The Langoliers

by Stephen King

Just finished this a moment ago. I remember first watching a movie of this when I was little and how much I was creeped out by it. Not really pure fear, but a slow feeling of foreboding. It was really quite wonderful. And the thing is I don't think I watched the ending of that movie. So now I've picked up on reading the story (which is always better than their movie counterparts).

A complete synopsis here. The gist of the story is this. A bunch of people board a plane. 30 minuets into takeoff, almost the whole plane is empty and the remaining passengers awaken to this strange situation. They are finally able to land at Bangor Airport, Maine. When they get there, they discover it is almost exactly like the world they were in before, except that this world is utterly void of people and any living creature. And also there is the sound, the crackling sound. Sound like rice crispy popping from afar, as described by one of the passengers. This sound, it is getting closer too. The crackling rice crispies, coming closer and closer...

This is one of my favourite stories. The pacing is quite good, you never get out of breath or feel it is being dragged out too long. There are also several interesting themes and plot elements to it. The characters also, are unique and believable. Great story all in all.

The Eyes of the Dragon

by Stephen King

This is a dark fantasy book set in a sort of medieval age, of castles and wizards. It is a story of a young prince, Peter who is framed by Flagg, the magician/advisor of King Roland, Peter's father. He is then sent to live out the rest of his life in the top of a tower that overlooks the whole city, called the Needle. In the meantime, Peter's younger brother Thomas takes over the kingdom and being so young and not very bright, Thomas is simply a puppet to Flagg's will. In all this while, Peter sets about setting things right and starts to hatch a plan to escape and reclaim his throne and clear his name. All this Peter must do before Flagg causes the whole kingdom to riot in arms from the high taxation and injustice of the courts he has imposed.

I think this is not one of King's best works. It seems to simple and the world's coloring and texture is very thinly veiled. The concept are also not explored into much depth. I felt there was very little to make this story have any sort of fantasy feel, or is it not supposed to be fantasy but just set in medieval times. I wonder. Anyways, it is also not dark and scary enough.

With other King books I have read, I always felt sick to my gut about how mentally disturbing it is. For instance, when I read Rose Madder, even thought the overall plots was not very well put together, the depth and substance of the characters are enough to make you feel and sick with everything, which is where I set the bar for King's fiction.

Overall, the story is decent and the characters are likable but at the end of it I felt it could have been so much more and I did not feel particularly horrified by any of it.

On Writing

by Stephen King

I started on this book 3 days ago and finished it just now. It is a sort of autobiographical and guide on how he became a writer and the things necessary to be a writer. He came from a lower middle class background and his road to being a published author is one of struggle.

His book has given me inspiration in that even he goes through the same pains ; the uncertainty and insecurities of writing. Also at the start of his career he was broke, married and had 2 children to care for. My "problems" pale in comparison to what he was going through. So I resolve in his steps to read and write as much as I possibly can as is his advice. What is important at the end of the day is producing that 1st draft and not get held up on grammar and prose. These can be mended later given a good story. Also I absolutely agree on many points he made on the process of writing where it is like unraveling fossils bit by bit. Sometimes the things I discover while writing surprise myself and indeed the characters take on a life of their own.

Lastly and most importantly, to stay true and honest to one's writing. Do not replicate the work of someone else (perhaps to sell more books or is more successful). There's no harm in following the style but the content of the story itself has to come from one's own heart and mind. So again, write a lot, read a lot.