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Stephen King: A Complete Exploration of His Work, Life, and Influences
Explore the evolution and influences of Stephen King’s body of work over his nearly 50-year career, and discover how the themes of his writing reflect the changing times and events within his life.
Timed with Stephen King’s 75th birthday on September 21, 2022, Stephen King: A Complete Exploration of His Work, Life, and Influences features archival photos and documents from King’s personal collection alongside the stories behind how his novels, novellas, short stories, and adaptations came to be.
With critically acclaimed titles that have also been turned into blockbuster sensations like IT and Carrie, King's work has stood the test of time across decades. This history of the writer's struggles, triumphs, bestsellers, lesser-known stories, collaborations, and more makes the perfect addition to any Stephen King fan’s collection.
Celebrate the beloved King of Horror with this informational and entertaining look inside King’s most iconic titles and the culture they have created.
Timed with Stephen King’s 75th birthday on September 21, 2022, Stephen King: A Complete Exploration of His Work, Life, and Influences features archival photos and documents from King’s personal collection alongside the stories behind how his novels, novellas, short stories, and adaptations came to be.
With critically acclaimed titles that have also been turned into blockbuster sensations like IT and Carrie, King's work has stood the test of time across decades. This history of the writer's struggles, triumphs, bestsellers, lesser-known stories, collaborations, and more makes the perfect addition to any Stephen King fan’s collection.
Celebrate the beloved King of Horror with this informational and entertaining look inside King’s most iconic titles and the culture they have created.
243 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2022
277 people are currently reading
756 people want to read
About the author
Bev Vincent
129 books98 followersBev Vincent is the author of The Dark Tower Companion, The Road to the Dark Tower, the Bram Stoker Award nominated companion to Stephen King’s Dark Tower series, and The Stephen King Illustrated Companion, which was nominated for a 2010 Edgar® Award and a 2009 Bram Stoker Award. In 2018, he co-edited the anthology Flight or Fright with Stephen King.
His short fiction has appeared in places like Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Borderlands 5, Ice Cold, and The Blue Religion. Four stories were collected in When the Night Comes Down and another four in a CD Select eBook. His story “The Bank Job” won the Al Blanchard Award. “The Honey Trap” from Ice Cold was nominated for an ITW Thriller Award in 2015 and “Zombies On A Plane” was nominated for an Ignotus Award in 2020.
His work has been translated into: Arabic, Bulgarian, Chinese, Czech, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish, Serbian, Spanish and Ukrainian.
He has been a contributing editor with Cemetery Dance magazine since 2001 and writes book reviews for Onyx Reviews. He has served as a judge for the Al Blanchard, Shirley Jackson and Edgar Awards.
His short fiction has appeared in places like Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Borderlands 5, Ice Cold, and The Blue Religion. Four stories were collected in When the Night Comes Down and another four in a CD Select eBook. His story “The Bank Job” won the Al Blanchard Award. “The Honey Trap” from Ice Cold was nominated for an ITW Thriller Award in 2015 and “Zombies On A Plane” was nominated for an Ignotus Award in 2020.
His work has been translated into: Arabic, Bulgarian, Chinese, Czech, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish, Serbian, Spanish and Ukrainian.
He has been a contributing editor with Cemetery Dance magazine since 2001 and writes book reviews for Onyx Reviews. He has served as a judge for the Al Blanchard, Shirley Jackson and Edgar Awards.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
October 21, 2022
Some people believe it is possible to learn about a writer through a careful reading of his or her work. Others think a writer’s work is best understood by knowing the details and circumstances of that person’s life. Which way does the mirror point—or does it work in both directions?
What is so frustrating about this book is that it adds nothing new to what us Constant Readers know already. In fact, Bev Vincent quotes extensively from one of the best books about King ever written, ‘The Art of Darkness’ by Douglas E. Winter (1982). And who can possibly top King’s own ‘On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft’ (2000), the only ‘how to’ book whose advice I have ever followed.
Of course, Vincent has the advantage of updating Winter’s book, but does so with a perfunctory collection of plot synopses that get scantier the closer she reaches the author’s landmark 75th birthday on 21 September 2022. In fact, Holly (2023) only gets a title mention and zip-all else. Not that I am too keen on an entire book about Holly Gibney and her assorted hang-ups, I hasten to add.
The best part is the generous number of photographs sprinkled throughout. Many of these I have never seen before, so they probably come from King’s own archives. Vincent also includes pictures of copy-edited (and even handwritten) manuscript pages, which is fascinating for people like me who work in editing. Unfortunately, I was reading this on the Moon+ Reader app, which does not allow me to enlarge the embedded photographs. Cue lots of close-up peering and eye strain.
I would have appreciated more biographical detail and critical analysis, especially as King has loomed as a cultural icon on the literary landscape for so many decades. I am not convinced of Vincent’s handy division of his career into ‘pre’ and ‘post’ accident. The fact that he has received much more critical acclaim in the latter part of his career (which Stephen and Tabitha call their ‘bonus period’) should not be taken at face value and needs a lot of critical unpacking.
Where are the interviews with family, friends and fellow writers? I suppose we will have to wait for the official biography for all of that. The recent death of Peter Straub at 79 reminded me that King is part of an ageing generation (Tabitha King herself is 73). Heck, even Clive Barker is 70. When I was a teenager starting out with SF, I had Clarke, Asimov, Herbert, Heinlein as my idols – all long since passed. When asked what he thinks his legacy will be (what a question to pose to a living writer!) he humbly says he does not know, but he suspects he will not be read much in the future after his death. I beg to differ on that one.
One little nugget I was unaware of was that King wrote the accident scene in ‘From A Buick Eight’ just prior to his own accident. Or the relevance of the number 19 throughout his work. So, this was a fun read, propped up mainly by its visual content. Vincent certainly does not reinvent the wheel, but it is a good introduction and overview, especially if you are new to King’s vast output and are looking for an entry point.
What is so frustrating about this book is that it adds nothing new to what us Constant Readers know already. In fact, Bev Vincent quotes extensively from one of the best books about King ever written, ‘The Art of Darkness’ by Douglas E. Winter (1982). And who can possibly top King’s own ‘On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft’ (2000), the only ‘how to’ book whose advice I have ever followed.
Of course, Vincent has the advantage of updating Winter’s book, but does so with a perfunctory collection of plot synopses that get scantier the closer she reaches the author’s landmark 75th birthday on 21 September 2022. In fact, Holly (2023) only gets a title mention and zip-all else. Not that I am too keen on an entire book about Holly Gibney and her assorted hang-ups, I hasten to add.
The best part is the generous number of photographs sprinkled throughout. Many of these I have never seen before, so they probably come from King’s own archives. Vincent also includes pictures of copy-edited (and even handwritten) manuscript pages, which is fascinating for people like me who work in editing. Unfortunately, I was reading this on the Moon+ Reader app, which does not allow me to enlarge the embedded photographs. Cue lots of close-up peering and eye strain.
I would have appreciated more biographical detail and critical analysis, especially as King has loomed as a cultural icon on the literary landscape for so many decades. I am not convinced of Vincent’s handy division of his career into ‘pre’ and ‘post’ accident. The fact that he has received much more critical acclaim in the latter part of his career (which Stephen and Tabitha call their ‘bonus period’) should not be taken at face value and needs a lot of critical unpacking.
Where are the interviews with family, friends and fellow writers? I suppose we will have to wait for the official biography for all of that. The recent death of Peter Straub at 79 reminded me that King is part of an ageing generation (Tabitha King herself is 73). Heck, even Clive Barker is 70. When I was a teenager starting out with SF, I had Clarke, Asimov, Herbert, Heinlein as my idols – all long since passed. When asked what he thinks his legacy will be (what a question to pose to a living writer!) he humbly says he does not know, but he suspects he will not be read much in the future after his death. I beg to differ on that one.
One little nugget I was unaware of was that King wrote the accident scene in ‘From A Buick Eight’ just prior to his own accident. Or the relevance of the number 19 throughout his work. So, this was a fun read, propped up mainly by its visual content. Vincent certainly does not reinvent the wheel, but it is a good introduction and overview, especially if you are new to King’s vast output and are looking for an entry point.
September 28, 2022
I am not a fan of horror, and from King I have read so far only fantasy (the Dark Tower series), and three more novels, none of them horror. But this account of his works made me want to change that.
For those not very familiar with King's complete oeuvre, such as myself, this was a great book. It covers his entire work, from short stories to novellas, poetry, and novels.
It's not really a resume, it's more of a study; there are interesting bits and pieces about each of his stories, the ideas behind and what inspired them, when were they written, what changes were done upon them until (and how) were they published.
Interwoven between them there are telegrams, letters from fans and editors, books' original covers, pictures from movie adaptations, and other miscellanea.
There are also a few autobiographical facts, covering his childhood, marriage with Tabitha, their struggling years before King was successful, his alcohol and drugs problem afterwards, and also how the car accident changed his life and his work.
The author included some suppositions, which at first I thought they should have been confirmed with King, but later I realized they were added just as a mystery aura to surround him.
I loved the idea of the Dollar Babies, which are movie adaptations based on his stories, whose rights have been sold for one dollar.
We learn how Randall Flagg was born and how and where he made his exit; how King came to write as Richard Bachman; also, how are the books connected through the main two towns, and through characters, and many, many other details.
And I loved the layout of the book. I have included below some pictures of its pages; this is a book to read as a hardcopy, the electronic edition doesn't do it justice.
>>> ARC received thanks to Quarto Publishing Group – Becker & Mayer! via NetGalley <<<
For those not very familiar with King's complete oeuvre, such as myself, this was a great book. It covers his entire work, from short stories to novellas, poetry, and novels.
It's not really a resume, it's more of a study; there are interesting bits and pieces about each of his stories, the ideas behind and what inspired them, when were they written, what changes were done upon them until (and how) were they published.
Interwoven between them there are telegrams, letters from fans and editors, books' original covers, pictures from movie adaptations, and other miscellanea.
There are also a few autobiographical facts, covering his childhood, marriage with Tabitha, their struggling years before King was successful, his alcohol and drugs problem afterwards, and also how the car accident changed his life and his work.
The author included some suppositions, which at first I thought they should have been confirmed with King, but later I realized they were added just as a mystery aura to surround him.
I loved the idea of the Dollar Babies, which are movie adaptations based on his stories, whose rights have been sold for one dollar.
We learn how Randall Flagg was born and how and where he made his exit; how King came to write as Richard Bachman; also, how are the books connected through the main two towns, and through characters, and many, many other details.
And I loved the layout of the book. I have included below some pictures of its pages; this is a book to read as a hardcopy, the electronic edition doesn't do it justice.
>>> ARC received thanks to Quarto Publishing Group – Becker & Mayer! via NetGalley <<<
September 14, 2022
I loved reading about one of my favorite authors! I understand that this is an updated and expanded version of the author's earlier work Stephen King Illustrated Companion which I haven't read. There were so many things I didn't know that I had so much fun finding out!
What made the book fun? Vincent provides a great deal of information about the circumstances that influenced certain books and how and where they were written. Also, what was happening in King's life during the period he was writing a particular book.
There were also interesting details about King's life before becoming a famous author, as well as during his life as an author. It provided information on the diffent genres King has explored such as poetry and non-fiction. It shows how many of the monsters in the book were extrapolated from something that was happening in his life. Some of the other things King became involved in like the rock and roll band, promoting various new technologies, and the radio station were of interest as well.
King's writing has been amazingly prolific and he's still writing. This book is timed to be published just prior to King's 75th birthday. King has written a huge number of books and has, in book book, achieved legendary status.
The pictures and inserts in the book were relevant and provided insight into the books. The only thing I didn't like was that some of the colors in the book make parts of it difficult to read - hard on the eyes - like the red background with black text and the black background with white text - it just kind of strobes and made my eyes hurt. Great biographical book thought and I'm glad I got the chance to read it.
Thanks to Quarto Publishing Group – becker & mayer through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on September 13, 2022.
What made the book fun? Vincent provides a great deal of information about the circumstances that influenced certain books and how and where they were written. Also, what was happening in King's life during the period he was writing a particular book.
There were also interesting details about King's life before becoming a famous author, as well as during his life as an author. It provided information on the diffent genres King has explored such as poetry and non-fiction. It shows how many of the monsters in the book were extrapolated from something that was happening in his life. Some of the other things King became involved in like the rock and roll band, promoting various new technologies, and the radio station were of interest as well.
King's writing has been amazingly prolific and he's still writing. This book is timed to be published just prior to King's 75th birthday. King has written a huge number of books and has, in book book, achieved legendary status.
The pictures and inserts in the book were relevant and provided insight into the books. The only thing I didn't like was that some of the colors in the book make parts of it difficult to read - hard on the eyes - like the red background with black text and the black background with white text - it just kind of strobes and made my eyes hurt. Great biographical book thought and I'm glad I got the chance to read it.
Thanks to Quarto Publishing Group – becker & mayer through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on September 13, 2022.
April 7, 2025
What an excellent book, very informative on all aspects of Stephen kings life and book writing.
This book starts early in kings life, explains his working and teaching.. growing up with his brother David ( who was adopted)
His meeting of Tabatha who then becomes his wife, loved her legs!
There struggles with trying to cope with surviving with little money, as a struggling writer only getting published in magazines and newspapers etc.his being signed by a publisher, being let down by others saying his stories wasn’t good enough( bet there annoyed now) !!
Starts with Carrie and ends up with Holly.
Every book, story is explained and the mind set of Stephen king.. most of his earlier stories were written while he was either drunk or stoned! Some say his best work.
Explains his near death accident he was involved in and his rehab.. then of course being an addict the then pain killers he has been given.. knowing personally the addictions of morphine etc.
this book is so great at every explanation of kings writing and the man he is.
Mentions his family and his wife Tabitha.
His collaborations with his sons
This was just a great read for all Stephen king fans or not. .
This book starts early in kings life, explains his working and teaching.. growing up with his brother David ( who was adopted)
His meeting of Tabatha who then becomes his wife, loved her legs!
There struggles with trying to cope with surviving with little money, as a struggling writer only getting published in magazines and newspapers etc.his being signed by a publisher, being let down by others saying his stories wasn’t good enough( bet there annoyed now) !!
Starts with Carrie and ends up with Holly.
Every book, story is explained and the mind set of Stephen king.. most of his earlier stories were written while he was either drunk or stoned! Some say his best work.
Explains his near death accident he was involved in and his rehab.. then of course being an addict the then pain killers he has been given.. knowing personally the addictions of morphine etc.
this book is so great at every explanation of kings writing and the man he is.
Mentions his family and his wife Tabitha.
His collaborations with his sons
This was just a great read for all Stephen king fans or not. .
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2024
I've read a number of books about King (including Mr. Vincent's Illustrated Companion from fifteen or so years back) but picked this one up because it covered his recent, remarkably prolific years. Vincent has studied King for many years, and his conclusions are intelligent and insightful. It's a large, very nicely illustrated book, with many photographs and cover images. There are a lot of little sidebar essays, separated from the main text, with interesting information and images. I found the appendixes curiously incomplete (for example, there's a mention of an X-Files script he wrote after appearing on a celebrity game show with David Duchovny, but it's not listed), but other than that I enjoyed the read and learned some interesting trivia and tidbits.
November 8, 2025
Update: Leaving five stars for the book, but condemnation for the subject, Stephen King. My interest in Mr King waned with his political posts to the point I stopped following his media.
For me, this peaked when he recently misrepresented information, lied to incite harm, following a public assassination. I wouldn’t have known about the derelict moral compass had it not been so provocative as to incite mass pain globally.
Though this book was enjoyable, the public content of character diminishment makes me realize to write horror and stories as Mr King has may have something to do with who he is inside. Not an imagination.
I’ve pulled a variety of books off my library shelves, such as this one, to recycle and am grieving my previous interest in such a heretic of decency.
Book review:
Bev Vincent’s The Stephen King Ultimate Companion: A Complete Exploration of His Work, Life, and Influences reads like a text book chock full of quality facts based on Mr. King’s brilliant alternative fictions of horror, suspense, and my favorites on memoir and teaching craft.
The cover fakes a worn classic in appearance at first glance. Though quality absent paper covering. Accents of typewriter fonts and blood spatter invite speculation of contents.
Inside thick pages full of color photos to fun facts scattered throughout this joy ride of info unknown to me as a more recent fan since reading On Writing a few years ago. Since then consumed a couple dozen stories from horror to what vibes magical realism of suspense in the Billy Hodges Series.
Hearing Mr. King’s story in his words made me curious to read about him from someone else’s assembling.
Recently stumbled upon “Understanding the Dark Tower Universe” in a few minutes on YouTube https://youtu.be/KmhWbMiIeV8
This fan’s explanation in visuals of the connection to Mr. King’s many stories toward the one developed over so many years woven in and out of his entire library of accomplishments gave me a whole new appreciation of what I’ve been missing as a novice of his brilliance.
Growing up with literacy struggles never dreamed of experiencing Mr. King outside of movies. With the help of audio am able to mount the endurance challenges of series and The Stand. Adding intensity by increasing speed of the narrator adds to pacing and enjoyment especially on cross country road trips.
If you enjoy facts and text book style reading bites at a time this will be a fantastic choice.
If you prefer long chapters of words minute captions and headlines of original cover art to photos including everything the subtitle notes: a complete exploration of his work, life, and influences you might not enjoy this so much.
For me, a complete exploration is a bit of a stretch on a man’s life that feels eternal. Like Queen Elizabeth can anyone remember life without Stephen King?
Whether a reader and movie goer or not Mr. King is a part of the world we live. This book is a way to reminisce and learn unfamiliar details.
For me, felt this would give me a broader view of someone I admire for his skill, authenticity, and creativity as a publisher author.
Happy to have this on my shelf for review anytime. Hoping this review encourages consideration if you enjoy Mr. King or not.
I find knowing about a writer adds to them as a published author and peaks interest. No doubt this book will for generations to come.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💯
For me, this peaked when he recently misrepresented information, lied to incite harm, following a public assassination. I wouldn’t have known about the derelict moral compass had it not been so provocative as to incite mass pain globally.
Though this book was enjoyable, the public content of character diminishment makes me realize to write horror and stories as Mr King has may have something to do with who he is inside. Not an imagination.
I’ve pulled a variety of books off my library shelves, such as this one, to recycle and am grieving my previous interest in such a heretic of decency.
Book review:
Bev Vincent’s The Stephen King Ultimate Companion: A Complete Exploration of His Work, Life, and Influences reads like a text book chock full of quality facts based on Mr. King’s brilliant alternative fictions of horror, suspense, and my favorites on memoir and teaching craft.
The cover fakes a worn classic in appearance at first glance. Though quality absent paper covering. Accents of typewriter fonts and blood spatter invite speculation of contents.
Inside thick pages full of color photos to fun facts scattered throughout this joy ride of info unknown to me as a more recent fan since reading On Writing a few years ago. Since then consumed a couple dozen stories from horror to what vibes magical realism of suspense in the Billy Hodges Series.
Hearing Mr. King’s story in his words made me curious to read about him from someone else’s assembling.
Recently stumbled upon “Understanding the Dark Tower Universe” in a few minutes on YouTube https://youtu.be/KmhWbMiIeV8
This fan’s explanation in visuals of the connection to Mr. King’s many stories toward the one developed over so many years woven in and out of his entire library of accomplishments gave me a whole new appreciation of what I’ve been missing as a novice of his brilliance.
Growing up with literacy struggles never dreamed of experiencing Mr. King outside of movies. With the help of audio am able to mount the endurance challenges of series and The Stand. Adding intensity by increasing speed of the narrator adds to pacing and enjoyment especially on cross country road trips.
If you enjoy facts and text book style reading bites at a time this will be a fantastic choice.
If you prefer long chapters of words minute captions and headlines of original cover art to photos including everything the subtitle notes: a complete exploration of his work, life, and influences you might not enjoy this so much.
For me, a complete exploration is a bit of a stretch on a man’s life that feels eternal. Like Queen Elizabeth can anyone remember life without Stephen King?
Whether a reader and movie goer or not Mr. King is a part of the world we live. This book is a way to reminisce and learn unfamiliar details.
For me, felt this would give me a broader view of someone I admire for his skill, authenticity, and creativity as a publisher author.
Happy to have this on my shelf for review anytime. Hoping this review encourages consideration if you enjoy Mr. King or not.
I find knowing about a writer adds to them as a published author and peaks interest. No doubt this book will for generations to come.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💯
January 8, 2023
nema se što puno zamjeriti ovom opsežnom radu koje pod povećalom prolazi kroz kingova djela. bev vincent stvarno si je dao truda, pažljivo prošao kroz cijeli kingov opus i, pametno, težište stavio na njegov rad više nego na privatan život kojeg se dotiče tek ukoliko je direktno povezan s njegovim stvaralačkim djelom.
iako nigdje ne piše da je autorizirana od kinga, s obzirom da je ustupio neke privatne fotografije i dokumente koji su uvršteni u monografiju, za vjerovati je da ju je king na neki način amenovao, a i ne vidim razloga da ne bi... bio njegov fan ili ne, ovo će ti svakako pobuditi interes za upoznavanje/produbljavanje odnosa s njegovim djelima, a osobito s likovima (od kojih se mnogi, kao, uostalom, i geografski pojmovi, pojavljuju kroz više djela).
ovo je luksuzno izdanje, tiskano na krutom i sjajnom papiru, s mnoštvom fotografija, isječaka, dokumenata, plakata, različitih korica knjiga, uključujući odabranu kingovu korespondenciju, a i njegove rane radove (npr. pjesme) pisane rukom ili na pisaćoj mašini, prilagođeno je hrvatskom tržištu: u dodatcima se navode koje knjige su prevedene kod nas, kroz pregledan kronološki popis.
osobito cijenim bogate bilješke i izvore fotografija iz kojih je vidljivo da je monografija vjerodostojna i autentična, a ne tek plod nagomilanih informacija izvučenih tkoznaotkuda.
mala zamjerka ide na zbrkanost monografije; iako kronološki prati kingov život i rad, ostavlja dojam nepreglednosti. možda zbog gomile dodatnih materijala, tekst nema tečnost, redovito je prekidan fotografijama ili dodatnim tekstovima pa unutar toga zahtjeva određenu spretnost u praćenju.
inače, sve pet.
iako nigdje ne piše da je autorizirana od kinga, s obzirom da je ustupio neke privatne fotografije i dokumente koji su uvršteni u monografiju, za vjerovati je da ju je king na neki način amenovao, a i ne vidim razloga da ne bi... bio njegov fan ili ne, ovo će ti svakako pobuditi interes za upoznavanje/produbljavanje odnosa s njegovim djelima, a osobito s likovima (od kojih se mnogi, kao, uostalom, i geografski pojmovi, pojavljuju kroz više djela).
ovo je luksuzno izdanje, tiskano na krutom i sjajnom papiru, s mnoštvom fotografija, isječaka, dokumenata, plakata, različitih korica knjiga, uključujući odabranu kingovu korespondenciju, a i njegove rane radove (npr. pjesme) pisane rukom ili na pisaćoj mašini, prilagođeno je hrvatskom tržištu: u dodatcima se navode koje knjige su prevedene kod nas, kroz pregledan kronološki popis.
osobito cijenim bogate bilješke i izvore fotografija iz kojih je vidljivo da je monografija vjerodostojna i autentična, a ne tek plod nagomilanih informacija izvučenih tkoznaotkuda.
mala zamjerka ide na zbrkanost monografije; iako kronološki prati kingov život i rad, ostavlja dojam nepreglednosti. možda zbog gomile dodatnih materijala, tekst nema tečnost, redovito je prekidan fotografijama ili dodatnim tekstovima pa unutar toga zahtjeva određenu spretnost u praćenju.
inače, sve pet.
October 17, 2022
A perfect companion for any Stephen King fan. The author covers Mr. King from the beginning until the present. There are so many wonderful photos in the book. It's worth reading just for those however there are so many interesting stories about the novels, his life and career.
I have been a constant reader since the 1980's and have devoured all of the novels and short stories that I could get my hands on. This book gives so much info on the books that I will probably go back and re-read many of them again that I haven't. Except Cujo. I can never read that again.
Lovely book. Will be perfect as a coffee table book.
I have been a constant reader since the 1980's and have devoured all of the novels and short stories that I could get my hands on. This book gives so much info on the books that I will probably go back and re-read many of them again that I haven't. Except Cujo. I can never read that again.
Lovely book. Will be perfect as a coffee table book.
September 5, 2022
I don’t think I would be the Stephen King fan, and occasional scholar, I am today without the work of so many people writing about Stephen King. It’s a bit of a cottage industry; looks about King take up an entire bookcase in my home office. I’ve written a few of them. Our passions drive us.
This new book by Bev Vincent is the sort of book I would have wanted to read when I was 14 years old. I had gotten into King In a big way, and reading books by George Beahm, Stephen Spignesi, Michael Collings, and Douglas Winter helped to fuel my interest in the writer and the man behind these books I liked so much.
This book falls into that category, halfway between an appreciation and a primer for the work of King. It’s not fan nonsense, which is always a worry when you pick up a book about a writer is popular as Stephen King. It also doesn’t go down that literary rabbit hole where everything has to be rationalized in order to justify an interest in a pop writer. Vincent strikes and excellent balance, serving both a new reader, and somebody who has spent 3/4 of their life steeped in the man’s fiction and lore.
Also, I’m a sucker for any book that looks at the newer work with an unjaundiced eye. I’ve been around long enough to have heard “Stephen king was good until…” for most of my reading life. I love Vincent’s look at King work from the beginning all the way up to present day, treating each novel and collection as an individual work, even as he takes on decade chunks as natural summations.
I wish I could give this book to myself at 14, when I was reading those Stephen King quiz books, and the Stephen King Companion for the first time. I might’ve helped me get better than a C- on that first essay on King I wrote. Or maybe it would just make me want to read more. And that, I think, is why book like this exists in the first place.
This new book by Bev Vincent is the sort of book I would have wanted to read when I was 14 years old. I had gotten into King In a big way, and reading books by George Beahm, Stephen Spignesi, Michael Collings, and Douglas Winter helped to fuel my interest in the writer and the man behind these books I liked so much.
This book falls into that category, halfway between an appreciation and a primer for the work of King. It’s not fan nonsense, which is always a worry when you pick up a book about a writer is popular as Stephen King. It also doesn’t go down that literary rabbit hole where everything has to be rationalized in order to justify an interest in a pop writer. Vincent strikes and excellent balance, serving both a new reader, and somebody who has spent 3/4 of their life steeped in the man’s fiction and lore.
Also, I’m a sucker for any book that looks at the newer work with an unjaundiced eye. I’ve been around long enough to have heard “Stephen king was good until…” for most of my reading life. I love Vincent’s look at King work from the beginning all the way up to present day, treating each novel and collection as an individual work, even as he takes on decade chunks as natural summations.
I wish I could give this book to myself at 14, when I was reading those Stephen King quiz books, and the Stephen King Companion for the first time. I might’ve helped me get better than a C- on that first essay on King I wrote. Or maybe it would just make me want to read more. And that, I think, is why book like this exists in the first place.
September 14, 2022
Review forthcoming in Locus!
January 1, 2023
This is a fantastic must read guide for any Stephen King fan.
This book covers each individual book written and released by King, decade by decade. As well, as the early life of King, major life events, the adaptations of his work and lots more aspects of King's life and work.
Although there was plenty of stuff I already knew before reading this book, there was plenty I wasn't aware of. I learnt quite a lot from reading this book.
I loved looking at all the photos and images included, many of which I hadn't seen before.
At the end of the book there is a very helpful list of all his books, short stories and adaptations. Which will be very helpful reference guides to refer back to at a later date.
This is definitely a book I will be referring back to and one which would make the perfect gift for any constant reader. Highly recommend!
This book covers each individual book written and released by King, decade by decade. As well, as the early life of King, major life events, the adaptations of his work and lots more aspects of King's life and work.
Although there was plenty of stuff I already knew before reading this book, there was plenty I wasn't aware of. I learnt quite a lot from reading this book.
I loved looking at all the photos and images included, many of which I hadn't seen before.
At the end of the book there is a very helpful list of all his books, short stories and adaptations. Which will be very helpful reference guides to refer back to at a later date.
This is definitely a book I will be referring back to and one which would make the perfect gift for any constant reader. Highly recommend!
March 1, 2024
This is an updated (and thus extended) edition of Bev Vincent's
Illustrated Stephen King Companion
, with publication set to coincide with King's 75th birthday. Having read the original edition, a limited B&N exclusive published in 2009, this review will mostly be a comparison highlighting the differences, since most of the text is the same.
As the subtitle suggests, this is an exploration of King’s work, life, and influences—a look at his biography through the lens of his releases (up to a sneak preview of the soon to be published Fairy Tale ), uncovering how each villain or monster reflects something in King's personal life. Vincent pulls from sources such as King's non-fiction works Danse Macabre and On Writing, as well as interviews (sources are given in the appendix), and while there won't be much that's truly new information to a well-versed fan, it's still nice to have such a thorough examination of everything that's influenced his work collected in a pretty book filled with personal photographs, stills from adaptations, and manuscript pages.
King hasn’t been idle since the first edition was published 13 years ago, so naturally this updated edition covers a lot of works that did not yet exist at the time. However, it’s also more detailed regarding the older back-catalogue too, touching on some less well-known (or loved) novels and collections which had not been covered before, such as The Tommyknockers and The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, to name but two. While the main chapter texts are largely the same, they have been updated to reflect newer and current developments in parts; one example would be the sections regarding The Stand which now reference the pandemic, or the Dollar Babies online screening festival held during lockdown.
The main change is that the chapters are no longer focused on a major/iconic works representative of a specific era of King’s career, more intuitively covering a decade each instead. I still have the same complaint regarding the layout of the “interludes“ (separate sections covering unrelated topics such as The Rock Bottom Remainders, King's radio stations, his philantropy, the rise and fall of Richard Bachman, etc.): They still often interrupt the main chapter mid-sentence and force the reader to flip back or forth to finish the paragraph. And a new complaint, too: The first page of each chapter and the interludes are all printed as white text on black background, which I hate—the contrast (or rather lack thereof) is hard on the eyes and caused me annoying afterimages, especially when reading a digital version off the screen.
I’m also not too keen on the new cover (what's worse than white text on black background? Red on black...), but content-wise, there’s no denying that this streamlined and more complete and chronological edition is a vast improvement over the original one, and would make a nice addition to any King fan’s shelf.
—————
Note: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
As the subtitle suggests, this is an exploration of King’s work, life, and influences—a look at his biography through the lens of his releases (up to a sneak preview of the soon to be published Fairy Tale ), uncovering how each villain or monster reflects something in King's personal life. Vincent pulls from sources such as King's non-fiction works Danse Macabre and On Writing, as well as interviews (sources are given in the appendix), and while there won't be much that's truly new information to a well-versed fan, it's still nice to have such a thorough examination of everything that's influenced his work collected in a pretty book filled with personal photographs, stills from adaptations, and manuscript pages.
King hasn’t been idle since the first edition was published 13 years ago, so naturally this updated edition covers a lot of works that did not yet exist at the time. However, it’s also more detailed regarding the older back-catalogue too, touching on some less well-known (or loved) novels and collections which had not been covered before, such as The Tommyknockers and The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, to name but two. While the main chapter texts are largely the same, they have been updated to reflect newer and current developments in parts; one example would be the sections regarding The Stand which now reference the pandemic, or the Dollar Babies online screening festival held during lockdown.
The main change is that the chapters are no longer focused on a major/iconic works representative of a specific era of King’s career, more intuitively covering a decade each instead. I still have the same complaint regarding the layout of the “interludes“ (separate sections covering unrelated topics such as The Rock Bottom Remainders, King's radio stations, his philantropy, the rise and fall of Richard Bachman, etc.): They still often interrupt the main chapter mid-sentence and force the reader to flip back or forth to finish the paragraph. And a new complaint, too: The first page of each chapter and the interludes are all printed as white text on black background, which I hate—the contrast (or rather lack thereof) is hard on the eyes and caused me annoying afterimages, especially when reading a digital version off the screen.
I’m also not too keen on the new cover (what's worse than white text on black background? Red on black...), but content-wise, there’s no denying that this streamlined and more complete and chronological edition is a vast improvement over the original one, and would make a nice addition to any King fan’s shelf.
—————
Note: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 3, 2025
Este libro no es solo un homenaje nostálgico, sino un análisis profundo y personal del impacto que Stephen King ha tenido en la literatura y en la cultura popular a lo largo de tantos años.
Personalmente, King fue uno de los primeros autores que descubrí, y no puedo ni contar las veces que fui a una librería y me dirigí directamente a la sección de terror en busca de sus libros. 🖤📚
Bev Vincent nos presenta de manera muy ordenada e interesante cada uno de los ensayos y anécdotas sobre las obras principales de King y su evolución como escritor. Se nota la pasión y el respeto que Vincent siente por él.
Es como si estuvieras charlando con otro fan de King, de esos que saben todos los detalles más curiosos de sus libros y películas 🎥. Vincent no solo repasa los grandes éxitos, sino también aquellos trabajos menos conocidos pero igualmente geniales. ¡Incluso si ya crees saberlo todo sobre King, aquí encontrarás nuevos ángulos y detalles fascinantes! 🤓 Por ejemplo: ¿sabíais que tuvo su propia emisora de radio? 📻
Una de mis partes favoritas es la forma en que Vincent explora cómo las experiencias personales de King influenciaron su escritura posterior.
Este libro te hace entender que King no es solo el "maestro del terror", sino un ser humano con sus propias luchas y miedos. Su capacidad para convertir el dolor y el miedo en arte es simplemente inspiradora. 🎨✍️
Eso sí, la peor parte es descubrir que hay ediciones súper limitadas que cuestan casi tanto como un coche 😅
Personalmente, King fue uno de los primeros autores que descubrí, y no puedo ni contar las veces que fui a una librería y me dirigí directamente a la sección de terror en busca de sus libros. 🖤📚
Bev Vincent nos presenta de manera muy ordenada e interesante cada uno de los ensayos y anécdotas sobre las obras principales de King y su evolución como escritor. Se nota la pasión y el respeto que Vincent siente por él.
Es como si estuvieras charlando con otro fan de King, de esos que saben todos los detalles más curiosos de sus libros y películas 🎥. Vincent no solo repasa los grandes éxitos, sino también aquellos trabajos menos conocidos pero igualmente geniales. ¡Incluso si ya crees saberlo todo sobre King, aquí encontrarás nuevos ángulos y detalles fascinantes! 🤓 Por ejemplo: ¿sabíais que tuvo su propia emisora de radio? 📻
Una de mis partes favoritas es la forma en que Vincent explora cómo las experiencias personales de King influenciaron su escritura posterior.
Este libro te hace entender que King no es solo el "maestro del terror", sino un ser humano con sus propias luchas y miedos. Su capacidad para convertir el dolor y el miedo en arte es simplemente inspiradora. 🎨✍️
Eso sí, la peor parte es descubrir que hay ediciones súper limitadas que cuestan casi tanto como un coche 😅
November 17, 2022
Schön aufgemachte Sammlung von Kings Werken die mit kleinen Anekdoten gespickt ist, dem 'Constant Reader' aber leider nicht wirklich etwas Neues zu bieten hat.
October 1, 2022
Not a primer for complete newbies, and for longtime and hardcore CRS, it won’t open many new doors, but a good companion for the more casual Kingie.
Read
September 19, 2025#StephenKingACompleteExplorationOfHisWorkLifeAndInfluences – Bev Vincent
#EpicLink (2022)
Debates can and do rage regarding the exact composition thereof, but it is generally accepted that classical works, across mediums and genres, are those that stood the test of time. Stephen King has published an impressive oeuvre comprising novels, novellas, short stories, poems, and screenplays, has sold millions of books translated in fifty-plus languages, won prestigious awards, appeared on the cover of Time magazine, and most of his novels and several short stories have been expanded for both the big and small screen. His first successful novel, Carrie, was published in 1974, and his latest, Never Flinch, in 2025.
Born on 21 September 1947, he was an avid reader who wrote his first story when he was six years old and proceeded to become the creator of a booming market for horror fiction following the likes of Levin’s Rosemary’s Baby (1967) and Blake’s The Exorcist (1971). Like his fictional character Gordie, in The Body (Different Seasons, 1982), he was willing to write stories to entertain friends, and, at age thirteen, wrote a one-page story titled The Killer on a dysfunctional typewriter that compelled him to enter the letter N by hand throughout.
A lesser-known fact about his work is that he not only admits being influenced by poetry, such as Robert Browning’s Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Come but wrote poetry himself. A familiar example of the latter is the haiku by Ben in It (1986):
“Your hair is winter fire
January embers
My heart burns there, too.”
Tying into the poetical aspect, it is also interesting to note that King was part of the musical scene, namely of a band named The Rock Bottom Remainders, consisting of authors and music critics. Other former members include Barbara Kingsolver, Mitch Albom, and Scott Turrow.
The discussion of his works includes interesting trivia and backstories. The compensation received for Carrie was used to buy his wife, Tabitha, a Mother’s Day gift, a hair-drier; Salem’s Lot (1975) was originally titled Second Coming and was inspired by Stoker’s epic Dracula, (1897) but posing the question what it would be like if the setting was modern day America, whilst the premise of The Shining ((1977) was created during the King family’s stay in an actual hotel, the Stanley, and the alcoholic side of Jack Torrance’s character was based on King’s own battle with substance abuse.
Inspiration for Pet Semetary (1982, deliberate spelling error) was found in the Wendigo myths, the short story The Monkey’s Paw (W.W. Jacobs, 1902) and the family cat being killed on a highway, Eyes of the Dragon (1987) was written for his daughter, Naomi, who requested a story about dragons, Thinner (1984) was born at a time when King himself weighed 236 pounds, Lisey’s Story (2006), regarded as his most personal work, is a mature reflection of a long and successful marriage, and Misery (1987) is a modern version of Sheherazade’s A thousand and one nights.
“…his books are fundamentally about how people react to stressful circumstances. He makes readers care for his characters and then throws something catastrophic at them.” (37) Despite his obvious affinity for his characters, he does admit preferring plot-driven writing, where both his protagonists and antagonists are determined by the story he wanted to narrate. (63)
After he became a household name, some of his earlier works were published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman of which four novellas, The Long Walk, Roadwork, Rage, and The Running man, were combined in an edition that became known as The Bachman Books. In 1998 all existing editions of Rage were pulled from the shelves on King’s request after learning that the novella was regarded as incitement for school shootings. Although The Bachman Books are still in print, it no longer contains Rage. Only those fortunate enough to have already possessed the original publication at that time thus still has access to this novella.
One of his most popular – and longest – novels, The Stand (1978), was originally a short story titled Night Surf, and featured a character who has since become known as “the walkin’ dude”, Randall Flagg, based on the poem, The Dark Man (1969).
The influence of life events in his work is evident, especially his residence in Maine, giving rise to the creation of the fictional town of Castle Rock, his battle with sobriety, and a horrific accident in 1999. He was also influenced by his own work, admitting to Peter Straub whilst planning The Talisman (1984), that elements of The Dark Tower series were bound to be included: “I don’t know if I can keep it out. At this point, everything I write is connected to it.” (78). Several other novels also included such elements, amongst others, Rose Madder (1995), Insomnia (1994), Desperation (1996), and Heart in Atlantis (1999).
Although the association with horror (offering no rational explanation for supernatural events) is a generally accepted King label, his writing has crossed genres, and includes fantasy, crime fiction, science fiction, historical fiction, speculative fiction, and dystopian fiction, often “navigating the harrowing path from innocence to adulthood” (106).
Chapters identified as interludes, include discussions of the town of Derry, lists of books and stories featuring writers, the accident of 1999 and the aftermath thereof, collaborations (with Peter Straub, Richard Chizmar and his sons, Joseph King, aka Jo Hill, and Owen King) and the phenomenon known as the Stephen King Universe.
Fiction following the accident often explored the themes of injury and recovery, such as Dreamcatcher (2001) featuring a main character struck by a car, Duma Key (2008) presenting a character recovering from a catastrophic accident, and his own accident as part of the plot in The Dark Tower. In an ironic twist the short story, Riding the Bullet, features a rollercoaster named after a Rottweiler owned by the driver of the car that ran him over.
The interconnectedness of King’s fiction gave rise to fans referring to his work as The King Universe. A character from one story will appear in another, events from earlier novels are referred to in subsequent books, and sly little inner jokes, so-called Easter Eggs, are included as a nod to people familiar with the subject genre.
As proven by the success of Carrie, King has never shied away from casting a female protagonist and expanded on this when exploring the trope of female lead characters who were victims of male oppression and became symbols of female empowerment in novels like Gerald’s Game (1982), Dolores Claiborne (1992), and Rose Madder (1995).
Despite the scathing opinion of the late Harold Bloom, the self-proclaimed defender of the literary canon, stating “I cannot locate any aesthetic dignity in King’s writing… King will be remembered as a sociological phenomenon, an image of the death of the Literate Reader” (185), the success and popularity of King’s work is proving to stand the test of time, and may very well be regarded as classic, especially in the horror genre.
Love him or hate him, but he is undoubtedly worthy of a publication like this one, somewhat pricy and not readily available, but boasting a large format hard cover collector’s edition with full colour photographs and detailed text printed on glossy pages, published on occasion of his 75th birthday.
#Uitdieperdsebek
#EpicLink (2022)
Debates can and do rage regarding the exact composition thereof, but it is generally accepted that classical works, across mediums and genres, are those that stood the test of time. Stephen King has published an impressive oeuvre comprising novels, novellas, short stories, poems, and screenplays, has sold millions of books translated in fifty-plus languages, won prestigious awards, appeared on the cover of Time magazine, and most of his novels and several short stories have been expanded for both the big and small screen. His first successful novel, Carrie, was published in 1974, and his latest, Never Flinch, in 2025.
Born on 21 September 1947, he was an avid reader who wrote his first story when he was six years old and proceeded to become the creator of a booming market for horror fiction following the likes of Levin’s Rosemary’s Baby (1967) and Blake’s The Exorcist (1971). Like his fictional character Gordie, in The Body (Different Seasons, 1982), he was willing to write stories to entertain friends, and, at age thirteen, wrote a one-page story titled The Killer on a dysfunctional typewriter that compelled him to enter the letter N by hand throughout.
A lesser-known fact about his work is that he not only admits being influenced by poetry, such as Robert Browning’s Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Come but wrote poetry himself. A familiar example of the latter is the haiku by Ben in It (1986):
“Your hair is winter fire
January embers
My heart burns there, too.”
Tying into the poetical aspect, it is also interesting to note that King was part of the musical scene, namely of a band named The Rock Bottom Remainders, consisting of authors and music critics. Other former members include Barbara Kingsolver, Mitch Albom, and Scott Turrow.
The discussion of his works includes interesting trivia and backstories. The compensation received for Carrie was used to buy his wife, Tabitha, a Mother’s Day gift, a hair-drier; Salem’s Lot (1975) was originally titled Second Coming and was inspired by Stoker’s epic Dracula, (1897) but posing the question what it would be like if the setting was modern day America, whilst the premise of The Shining ((1977) was created during the King family’s stay in an actual hotel, the Stanley, and the alcoholic side of Jack Torrance’s character was based on King’s own battle with substance abuse.
Inspiration for Pet Semetary (1982, deliberate spelling error) was found in the Wendigo myths, the short story The Monkey’s Paw (W.W. Jacobs, 1902) and the family cat being killed on a highway, Eyes of the Dragon (1987) was written for his daughter, Naomi, who requested a story about dragons, Thinner (1984) was born at a time when King himself weighed 236 pounds, Lisey’s Story (2006), regarded as his most personal work, is a mature reflection of a long and successful marriage, and Misery (1987) is a modern version of Sheherazade’s A thousand and one nights.
“…his books are fundamentally about how people react to stressful circumstances. He makes readers care for his characters and then throws something catastrophic at them.” (37) Despite his obvious affinity for his characters, he does admit preferring plot-driven writing, where both his protagonists and antagonists are determined by the story he wanted to narrate. (63)
After he became a household name, some of his earlier works were published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman of which four novellas, The Long Walk, Roadwork, Rage, and The Running man, were combined in an edition that became known as The Bachman Books. In 1998 all existing editions of Rage were pulled from the shelves on King’s request after learning that the novella was regarded as incitement for school shootings. Although The Bachman Books are still in print, it no longer contains Rage. Only those fortunate enough to have already possessed the original publication at that time thus still has access to this novella.
One of his most popular – and longest – novels, The Stand (1978), was originally a short story titled Night Surf, and featured a character who has since become known as “the walkin’ dude”, Randall Flagg, based on the poem, The Dark Man (1969).
The influence of life events in his work is evident, especially his residence in Maine, giving rise to the creation of the fictional town of Castle Rock, his battle with sobriety, and a horrific accident in 1999. He was also influenced by his own work, admitting to Peter Straub whilst planning The Talisman (1984), that elements of The Dark Tower series were bound to be included: “I don’t know if I can keep it out. At this point, everything I write is connected to it.” (78). Several other novels also included such elements, amongst others, Rose Madder (1995), Insomnia (1994), Desperation (1996), and Heart in Atlantis (1999).
Although the association with horror (offering no rational explanation for supernatural events) is a generally accepted King label, his writing has crossed genres, and includes fantasy, crime fiction, science fiction, historical fiction, speculative fiction, and dystopian fiction, often “navigating the harrowing path from innocence to adulthood” (106).
Chapters identified as interludes, include discussions of the town of Derry, lists of books and stories featuring writers, the accident of 1999 and the aftermath thereof, collaborations (with Peter Straub, Richard Chizmar and his sons, Joseph King, aka Jo Hill, and Owen King) and the phenomenon known as the Stephen King Universe.
Fiction following the accident often explored the themes of injury and recovery, such as Dreamcatcher (2001) featuring a main character struck by a car, Duma Key (2008) presenting a character recovering from a catastrophic accident, and his own accident as part of the plot in The Dark Tower. In an ironic twist the short story, Riding the Bullet, features a rollercoaster named after a Rottweiler owned by the driver of the car that ran him over.
The interconnectedness of King’s fiction gave rise to fans referring to his work as The King Universe. A character from one story will appear in another, events from earlier novels are referred to in subsequent books, and sly little inner jokes, so-called Easter Eggs, are included as a nod to people familiar with the subject genre.
As proven by the success of Carrie, King has never shied away from casting a female protagonist and expanded on this when exploring the trope of female lead characters who were victims of male oppression and became symbols of female empowerment in novels like Gerald’s Game (1982), Dolores Claiborne (1992), and Rose Madder (1995).
Despite the scathing opinion of the late Harold Bloom, the self-proclaimed defender of the literary canon, stating “I cannot locate any aesthetic dignity in King’s writing… King will be remembered as a sociological phenomenon, an image of the death of the Literate Reader” (185), the success and popularity of King’s work is proving to stand the test of time, and may very well be regarded as classic, especially in the horror genre.
Love him or hate him, but he is undoubtedly worthy of a publication like this one, somewhat pricy and not readily available, but boasting a large format hard cover collector’s edition with full colour photographs and detailed text printed on glossy pages, published on occasion of his 75th birthday.
#Uitdieperdsebek
August 29, 2022
240 pages
5 stars
OMG! I can’t believe that Mr. King is seventy-five already. But then, since I’ve been reading him his whole writing life and I’m sixty-nine, well..it must be true. I don’t know where the time went.
I cannot rage about this book enough! My only complaint is that it is not available on Kindle and I had a very difficult time reading it on my little phone. Grrr. The pictures are gorgeous! Most of his wonderful books are covered in this little volume. It was a great review. I felt like I was visiting my old friend in real life. Mr. Vincent really nailed the topic in this book.
Another aspect I liked was that Mr. Vincent did not offer a literary opinion on Mr. King’s novels. I must agree, some are better than others, but overall I admire his writing - always have and always will.
Well done Mr. Vincent. This book certainly adds to your fine collection of literature.
I want to thank NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group/becker & mayer! For forwarding to me a copy of this great little book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed here are solely my own.
5 stars
OMG! I can’t believe that Mr. King is seventy-five already. But then, since I’ve been reading him his whole writing life and I’m sixty-nine, well..it must be true. I don’t know where the time went.
I cannot rage about this book enough! My only complaint is that it is not available on Kindle and I had a very difficult time reading it on my little phone. Grrr. The pictures are gorgeous! Most of his wonderful books are covered in this little volume. It was a great review. I felt like I was visiting my old friend in real life. Mr. Vincent really nailed the topic in this book.
Another aspect I liked was that Mr. Vincent did not offer a literary opinion on Mr. King’s novels. I must agree, some are better than others, but overall I admire his writing - always have and always will.
Well done Mr. Vincent. This book certainly adds to your fine collection of literature.
I want to thank NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group/becker & mayer! For forwarding to me a copy of this great little book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed here are solely my own.
August 31, 2022
Stephen king is one of my favorite authors.
This book about him had so much great information and the pictures included knocked it out of the park. Well written and so interesting.
If you a fan I would pick this one up.
This book about him had so much great information and the pictures included knocked it out of the park. Well written and so interesting.
If you a fan I would pick this one up.
November 18, 2022
You can't stop me from reading about my favorite author whenever any sort of book about him is released. It's not gonna happen! With that being said, I don't think there's a ton of new information in here that I have not read somewhere else, BUT this would be a wonderful book to get if you really don't have a lot of information on Stephen King. It explores all his work from Carrie (1974) to Fairy Tale (2022), lots of TV and film adaptations, and has a lot of his own words/quotes as well as explaining where he was mentally or physically while writing. Lots of great artifacts from photos I had never seen before to written/type pages of drafts and acceptance letters and more. Fun stuff!
January 17, 2023
This is an excellent retrospective that peeks into every dark corner of the Kingverse.
September 19, 2022
ARC from NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group
I really enjoyed reading this. If not for having to read a PDF on the NetGalley app, I’d have read it a lot more quickly!
This book was already on my wishlist (and I’m definitely still buying it!) but what I hadn’t realised is that it’s an updated version of a previously published book, released in time for King’s 75th birthday. Fine by me as I hadn’t read the earlier version.
‘A Complete Exploration of His Work, Life, and Influences’ is the subtitle, which is not inaccurate, but I’d say that concerning life and influences it’s not especially in-depth; you’d perhaps learn more about these areas from Danse Macabre and On Writing. Also, read all this with the caveat that I’ve already read every Stephen King book and know a lot about him so there was perhaps less for me to learn. Regarding his work, however, there is at least a few paragraphs on every book, as well as information about adaptations and other projects.
There’s a good balance here between an overview and something more in-depth. If I could ask for more, it would be more from King personally – the anecdotes gathered from previous interviews about particular works were very interesting. In fact, it would be nice to hear from other people who’ve worked with King on books or adaptations and learn about their experiences and what King means to them. Perhaps what struck me most on reading this was just how innovative King has been throughout his publishing career. As I mentioned, most of it was not new information, but to see it all laid out together was eye-opening: experimenting with a serial novel (and as a result having six simultaneous NY Times bestsellers), having two books published by two different publishers on the same day (one as Bachman), being among the first to embrace e-books, writing stories exclusively for e-readers and audio, releasing work online through an honour system, numerous collaborations, and that’s not even mentioning the range of his work – novels, novellas, short stories, poems, screenplays, graphic novels…
I can’t wait to get a physical copy to have a proper look at the photos and study the appendices – I’m currently rereading chronologically but I think I need to start on the adaptations too!
King fans will not be disappointed with this book; if I have to call something a disappointment, it would be the cover – I don’t like it, it has quite a homemade feel to it. Finally, caveat emptor (yes, that is a Needful Things reference, thanks for noticing): there are MAJOR spoilers if you haven’t read all the books!
Thank you, NetGalley, I'm very grateful to read an advance of this book!
I really enjoyed reading this. If not for having to read a PDF on the NetGalley app, I’d have read it a lot more quickly!
This book was already on my wishlist (and I’m definitely still buying it!) but what I hadn’t realised is that it’s an updated version of a previously published book, released in time for King’s 75th birthday. Fine by me as I hadn’t read the earlier version.
‘A Complete Exploration of His Work, Life, and Influences’ is the subtitle, which is not inaccurate, but I’d say that concerning life and influences it’s not especially in-depth; you’d perhaps learn more about these areas from Danse Macabre and On Writing. Also, read all this with the caveat that I’ve already read every Stephen King book and know a lot about him so there was perhaps less for me to learn. Regarding his work, however, there is at least a few paragraphs on every book, as well as information about adaptations and other projects.
There’s a good balance here between an overview and something more in-depth. If I could ask for more, it would be more from King personally – the anecdotes gathered from previous interviews about particular works were very interesting. In fact, it would be nice to hear from other people who’ve worked with King on books or adaptations and learn about their experiences and what King means to them. Perhaps what struck me most on reading this was just how innovative King has been throughout his publishing career. As I mentioned, most of it was not new information, but to see it all laid out together was eye-opening: experimenting with a serial novel (and as a result having six simultaneous NY Times bestsellers), having two books published by two different publishers on the same day (one as Bachman), being among the first to embrace e-books, writing stories exclusively for e-readers and audio, releasing work online through an honour system, numerous collaborations, and that’s not even mentioning the range of his work – novels, novellas, short stories, poems, screenplays, graphic novels…
I can’t wait to get a physical copy to have a proper look at the photos and study the appendices – I’m currently rereading chronologically but I think I need to start on the adaptations too!
King fans will not be disappointed with this book; if I have to call something a disappointment, it would be the cover – I don’t like it, it has quite a homemade feel to it. Finally, caveat emptor (yes, that is a Needful Things reference, thanks for noticing): there are MAJOR spoilers if you haven’t read all the books!
Thank you, NetGalley, I'm very grateful to read an advance of this book!
September 21, 2022
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Long a King fan, this well written book explores not only his works but also his life and multiple awards, etc. From reading this book, it is obvious why he is such a loved writer.
Long a King fan, this well written book explores not only his works but also his life and multiple awards, etc. From reading this book, it is obvious why he is such a loved writer.
September 12, 2022
Whether you are newcomer or a lifelong fan of Stephen King this book is for you. This covers upto and including the most recent release of his current book Fairytale. Many know that Mr. King started to really get noticed in the mid 1970's but did you know that he was actually writing in the 1950's and 1960's with some minor success? This covers most if not all of Mr. Kings writings be it short stories or full-length novels. Each book or story is described on how King came up with the idea and what the story is about but not giving the full story away. It is amazing how these ideas come to him with sometimes being really brief and it may take a few years before the story comes to fruition and how his intent was a 12-page story, and it turns into a 500-page book or when he says he had to see where the story went or took him. It is like he is only the receptacle to put the story on paper. Did you know he wrote under a pen name? You will also see he has had or has a few other endeavors that he has pursued besides being just an author and I might say a very successful one I mean can you imagine you primarily being credited with developing a genre? He also covers the accident that happened that nearly took his life twice. Apparently, this skill has passed to his sons also. Overall, this is a great book for shelf so give it a read especially if you are a Stephen King fan.
August 30, 2022
I used to consider myself one of Stephen King's Constant Readers. At one point I had read pretty much everything he'd written up to then. Somewhere along the way, I started letting the novels pile up and ignored seeking out the short stories in magazines, just telling myself that I'd wait for the collection. One day I looked up and realized that I'd missed out on ten years' worth of stories, give or take a few here. Then, I got the ARC for Bev Vincent's Stephen King: A Complete Exploration of His Work, Life, and Influences. This book is an excellent look at his work from the earliest stories to the most recent and even upcoming novels. It's an excellent, tiny peek into the King Library without simply summarizing or giving you the cliffs notes. I've read several books on Mr. King's life, but this tons of new information and stories I'd never heard. I simply couldn't put the book down and each tidbit of information made me want to dive straight back into the deep end starting with Carrie until I got to Billy Summers. I am a reborn Constant Reader.
Special thanks to becker&mayer! books and Netgalley for the digital ARC.
Special thanks to becker&mayer! books and Netgalley for the digital ARC.
November 21, 2022
entertaining and informative, but contained more summaries of his books than i anticipated. i appreciated how well researched it was and the author clearly knows his Stephen King, but i wish the content would've dived deeper into individual projects to discuss the "why" a little more. a solid exploration nonetheless and i enjoyed the pictures of King, old book covers, and movie posters included.
December 6, 2022
Bev Vincent ‘Stephen King: Svemir najčitanijeg pisca današnjice’ – monografija dostojna kralja
06/12/2022 Ivan Laić
Vincentova knjižurina više je od šarene slikovnice posvećene majstoru čije jezive vizije očaravaju vojsku obožavatelja već gotovo pola stoljeća.
Najslavniji pisac horora i nadnaravne fikcije, Stephen King, ove je godine proslavio svoj 75. rođendan. Tim povodom objavljena je i monografija “Stephen King: Svemir najčitanijeg pisaca današnjice” koju je paralelno sa svjetskom premijerom u nas u prijevodu Marka Marasa objavila izdavačka kuća Lumen. U tvrdom uvezu na otprilike 240 stranica u boji, ova knjiga djelo je Beva Vincenta, jednog od najvećih stručnjaka za Stephena Kinga (kingologa?), koji je već prethodno objavio niz knjiga o kralju strave, uključujući “The Stephen King Illustrated Companion” te “The Road to the Dark Tower” o Kingovom fantasy opusu od sedam romana (plus naknadna međuknjiga “The Wind Through the Keyhole”) čiji se motivi provlače i kroz brojna druga djela ovog, kako podnaslov našeg prijevoda kaže, “najčitanijeg pisaca današnjice”.
Vincentova knjižurina više je od šarene slikovnice posvećene majstoru čije jezive vizije očaravaju vojsku obožavatelja već gotovo pola stoljeća, još otkako je slavu postigao svojim prvim hit romanom “Carrie” davne 1974. godine. Njegova djela toliko su popularna da je njihovo ekraniziranje postalo jamcem za zaradu u Hollywoodu (i na televiziji), pa dolazi i do slučajeva, poput onog s njegovim posljednjim tek objavljenim romanom “Fairy Tale”, pa se prava na snimanje filma prema predlošku prodaju već u trenutku kad se prvi primjerci knjige tek slažu na police američkih knjižara.
Ova monografija, iako vizualno atraktivna kao tzv. coffee table book, ujedno služi kao pedantan uvid u sve što je majstor iz Mainea ikad napisao. Ona prati Kinga od njegovog djetinjstva i prvih literarnih pokušaja, preko težnje za probijanjem, pa sve do danas kad je njegovo ime postalo gotovo sinonimom za neupitan uspjeh. Premda je načelno vjerojatno namijenjena obožavateljima, tj. onima koji se u Kingovom svemiru nazivaju constant readers, ona ujedno služi i kao vodič za povremene čitatelje koji iz nje mogu birati daljnji smjer upoznavanja s opusom književnika čija bibliografija na prvi pogled djeluje prebogato da bi se u njoj lako snašli.
Fanovi će već vjerojatno biti upoznati s mnogo stvari koje će susresti u ovoj monografiji. Priče o pseudonimu Richardu Bachmanu koji je nastao zato što je King proizvodio više knjiga nego što je tržište (prema mišljenju njegovog izdavaštva) u jednom trenutku moglo podnijeti, zapisi o piščevoj borbi s ovisnošću o alkoholu i kokainu, prijelomni događaji poput prometne nesreće koja ga je gotovo koštala života; sve su to stvari o kojima je i sam King opširno i otvoreno govorio i pisao tijekom godina. Ipak, svatko će naći i dovoljno razloga za čitanje. I sam bi popis svih Kingovih knjiga zauzeo pozamašan prostor, a kad je svaka popraćena sažetkom i odgovarajućim biografskim crticama na nekoliko stranica, jasno je da se u ovoj knjizi ima štošta za čitati, a ne samo listati.
Tekstovi o Kingovim književnim djelima (i njihovim filmskim, televizijskim, stripovskim i inim adaptacijama) popraćeni su i brojnim zanimljivostima s margina koji donose raznu triviju iz Kingovoga svemira, od povijesti izmišljenog gradova poput Derryja i Castle Rocka u kojima se često odvija radnja njegovih knjiga, do popisa njihovih slavnih žitelja i liste svih pisaca iz njegovih romana, uz brojne reprodukcije naslovnica prvih izdanja, rukopisa i slične parafernalije, Vincentova knjiga izvrstan je božićni poklon za ljubitelje strave. Dovoljno je bogata da udovolji i tvrdokornim obožavateljima, a pisana je i s posebnom pozornošću da ne otkrije previše radnje o knjigama, kako ne bi pokvarila užitak svima onima koji ih još nisu pročitali.
(Lumen, 242 str., tvrdi uvez, 2022.)
06/12/2022 Ivan Laić
Vincentova knjižurina više je od šarene slikovnice posvećene majstoru čije jezive vizije očaravaju vojsku obožavatelja već gotovo pola stoljeća.
Najslavniji pisac horora i nadnaravne fikcije, Stephen King, ove je godine proslavio svoj 75. rođendan. Tim povodom objavljena je i monografija “Stephen King: Svemir najčitanijeg pisaca današnjice” koju je paralelno sa svjetskom premijerom u nas u prijevodu Marka Marasa objavila izdavačka kuća Lumen. U tvrdom uvezu na otprilike 240 stranica u boji, ova knjiga djelo je Beva Vincenta, jednog od najvećih stručnjaka za Stephena Kinga (kingologa?), koji je već prethodno objavio niz knjiga o kralju strave, uključujući “The Stephen King Illustrated Companion” te “The Road to the Dark Tower” o Kingovom fantasy opusu od sedam romana (plus naknadna međuknjiga “The Wind Through the Keyhole”) čiji se motivi provlače i kroz brojna druga djela ovog, kako podnaslov našeg prijevoda kaže, “najčitanijeg pisaca današnjice”.
Vincentova knjižurina više je od šarene slikovnice posvećene majstoru čije jezive vizije očaravaju vojsku obožavatelja već gotovo pola stoljeća, još otkako je slavu postigao svojim prvim hit romanom “Carrie” davne 1974. godine. Njegova djela toliko su popularna da je njihovo ekraniziranje postalo jamcem za zaradu u Hollywoodu (i na televiziji), pa dolazi i do slučajeva, poput onog s njegovim posljednjim tek objavljenim romanom “Fairy Tale”, pa se prava na snimanje filma prema predlošku prodaju već u trenutku kad se prvi primjerci knjige tek slažu na police američkih knjižara.
Ova monografija, iako vizualno atraktivna kao tzv. coffee table book, ujedno služi kao pedantan uvid u sve što je majstor iz Mainea ikad napisao. Ona prati Kinga od njegovog djetinjstva i prvih literarnih pokušaja, preko težnje za probijanjem, pa sve do danas kad je njegovo ime postalo gotovo sinonimom za neupitan uspjeh. Premda je načelno vjerojatno namijenjena obožavateljima, tj. onima koji se u Kingovom svemiru nazivaju constant readers, ona ujedno služi i kao vodič za povremene čitatelje koji iz nje mogu birati daljnji smjer upoznavanja s opusom književnika čija bibliografija na prvi pogled djeluje prebogato da bi se u njoj lako snašli.
Fanovi će već vjerojatno biti upoznati s mnogo stvari koje će susresti u ovoj monografiji. Priče o pseudonimu Richardu Bachmanu koji je nastao zato što je King proizvodio više knjiga nego što je tržište (prema mišljenju njegovog izdavaštva) u jednom trenutku moglo podnijeti, zapisi o piščevoj borbi s ovisnošću o alkoholu i kokainu, prijelomni događaji poput prometne nesreće koja ga je gotovo koštala života; sve su to stvari o kojima je i sam King opširno i otvoreno govorio i pisao tijekom godina. Ipak, svatko će naći i dovoljno razloga za čitanje. I sam bi popis svih Kingovih knjiga zauzeo pozamašan prostor, a kad je svaka popraćena sažetkom i odgovarajućim biografskim crticama na nekoliko stranica, jasno je da se u ovoj knjizi ima štošta za čitati, a ne samo listati.
Tekstovi o Kingovim književnim djelima (i njihovim filmskim, televizijskim, stripovskim i inim adaptacijama) popraćeni su i brojnim zanimljivostima s margina koji donose raznu triviju iz Kingovoga svemira, od povijesti izmišljenog gradova poput Derryja i Castle Rocka u kojima se često odvija radnja njegovih knjiga, do popisa njihovih slavnih žitelja i liste svih pisaca iz njegovih romana, uz brojne reprodukcije naslovnica prvih izdanja, rukopisa i slične parafernalije, Vincentova knjiga izvrstan je božićni poklon za ljubitelje strave. Dovoljno je bogata da udovolji i tvrdokornim obožavateljima, a pisana je i s posebnom pozornošću da ne otkrije previše radnje o knjigama, kako ne bi pokvarila užitak svima onima koji ih još nisu pročitali.
(Lumen, 242 str., tvrdi uvez, 2022.)
October 19, 2022
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this novel for an honest review. It has been published in September 2022.
"Stephen King: A Complete Exploration of His Work, Life, and Influences" by Bev Vincent made for a very entertaining read.
I already knew some of the anecdotes recounted in the book, but many more came as a surprise, giving me wonderful insight into the life and the mind of one of my favourite authors.
The only thing that partially spoiled my pleasure in reading this book was the font used: I don't know what it's called, but it's awfully hard to make out! It's tall and narrow, with all the letters cramming together, and just to make matters worse, some parts of the book are printed in white on a black background, rather than the other way around. For some reason, the "change font" feature on my ebook reader was deactivated while reading this particular book (it never happened before or since) and sometimes it got so bad I even considered not finishing this.
In the end I did finish it, but I'd have definitely enjoyed it more if I hadn't had to struggle so much just to make out the words.
"Stephen King: A Complete Exploration of His Work, Life, and Influences" by Bev Vincent made for a very entertaining read.
I already knew some of the anecdotes recounted in the book, but many more came as a surprise, giving me wonderful insight into the life and the mind of one of my favourite authors.
The only thing that partially spoiled my pleasure in reading this book was the font used: I don't know what it's called, but it's awfully hard to make out! It's tall and narrow, with all the letters cramming together, and just to make matters worse, some parts of the book are printed in white on a black background, rather than the other way around. For some reason, the "change font" feature on my ebook reader was deactivated while reading this particular book (it never happened before or since) and sometimes it got so bad I even considered not finishing this.
In the end I did finish it, but I'd have definitely enjoyed it more if I hadn't had to struggle so much just to make out the words.
May 26, 2023
This book gives a history of Stephen King and his work, focusing more on the work. It contains many quotes from Mr. King, pulled from various interviews over the years. They provide a fascinating insight into his writing process and inspirations for his many books, which usually start with him seeing something innocuous and wondering, what would happen if... It's truly amazing how his mind works.
I often find non-fiction dry and boring, but this book is as compelling as the subject's work. Mr. King is my favorite author and I thought I knew everything there was to know about him, but there were stories and facts in this book that I'd never heard.I really enjoyed this, except now I want to drop everything and immediately re-read all my Stephen King books.
I often find non-fiction dry and boring, but this book is as compelling as the subject's work. Mr. King is my favorite author and I thought I knew everything there was to know about him, but there were stories and facts in this book that I'd never heard.I really enjoyed this, except now I want to drop everything and immediately re-read all my Stephen King books.
July 29, 2024
https://looneybooks79.blog/2024/07/29...
Even though I have read so many articles and books about the life and inspiration of Stephen King, I'm always up for another book concerning the man that made me start reading books!
And Bev Vincent is one to know the writer better than anyone else in my opinion, having already written a book called 'The Dark Tower Companion', a guide to Stephen King's Epic Fantasy! (the green book in the picture down below is the Dutch translation of it)
So when I saw this book being published: A complete exploration of his work, life and influences, I knew I needed to have it!
And it is actually what it says it is: a complete biography of the 'King of Horror', decade per decade and book per book, explaining the inspiration that came for those books and the way King himself came to a story and even how some books came to be (sometimes exactly as he wanted them, sometimes completely changed)
Of course the Bachman years are a huge part of this book as well, the pseudonym King wrote under in the seventies and eighties.
This book also contains a huge amount of background and photo material from King's personal collection (photos along the years, contracts, first scripts...) which makes this a great book for the fans to see how his life and work evolved and developed! It makes me feel jealous because that means Mr. Vincent just had access to all this material!
This is a must have for every Stephen King fan, let's be honest! And Bev Vincent has added lists in the back: every book and short story written, every movie made, every tv-show and episode based on a story or screenplay by the man who changed horror forever!
And reading this has just made me want to pick up my personal 'Stephen King revival' which is reading every book he ever wrote in chronological order. I started it a few years ago and somehow lost touch with it (I stopped mid-eighties so the next book is The Tommyknockers) and at the same time I started rewatching every movie adaptation as well... (Next: Stanley Kubrick's The Shining so keep an eye on this blog for the review of that one!)
I just cannot get enough of King, I never will. Even though I keep returning this his earlier work, just because I think that were his best books. But that will never keep me from reading anything he is publishing! Oh yes, I just recently bought 'You just like it darker' twice... the UK and the US edition (love that crocodile island cover!) and I'm sure that I will buy more editions of his older work when I see something I love! The man changed my life (and he doesn't even know it!) when I was thirteen... I had never really been a reader, unless comics. And then a friend of mine gave me one of his books (it was a Dutch translation of Skeleton Crew with The Mist) and ever since I read that... I was hooked! So thank you to that friend, thank you to Mr. King and thank you Mr. Vincent for this elaborate and well documented biography!
And now, I am going to stumble over a spaceship somewhere in the woods, I guess!
Even though I have read so many articles and books about the life and inspiration of Stephen King, I'm always up for another book concerning the man that made me start reading books!
And Bev Vincent is one to know the writer better than anyone else in my opinion, having already written a book called 'The Dark Tower Companion', a guide to Stephen King's Epic Fantasy! (the green book in the picture down below is the Dutch translation of it)
So when I saw this book being published: A complete exploration of his work, life and influences, I knew I needed to have it!
And it is actually what it says it is: a complete biography of the 'King of Horror', decade per decade and book per book, explaining the inspiration that came for those books and the way King himself came to a story and even how some books came to be (sometimes exactly as he wanted them, sometimes completely changed)
Of course the Bachman years are a huge part of this book as well, the pseudonym King wrote under in the seventies and eighties.
This book also contains a huge amount of background and photo material from King's personal collection (photos along the years, contracts, first scripts...) which makes this a great book for the fans to see how his life and work evolved and developed! It makes me feel jealous because that means Mr. Vincent just had access to all this material!
This is a must have for every Stephen King fan, let's be honest! And Bev Vincent has added lists in the back: every book and short story written, every movie made, every tv-show and episode based on a story or screenplay by the man who changed horror forever!
And reading this has just made me want to pick up my personal 'Stephen King revival' which is reading every book he ever wrote in chronological order. I started it a few years ago and somehow lost touch with it (I stopped mid-eighties so the next book is The Tommyknockers) and at the same time I started rewatching every movie adaptation as well... (Next: Stanley Kubrick's The Shining so keep an eye on this blog for the review of that one!)
I just cannot get enough of King, I never will. Even though I keep returning this his earlier work, just because I think that were his best books. But that will never keep me from reading anything he is publishing! Oh yes, I just recently bought 'You just like it darker' twice... the UK and the US edition (love that crocodile island cover!) and I'm sure that I will buy more editions of his older work when I see something I love! The man changed my life (and he doesn't even know it!) when I was thirteen... I had never really been a reader, unless comics. And then a friend of mine gave me one of his books (it was a Dutch translation of Skeleton Crew with The Mist) and ever since I read that... I was hooked! So thank you to that friend, thank you to Mr. King and thank you Mr. Vincent for this elaborate and well documented biography!
And now, I am going to stumble over a spaceship somewhere in the woods, I guess!
April 8, 2023
This is a must for every King fan.
Alongside every publication you will get a bit of biographical info, a bit of creative influence and a look into the way from the desk of the author to the book shelves.
Packed with infos on King's movie and tv adaptation, creative ways of publishing and lots of cover art, photos and poster art.
Alongside every publication you will get a bit of biographical info, a bit of creative influence and a look into the way from the desk of the author to the book shelves.
Packed with infos on King's movie and tv adaptation, creative ways of publishing and lots of cover art, photos and poster art.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews