Hi there,
I’m just trying to understand how SK fans segment his work. I’d like to know which books fit into these categories I keep hearing about, and what you think makes each era so compelling. I’ve read Salem’s Lot, Cujo, and now Needful Things. I have Sun Dog, Duma Key, and IT up next. It seems people classify the eras as follows:
Young Rising King
Cocaine King
Post-Cocaine King
Post-Accident King
What are the main books that fit into these categories, and how do they differ thematically? Is Young Rising King-era books less developed since it’s his early work? Cocaine King-era, are these darker or more sinister? Don’t understand really how this works but I’ve noticed between Salem’s Lot and Cujo, that I thought Cujo was stronger, even though the plot was relatively simple. I’m now starting Needful Things, however Sun Dog sounds really to my liking, and I’m preparing my mind, body, and soul, for the encyclopaedic IT.
I don’t think this is a thing. Someone so prolific and long lived as King who has genre hopped all over the place and has inconsistent quality (imo), can’t really be defined by these categories. He could release another genre defining hit like IT tomorrow or a dud, neither would surprise me.