I'd Start A Revolution (If I could get up in the morning)

Stephen King meme taken from Jade:


1. What is your all time favorite Stephen King work (full-length novel, novella, short story, whatever)?

The Shining, hands down, because of what it meant to me in terms of dealing with my family life and with who and what and how I wanted to be when I got older. It was a profoundly moving experience, the first time I read it, not to mention that fact that it scared the beejeezus out of me!

2. What is your favorite SK novel?

The Shining, though Duma Key I have to admit has taken its place almost immediately right alongside it.

3. Favorite short story/novella collection?

I'm rather embarrassed to admit here that I'm not a very good King fan because I haven't really read his collections! My best friend gave me a copy of Everything's Eventual which I've read through, so I guess that wins by default.

4. Favorite novella?

The Mist. I know, not very original, but there's a reason so many would choose it.

5. Favorite short story?

By the default of the above, I'll pick my favorite story in Everything's Eventual: The Road Virus Heads North

6. Favorite audiobook?

Don't listen to audiobooks; never could get into them.

7. Favorite movie based on King's work?

I do enjoy Mick Garris' work, his minis based on King's work and, as fantastic as I think The Stand was, I'm going with The Shining because Steven Weber was my ideal Jack and he did the really pathetic, alcoholic aspect of the character so amazingly well, it was kind of frightening. Sure, he slipped up a little towards the end when, instead of taking from the source material how to be a monster, he just seemed to start imitating Nicholson, and Rebecca De Mornay sort of annoyed the hell out of me as Wendy (put Shelley Duvall's Wendy with Weber's Jack and it've been perfect!) but the way they allowed the suspense to build and stayed true to the core of the story won me over.

Special mention has to be given to Rose Red, even though it's an original work and not based on any source material (sadly, as I'd have really loved to have read a novel of it!) My family watches that thing constantly, it's just so damned enjoyable!

8. Is there a recurring theme in his work that you particularly enjoy (such as: main characters from one novel appearing briefly in another, objects that prove to be portals into another dimension, references to the Dark Tower)?

The human aspects, the familial relationships, the connections and bonds survivors make with each other. Really, I am there for the scares, but what makes them all the more potent is the way in which his characters connect or are connected; it makes them so very human, and so identifiable, and you can always feel it happening very organically; even if it's something he was to tell you at the start of the book, you know he'll find a way to show you, and prove it as strong and real as he assures it is from the outcome.

9. What was the first Stephen King book you ever read? Was that the one that got you hooked on his writing, or did you need more convincing?

The Stand, or rather, the miniseries got me reading the book, which got me to read other King works. We always had his books around the house because I have two older siblings, one a brother who was always into the scary stuff, but it took that to actually get me to pick one up.

10. Is there one of his works in particular that sticks with you no matter what (not necessarily a favorite, but one that you can't get out of your mind)?

Desperation, because of, ooh, the atmosphere of it, and the very complex and unusual look at faith and religion. I find myself thinking about it a lot, especially David's insistence that "God is good, God is cruel," and how he doesn't truly understand it until the end, and how Johnny comes to understand that he understood it all along, if that makes sense. I remember, shortly after my parents died, my sister saying to me, "God is indifferent, that's what makes it more painful," and it always reminds me of that.

11. Have you read any of the nonfiction works (Danse Macabre, On Writing, that one about baseball)? If so, what did you think of them?

I've only read On Writing, but I've come to the conclusion that it should be read by everyone, it's that amazing.

12. If you were a character in one of his works, which book/story would you most like to be in?

Ooh, that's an interesting question! I've often thought that an RPG based on the Cell universe would be fun, and there is my zombie fetish, so that'd obviously be my first pick.

13. If you were a character in one of his works, how long would you last? If not until the end, in what gruesome manner would your character be killed?

Sweet Lordy! One of the things I like about King's works are that the meek kind of do inherit, he does usually empower the scrapiest and most unlikely, so I'd like to think that, with a little work, I'd survive. Certainly one of the things I identify with in his characters is that aspect to drive themselves on, to be better, to survive, even if they don't realize that's what they're doing.

That said, I'm highly suspicious that I'd go the way of Alice in Cell: heartbreakingly senselessly. My only hope is that I'd inspire those around me with my memory! *sniff*!