Otherways- Fiction Fanatics

No one can really talk about modern horror fiction without at least mentioning Stephen King. Even if you are one of the giant mass of people who do not read, and are therefore dead to me, you’ve probably heard of Stephen King. Carrie, Cujo, Pet Semetary and others all made plenty of movie-goers scream in their time.

Readers, on the other hand, are often polarized on the subject. I don’t think there are many horror fans that really dislike him as an author, but I’ve met a few that are pretty mad. There are things you just don’t do, you know, like killing the kid or the dog. Cujo pretty much broke both taboos, and taboo breaking has a way of riling some people up.

Personally, I prefer books where at least the occasional character survives.

Rose Madder is probably my favorite of the Stephen King books, though I do have to send the man some serious kudos for actually pulling off a gypsy curse in Thinner.

It occurred to me a few months ago, that a lot of the Stephen King novels are based on mainstays of horror: cursed items, evil clowns, gypsy curses, etc., which really violates the ‘be original’ commandment for any creative endeavor. Yet, people turn out to read him in droves, myself included.

We do this not because the theme is original, but because the man is a damned good writer. Even if you know he’s likely to butcher every bloody character in the book, you find yourself drawn in, caring about these people and the short violent lives they are about to lead.

Plus, there is a reason these things are mainstays of horror. Take clowns for example, even though we all know they’re supposed to be funny, there’s a high percentage of people that are creeped out just by the sight of one. Before you give them a hard time there is some basis to their fear. The forefather of all modern clowns, Grimaldi, lost his first wife to childbirth, his clown-son to alcoholism and himself suffered from depression. His famous line was that “He was GRIM ALL DAY, but made you laugh at night.” He died a penniless drunk. Charles Dickens used him as the basis for the Pickwick Papers, which some say invented the ‘scary clown’ character.

Psychological tests on children as young as four, who probably haven’t actually read Dickens yet, show that the vast majority dislike, or even fear clowns. So maybe we shouldn’t be too hard on poor Charles.

At any rate, Stephen King is always a good bet for a horror read, and he has a new novel, Finders Keepers, out now in hardback, paperback and electronic media. This is book two in a trilogy that started with Mr. Mercedes, which I hate to admit is still in my ‘To Be Read’ pile. Both books have gotten rave reviews, so I guess I’d better get with the program and get them read.

I didn’t feel like sleeping anyway.

Cheers,

Michelle