WHAT are you reading right now?

[Phoenix Gamma]

Just finished the last Scott Pilgrim book.

God, what a let down. Wangst got cranked up ("it felt like I was trapped in a river..."), the fights were stupid (and not funny stupid. Just stupid) and the pacing was horrible. I missed reading a fun comic about a guy fighting even exboyfriends with occasional game jokes tucked away in a few pages. Not stupid melodrama. Now I definitely don't want to see the movie.

[Esuohlim]

I've never read a Stephen King book before, so I'm going to try The Stand and see how it goes

Well ok I've read Thinner but that's a Richard Bachman book w/e

[Pentegarn]

Originally Posted by Esuohlim

I've never read a Stephen King book before, so I'm going to try The Stand and see how it goes

Well ok I've read Thinner but that's a Richard Bachman book w/e

"Richard Bachman's" greatest contribution to entertainment was when The Running Man became a movie

[Zhukov]

Originally Posted by Esuohlim

I've never read a Stephen King book before, so I'm going to try The Stand and see how it goes

Make sure you start at the begining of his career and work your way through while giving us one line reviews.

[wizbenny]

Originally Posted by Esuohlim

I've never read a Stephen King book before, so I'm going to try The Stand and see how it goes

Well ok I've read Thinner but that's a Richard Bachman book w/e

The thing that frustrates me with Stephen King is... he's brilliant at creating concepts and characterization... but he FAILS to outline his plots or where to take them.

So it's invariably enjoyable right up to the climax, and then the whole thing seems to meander and fall apart. He has great beginnings and middles, but AWFUL endings.

I don't think I've EVER read a Stephen King book (and I've read a lot) and gone, "What a satisfying ending..." The best I've managed to say was, "Well... that was... different."

[Fathom Zero]

It's gotta be one of the best, really. The Shining and It are good, too.

[MLE]

Though the best work that King wrote while he was writing as Bachman was The Long Walk. I loved that shit.

[Grislygus]

Originally Posted by MLE

Though the best work that King wrote while he was writing as Bachman was The Long Walk. I loved that shit.

as soon as i saw the crack about the running man the FIRST THING i thought of was WHAT ABOUT THE LONG WALK

[Esuohlim]

I was thinking about doing that with I-Mock members in reverse alphabetical order

[Fathom Zero]

[Nick]

Some shitty webcomic called Wayward Sons.

[wizbenny]

At least you're reading.

Meanwhile I've been reading Lackadaisy Cats with my daughter. The author gave me a book at SDCC, and it's some pretty amazing stuff... I'm not typically into anthropomorphic stuff, but the artist has real talent which gets me past that barrier. I can recommend it.

I also started reading an interesting Webcomic called OUT THERE from R.C. Monroe. He was at my booth, and I got a chance to peruse his stuff. Again, not the typical fare I'd read, but pretty good focus on characterization, not artwork.

I picked up several novels from the Del Ray and Tor booths as well, but haven't dove into those just yet.

[Pentegarn]

I'm going to say you are wrong because of Shawshank Redemption


Which is more of a novella, but still

[wizbenny]

Yeah I mean novels since that was what was being discussed. His novellas are typically better constructed... Guess I should have specified.

Mind you, I enjoy them overall, but disappointed in the finales.

[Fathom Zero]

I like a lot of his non-supernatural thriller stuff. Fo' realsy

[Esuohlim]

Well since I'm the kind of person who enjoys reading books and cares more about the journey than the destination, I'm not going to be put off by bad endings as long as most of the overall book is good. I'm about 400 pages into the Stand and it's incredible so far, btw.

[Fathom Zero]

Trashcan Man is one of my favorite characters in anything ever.

[wizbenny]

Bombedy bombedy bomb.

The Dark Tower series was very cool in that it tied a lot of his books together into one kind of psuedo-continuity. Ending sucked tho... which, he even SAYS will suck with a disclaimer for anyone reading it. Seriously. Kind of insulting.

Still, there's no denying he's a good writer... he just needs an equally good editor to pin him down to endings that make sense and he'd be a perfect writer. LOL.

Everyone needs a sounding board... in my opinion. Unfortunately (as demonstrated by Lucas) when you're surrounded by sycophants and yes-men... too afraid of upsetting the 800 lb gorilla... you're left with bland creative from otherwise talented people.

[Fathom Zero]

I don't think it's easy to end a magnum opus.

[wizbenny]

Originally Posted by Fathom Zero

I don't think it's easy to end a magnum opus.

If it doesn't have a good ending, can it by definition BE a magnum opus? Or is it merely an "almost" magnum opus?

[Grislygus]

the dark tower series is very simple. as soon as stephen king wrote himself into it, as a character, it solidified as crap.

It's archetypal Dune Syndrome; everything gets too damn big, everything gets explained even as more questions are raised, the explained again, everything gets lost in the muddle, everything gets ridiculous in a hurry and then the whole damn series collapses in on itself in a ludicrous, quivering pile of What The Hell Was THAT Crap

[Grislygus]

psuedo-continuity, my ass. Occasionally, continuity wouldbe briefly hinted at in books like Cujo (yes... and It). From there, connections were firmly established in Insomnia.

Unfortunately, all that was just too damn interesting and subtle, so we get beaten over the head with ZOMG ROLAND ACTUALLY MET STEPHEN KING AND TOLD HIM THAT EVERY STORY HE EVER WROTE WOULD ACTUALLY BE ABOUT THE DARK TOWER LET'S ALL GO TO BARNES AND NOBLE AND GEEK OUT TOGETHER

[wizbenny]

Originally Posted by Grislygus

psuedo-continuity, my ass. Occasionally, continuity wouldbe briefly hinted at in books like Cujo (yes... and It). From there, connections were firmly established in Insomnia.

You are aware what the word "psuedo" means, correct? Because you say "my ass" then agree with its appellation.

[Grislygus]

psuedo-continuity, my ass. It WAS a pseudo-continuity until is was firmly established as an ACTUAL continuity in a single furious act of literary masturbation

[Pentegarn]