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.
You may do better asking on /r/stephenking, but here’s how I answered this question on that sub some time ago.
Having been a Constant Reader for 40+ years, I would group King’s periods into smaller defined groups, as follows:
New and Hungry Writer (original ideas/original approach): Carrie to The Stand.
Booze and Cocaine, Part I (The Good Books): The Dead Zone to Pet Sematary.
Booze and Cocaine, Part II (Some Good, Some Bad, Some Ugly Books): The Talisman to The Tommyknockers.
Getting Clean and Sober (and rediscovering how to write without drugs, and with wife Tabitha’s help): The Dark Half to Needful Things.
Clean and Sober (with a 50/50 success rate): Gerald’s Game to The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon.
Hit and Run (Books Written After a Near-Death Experience): Dreamcatcher to The Dark Tower.
Period of Public Acceptance (Post-2003 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters): The Colorado Kid to End of Watch.
Working Retirement (Books Quickly Written, and Hardly Revised): Gwendy’s Button Box to Fairy Tale and on.
Hope that helps!