Well, let's try this again.

Well, hey there.  Ya miss me?  As many know, I have not posted anything in like 2 years, mostly because I was getting overwhelmed with school and work at the bank.  Well, I am still working on school (and doing quite well), but I have left the bank and am now working at an awesome restaurant here in Atlanta. I have so much less stress, and much more flexibility with my schedule, and thus I am much happier.

So back to what this was really first about: Stephen King, and the profound universe that he has created.  I am still making my way through the journey that is his work, and am still finding myself happily immersed in it.  Last time I posted, I think I was in the middle of The Stand.  I have since finished that and many others, and am now in the middle of "Apt Pupil" in Different Seasons.  Do I plan to backtrack and recap those experiences? Not really.  I think one thing that wore me out from writing this blog in the first place was the pressure of commenting on everything that I was reading.  I don't really want to feel pressure while enjoying SK's writing.  If you want to see a play by play recount of commentary on each book I recommend the public forums on stephenking.com (of which I am actively posting as "Ryan the Reader" as well).

Needless to say, by me reviving this blogging effort, I am trying to approach the whole blog in a different way.  What I think will be a more creative way.  I really want to explore a more creative side of myself that I just recently discovered in my creative writing class in school.  I wrote as couple of stories that were undoubtedly influenced by the writing of Stephen King.  My first story "No. 2" was about a girl who goes insane while staying up late one night cramming for the LSATs.  My second story, "If...", was about  a dystopian future where the U.S. government was taken over by evangelical Christians.  This second story was also told in a similar style to Carrie in that it was told through newspaper articles, interviews, public speeches, and the Associated Press ticker.

I want to explore more Stephen King related bursts of artistic creation.  I am interested in having a place here where I can both share my own art, and provide a space for others to share their SK related work as well.  It doesn't matter whether or not it is a story, a drawing, a painting, a tattoo, a poem, or whatever.  If you want to share it, please send it to me, and I will post it.  My email is ryanthereader@gmail.com.

This blog was originally named The Ultimate Stephen King Experience, and that's exactly what I want it to be.  So anyone who wants to join, you are welcome.  Please share with other SK fans, and let's get this party started.

-Ryan "The Reader"-

P.S.  Let me begin by sharing my latest SK art inspired by one of the many covers for Carrie.

The Stand: The Good, the Bad...and well, Harold's just ugly.

I really do love stories that deal with the battle between good and evil. While The Stand deals heavily with this eternal battle, it adds such dimension to each character. Let's take the "good guys" for instance:

Frannie Goldsmith - The "girl next door" type who got herself knocked up by her boyfriend. The eternal "daddy's girl". Normally this is the kind of character that would annoy the shit out of me to no end (And honestly, played by Molly Ringwald in the movie, she almost does). But I honestly start to feel for her situation, even before the flu comes her way. That scene in her mother's parlor is just fabulous! Yeah, it kind of gets high melodrama, but it is so well written that it doesn't feel so much like a scene out of "Days of Our Lives". From what I hear, that scene isn't even in the original version of the book. Rock on, SK, for putting that back in. I also have to chuckle at how she has to deal with nasty, ugly Harold. Poor thing.

Stu Redman - Not necessarily the most interesting of all characters, in my opinion, but likable all the same. He really is just your regular redneck good guy, who gets caught in a world of shit. At this point in the story, he has just escaped the medical facility, but has not done much more. I'll get back to him later when his story gets going.

Larry Underwood - You know, I never really "got" musicians. I have met several in my life. Some old, some young. And still, I never really get what goes on inside their minds. I know that that is weird, being a "theatre person" and all. Anyway, I like Larry well enough, but I guess I just don't "get" him. At this point in the story, he has just taken care of his dead mother, and now has met up with the older woman, Rita, in the park. (Side note: It gives me chills to think of what NYC would be like during this kind of tragedy...ick!)

Nick Andros - How I love thee, Nick, let me count the ways. I have such a crush on Nick Andros. He is such a sweet guy. I feel so bad for how this poor deaf-mute gets stuck in this little town, and gets to really care for this nice sheriff and his wife, just so the whole town can go and drop dead around him. Poor boy. There should be more people like Nick in the world.

Now for the bad:

Lloyd Henreid - Not much has happened with Lloyd yet. We've only seen him a couple of times, and he is in jail now waiting for his trial. What a sleazeball though. More to come once we see more of him.

Randall Flagg - Well, when it comes to "bad", obviously this is the guy to compare all others to. What I find interesting, though, is that I never really thought about what Flagg did before the start of this story. There is some talk about where he came from, but not too much. Apparently, he didn't have the same magical powers as he does when we first meet him. Was he just a evil man waiting to be called by the powers of darkness? Is he the devil? I don't know, but apparently he is or was human at some point. It makes you wonder who is walking around this world right now, just waiting for the right moment to "become" the evil being that they are born to be. Well, actually that sounds pretty cheesy, but oh well.

That's really it for the bad guys so far. I know there are more to come, but right now the story has been more focused on the good people dealing with the aftermath of the flu outbreak. But the real fun is when it comes to the people who are caught between good and evil. They are the ones who really represent the true nature of humanity. And as the story continues, I'm sure we will talk more about them.

Anyway, back to the book...

The Stand: The Life and Times of a First Time Kindle User

OK, so I am now 20% through The Stand. When you read with a Kindle, you no longer know what "page" you're on, because you can read at any font you want, so instead it goes by percentage. At first I thought I might have problems with that, but in actuality I like it a lot better. I have always been one of those readers who has had a hard time not being preoccupied with the length of something (snicker, snicker). While I do really like reading long bodies of writing, I still find myself examining how much longer until the end of the chapter, or section, or book, etc. Reading with a Kindle devise takes all that drama away. It is refreshing to read something as massive as The Stand, and not feel overwhelmed by the length of it. I know I am at 20%, but I don't "feel" the 80% that is left to read. It gives me the real opportunity to enjoy the book fully, and not have to worry about anything else. I know that that sounds silly, but there it is. I have had the "Kindle Debate" with a couple of friends, who are also avid readers. Many are against the idea of not having a physical book to sink into. I totally understand that apprehension, because I too love the feel of a book, the smell of the pages, and so forth. While the Kindle does have a different feel, it does not detract from the enjoyment of the story in any way. I love how my hand doesn't ever get tired, I don't have to worry about adjusting my position as I turn pages, and the lighting is constant. I really feel that I can read for longer periods, with less of the typical things that cause me to get tired after awhile. I know I sound like an advertisement for Kindle, but what can I say. I really love the thing!

Anyway, enough about the Kindle. Now onto the real subject of discussion, the masterpiece that is The Stand: I love this book so much. I've read it once before, and am so happy to read it again. I have only ever read the "uncut" version that came out in 1990, though. I did have some debate with myself as to whether or not I should track down the original version to read now, and then read the uncut version later, but then I thought better of it. After all, SK himself claims that the uncut version is how he had originally intended it, and that is good enough for me. But I would love feedback from anyone who has read both versions, as to what your take is. But either way, I'm sure the characters are just as colorful, and the story is just as well thought out. I am amazed by how each character is so well written. So much so that you really start to feel like you know them personally. At about 200 "pages", even though the story is still introducing all of the main characters, it does not feel like "introduction", because the story flows so well.

The other thing that SK does so well, is that he paints such a gruesomely realistic picture of what might happen to the world if something like "Captain Trips" ever happened. All the chaos, military stupidity, governmental cover ups, and widespread panic that ensues just gives me a knot in my stomach as I read it, because I can totally see that happening. It's also kind of unsettling when you think about things like the recent "Swine Flu" epidemic. How bad is a situation really? All we know is what the papers, and the news tells us. And all of that can be so easily controlled. Not that I am paranoid about those kind of things, but it does make me wonder. Funny enough, at one point in the story, SK even mentions the Swine Flu. I had never even heard of it until recently.

Anyway, I need to get back to my reading. More to come...

Night Shift: "Outlander! We have your woman!"

Hello. Wow, it has been a different year already. My whole routine is changing, and I like it. I go to work now, and really get to have a hand in shaping the way of things in the branch. I come home, and do some exercise, and do some reading. After dinner is really the only time I have now to veg out and watch TV. I'm eating better, and watching my caloric intake. Two questions come to mind: "Have pod people taken over my body?" and "Is this going to last?" I hope it does, because I feel really good (and I never even made an official "New Years resolution").

Anyway, on to the good stuff:

So I have now watched two more SK movie adaptations: Cat's Eye and Children of the Corn (the one from the 80's). Both I had seen before, and both were just as enjoyable now. Cat's Eye had probably the best, and most faithful adaptations of SK short stories that I have seen. Why? Because they were short segments, I would assume. Get it, movie makers? Short stories=short movies. Most of the time, if you do anything longer, you screw it up. But not all the time. Case and point: Children of the Corn. I remember this movie from when I was a kid, and it creeped the shit out of me. Kids can be so goddamn scary sometimes. The funny thing is, the guy who played Isaac in the movie was really a 26 year old guy who had a disease that made him look young. Weird, huh?

I also finished the rest of the stories in Night Shift. SK really finished up the collection with some really good stories, not all of which were even horror related. Some really good stuff, though. Here is the breakdown:

"Children of the Corn": Well, I already said some about it, but here I will primarily talk about the story itself. It is a great story about a bitchy couple who get caught in a town in Nebraska where all of the adults are dead, and the children have taken over. They all worship "He Who Walks Behind the Rows", who demands the sacrifice of anyone over a certain age. The bitchy couple gets caught in the middle, and get slaughtered. Real creepy imagery of the woman crucified with corn husks shoved through her eyes. Icky!

"The Last Rung on the Ladder": A very touching, non horror/supernatural story, about a brother and sister who were playing in a barn as children, and the ladder they were playing on breaks, and leaves the sister hanging on to...you guessed it, the last rung on the ladder. But really the story is more about the relationship between the siblings, and how their lives went into separate directions. A very touching story.

"The Man Who Loved Flowers": Probably the shortest story in this whole collection, but definitely one to remember. It is all about this bouncy, happy man, who walks down the streets of New York, and picks up flowers for his girlfriend. Everyone is so pleasantly effected when they see this happy man, but little do they know that he is a crazy serial killer who finds woman in alleyways, and bashes their heads in with a hammer. Very well written, and enjoyable.

"One For the Road": A follow up story to 'Salem's Lot. This time it is two years after the events of the book, and there is a blizzard in Maine, and some stupid man from New Jersey drives right into the deserted town of Jerusalem's Lot with his wife and daughter. Well, the car breaks down, and he leaves them in the car while he walks six miles to a local bar to get help. Of course, by the time they get back to the car, the wife and daughter are now vampires, and they welcome the father with open fangs. Fun story, if only because it takes us back to the town that we have learned to know so well.

"The Woman in the Room": Another non-supernatural story about a son coping with the decision to help his terminally ill mother commit suicide. It is a very realistically written picture of how I would imagine someone to feel, and I was very close to tears while reading this story. Well done SK for showing us that some "horror" in life does not have to come from "the beyond".

Anyway, I think this concludes most of my Night Shift posting. I am still hunting down some of the harder to find movies, and I will comment on them whenever I do get ahold of them.

And now I am on to reading The Stand with my new Amazon Kindle....

Night Shift: "Chainsploitation" and more

So, Christmas has now sadly past, and I am trying to get back into my regular routine, but also develop some new good habits at the same time. For instance, I am eager to get back into reading and posting, but I also want to start being more physically active. Santa brought me Wii Fit Plus for Christmas, and I am determined to make "Santa" feel like he has not wasted his money on buying it for me. Also, I just got a huge promotion at work, and will have to spend more time with that. So just in case you wonder why I am not posting as often, those are the reasons.

Oh, and one other update, Santa carried through on his promise, and brought me an Amazon Kindle device, and I must say, it is the coolest thing I have seen in a long while. It really does feel just like you are reading a book, not like a machine at all. As previously mentioned, I plan on reading The Stand with the Kindle, and I can't wait to start that.

Anyway, the real topic of this update is to talk about the SK stuff that I have watched/read since last I posted. Well, the first thing I wanted to mention was that I watched the movie version of "The Mangler". I can sum up the movie in one word...Chainsploitation. You've heard of "Blacksploitation", "Sexploitation", and myriad kinds of exploitation movies, but this one takes the cake. The movie is shot after shot of gratuitous machinery chains churning, and grinding, and hissing, and steaming......oops, it really is starting to sound like a sexploitation movie instead. But that being said, the cinematography and the set design were quite impressive, and definitely the best part of the movie. The acting was atrocious, and the expanded story was more than ridiculous. But that was to be expected. If I was to compare it to the film adaptation of "Graveyard Shift", I would say that it was sooooooooo much better.

Moving on...I have read the next five stories in Night Shift, and would like to make some brief comments on those:

"Strawberry Spring": I hate to say it, but I feel like it was so long ago that I read this story, that I already don't really remember it much. I guess that isn't really saying much about the story, is it? It was an ok story about a serial killer who kills some people during an odd weather anomaly in the spring. It was reminiscent of Jack the Ripper coming out of the London fog. Nothing really more to mention. Enjoyable, but easily forgettable.

"The Ledge": Now this story on the other hand, I find quite memorable. It is the story of a rich man who has his wife's lover walk the ledge outside of his apartment building in order to get away with his life. It is a very suspenseful story, and really keeps you on the edge of your seat. It is one of the stories that was turned into a movie, as part of the anthology, Cat's Eye. I have that movie here from Netflix today, and can't wait to watch it as well.

"The Lawnmower Man": I think that when SK wrote this story, he must have been high on something. That being said, it isn't a really bad story. It's just extremely strange. It's a very short story about a man who hires a service to come mow his lawn. The guy that arrives is a fat guy who has a very strange way of mowing the lawn: His mower runs by itself, while the fat guy gets naked, crawls behind the mower, and eats all the grass clippings. The guy turns out to be a worshipper of Pan, and ends up sacrificing the homeowner to his god. The thing to really mention about this story though has more to do with the movie version. The movie version has nothing to do with the story at all. SK sued to have his name removed from the movie, because it was a remake in name only. I hate it when people make movies like that. Why trick us into going to see a movie by putting SK's name on it? Was the movie that bad that you had to pull that bullshit? Well, I've seen the movie, and while it's not the best movie, it still is quite entertaining. So who knows?

"Quitters, Inc.": OK, this story totally rocks. I don't know if it is because I am an ex-smoker who can totally appreciate the lengths it takes to quit smoking, or if it is just a really good story. Basically it is about a man who is a chain smoker, with a wife and kid. He meets an old friend one day who gives him a card for Quitters, Inc. who helped him quit smoking and "changed his life". So he goes to this place, and finds out that if he will be under constant surveillance, and if he smokes, then bad things will end up happening to his wife and kid. He slips only once, and his wife is forced to spend a certain amount of time in a box that gives electrical shocks to her feet. It is really crazy to think that sometimes it actually takes something that big to make you break a habit. It definitely makes you think. This story is also in Cat's Eye.

"I Know What You Need": A very well paced, and well written story about a college girl who meets a guy who has a knack for always knowing what she needs. He comforts her when her boyfriend dies, and they start seeing each other. Then her roommate does some investigating, and finds out that he is not all that he seems. One evening, she sneaks into his apartment and finds some voodoo figures of herself, and her dead boyfriend. He confronts her, but has no more power over her, and she leaves him. The story itself wouldn't have been that interesting, if the writing wasn't done so well. The story unfolds at a perfect pace, and has me entertained all the way through.

Well folks, that's all for now. Have a safe New Years Eve!

Night Shift: "Now there's 90 minutes I'm never getting back."

Hi, all. Sorry that it has been so long. I have been totally out of reading mode for the past week for so. I took some vacation time last week, and ended up getting totally sucked in to playing "Legend of Zelda" games on my Wii. Another one of my guilty pleasures, I must say. Another reason that I am taking it slow, is because I think that Santa might be bringing me a Kindle for Christmas, and I don't want to start the next novel, The Stand, until I have that. So, I've been reading slower, and in the meantime I have started to rent some of the movies in this collection.

Let's dish about the first movie. A complete atrocity: Graveyard Shift.

Wow. Now there's 90 minutes that I'm never getting back. This movie took everything that was totally creepy about the story, and screwed it up. I mean seriously, that was the most well lit basement that I have ever seen. I don't even think they were using flashlights half the time. And in these kinds of movies, why oh why does there always have to be some "king monster". I liked it so much more when it was just a whole bunch of crazy rats attacking people, and not one big ugly monster. And of course there had to be some stupid, inconsequential love story in the middle of it all. Ick.

All in all, a completely forgettable interpretation, but then again, I really wasn't expecting much more.

Night Shift: Fun, Fun, and More Fun

These next five stories were so much fun. Some of them I had read before, but some I hadn't. I think that all but one of these five stories have been turned into either movies, shorts, or TV show episodes.

"The Boogeyman": I remember being a teenager, and thinking that it would be a good idea to read this story aloud to my 5 or 6 year old twin sisters as they went to bed. Boy, am I a stinker or what? This story still remains one of the creepier ones, even after having read it so many times. To me, there is just something really disturbing about infants being slaughtered by "the monster in the closet". I also like the fact that this story is really a morality tale about parenthood. The main character is a father whose negligence, stubbornness, and pride all seem to cause his children to be murdered. This all comes out in flashbacks as he unloads his conscious onto a psychiatrist. There is also a trick ending that is kind of hokey, but still makes me smile.

"Gray Matter": This story is another one that makes my skin crawl. It is all about a man who gets infested by some bacteria in his beer, that starts to take over his body. This story reminds me a lot of the story in the SK film, Creepshow, "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill". While the segment in the movie is about a man (played by SK himself) who gets infested by a bacteria from a meteor, and is really played more for laughs than anything else, this story is much darker and creepier.

"Battleground": This story is lots of fun, and is such an obvious homage to certain Richard Matheson stories. It is all about a hit man who receives a package in the mail that turns out to be an army of toy soldiers that wage war against the man in his apartment. It reminds me a lot of Matheson's segment in the 1975 movie, Trilogy of Terror, where a Zuni doll wages war against a woman in her apartment. It was recently made into an episode of the TV show Nightmares and Dreamscapes, which was a compilation of SK short stories made into TV episodes.

"Trucks": A very action packed story about a group of people who are held hostage in a truck stop when the world's trucks all of a sudden come alive and start to attack the human race. I found this story very scary, as it had a very bleak outlook. We create all of these mechanical devices to do things for us, and we hit them when they don't work, and run them until they die. It is interesting to see SK's vision of what would happen if one day they decided to hit back. SK wrote and directed (in his only directorial effort) the movie version, Maximum Overdrive in the 80's. I have not yet seen this movie, and I am curious to see what SK is like as a director. From what I hear, after watching the movie, I will understand why he has never been asked to direct another movie. I'll let you know what I think when I get there.

"Sometimes They Come Back": Ominous story about an English teacher who's dead childhood tormentors come back from the dead to cause him more trouble. This short story was one of the longer ones in this book, and I really liked the fact that it was. The story really had time to develop, and grow to it's climax. It also displays some interesting symbolic themes about how "demons" from your past can reappear. Or as SK puts it, "Sometimes they come back." There is also a TV movie version of this made in the 90's, and from what I understand, it is a decent one. I look forward to seeing that interpretation.

I'll check back in after the next five...