Posted on 05/06/2008 5:31:58 PM PDT by Sub-Driver
Which stories?
Mr. King is a good writer, and so was Joseph Goebbels.
To his credit, he is a gifted writer. I once counted Stephen King as my favorite author, for classic works such as the Stand, Pet Sematary, It, Salem's Lot etc. He really is a talented person who has made his mark on the world.
And I don't deny him the freedom to express his opinion. That is what our freedom fighters fight and die for. King's mistake is in his simplistic (and grossly insulting) statement that if you can't read, your only option is to join the Army and fight in Iraq. While he is correct in that if a person can't read, his/her options are limited, this ignorant statement casts an ugly pall on the thousands of educated, gifted individuals who voluntarily join the Armed Forces before pursuing private sector jobs.
Does King actually think that the Army of today is composed of illiterate losers? It certainly sounded that way from his moronic statement. It shows that King does not know the Armed Forces of today, and that he allows his personal disgust over preemptive war to slander the brave people who protect his right to write and blog.
And for that, such a gifted individual should not be so vain as to deny an apology. Those college educated, technologically savvy guys and girls over there read your books, Stephen. They are not illiterate. Honor them with a big "I'm stupid" apology, will you?
Steven King is stuck in his own world of fiction. To bad, I really liked his work. Now he joins the ranks of John Cusak and many other hollyweird fools.
Stephen King that is.
Maybe someone should show him the requirements for promotion up to E-9. It increases from college courses to degree(s) plus tech courses plus doing their regular job.
The days of the dumb grunt are over. God bless our troops.
“Which stories?”
Of the ones I’ve read, these come to mind immediately... I haven’t read much of his stuff from 95 onward, so there may be even more:
The Mist - It was the Army that was responsible for letting the extra-dimensional creatures into Earth. In both the book and movie, soldiers commit suicide out of shame for the event.
Dreamcatcher - The Army is portrayed as nearly as threatening as the invading aliens, especially the commanding officer, Colonel Kurtz, who’s practically psychotic.
The Stand - When the world is divided up between followers of God, and followers of Randall Flagg (King’s Devil-in-human-form), Flagg seems to get the military personell on his side. Flagg has Air Force officers in charge of nuclear weapons at a Nevada Air Force base. Flagg has also appeared as a general in other King stories.
Firestarter - Charlie’s mother is tortured and murdered by national security agents, the same men that run the Shop, the secret government science facility. The agents are Gestapo-ish, and its indicated that they have military backgrounds. They’re led by an Army officer, Captian James Hollister.
On the top of my head, I can think of only one positive potrayel of a military man in a King story that I’ve read... and it was a British agent, an ex-SAS guy in the Langoliers.
It has relatively little to do with this controversy but I hope it explains my ambivalence in commenting - I think King was a brilliant author at one point. 'Salem's Lot is a nearly perfect construction. It was superb. But he's lost it. And I don't think he's going to get it back. And that really is a sad thing.
I find this moron’s remark very ironic. I purchased AND READ a first edition hardback of EVERY King book from Carrie up until I retired from the military in 1993. After I retired FROM THE MILITARY and became a civilian again, I didn’t have the “disposable income” to purchase books like that anymore. Ah the irony.
1) Your drivel is a waste of tree pulp.
2) You have no patriotism to impugn. But you can't help it. All narcissists who believe their own press releases become traitors sooner or later.
Right on! You can say that again. I said something similar on another Stinkin Queen thread last night that got zotted. Too many letters and not enough %$#@s. :D
Hey King stick it where the sun don’t shine ya liberal crybaby!
Did you notice how the pro-lifers in "Insomnia" were slack jawed murderous half wits?
That's when I got rid of all my old SK books. They were nothing more than mental "junk-food."
If you want something worth while try David Gemmel.
I think what he meant to say is that if you don’t learn to read, you’ll become a Democrat.
I've always considered King one of my favorite authors, as well. "The Stand" is one of my all-time favorite books. I have too much respect for our military to throw any more money his way.
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