Question regarding Stephen King's thoughts on S/L edition books

[bsaenz24]

Agreed. The Centipede Press edition of The Shining would have been to die for...

Of course with the normal delays that can come with specialty press books, if you die before it ships.....yeah, that would suck, because you would never know if your copy ever showed up!! Oh, and the whole dead thing....

[T-Dogz_AK47]

I always thought Frank Darabont was great, but after reading that interview I think he is an absolute legend!!!

[subie09lega]

I think he should make all of King's books into movies. The Darabont Masterpiece Collection.

[T-Dogz_AK47]

I think he should make all of King's books into movies. The Darabont Masterpiece Collection.

That I would definitely like to see!!!

Frank Darabont is a Grandmaster when it comes to making Stephen King adaptations.

[St. Troy]

Stephen King:
I mean…the worst one in a way and I don’t…this guy is gonna read this and be so bummed. This guy Jared Walters did Salem’s Lot in a limited. He basically fucking wore me down because he would come back every six months or so and say, “Please, please, please, please” and I’m very vulnerable to that if people, I mean, if he’d come to me and said that he wanted to do a Dollar Baby I would say, “Yes” immediately but this guy wants to do this big huge book with this, I don’t know, incredible binding done in some endangered species or something and finally the books come out and people like Frank Darabont and other collectors just loved that book and he wants to do The Shining next and so far I’ve just told him, “No”. Because it’d be another book like Salem’s Lot. It’ll weigh twenty pounds, and people will put it on their shelf and look at it and they won’t actually read it.

I know this issue is going back quite two years, but after reading this entire thread yesterday, today I found a listing for the Centipede SL with a note from King reading, in part:

"Dear Jerad,
All I can say is wow - this is going to be quite a package! Can't wait to see the finished product - I'm totally blissed out, as my son Owen would say. Totally cool.
...
Again - wow."

So...did SK have second thoughts? Or perhaps he was simply being kind, given that he'd already approved the work (too late to say "this is going overboard") and it was obvious that Jerad had put loads of care and effort into it?

[Martin]

I know this issue is going back quite two years, but after reading this entire thread yesterday, today I found a listing for the Centipede SL with a note from King reading, in part:

"Dear Jerad,
All I can say is wow - this is going to be quite a package! Can't wait to see the finished product - I'm totally blissed out, as my son Owen would say. Totally cool.
...
Again - wow."

So...did SK have second thoughts? Or perhaps he was simply being kind, given that he'd already approved the work (too late to say "this is going overboard") and it was obvious that Jerad had put loads of care and effort into it?

First I would like to say welcome to the board St. Troy. I know King has had some sort of issue with Centipede Press but I believe it had nothing to do with the actual book they produced. King has been very supportive of the small press over the years and I recall a comment relating to the the early Dark Tower books, and the fact that they were only available from Grant, about how not everyone needs to have access to every story.

[St. Troy]

First I would like to say welcome to the board St. Troy.

Thanks.

I know King has had some sort of issue with Centipede Press but I believe it had nothing to do with the actual book they produced.

Something personal? If so, unfortunate.

...not everyone needs to have access to every story.

Did SK actually say something to this effect? If so, I find that even more surprising, given his "books for the people" stance against elitist books etc. What's more elitist than something that most people aren't allowed to read?

[mhatchett]

Who knows what goes on behind the scenes with any of these transactions? I'm sure I probably don't want to know. I do know that based of their output both of these individuals are well respected. I've never had an interaction with SK but I've had many with Jerad, all of them positive. As far as the Centipede edition of Salem's Lot goes, I couldn't afford it then and I sure couldn't afford it now. I think Jerad published that book as a piece of art, an homage to King. I think it's kind of sad the King didn't see it that way. But we all move onto the next project and I can’t wait to see CD’s Salem’s Lot and Jerad’s Cornell Woolrich set. That whole elitist thread is a little weird. All these books are available in paperback, so no one is being denied access. Collecting special editions is really no more expensive than smoking regularly and chugging beer it's a choice some people make. some people are so elite they do all of that at the same time lol!!

[Dan Hocker]

People also change their opinions on things over time. So what was said at one point in time doesn't necessarily mean that that's their opinion forever.

[Martin]

Thanks.



Something personal? If so, unfortunate.



Did SK actually say something to this effect? If so, I find that even more surprising, given his "books for the people" stance against elitist books etc. What's more elitist than something that most people aren't allowed to read?

I have read much speculation about why King will not partner with Centipede Press but have no real information.

Prior to the mass market versions on The Dark Tower books being released I remember in an interview with King when he was asked about the fact that these books numbered in the thousands in print when most of his books were in the millions. King's response was that these were not his typical books and that many of his readers may not care for the stories and that he had no problem with limited printings and that not everyone needed to have access to every story. I do not recall where I saw the interview and have not seen it again.

[mhatchett]

Dan and Martin make very valid points. I will simply make the point that there Many other writers I would like to see Jerad publish other than SK. He seems to be well represented in the publishing world.

[Theli]

Who knows what goes on behind the scenes with any of these transactions? I'm sure I probably don't want to know. I do know that based of their output both of these individuals are well respected. I've never had an interaction with SK but I've had many with Jerad, all of them positive. As far as the Centipede edition of Salem's Lot goes, I couldn't afford it then and I sure couldn't afford it now. I think Jerad published that book as a piece of art, an homage to King. I think it's kind of sad the King didn't see it that way. But we all move onto the next project and I can’t wait to see CD’s Salem’s Lot and Jerad’s Cornell Woolrich set. That whole elitist thread is a little weird. All these books are available in paperback, so no one is being denied access. Collecting special editions is really no more expensive than smoking regularly and chugging beer it's a choice some people make. some people are so elite they do all of that at the same time lol!!

Where's my lettered edition of 'Salem's Lot so I can spill beer and blow smoke on it!

[mhatchett]

As long as you don't Blow Beer on it LOL!!!

[Martin]

Dan and Martin make very valid points. I will simply make the point that there Many other writers I would like to see Jerad publish other than SK. He seems to be well represented in the publishing world.

I would agree with that.

[bugen]

Welcome to the forum St. Troy, and thank you for resurrecting this thread. There is a lot of great info here I wasn't aware of.

Thank all of you guys for posting about this stuff.