# How many novels does Stephen King have left in him? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 23, 2016, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-novels-does-stephen-king-have-left-in-him/760690 "2016-07-23T17:19:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2016, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-novels-does-stephen-king-have-left-in-him/760690/21 "2016-07-25T17:53:21Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I’m not quite sure what you’re saying. “Underneath the Y axis”? Meaning that his stories are getting less scary and the dialogue is getting better as time goes by. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2016, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-novels-does-stephen-king-have-left-in-him/760690/22 "2016-07-25T18:18:23Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Do you have _On Writing_? Now there’s a complete waste of paper. And ink. And time, and shelf space. > > Sorry, it’s kinda personal with that one. I liked _Danse Macabre_, but I think that’s the only one of his nonfiction books I’ve read. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2016, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-novels-does-stephen-king-have-left-in-him/760690/23 "2016-07-25T18:18:37Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Do you have _On Writing_? Now there’s a complete waste of paper. And ink. And time, and shelf space. > > Sorry, it’s kinda personal with that one. Yes, but I liked it! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2016, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-novels-does-stephen-king-have-left-in-him/760690/24 "2016-07-25T21:01:00Z")
I’m a fan. Not a scary _Misery_ kind of fan, but enough of one that a decade ago I wrote a grad school research paper called “Finding Room in the Canon for Stephen King,” which argued for his inclusion in the American Literature canon that gets taught in high schools/colleges. I loved the Bill Hodges trilogy (I finished _End of Watch_ about a month ago), and sometimes find myself amazed when I enjoy his current writing just as much as the stuff that’s 40 years old. I hope he keeps going until he can’t dictate to someone anymore. And yeah, Joe Hill’s books are also extremely good. 🙂 (I credit my mom for my love of Stephen King – she started reading him almost before I could read at all – though coincidentally he and I also share a birthday.) ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-novels-does-stephen-king-have-left-in-him/760690/25 "2016-07-26T04:30:07Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Do you have _On Writing_? Now there’s a complete waste of paper. And ink. And time, and shelf space. > > Sorry, it’s kinda personal with that one. I enjoyed it, but I approached it as a semi-autobiographical piece that I expected would primarily be King’s reflections on his craft, as indeed it was. It’s a hard thing to write and I believe King said he practically gave up on it before finally slogging through and producing, in the end, an informative and sometimes insightful introspection. The problem comes if one regards it as a how-to manual on writing a novel. I don’t think there’s any such thing, but unfortunately King tries a little too hard to make it just that. The weaknesses of the book are those times when King tries to turn his reflections into object lessons about how an aspiring writer should go about his business. More personal insights and fewer lessons in novel-writing would have been welcome. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-novels-does-stephen-king-have-left-in-him/760690/26 "2016-07-26T15:31:28Z")
Let’s cut him open and find out. :Vincent Price: ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-novels-does-stephen-king-have-left-in-him/760690/27 "2016-07-26T15:35:29Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Let’s cut him open and find out. :Vincent Price: Yes!!! I knew someone would take my set-up and do something with it!😃 I hope Mr King lives a long, long time. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-novels-does-stephen-king-have-left-in-him/760690/28 "2016-07-26T20:58:45Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > And yeah, Joe Hill’s books are also extremely good. 🙂 I’ve read a few of his books, and I find they are paced rather slowly. It’s fine, it builds up, but there are times where it drags. I’m almost finished with my reread of **IT** and will be moving on to **The Stand**. I’m trying to gear myself up for either a reread of **The Dark Tower** or **Game of Thrones**. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-novels-does-stephen-king-have-left-in-him/760690.md?page=1)