Me, too.
I read a couple of King's novels, years ago; the last one I read was The Stand.
King is certainly more prolific (!), and he's certainly a good storyteller. But I think SRD is a better author because he gives his readers more to think about. King's novels are a good way to kill a few hours, but I have no desire to go back and read them again. OTOH, I've re-read SRD's works several times, and I get something new out of each re-read.
Stephen R Donaldson vs Stephen King
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aliantha
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As much as I enjoy Donaldson, I don't think he's written anything as good as The Stand, or The Wizard and Glass.
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." - PJ O'Rourke
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"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
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"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
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"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
_____________
"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
_____________
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It's a tough question indeed as Cail says. In fact, for me, I'm not sure I can make a choice. They're simply too different, and they both speak to different aspects of myself.
On the whole, I do agree with a lot of what Cail said there. For every good King book, there is a bad one. I don't think I've ever seen a movie adaptation of one of his books that I liked either.
What I do, and always have, appreciated about his writing is something that he shares with Donaldson. He's not afraid to write endings that aren't happy. I've certainly read by far the majority of his books, and sure, there were a good few I didn't really like...especially the newer ones.
One thing that I really don't like about his writing, as I mentioned in the SK forum (in the Library for Baracka, if he's interested) is the constant foreshadowings. In essence, giving away what's going to happen next.
The Dark Tower, on the whole, ruled. It is one story that captured my imagination like practically no other. (And I've read most of his books more than once as well...even Gerald's Game...but that may not mean much, because there are very few books I've read that I haven't read a few times.)
Is he a better writer? By what criteria? Technically? Narratively? Linguistically? (?) I don't know...by some standards perhaps, by others not. Donaldson is, for me, The Land. Apart from the Chrons, I've only read the first Gap book, MN, and the short stories. I've enjoyed them all, but the Land is always where it's at for me. And in terms of creating the grand and epic sweep of a complete and consistent reality, few if any equal that. The only comparable reality of Kings is the DT books. And that reality is just as grand, captivating and consistent.
They are very different writers...and I think that both are excellent. Any debate on the spheres and degrees of their respective excellence is, I think, truly in the realm of nit-picking. Perhaps one displays an economy of words, perhaps one uses a more elaborate language. Each of those examples are equally good...in their place.
--Avatar
On the whole, I do agree with a lot of what Cail said there. For every good King book, there is a bad one. I don't think I've ever seen a movie adaptation of one of his books that I liked either.
What I do, and always have, appreciated about his writing is something that he shares with Donaldson. He's not afraid to write endings that aren't happy. I've certainly read by far the majority of his books, and sure, there were a good few I didn't really like...especially the newer ones.
One thing that I really don't like about his writing, as I mentioned in the SK forum (in the Library for Baracka, if he's interested) is the constant foreshadowings. In essence, giving away what's going to happen next.
The Dark Tower, on the whole, ruled. It is one story that captured my imagination like practically no other. (And I've read most of his books more than once as well...even Gerald's Game...but that may not mean much, because there are very few books I've read that I haven't read a few times.)
Is he a better writer? By what criteria? Technically? Narratively? Linguistically? (?) I don't know...by some standards perhaps, by others not. Donaldson is, for me, The Land. Apart from the Chrons, I've only read the first Gap book, MN, and the short stories. I've enjoyed them all, but the Land is always where it's at for me. And in terms of creating the grand and epic sweep of a complete and consistent reality, few if any equal that. The only comparable reality of Kings is the DT books. And that reality is just as grand, captivating and consistent.
They are very different writers...and I think that both are excellent. Any debate on the spheres and degrees of their respective excellence is, I think, truly in the realm of nit-picking. Perhaps one displays an economy of words, perhaps one uses a more elaborate language. Each of those examples are equally good...in their place.
--Avatar
no way for me to choose here.
Avatar said:
Donaldson does something else for me...he makes me think, raises questions. if it were just the story, that would be plenty enough to make this a difficult choice (king vs donaldson) but Donaldson has created a character in Thomas Covenant (and LindenAvery as well) that i don't even really LIKE! and still i want to read his (Covenant's) story. and resolution with Donaldson is never really what you think it's going to be. Donaldson continually asks a question that i continually ask myself, what IS the nature of "reality"? in this, Donaldson surpasses mere storytelling and genre.
hmmm. i may just have talked myself into voting Donaldson!!
Avatar said:
and i agree. when i want a SK story, that's what i want and none other will do. something about the way he tells a story connects with me. i can't speak to style or ability because that's not what i read a King story for. i read it for the story. i won't say i'm never disappointed, it's true that for every good King story, there's a bad one and, like Syl, i was seriously disappointed in the conclusion of Dark Tower.They're simply too different, and they both speak to different aspects of myself.
Donaldson does something else for me...he makes me think, raises questions. if it were just the story, that would be plenty enough to make this a difficult choice (king vs donaldson) but Donaldson has created a character in Thomas Covenant (and LindenAvery as well) that i don't even really LIKE! and still i want to read his (Covenant's) story. and resolution with Donaldson is never really what you think it's going to be. Donaldson continually asks a question that i continually ask myself, what IS the nature of "reality"? in this, Donaldson surpasses mere storytelling and genre.
hmmm. i may just have talked myself into voting Donaldson!!
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aliantha
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Hey! Start yer own poll!sgtnull wrote:Lovecraft is the better writer.
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I would say even. Too bad there isn’t an option for that. I’m an avid reader of both authors and have been since I was a kid.
But they write in different mediums. Stephen King is one of the best horror writers out there. His Dark tower series just shows his diversity like Donaldson does with his mystery novels, but King’s strength is in horror, not The Dark Tower, imo. I don't think fantasy readers should judge King by his Dark Tower series.
Lol, I am in a series of King re-reads this year. I just re-read The Eyes of the Dragon to make that my 5th Stephen King Book I’ve re-read this year. I also haven’t read the Black House (with Peter Straub) and it’s been 15 years since I’ve read the Tailsman (which I remember loving), so I want to re-read that book before I start Black House. Heck and I’ve even re-read The Stand and It, both that are 1,000 page books.
The one thing I will say King has written a lot more garbage than Donaldson has. King just writes and tries everything, and sometimes it doesn’t work. He puts out about 3 books a year, whereas Donaldson takes his time and is more careful when releasing a book. He’s not as reckless as King can be. King does have this fault.
@Avatar, The Green Mile, The Shawshank Redemption, The Shinning (Jack Nicholson one), Creepshow (fun), Carrie, Storm of the Century and Stand By Me? There have been some good movies. But alas there is more bad than good when it comes to Stephen King movies. Dreamcatcher was absolutely horrid!
But they write in different mediums. Stephen King is one of the best horror writers out there. His Dark tower series just shows his diversity like Donaldson does with his mystery novels, but King’s strength is in horror, not The Dark Tower, imo. I don't think fantasy readers should judge King by his Dark Tower series.
Lol, I am in a series of King re-reads this year. I just re-read The Eyes of the Dragon to make that my 5th Stephen King Book I’ve re-read this year. I also haven’t read the Black House (with Peter Straub) and it’s been 15 years since I’ve read the Tailsman (which I remember loving), so I want to re-read that book before I start Black House. Heck and I’ve even re-read The Stand and It, both that are 1,000 page books.
The one thing I will say King has written a lot more garbage than Donaldson has. King just writes and tries everything, and sometimes it doesn’t work. He puts out about 3 books a year, whereas Donaldson takes his time and is more careful when releasing a book. He’s not as reckless as King can be. King does have this fault.
@Avatar, The Green Mile, The Shawshank Redemption, The Shinning (Jack Nicholson one), Creepshow (fun), Carrie, Storm of the Century and Stand By Me? There have been some good movies. But alas there is more bad than good when it comes to Stephen King movies. Dreamcatcher was absolutely horrid!
I'm with you on this one. This is why I still think Halloween was one of the scariests movies ever. It was because there was hardly any gore, what scared you is when you saw him across the street. Shots like that installed fear, gore doesn't do that for me.sgtnull wrote:too many directors cut the storyline and leave in the gore. I like the tv movies more in most cases. Storm of the Century was great. more creepiness and less blood.
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Missed this for a while.Ellester wrote:@Avatar, The Green Mile, The Shawshank Redemption, The Shinning (Jack Nicholson one), Creepshow (fun), Carrie, Storm of the Century and Stand By Me? There have been some good movies. But alas there is more bad than good when it comes to Stephen King movies. Dreamcatcher was absolutely horrid!
Much more good than bad, certainly. The only ones I'll give you there are Shawshank and Stand By Me. I'm a terrible purist, and the more they change the book, the less I like it. (Haven't seen Storm or Creepshow.) IT wasn't bad as a movie either. (OK, niether was The Shining.)
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lol, fair enough.Avatar wrote:
Much more good than bad, certainly. The only ones I'll give you there are Shawshank and Stand By Me. I'm a terrible purist, and the more they change the book, the less I like it. (Haven't seen Storm or Creepshow.) IT wasn't bad as a movie either. (OK, niether was The Shining.)
--A
I would recommend checking out Storm. Its long as it was made for television, but it turned out pretty good. I like it better than IT.
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Donaldson is better, though King is no doubt an excellent writer. King's major failing, in my opinion, is that sometimes he has to back his stories with references to Lovecraft. SRD never falls back on other writers' mythos.
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Interesting, I really hadn't noticed too much of that.
But one could argue that both The Gap and The Chrons lean on prior works. Well, maybe not lean on, but you know what I mean.....Every author steals from somewhere.
But one could argue that both The Gap and The Chrons lean on prior works. Well, maybe not lean on, but you know what I mean.....Every author steals from somewhere.
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." - PJ O'Rourke
_____________
"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
_____________
"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
_____________
_____________
"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
_____________
"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
_____________
seems a strange post for a forum about stephen donaldson books.
SRD easily but ive liked some of kings work. dark tower being the main stuff although its a little patchy(does anyone else find eddie really annoying?). king is far better at writing short(ish) stories imo. the book containing The body and Shawshank and rita hayworth has some other really good stories. and the green mile was originally a series of short stories, and should be read as such imo. hes also done a more recent short story book i think which i read although the name escapes me(one of the stories is about a vietnam vet and another involves a boy becoming mates with an older guy with a few secrets). a lot of kings books seem to start off great but lose momentum, indicitive of writer who has soooo many great ideas but is seemingly unable to put them all into one book and needs to start writing another all the time. anyways SRD for me.just better.
SRD easily but ive liked some of kings work. dark tower being the main stuff although its a little patchy(does anyone else find eddie really annoying?). king is far better at writing short(ish) stories imo. the book containing The body and Shawshank and rita hayworth has some other really good stories. and the green mile was originally a series of short stories, and should be read as such imo. hes also done a more recent short story book i think which i read although the name escapes me(one of the stories is about a vietnam vet and another involves a boy becoming mates with an older guy with a few secrets). a lot of kings books seem to start off great but lose momentum, indicitive of writer who has soooo many great ideas but is seemingly unable to put them all into one book and needs to start writing another all the time. anyways SRD for me.just better.
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