Stephen King Reveals His Top Five Stephen King Stories
» Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY!
♪♪ WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE SHOW"!
I AM HERE WITH THE AUTHOR OF THE NEW NOVEL "BILLY SUMMERS,"
MR. STEPHEN KING.
AT ONE POINT THE CHARACTER BILLY SUMMERS HERE SAYS WRITING IS
ALSO A KIND OF WAR.
THE STORY IS WHAT YOU CARRY, AND EVERY TIME YOU ADD TO IT, IT
GETS HEAVIER.
ALL OVER THE WORLD, THERE ARE HALF-FINISHED BOOKS BECAUSE THE
WORK GOT TOO HEAVY.
HAVE YOU, STEPHEN KING, EXPERIENCED THAT HEAVINESS?
» YEAH.
THE WORST CASE, I WROTE A BOOK CALLED "THE STAND "-- .
» Stephen: VERY SALIENT.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) » ABOUT A MUTATING FLU VIRUS.
ANY SIMILARITIES TO WHAT'S GOING ON NOW ARE TOO CLOSE FOR
COMFORT.
BUT I GOT ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH THAT BOOK AND I GOT THESE PEOPLE
TO BOULDER, COLORADO, AND BY THAT TIME I HAD A HUGE CAST OF
CHARACTERS WHO WERE 20 OR 25, AND I THOUGHT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT
I'M GOING TO DO WITH THESE PEOPLE.
THEY'VE GOT TO REST IN THIS ONE PLACE, AND THE BOOK STAYED ON A
SHELF FOR ABOUT THREE WEEKS WHILE I JUST WENT FOR LONG WALKS
AND TRIED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH THE STORY.
AND THE WORST THING WAS I WAS THINKING, WHAT IF THIS THING
NEVER GETS DONE?
YOU TALK ABOUT HEAVY, THAT WAS PRETTY HEAVY.
AND THEN I REMEMBER SOMETHING THAT RAYMOND CHANDLER SAID, HE
SAID, WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO NEXT, BRING ON THE MAN
WITH THE GUN.
I THOUGHT, WELL, WHAT IF SOMEBODY BLOWS UP ABOUT HALF OF
THESE TROUBLESOME PEOPLE, I CAN DEAL WITH THE ONES THAT ARE
LEFT, AND THAT'S WHAT I DID.
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE )
» Stephen: THAT'S NICE.
THAT'S SIMPLE.
ALL RIGHT, YOUR FANS ALL HAVE THEIR FAVORITE STEPHEN KING
BOOKS.
DO YOU HAVE -- » WE HOPE.
» Stephen: THEY DO OR ELSE THEY WOULDN'T BE FANS.
DO YOU HAVE YOUR FAVORITE?
WHAT ARE YOUR TOP FIVE BOOKS OR SHORT STORIES OF STEPHEN KING,
STEPHEN KING?
( LAUGHTER ) » WELL, I THINK --
» Stephen: WRITE THIS DOWN, CARVE THIS IN STONE.
» MY FAVORITE SHORT STORY WOULD BE CALLED "SURVIVOR TYPE" WHICH
IS ABOUT A PHYSICIAN STRANDED ON A LITTLE ISLAND AND HE'S
SMUGGLING HEROIN, AND HE'S STARVING, SO HE EATS HIMSELF
PIECE BY PIECE.
» Stephen: I LIKE THAT, FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY.
» THAT IS FAMILY FRIENDLY.
IT COULD BE A DISNEY CARTOON.
I LIKED THE NOVEL "MISERY" A LOT.
THAT WAS KIND OF FUN.
IT WAS A FUN BOOK TO WRITE.
( APPLAUSE ) THIS IS LIKE A LED ZEPPLIN
CONCERT, SORT OF LIKE PLAY "FREE BIRD" AND IT'S ALL GOOD.
» Stephen: THAT'S TWO.
I LIKE A STORY STREAMING ON APPLE + AND I HELD ON TO THAT
FOR A LONG TIME.
THE STAND.
ONE CALLED "STAND BY ME: THE BODY."
AND "BILLY SUMMERS," THE CURRENT ONE.
» Stephen: AND "BILLY SUMMERS," THE BOOK "BILLY
SUMMERS," ONE OF HIS TOP FIVE, IS AVAILABLE NOW.
THE MAN IS STEPHEN KING, EVERYBODY.
STEPHEN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH "BLACK PANTHER" STAR WINSTON DUKE!
