Mr. King is Riding on his name.

[Becks19]

I can't believe a writer can actually sell a short story as a novella for $7.00. Mr. King is riding on his name and the Constant Reader is being taken advantage of. Just After Sunset opens with a story he claims not to be the best in the book, I haven't read a good short in Sunset. The last feew chapters of Under the Dome were excellent, though I was dissappointed in the work as a whole. I've read every thing he has written. I no longer look forward to his works but I'll still give him my money. I've been a fan of his my entire life but I feel I'm being taken advantage of.

I'm sorry that you didn't like Just After Sunset. I found it to be excellent, it actually got me interested in reading his earlier short stories that I hadn't yet read. ( had always focused on novels) Not every writer ( even if he's your favorite) is going to write books that his fans "Always like". It does not mean that they are a bad author or riding on their name, it just means that that particular book isn't for you.

[mojomofo]

Maybe I am missing something, but isn't the translation of novella literally "short story"? I'm not trying to be a crab, but isn't it?

[Moderator]

May be a difference between translation and definition. By definition in publishing terms, the novella is a longer word count than a short story but not quite a novel.

[Dhasek]

I dont think he uses his name to make money at all. He is human, and while he is a damn good author, some works are going to be better than others. I totally disagree when you say you couldnt find a good story in Just After Sunset. I loved the stories in that book. I agree however about Under the Dome. UTD was a big disappointment for me, as I have stated in other posts. That comes with having a favorite author. I love Mr. King's style, his ideas, and the journey that he always conjures for me to go on. Some are better than others, but Im happy that I take something away every single time that makes life a little better

[guido tkp]

i am a constant reader...been reading kings works since SL was published in paperback...my first hardback was dead zone, and i haven't looked back since.

in my humble opinion, like any creative artist, uncle stevie has had his ups and his downs...but, also, imho, like many artists of his age, he seems, sometime ago, to have crested some sort of imaginary bump and come up with a whole new slew of just dandy creative writing.

blockade billy may have been a bit slight for all the fuss that (mostly) we made over it, but, it wasn't that bad, either. just a pretty good short story: not his best, not his worst.

i liked JAS jus fine, thought cell was a great read, and loved UTD...thought blaze was a bit too short, i wanted more (same, actually, for BB)...

the one thing i have never felt, even with the wee ones i didn't like so much was that i was being ripped off or taken advantage of...

no one forces me, or anyone else for that matter (king does NOT have the 'push' as far as i can tell: i only watched that werecat movie once!) to buy a book/cd/movie...whatever...if anyone is actually silly enough not to at least look at what they are thinking of buying...they deserve what they get...

there was more than enough info all around this great big beautiful world that could've clued even the clueless in...when it comes to purchasing any item, wake up and take responsability for your own actions

[Mugwomp]

Shouldn't Mrs. Mod kill these "hit and run" threads and perhaps even kill the guy's account?
Seems like he has no plans to join in the discussion he started...

[CDennisMoore]

I liked Blockade Billy BECAUSE it was so short. I read it in one stretch while out on a walk one afternoon. I'm all for paying $7.99 for a book I can read it on sitting, I LIKE being able to do that. And it happens so rarely with King novels. I liked the characterization, although it was nothing out of the ordinary for King characters, honestly, and I loved the ending. Good book as far as I'm concerned. I'd like to see more like it, in fact.

[VladTepes]

I just have to say that I have never been dissapointed paying for a book by King. Other authors, yes, but not king.

[guido tkp]

i've only been 'disappointed' twice...in 35-40 years, that's a very good record.

and i did not, even at paying near full hardcover price, feel like i had been ripped off or decieved with either of those books.

not everyone can get a hit a every at bat, never mind a home run.

unka stevies been veddy veddy good to me...

[Bryan James]

I really don't think he wakes up every morning thinking "I'M THE STEPHEN KING!" and then sets out to Bernie Madoff people.

He's an artist. Sometimes great artists fork up--but don't realize it--and they are such a power in the industry that the "Yes Men" outweigh the (sometimes non-existant) "No Men."

No one "bats a thousand." He struck out with BB. It happens.