Ironically, his two nonfiction books ( Danse Macabre and On Writing) are the only ones truly capable of changing the way you think, forever affecting your approach horror film and literature and the art of writing. Yes, he gives you lots of shivery things and grisly moments to look back on with equal parts dread and fondness (the handcuffs in Gerald’s Game!), but his novels don’t shape your world view the way the works other great writers can do. Yet even if you’ve read almost every novel King has written - and there are so many, only the most hardcore fan has kept up with all of them - his work doesn’t always leave much of an imprint. In an interview, King once told me he was like the church (“The trick is to get ’em while they’re young”), and although he was making a joke, he was also acknowledging the reason he enjoys so many Constant Readers, as he often refers to us in afterwords and introductions. The experience of your first King novel (especially if you start with one of the old great ones, such as Salem’s Lot or The Shining or The Stand or his short story collection Night Shift) can be a life-changer, turning you into an instant addict who greets each of his books hoping for the same kind of rush. Many people start reading Stephen King while still in their teens, then remain hooked forever.
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