Salem's Lot for Halloween 2012

[Madson Crow Vamp Killer]

About a month ago my girlfiend called me at work and said she had gotten a box of interesting things at a rummage sale for only two dollars. They buyer who was finishing up said she had to take everything off his hands in the box or there would be no deal. I asked her what kind of treasures did she find, while not expecting anymore of an answer than clothes and or old dishes. Yet in her reply she said that the mystery box of goodies had included, all the way in the bottom of the box were several books that she thought I would find rather interesting. Not having much infromation I could not imagine what preytell was included. When I got home I was amazed that there was a hard back copy, in mint condition, of Salem's Lot. Since seeing the original mini series and being scared senseless as a freshman in high school, and having been consumed by it's story as the second best vampire novel ever written (Stoker takes first with Dracula, sorry Mr. King,) I was thrilled to finally have it in my collection. I have hunted this book down in hardback mind you, for years and never found a copy anywhere in our sleepy little Indiana community. To celebrate her unique discovery from the mystery box, we watched the 79 mini series, which she had never seen, and it scared the heck out of her. Last night we finished up watching the 2004 remake mini series and she too found it quite creepy (especially the little kids on the bus who went after the bus driver.) For halloween this year why see the normal slasher on the loose films that is constantly shown on cable networks and revist what happens in the Lot. You might find it a refreshing taste of horror that you have been missing. They don't make vampire books or movies like this anymore!

[dsurrett]

But have you read the book yet?
Salem's Lot was recently in the finalist of 'Best Vampire Novel since Dracula.' Matheson's 'I Am Legend' won, but my vote would've been for Salem's Lot.
That was a great find by your girlfriend!

[Autumn Gust]

I just re-read Salem's Lot a couple of months ago. I really enjoyed it when I read it years ago, but found it even more fun in, you know, that goulish kind of way :-) -- this time around.

[tenngolfer]

I'm reading it now (for the first time), it's great!

[Madson Crow Vamp Killer]

Have read Salem's Lot three times in my life. High School in the early 80's, again in '95 and then in 2004 when the new mini-series came out. I am Legend is amazing and Matheson is a formidable competitor to King. The Will Smith movie was entertaining, but I prefer The Last Man on Earth and The Omega Man over Smith's version. Robert Bloch (Psycho) wrote Midnight Mass which is a roller coaster tale of vampire survival if you haven't read it. Also if you have never read Progeny of the Ader by Leslie H. Whitten I highly recommend it if you can find a copy of it. Before Lestat, Twilight and Vampire Diaries and the Modern Goth Vampire Movement there was these classics that are still well worth the read today. I was in a local book store about a month ago and they had some of the old TV Series Dark Shadow Books for sale which I hadn't seen since I was a kid amazing how things from our childhood stay with us our entire lives and Salems Lot is a true part of mine.

[Madson Crow Vamp Killer]

And who votes for the best of this or that anyhow? I've never been asked to vote have you? The way I see it is that Stoker's Dracula set the standard... Salem's Lot continued the Standard in our time of here and now. I am Legend gave an alternative to the standard, a hypothetical futuristic so-to-speak.

[GNTLGNT]

[Kennybo]

I have yet to see a film based on a book where the film did credit to the authors intent. Maybe it's because each of us, in our own minds eye see each character in the book as we perceive them to be. The film will undoubtedly portray the characters as seen in the eyes of the director or producers or screenwriters. I've never seen a movie that made me afraid to get up to go to the bathroom while watching it at night. Mr. Kings books read at night on the otherhand...

[mjs9153]

I'm reading it now (for the first time), it's great!

Lucky you Tenn if you don't love it,I will eat my hat..speaking of a great time for horror novels and movies,here is,in my mind,the best opening credits for a horror movie ever..sets the tone,yknow,even though the Shining was a cool opening too..

[carrie's younger brother]

Salem's Lot and Carrie are the two SK novels I revisit every few years. They are my favorites. I read them both when they were first published in paperback while I was in high school, so they left very long lasting effects on this very impressionable teenage mind at the time.