Dome mass-markets makes sense for today’s market.  With the new “easier to read” edict for the 7.5” paperbacks, these books are also easier to hold – at nearly 1,300 combined pages, a single paperback might actually turn off potential new readers.  Setting the release dates of the two paperbacks a month apart also keeps these new readers in mind, especially those who enjoy the serialized storytelling of the show and might be eager to replicate the experience.  New American Library did the same with Desperation and The Regulators in 1997: though the books – which tell different stories with the same characters – came out on the same day in hardcover, in paperback, Desperation came out a month earlier than its altered twin.

It's an interesting approach Scribner is taking.  Of course, it makes me wonder if people will really read half the novel, then wait for the other half to come out.  Don't they know they can buy the whole thing?  Would you go to  Burger King and buy half a Whopper, eat it slowly, then buy the other half?  Even if it's big, you want the whole thing.

Qigley notes that "For the first time, Under the Dome will be available in every existing format--"  Which actually is exciting.  In fact, I'm willing to buy a volume 3 if King would give us more.

Kevin Quigley's article, The Long Road to 'Under the Dome' in Paperback, can be found at fearnet.com

Check out my recent discussion with Quigley about all things related to The Mist at talkstephenking interview-with-kevin-quigley

Interview With Kevin Quigley: What's Up With Frank Muller's Reading Of THE MIST

I am a fan of The Mist.  I think it's a great story.  It's also been adapted many,  many times.  By far, one of the things I've gotten the most  questions about over  the years of blogging is about the Frank Muller reading of the Mist.  Where is it?  Curious myself, I went to the best source I know of, Kevin Quigley.  Quigley is the keeper of the King website Charnel House and a contributor to fearnet.

Okay, let's talk about the Mist and all things Stephen King!

Talk Stephen King: Hey, I’m really excited to talk about the Mist with you. I loved your book, Blood In Your Ears, in which you discuss the audio version of The Mist. What do you think of the story itself?

Kevin Quigley: “The Mist” is one of my favorite King stories.  Quite a lot of King’s novella work stands as his strongest material – see also “Secret Window, Secret Garden,” “Apt Pupil,” “The Body,” “A Good Marriage,” “The Langoliers.”  It’s got the punchiness of a short story but you get character development and multiple show sequences like in a novel.  I also really loved the open ending.  King returned to that stylistic concept later in his career – with From a Buick 8, Cell, and The Colorado Kid – which pissed a lot of people off, for some reason.  I love ambiguity.

TSK: I loved the movie. It seemed to successfully capture the tone of the novella. What did you think of the film?

KQ: Most of the movie is terrific.  You’re right about the tone – it perfectly captures the 50s monster-movie feel, while also delivering on contemporary characters and scares. 

TSK: The novella left the story open ended. The movie, however, chose an ending scene that was rather controversial. King said he liked it. I hate it. Which of us is right?

KQ: King and I often disagree about movies.  The ending of The Mist is atrocious.  It’s going for shock value and succeeding at that, but it doesn’t do much for the film itself.  It’s a complete shift in tone and intent, one that feels incongruous with the rest of the movie. 

TSK: The audio 3D version of the Mist was awesome. It seems to have been commercially successful. Do you think that format will be utilized for King stories again?

KQ: Well, there have been other King dramatizations.  There’s one for Misery and Pet Sematary, one for ’Salem’s Lot.  Most are unsuccessful, I think in part because they’re unable to reimagine the work from the ground up.  King’s cinematic sequences in his novels work because he’s terrific at describing scenes with punch, but much of that works on the page, where exposition and imagination holds sway.  It’s the reason why so much of King’s filmed adaptations work less often than they should. 

I also think, though, that a number of King’s more plot- and situation-driven work could benefit. I’d love to hear an adaptation of “The Langoliers,” for instance.  I think “The Breathing Method” would work very well, and maybe “Big Driver” and “The House on Maple Street.”  For novels, I think they could really kill The Regulators. 

TSK: One of the things people ask me about is the Recorded Books 3 tape set read by Frank Muller. In your book, Blood In Your Ears, you pointed out that this was out of print. What exactly does that mean? That seems crazy in the King world! Nothing goes out of print. Is there a copyright problem or something that you know of?

KQ: King’s novels don’t go out of print, but versions sometimes do.  For example, when was the last time you saw a copy of The Dead Zone with the movie cover?  Same with audio books.  Sometimes they make a new version that they deem is “better,” and the old one goes away. 

Skeleton Crew is a frustrating instance, because a perfectly terrific version of Skeleton Crew on audio simply doesn’t exist anymore.  The collection Skeleton Crew: Selections is the only version available on audio, which is insane.  Sure, the narrators are fine – King reads “The Raft,” and it’s awesome – but there are only four stories.  Why let the terrific Frank Muller version rot in purgatory?

TSK: One fan emailed to tell me that Recorded Books told them that they no longer held the copyright, that it had gone to Muller’s estate. Any way to verify that? Do readers actually own the work?

KQ: As far as I can tell, readers do not own the work at all.  From what I understand, the author of the work retains all copyrights to the book.  An audiobook is one way of “copying” the book, so a person can’t replicate the work without permission from the author.  It’s not that different from a publisher doing a limited edition work; the limited edition doesn’t become that publisher’s book just because they manufactured it.

TSK: Do you think that with everything going digital that there is a chance a publisher like Audible might pick it up?

KQ: Well, Audible doesn’t generally publish professional books themselves – they’re more a distributor for established publishers’ audio arms, or publishers like Recorded Books – but they do have a healthy business in amateur recording.  But I get your point, and I hope they’ll do right by Skeleton Crew.  In 2010, there was an audio onslaught of King books that had only previously been available as Library of Congress recordings.  Penguin brought out new, professional recordings of Christine, Firestarter, Cujo, Danse Macabre, The Eyes of the Dragon, It, and all the early Bachman novels except Rage: The Long Walk, Roadwork, and The Running Man.  Soon after, Random House released the mammoth recording of The Stand – over 47 hours! – read by Grover Gardner. 

At current, the only full Stephen King books you can’t get on audio are Pet Sematary and Skeleton Crew.  I am assuming that Sematary is tied up in rights issues, but I don’t know about Skeleton Crew.  And unfortunately, while there are terrific unabridged versions of The Regulators read by Frank Muller and Desperation read by King himself, those were only available to libraries.  The commercial versions – not-bad recordings by Kate Nelligan and Kathy Bates – are fine, but horribly abridged. 

TSK: Have you heard the Muller reading? What did you think?

KQ: I have, and it’s terrific!  As assured and sonorous as his later recordings.

TSK: Any new projects we can be expecting?

KQ: Well, we can reasonably expect new audiobooks of Mr. Mercedes and Revival coming this year, but King has also been pretty liberal with audiobooks of his short stories lately, so we might see more of those popping up.  I’d love to see the unabridged recordings of Desperation and The Regulators, and of course Pet Sematary make it to Audible soon.  I’ve been on a King audio kick lately – The Dark Half, Misery, and Christine in rapid succession – and I want more.

TSK: Okay, some quick fire questions while I have you here. Answer like it’s gunfire. . .

TSK: What did you think of:. . . 

–Carrie remake?  Not bad, but too close to the original.

–Doctor Sleep?  Pretty good, but I was far more involved in the characters than the plot, and wanted more of Danny and Abra than the True Knot.

 –Joyland? One of King’s best books of the last decade.

 –Under The Dome television?  I watched the first half of the season, then lost the thread. That might have more to my schedule than the show, though.

TSK: Which is better,  

--Joyland or Doctor Sleep? Joyland!

–Carrie or Carrie 2013?  Original!

 –Doctor Sleep or The Shining? The Shining!

 –Wetware or Blood In Your Ears?  My babies!  I took a little longer with Blood in Your Ears and I like the finished product a little better.

 –Ink in the Veins or Chart Of Darkness? Chart of Darkness. I love Ink in the Veins, but Chart of Darkness was a passion project, AND my first book for Cemetery Dance.

 –Haven or Under The Dome?  Under the Dome!

TSK: Do you have a novel?

 KQ: Yes! Cemetery Dance is releasing I’m On Fire this year as an ebook.  But I also have 18 other novels waiting in the wings.  Most aren’t horror, which is why I’ve had some issue with placing them, but you might be seeing more of them sooner rather than later.  The book I’m working on now is a coming of age story called Roller Disco Saturday Night!

TSK: Thanks Kevin.

KQ: Thanks!

 -- 

Kevin Quigley is author of I'm On Fire, Stephen King Limited, and Roller Disco Saturday Night

Producer and Host of Johnny D's Comedy.  He is a Columnist at FEARnet.com

Quigley Gives Us A Glimpse Of The King Universe 2014

Check out Kevin Quigley's article, "Overlooking 2014: Stephen King in the New Year" at www.fearnet.com.  Quigley doesn't claim to write with any authority -- but I will point out that I  found the article following a link suggested by Stephen King's official facebook page. So -- someone over there thinks Quigley is right on.

Here's some highlights -- the article is much better! 

We can expect Mr. Mercedes on June 3rd, 2014. Quigley notes: "It's rare for King to release novels in the summer – before 2013, the last non-series hardcover written under his own name to arrive in the summer was Rose Madder, way back in 1995 – but the unqualified success of this summer's Joyland must have been encouraging."

Quigley sees Mr. Mercedes being potentially in tune with the likes of Full Dark, No Stars and Blockade Billy. "It’s fascinating to watch King work his noir out – a little less Clive Barker, a little more Lawrence Block – and to see King challenge expectations while still delivering an exciting story."

We can also expect a film adaptation of "A Good Marriage," which Quigley says has been completed. 

On December 10th, King tweeted, “Have seen the completed film version of A GOOD MARRIAGE. I thought it was terrific. Of course… I wrote it!”

And, there is the upcoming novel Revival, though almost nothing is known about it.  Quigley quotes King's July 18th comments to columist Colin McEncore, 

"The main character [of Revival] is a kid who learns how to play guitar, and I can relate to this guy because he's not terribly good. He's just good enough to catch on with a number of bands and play for a lot of years. The song that he learns to play first is the song that I learned to play first, which was 'Cherry, Cherry' by Neil Diamond. One of the great rock progressions: E-A-D-A.

What seems really important from the fearnet article is Quigley's observation that just because we only now of two novels  on the horizon, don't think that means King doesn't have more up his sleeve.  He also notes, as others have recently, that we are "overdue" for a short story collection.  Quigley offers this possible list of stories (see the article.)

Check out Quigley's website at CharnelHouseSK.com
And see my interview with him at talkstephenking Quigley Interview

Quigley prepares to release a new book about Stephen King

Cemetery Dance just announced its new Collector's Club. One of the major features is that it's the only place to get Kevin Quigley's new hardcover, A Good Story and Good Words.

About A Good Story and Good Words, Cemetery Dance notes:

This 750 page manuscript dives deep into the works of Stephen King and will be an incredible addition to any collection. There will be a trade edition down the road, but you get the World's First Edition, First Printing and the only Signed Limited Edition that will ever be printed. The manuscript has already been copyedited and is being designed right now, so this will definitely be one of our 2014 titles.

At his site, Quigley explains, "Guys, this is your EXCLUSIVE chance to get my very first solo hardcover, A Good Story and Good Words. Hundreds of hours of research and three years in the writing, Good Story is my first major statement on the work of Stephen King. I really think you're going to like it, and I hope you jump into this awesome club. Thanks!"  http://charnelhouse.tripod.com

FROM CEMETERY DANCE:

The Cemetery Dance Collectors Club Is BACK!
Members Receive A FREE Signed Limited Edition, A Brand New Exclusive "Short Story" T-Shirt, An Exclusive Signed Limited Edition Chapbook By Richard Chizmar, An Exclusive Halloween Poster By Alan M. Clark, A Stephen King Art Mouse Pad, A Keychain, Exclusive Discounts & Advance Notice on New Books, and Other Perks Not Available to the General Public!
PLUS: Members will receive the only Signed Limited Edition of A Good Story and Good Words: The Many Worlds of Stephen King, a groundbreaking new look into the works of Stephen King that would have retailed for $65 if it was available to the general public!

Check out my interview with Kevin Quigley, Talk Stephen King: Tenish Questions For Kevin Quigley

QUIGLEY review of Darkman

Fearnet.com has posted Kevin Quigley's review of "The Dark Man."  I always look forward to his reviews!  Quigley has an understanding of not only the vast King universe, but the writer himself that is rare.

Quigley writes with enthusiasm for the poem, "When it comes down to it, the work itself is always the most important aspect. It’s good work. Exciting work. No comforting rhymes. No shards of light. It’s the direct precursor to Paranoid, King’s most disturbing collected poem to date. You don’t have to be a collector or a poetry major to love The Dark Man. You just have to like being scared."

Quigley's review is at fearnet.com

JOYLAND Journal 1: THE SHINING, DICKENS & CARNEY FROM CARNEY

I've been on a wonderful trip to Joyland these past few days. In fact, it's like a season pass.  As with other books, I'm not reviewing the novel so much as taking notes as I go.  I can say that it's everything Kevin Quigley said it would be.  Check out his review at www.fearnet.com 

WE SELL FUN: What is Joyland -- the amusement park -- all about?  The owner, Mr. Bradley Easterbrook, breaks it down: "you are here to sell fun," he says. As the speech progresses, one character whispers that this guy is the Jesus of fun.  Then, a bit later Easterbrook is just short of preaching as he says, "We don't sell furniture.  We don't sell cars.  We don't sell land or horses  or retirement funds.  We have no political agenda.  We sell fun." (pg.60)

1973: "When it comes to the past, everyone writes fiction," declares Devin Jones on page 43 of Joyland. A lot of Joyland is about history and how we remember it.  King does a lot of reflecting about how there is very little truth in the soup of memories.  The new Stephen King novel is set in 1973.  I was born that year.  King does a nice job recreating the world of the 70's.

Joyland belongs to a world with elevator shoes, girdles, Al Jolson, boarding houses and snail mail.  No instant messages, no texting and no facebook.  The scenes in the boarding house remind me of Salem's Lot.

King not only shows locations and gadgets from the past, but the characters actually feel like they belong to the world of the 1970's.  It's not just the way they talk, but the things they don't talk about.  Notice the way Devin resists the temptation to spill all of his emotions on other characters.  This is not so much because he is stoic, but because "I'd been raised  by my parents to believe barfing your feelings on other people was the height of impoliteness. . ." (p.90)  That's both funny and insightful.  I'm not sure people raise their kids that way anymore.  Today when someone doesn't like a customer at their place of business, they barf it all over facebook.

Joyland also belongs to a unusual place immersed in something called "The Talk."  The Talk is Carney language.  King is good at introducing us to terms, without feeding us so much we're ready to gag.  "Carney-from-carney" means that a person comes from a heritage of carnival workers. (Devin is not Carney from carney.)

The Shining: I would be remiss not to mention how much Joyland reminds me of the early pages of The Shining.  Both books really do feel like they belong in the 70's.  Both novels have a girl named Wendy.  Both novels begin with a job interview, which is primarily used to introduce the reader to the sets where the action will later unfold.  Also, in The Shining we have characters who "shine" while in Joyland there are characters who have the "sight."  And, both the hotel and the theme park have a dark secret  that involves Redrum-- murder.

Are these intentional nods to the earlier book?  I suspect not.  There is also a girl named Nadine.  Like from The Stand?  No! So why names of characters that appeared in other books?  Because those were names common to the era.  Katlyn wouldn't work for a book set in 1973.

Also, King takes a small little dig at Kubrick. When King recently discussed in an NPR interview that the only discussion he ever had with Stanley Kubrick concerned ghosts. Kubrick asked King about his belief in the supernatural. Kubrick suggested that belief in ghosts is really optimistic, since it implies an afterlife. "Sure," Kings said, "But what about hell?" Long pause, then he said in very stiff voice, "I don't believe in hell."  King later blamed Kubrick's departure from his book on his view of ghosts.  The movie is more about Jack being crazy than the overlook actually being haunted.  In Joyland, a character named Tom saw a ghost.   Later, as he nears death, he takes comfort in having seen the ghost, because at least it means there's an afterlife. (pg.121)

DICKENS & Co: The narrator, an aged Devin Jones, apparently has a love for Charles Dickens.  He more than once draws comparisons from the work of the famous writer.  "She grinned -- a big wide one that made her almost Dickensian. . ."  Or, consider this:

With a name like Emmalina Shoplaw, it was hard not to picture a rosy-cheeked landlady out of a Charles Dickens novel, one who went everywhere at a bosomy bustle and said things like Lor' save us.  She'd serve tea and scones while a supporting cast of kind-hearted eccentrics looked on approvingly; she might even pinch my hceeks as we sat roasting chestnuts over a crackling fire.  (Joyland, pg.29, Titan Books, 2013)

By the way, there are also kind winks to other writers as well. Page 39 has a reference to George Orwell's classic, 1984 when Mrs. Shoplaw says, "Just like in that science fiction book about the Thought Police."

Sweet Nothings: Joyland is not broken into chapters or in fact any numbering at all.  Each short section is simply headed by a single heart.  Is King hinting that this is really a romance?

Some of the lines in this really do belong to a set of books called "Hard Case Crime."  It's -- well, kinda delightful.

• This is good, "The sun was a hammer" (p.123)
• I like this bit, "I'm not sure men know how to talk about women in any meaningful way." (pg.50)  
• I also like this quote, "a boy with bad thoughts needs to be visiting a hautned house like he needs arsenic in his moutwash." (pg.99)  

I like the writing quite a bit -- and the way this story flows.  The narrator moves easily from past to present, telling about characters fate while still narrating the meat of the story taking place in 1973.  The story moves pretty quickly, without making the reader feel like the characters are just paper cut-outs being moved about on a big canvass.

Quigley Reviews JOYLAND

Okay, I'm really excited about Joyland!  Really excited.  See, here's  the deal -- I've been so focused on Doctor Sleep, all my "Stephen King emotional energy reserves"  have been given to anticipating its release.  Joyland is there. . . but I've been unsure exactly what to make of it.  What is it?  A mystery novel?  A horror novel?  Is it the Colorado Kid?  I was recently assured that it is not Colorado Kid!  But. . . what IS Joyland?

Kevin Quigley has released the first review I've seen of Joyland at www.fearnet.com. Quigley compares the novel to such early works as The Dead Zone, The Shining and Salem's Lot.  Now that's red meat for any Stephen King fan.

Quigley writes, "It’s good to have a book like this now – simple, sweet, and not a little scary – to remind us that among the prequels and sequels, the epics and the TV miniseries, Stephen King can still spin one hell of a little yarn."

Here's what's nice -- Quigley knows his Stephen King.  This isn't someone inside the business telling us this is a strong novel, it's the author of numerous books about King and the keeper of the King website, CharnelHouseSK.com.

Go read the full review, it's great.  www.fearnet.com
check out my interview iwth Kevin Quigley at; talkstephenking.blogspot.com

Quigley talks GUNS

I enjoyed Kevin Quigley's review of GUNS at Fearnet.   Quigley is the administrator of charnelhousesk.

Quigley notes, "Guns” is a smart, important essay that works hard at using common sense as a tool for discussion. He doesn’t vilify gun owners – somewhat surprisingly, he is one – and he doesn’t believe in quick, token solutions."

If you like the review, hit "Like" on the FEARnet page!

Quigley's review is at www.fearnet.com

The Stephen King Library Desk Calendar 2013

The new Stephen King Desk Calendar rocks!  I’m usually not real big on calendars, which is probably why I haven’t understood why everyone starts asking if a new SK calendar is coming out each year.  However, this years offering by the Stephen King Library is great!

The book is spiral bound so that it can lay flat on a desk.  It has a great 3D cover that is a collage of King stories.

This year, Duma Key and Just After Sunset both turned 5. Night Shift turned 35, Christine 30, Dolores Claiborne 20, Bag of Bones 15, and many more.  This Calendar is a celebration of these wonderful books!  It is a weekly hodge podge of Stephen King related articles.   It’s like owning a small pile of books about Stephen King.  I love the behind the scenes stuff, the articles and trivia.  In fact, it’s more fun than a book of just article, or just trivia. . . it’s a lot of stuff mixed together and arranged around great illustrations and a weekly desk calendar.

Naturally the calendar includes important King dates and reminders of this day in history.  For instance, February 9 includes the notes, “Bangor Daily News prints story of revealing true identity of Richard Bachman, 1985.”

How about this, “Bev shoots IT with the silver slugs, July 25, 1958.”  Or, On April 17, “Annie Wilkes ‘Hobbles’ Paul Sheldon 1987, Misery.”  Or, On August 18, “First meeting of the Free Zone to elect representatives, 1985.”

Famous authors birthdays are also included.  Charles Dickens was born February 7, 1812.  Important dates to the King universe are scattered throughout – such as Andy McGee’s birthday, or a note when John Lennon was shot.  You might also find some sports trivia dates . . . October 27, “In 2004, Red Sox win first World Series  since 1918.”

I liked The Stand 25th Anniversary Trivia.  Here’s one, “According to the novel, how old Is Mother Abigail?”  (108 years old) There is also a Night Shift Anniversary Trivia page.  Here’s one, “In I Am The Doorway” the protagonist is a retired astronaut who has become a pathway for aliens.  How do they aliens manifest and take control of his body?” (Eyeballs appear like a rash on his fingers that allow the aliens to view our world and then slowly take over the man’s body.)

Also included is a Dolores Claiborne 20th Anniversary Trivia, as well as trivia from several other books.

I really enjoyed Peter Brett’s, “Pet Sematary, Now and Then” and Kevin Quigley’s, “Divorce And Departure: Duma Key Five years later.”  Also, Robin Furth’s “Mid World Anniversaries” was great!

My favorite article was by Brian James Freeman, “Publishing a Stephen King Anniversary Edition.”  He discusses what was involved in putting together the special 25th anniversary edition of IT.  All kinds of stuff we never think about.  In particular, there w ere problems with the books size and how much they could actually include.  Freeman takes us from idea to sales, all of it a great ride.

EXCERPT: Twenty Years Later. . . 
The book also has several touching stories.  Here’s one from Carolle M. Bendle: 

“I always started the school year in my advanced class by handing out index cards, asking what books students had read over the summer.  Most were returned blank with excuses like, “Summer Job,” but there was one I received covered front and back.  Discovering we shared a fondness for certain authors – Stephen King, in particular – Jason syly asked if I would read some of his poetry.  His life and heart were in them. 

Completely on a whim, I wrote the letter to Stephen King on my 40 year old typewriter and enclosed Jason’s poems.  Never dreaming that what we called the “SK Adventure” would actually happen... a few weeks later I got “the phone call.” ...

(the rest is in the Calendar) 

Here is the table of contents: 

Dec 31, 2012 – Jan 6 — introduction / editor letter — Jay Franco
Jan 7 – Jan 13 — This Book Is a Weapon — matt bergin
Jan 14 – Jan 20 — Ever Relevant — Jay Franco
Jan 21 – Jan 27 — 35th ANNIVERSARY – THE STAND — excerpt — Stephen King
Jan 28 – Feb 3 — King’s Lord of the Rings — Myke Cole
Feb 4 – Feb 10 — A Most Generous King — Jay Franco
Feb 11 – Feb 17 — The Stand Trivia — Fotini Marcopulos
Feb 18 – Feb 24 — Irons in the Fire — Jay Franco
Feb 25 – Mar 3 — 35th ANNIVERSARY – NIGHT SHIFT — an excerpt — Stephen King
Mar 4 – Mar 10 — Night Shift TRIVIA — Fotini Marcopulos
Mar 11 – Mar 17 — It’s About Time — matt bergin
Mar 18 – Mar 24 — 30th ANNIVERSARY – CHRISTINE — an excerpt — Stephen King
Mar 25 – Mar 31 — 30th ANNIVERSARY – CHRISTINE — an excerpt — Stephen King
Apr 1 – Apr 7 — Christine TRIVIA — Fotini Marcopulos
Apr 8 – Apr 14 — A King’s Ranking — Jay Franco
Apr 15 – Apr 21 — A Birthday to Die For! — Samantha Etkin
Apr 22 – Apr 28 — 30th ANNIVERSARY – PET SEMATARY — an excerpt — Stephen King
Apr 29 – May 5 — Coming Back Wrong — Jeff Somers
May 6 – May 12 — Squeaky’s Return — Matt DeVirgiliis
May 13 – May 19 — Pet Sematary essay — Peter Brett
May 20 – May 26 — 20th ANNIVERSARY – DOLORES CLAIBORNE – an excerpt — Stephen King
May 27 – June 2 — Dolores Claiborne TRIVIA — Fotini Marcopulos
June 3 – June 9 — Mysterious Benefactor — Diane Ketcham
June 10 – June 16 — Nightmares & Dreamscapes trivia essay — Fotini Marcopulos
June 17 – June 23 — 20th ANNIVERSARY – NIGHTMARES & DREAMSCAPES — an excerpt — Stephen King
June 24 – June 30 — Fear Does Not Exist in This Dojo – Jay Franco
July 1 – July 7 — Looking into The Eyes of The Dragon — Jay Franco
July 8 – July 14 — “Maine Man” — the editors
July 15 – July 21 — King the Scrivener — Justin Brooks
July 22 – July 28 — 15th ANNIVERSARY – BAG OF BONES — an excerpt — Stephen King
July 29 – Aug 4 — Bag of Bones TV Miniseries – The Sitelet — Jay Franco
Aug 5 – Aug 11 — The King films of 1983 — Dan Kimmel
Aug 12 – Aug 18 — Bag of Bones – Trivia – Fotini Marcopulos
Aug 19 – Aug 25 — Duma Key related trivia – Fotini Marcopulos
Aug 26 – Sept 1 — 5th ANNIVERSARY – DUMA KEY — an excerpt — Stephen King
Sept 2 – Sept 8 — Divorce & Departure – Kevin Quigley
Sept 9 – Sept 15 — A Discussion of: The Wind Through the Keyhole — Jay Franco
Sept 16 – Sept 22 — Dark Tower essay — Stephen Jewell
Sept 23 – Sept 29 — 5th ANNIVERSARY – JUST AFTER SUNSET – an excerpt — Stephen King
Sept 30 – Oct 6 — Just After Sunset trivia — Fotini Marcopulos
Oct 7 – Oct 13 — The Rise and Fall and Rise Again of Carrie — Jay Franco
Oct 14 – Oct 20 — The Philosophy of Time Travel – Jay Franco
Oct 21 – Oct 27 — The ROAD RAGE Collaboration – Jay Franco
Oct 28 – Nov 3 — Top 5 Horror Websites – Jay Franco
Nov 4 – Nov 10 — Embracing It — Jay Franco
Nov 11 – Nov 17 — Inspiration Insight – Matt DeVirgiliis
Nov 18 – Nov 24 — 10th Anniversary of the Dark Tower: The Wolves of the Calla — Robin Furth
Nov 25 – Dec 1 — Insert Dead Pet Comedic Relief Here — Matt DeVirgiliis
Dec 2 – Dec 8 — A Love/Hate Relationship — Jay Franco
Dec 9 – Dec 15 – A discussion of documentary, ROOM 237 – Jay Franco
Dec 16 – Dec 22 – Publishing a Stephen King Special Edition – Brian James Freeman
Dec 23 – Dec 29 – Publishing a Stephen King Special Edition [continued] – Brian James Freeman
Dec 30 – Jan 5, 2014 – Last Night I dreamed of a Tiger – Jay Franco 

FROM: brianjamesfreeman.wordpress.com

David's take: I'm surprised how much I enjoyed this.  I approached it thinking I'd just thumb through it, but found myself reading it cover to cover  with the same enjoyment I would have gotten from a Companion book about Stephen King.  With writers like Jay Franco, Kevin Quigley, Robin Furth, Brian James Freeman. . . this is a home-run!  I love it.

 

MORE AT:
http://www.stephenkinglibrary.com/
http://www.facebook.com/StephenKingLibrary
http://www.bomcclub.com/

CD Offers Stephen King Movie Trivia Book

This is cool!  Cemetery Dance is a busy publisher.  On the heels of anouncing The Illustrated Stephen King Trivia Book, they are releasing news of the New Stephen King Movie Trivia Book.

Cemetery Dance offers this description of the book:

The Illustrated Stephen King Movie Trivia Book by Brian James Freeman (The Illustrated Stephen King Trivia Book), Hans-Åke Lilja (Lilja's Library: The World of Stephen King), and Kevin Quigley (Wetware: On the Digital Frontline With Stephen King) features more than 1,000 questions to test your knowledge of the movies, miniseries, and television episodes based on ideas conjured from the imagination of the King of Horror, along with more than 50 special illustration-based questions from Cemetery Dance favorite artist Glenn Chadbourne!

In addition, the book concludes with a special afterword by Mick Garris, director of The Stand, The Shining, Riding the Bullet, Desperation, Bag of Bones, and many others!

The Illustrated Stephen King Movie Trivia Book includes material right up through this year and no Stephen King collection will be complete without it!

You can purchase the book HERE.

Quigley issues two new ebooks

Good news!  Author Kevin Quigley has just released two more books through Cemetery Dance. He is also  the keeper of one of the coolest King sites out there, Charnel House. CD also links to amazon,  if you prefer to get ebooks in their format (I like that best.)

This Terrestrial Hell is a collection of eleven short stories.  I like these descriptions of the stories: "A young girl dangles her feet high above a fathomless pool filled with dead things. A murderous carny worker falls victim to a ringleader’s diabolical experiments. And a half-lit basement, where the tools of a maniac’s extreme weight-loss program are a cage, a knife … and a wet/dry vacuum."

You  can buy it HERE.

Surf's Up is a collection of poetry in which Quigley, "channels his mordant obsessions – dark romance, psychosis, destruction, and Los Angeles – into incisive, often chilling poetry and verse. Surf’s Up dives in deeper, and finds only darkness beneath the waves."

  You can buy Surf's Up HERE.


Check out my interview with Kevin Quigley HERE.

Quigley Review Of Audio WTTKH

Hey,  I loved Kevin Quigley's review of the audio edition of The Wind Through The Keyhole at fearnet (HERE)   It is titled, “Listening to the Wind: Stephen King, the Dark Tower, and 'The Wind Through the Keyhole' on Audio.”

Quigley offers a teriffic “history” of the Gunslinger as a book – an audio book in particular.  He also reviews King as a reader,  and in particular his reading of the Dark Tower novels.   I really enjoyed this portion.  Those of you complaining that King should have given the floor to professionals who have previously recorded the Dark Tower audio books, would do well to note that Stephen King is the first true audio reader of The Dark Tower.

Quigley gives us one big helpful tip: There is a preview, only available on the audio edition of WTTKH, of Doctor Sleep.  SWEET! Quigley writes, “While there's no word on whether King will read the entire novel on audio, his take here is spooky and unsettling. If this excerpt is any judge, Doctor Sleep is going to be one scary book.”

The full article is here at fearnet.com.

Quigley: Review of Battleground

Kevin Quigley has posted a review of the limited edition of Stephen King’s television adaptation of Battleground at fearnet.  Battleground is set for publication this Summer from Gauntlet Press.

Quigley gives great details on the book and his usual enthusiasm for King’s work shines through the essay.  I especially liked his description of Richard Matheson’s script of Battleground.  He writes this interesting side note:

“if the lack of dialogue in the film seems unsettling, in the script it's downright bizarre. For those who have read scripts before, this teleplay feels markedly denser; Matheson makes up for it with short, clipped stage direction that translates to our image of Hurt's Renshaw with ease."

The book also includes essays and interviews with, Quigley says, “everyone” involved.  He says that a lot of these sections are “just fun”!

The full review is here at FEARNET.

Quigley Review of Wind Through The Keyhole

I always enjoy Kevin Quigley's reviews of King's work -- and his most recent does not disappoint.  Quigley's review of Wind Through the Keyhole is posted at fearnet.

Of course, this story fits between Wizard and Glass and Wolves of the Calla.  Quigley calls this a "midquil."  It seems that with Wolves King struck new energy, while things were feeling a bit (forgive me) slow with Wizard.I was surprised to learn that Wind Through the Keyhole is told in the first person.  As Quigley points out, King has been doing a lot of first person lately.   

In Wind Through The Keyhole, we learn that there is an entire book of great adventures called, "The Great Elden Book."  Quigley quotes King: "a fine and terrible compendium that may someday merit publication of its own, as those stories cast light on Mid-World as it once was."

Quigley describes how some readers have developed what he calls "Tower Fatigue" as King includes more and more tower references into his later work.  He argues that the time away from the tower and in particular the main characters has been good for King.

I really liked how Quigley made the case for Keyhole being necessary.  Not just fun or a side trip -- but necessary!  He writes, "Whether readers loved or loathed the ending of the Dark Tower, a book like The Wind Through the Keyhole offers intriguing possibilities."

Check out the review, it's HERE.

Quigley: Review Of ‘Road Rage'

Check out Kevin Quigley's Fearnet review of issue #1 of Road Rage: Throttle (HERE)

He notes the scope of the project, and says, "The story is terrific, utilizing stylistic and thematic choices from both King's and Hill's earlier work (there's more than a little Christine and Heart-Shaped Box in "Throttle")."  Now that is AWESOME!

Quigley gives us this cool tid-bit: "We also get a few clever gags for fans of King's and Hill's: the diner The Tribe stops in early on is called Owen's Café – Owen being Stephen King's other son, also a writer; Baby John, one of the bikers, bears an eerie resemblance to Joe Hill … and a young Stephen King."  Cool!

Okay, go read the full review. 

Quigley: Collection Time for Stephen King

Kevin Quigley has posted a great article at FEARnet.com.  Quigley is author of several books about Stephen King and proprietor of Charnel House.

Quigley's article, titled "Collection Time for Stephen King: An Observation" is like an alarm clock reminding the constant reader that the time must be near for another collection of short stories. In  Collection Time, Quigley gives us an examination of several of King's short stories that have not yet been included in a book.

Of course, some of King's most memorable works have come from the books of short stories.  The Mist was one of my favorites.  Of course, sometimes the short stories are deeply connected to King's novels.   Jerusalem's Lot lay the ground work for Salem's Lot and Night Surf was groundwork for The Stand.  One of my favorites is Survivor Type -- which is a different kind of take on cannibalism. 

Quigley spots things I would easily miss.  (Maybe because I don't focus enough on the short stories, as I'm just trying to stay afloat reading all those novels!)  I like this observation about Morality:

"Morality" forms a loose trilogy with "Mute" (from Just After Sunset) and Full Dark, No Stars' "Fair Extension" as stories that explore the concept of sin and how it affects regular people.

Quigley also considers what story should serve as the "opening act."  I'll stop giving spoilers, because you should really read this article and chew on his conclusions.  I like it all!

The full article is HERE.

Might Bachman Strike Again?

Kevin Quigley at Charnel House has this interesting post:

In a recent interview with Scotsman.com, King admitted to at least considering writing a new Richard Bachman novel:

..."I would like to write a Bachman novel that had some of that Charles Willeford feel. The dark side of American life ... I would like to start a book about a crazy private eye, a guy who is really on the dark side. I see the scene: this guy sitting in his office in an unnamed American city, the sky grey, the rain grey and hitting the window. That is it ... But I know the rest of it would follow pretty nicely with that hard-boiled voice like Raymond Chandler. Think of Philip Marlowe, only a total fucking degenerate.”

Quigley notes: "For those of you who thought Bachman's posthumous novels had dried up with Blaze, worry not! It looks like the old dairy farmer still has some afterlife in him yet."

NICE!

In Sons of Anarchy, King's character was named Bachman.