An Appreciation: Stephen King

I always understand and try not to judge people who don't do horror. Usually they avoid the genre because it just doesn't appeal to them, or it does but they're so deeply affected by it that they can barely function after. What I have no tolerance for is people who simply refuse, out of stubborn snobbery, to grasp the importance of horror and how it can help us process trauma and grief. Those people usually turn their noses up at Stephen King's work, often after reading only a book or two of his, or in certain cases, none at all. I immediately distrust those people.

Like many kids, King was my gateway into reading—and also writing—horror, just like Elvira turned me on to horror movies (and turned me on to her, but that's a whole other story). Then, like a lot of adults, I stopped reading King for one reason or another, mostly just because I drifted towards other influences and various genres, but also because I believed I'd outgrown him. About ten years ago, though, I got back into him and realized what an idiot I'd been in my twenties. Over that decade, his work has seen me through several huge life experiences, and often times helped guide me to safety through some troubled waters. His work resonates at any age, and that's a major reason why he's endured for so many decades. There's a Stephen King book for almost every stage of your life, and often times there are several.

Writing is a compulsion. You do it because you can't imagine not doing it. I think he's one of the best examples we have of a pure writer. He just writes. All the time. Because he has to. And we're all better off because of it—even those who don't "get" him, because his influence is everywhere, whether or not those folks want to admit it.

Stephen King turns 71 years young today. Long may he run. Long may he feel compelled to write.

Comments

Paul SSeptember 22, 2018 at 8:32 AM
I’ve only read Stephen King’s On Writing which I loved and Christine which I loved in bits. I do think the prejudice against popular authors is ridiculous. An associate of mine likes to wave off King’s work by saying, “He writes a full-length novel every year,” because apparently a good writer also cannot be prolific. Really?
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