[virus five]

My least faves were "Gerald's Game" and "Langoliers".

One thing to remember about King is that he creates great characters, and has a great ability to make them realistic. At times, his horror is more about putting his characters to the test. "Delores Claiborne", "The Body" (Stand By Me) and "Misery" are less about horror monsters, but more about putting realistic characters in tense situations.

When King started doing this more, I think he lost a lot of "hardcore horror" fans. But honestly, how many books about vampires and werewolves can a person write before being accused of writing the same book over and over?

Strangely enough, some of his best films have been made from these works. It seems that this style lends itself better to the screen than his "monster faire". Even after taking all of the supernatural elements out of "Hearts in Atlantis", at the core is a compelling story. The novel "Delores Claiborne" lost me, but I was able to see what King was getting at when I saw it on the screen.

Films like "The Shawshank Redemption" and "The Green Mile" have received top critical acclaim. Deservedly, if you ask me. He's created characters that we can care about, so we want to know what happens to them. We care what happens to them. And that is the basis of keeping and reader/viewer interested in a story.

I am by no means King's biggest fan, but let's face it: King is on top of the book market. There is no writer more prolific and widely read, so it's easy to knock him.