Cover art 2013 Vintage edition

(6) STEPHEN KING –

SALEM’S LOT (1975)

Hail to the King! Stephen King, that is. One of the most iconic and prolific writers of our time. Lines and scenes from his work reverberate throughout popular culture, albeit particularly driven by cinematic or screen adaptations. His prose is vivid and visceral – indeed, the only books that have given me bad dreams, something which generally only occurs from the direct visualization of movies. In short, I am that Constant Reader to which King addresses his Author’s Notes.

As for which book to select for this entry, I considered It, a book that not only has its own individual mythos and is an important part of King’s overarching mythos, but also encapsulates and symbolizes King’s mythology. It traces its shapeshifting eldritch entity of evil in its favorite shape of Pennywise the Clown, as well as its lair and hunting ground, the town of Derry in Maine, and its opponents, the Losers’ Club through multiple and overlapping layers. However, I just can’t give it the spot for this entry because of its narrative missteps –and yes, I’m talking about THAT scene, which I prefer to mentally omit from the novel. There’s also The Talisman, written with Peter Straub – the closest King came to an epic fantasy in the style of The Lord of the Rings, across the United States as it overlaps with a multiverse.

Funnily enough, I went back to one of his first novels. I was tempted to choose his first novel, Carrie, but ultimately I went with King’s version of Dracula in Maine – Salem’s Lot.

RATING:
A-TIER (TOP TIER)