No one does horror like Stephen King
Stephen King — commonly called the “King of Horror,” and rightfully so — is the greatest horror writer of all time.
The first King novel I ever read was “Duma Key,” which follows a construction worker who suffers a terrible accident and moves to a remote Florida island for rehabilitation, where supernatural events unfold. I discovered the book when I was around 11 or 12 years old, either in my middle school library or independent study class.
As a kid, I did not possess a hunger for knowledge or a craving for mental stimulation the way I do now as a 27-year-old college sophomore, but I was immediately encapsulated by the cover art — a gorgeous blend of orange and blue depicting a storm with an eerie vessel at sea and the book’s title drawn in sand.
Seeing the name Stephen King at the top and remembering that I had once watched the film “Misery” with my cherished grandma, Dianne, who told me that the movie was based off of one of King’s books, truly pulled me in.
Enjoying “Duma Key” was groundbreaking for me at the time because I abhorred school; yet, at that moment, I was excited to read something I chose of my own free will.
The 350 million books that King has sold globally — and the number of films and shows adapted from his work — speak for themselves, and so do the beautifully morbid descriptions within all his literature. Reading King today is a breath of fresh air because he does not hold back with the verbiage he uses, utilizing bad or controversial words fittingly with each story and its era in a gracefully unapologetic way.
Regardless of any unsettling, disturbing details, I am always completely ecstatic when reading King or watching an inspired film. Only he can turn something so wildly unpleasant and make it an absolute joy to read with his masterful storytelling abilities and impressive imagination.
A couple of weeks ago, I told my youngest daughter that the movies and new television series “Welcome to Derry” about Pennywise all exist because of King’s “It,” which I explained to her is the fictional story about an evil, shape-shifting clown.
She was pleasantly surprised, smiling from ear to ear. My daughter is a fan of R.L. Stine and enjoys reading his “Goosebumps” books every now and then. I plan to introduce King novels to her once she reaches high school. Eventually, I’d also like to introduce these books to my nephews because they also admire spooky tales. My youngest nephew is a fan of Pennywise and will be trick-or-treating as the scary clown this very Halloween night in New York.
If you yourself are new to King and have an interest in checking out his work, his first published novel, “Carrie,” is a smooth, easy read. It’s the perfect catalyst for getting into the Halloween spirit, and there is no better place to find horror than with the king himself.
