# Stephen King trivia **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 15, 2012, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-king-trivia/609590 "2012-01-15T12:22:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HotDogWater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/35a633/32.png) [@HotDogWater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HotDogWater)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-king-trivia/609590/1 "2012-01-15T12:22:46Z")
Go ahead, ask me. I’ve read every book, and seen most shows and movies made from his name. And I’m bored at work today. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-king-trivia/609590/2 "2012-01-15T14:14:05Z")
In both real life and portrayed in the Dark Tower series, what distracted the guy driving the van that struck Stephen King and almost killed him? ---
**Author:** ![Stauderhorse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Stauderhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stauderhorse)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-king-trivia/609590/3 "2012-01-15T14:31:10Z")
More of a general question, but how does his earlier work compare to his later stuff? Most of what I’ve read comes from early in or the middle of his career. Does his writing still have the ability to get under your skin, or has it lost something over time? I hear some people calling him a hack because he writes so damn much. I think the quality of his work is almost always constant. What say you? ---
**Author:** ![HotDogWater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/35a633/32.png) [@HotDogWater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HotDogWater)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-king-trivia/609590/4 "2012-01-15T14:34:06Z")
Easy first one, **Revtim**. The driver was distracted by his dogs, who were nosing around in his cooler trying to eat the hamburger he bought for dinner. More, please? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-king-trivia/609590/5 "2012-01-15T14:37:08Z")
How many Stephen King stories originally appeared in _The New Yorker_? ---
**Author:** ![HotDogWater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/35a633/32.png) [@HotDogWater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HotDogWater)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-king-trivia/609590/6 "2012-01-15T14:41:44Z")
**Stauderhorse** , I don’t think the quality of his work has changed so much as his\* feel\*. in three of his most recent books (11/22/63, Under the Dome and DumaKey) I get a much different feeling of empathay for his characters. I cared far more about Edgar Freemantle’s mood swings than Carrie’s bullying. Also the _quantity_ of his words has increaded dramatically in the 21st century, as any reader of Song of Susannah can attest. Your bound to be a hack sometimes in 1000 pages of text. ---
**Author:** ![HotDogWater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/35a633/32.png) [@HotDogWater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HotDogWater)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-king-trivia/609590/7 "2012-01-15T14:45:54Z")
oooooh, that’s a tough one **RealityChuck** , thanks! racking my brain gives me “Head Down”? so, one? ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-king-trivia/609590/8 "2012-01-15T16:39:28Z")
Okay. what memes pass by in every book? My list is a mention of the beatles song “Hey Jude”. and a mention of an evil guy with the initials R.F. Can you add more? ---
**Author:** ![HotDogWater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/35a633/32.png) [@HotDogWater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HotDogWater)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-king-trivia/609590/9 "2012-01-15T17:11:51Z")
Obvious ones: Derry, Castle Rock and 'salems lot, Maine the crimson king and the entire dark tower universe more hidden ones: substance use and abuse main characters are writers or english teachers are these themes? memes? commonalities? ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-king-trivia/609590/10 "2012-01-15T17:21:11Z")
What was the name of the story with the mutant rats? ---
**Author:** ![HotDogWater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/35a633/32.png) [@HotDogWater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HotDogWater)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-king-trivia/609590/11 "2012-01-15T17:32:14Z")
mutant rats, mutants rats. lesseeee… _Graveyard Shift_ had tons of rats in an old textile factory, with the climax being finding the enormous, blind queen rat is that the answer you’re looking for? or are you thinking of _1922_, which uses rats as a metaphor for guilt? ---
**Author:** ![SeldomSeen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ba0ec/32.png) [@SeldomSeen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeldomSeen)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-king-trivia/609590/12 "2012-01-15T18:01:09Z")
Settings…in discussions of SK’s writing they don’t get a lot of mention, but he does location very well. Some are ubiquitous; Maine, of course, London, a couple in Eastern PA, Nebraska. One gets the feeling that the author has actually visited and explored his settings. Only one SK story AFAIK has been set in my home state of Oregon, and it is not one of his better-known works. Which one is it? SS ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-king-trivia/609590/13 "2012-01-15T18:15:45Z")
What does SK have in common with Al Kooper? ---
**Author:** ![HotDogWater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/35a633/32.png) [@HotDogWater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HotDogWater)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-king-trivia/609590/14 "2012-01-15T18:58:13Z")
Oregon? hmmm…stumped so far…can I get a hint? ---
**Author:** ![HotDogWater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/35a633/32.png) [@HotDogWater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HotDogWater)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-king-trivia/609590/15 "2012-01-15T19:01:26Z")
Al Kooper is involved (plays an instrument? sings?)with the Rock Bottom Remainders, Kings band of literary folks. Is Kooper an author? I thought his claim to fame was music… ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-king-trivia/609590/16 "2012-01-15T19:04:06Z")
When his wife reads his stuff, which of her criticisms does he say there is no argument against? ---
**Author:** ![SeldomSeen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ba0ec/32.png) [@SeldomSeen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeldomSeen)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-king-trivia/609590/17 "2012-01-15T19:04:35Z")
> [@HotDogWater](#): > > Oregon? hmmm…stumped so far…can I get a hint? It’s a short story, not one of the full-length books, and not a novella. And not a recent one. SS ---
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-king-trivia/609590/18 "2012-01-15T19:18:45Z")
I think The Man in the Black Suit also first appeared in the New Yorker. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-king-trivia/609590/19 "2012-01-15T19:20:27Z")
> [@SeldomSeen](#): > > It’s a short story, not one of the full-length books, and not a novella. And not a recent one. > SS But it is in the Graveyward Shift collection, you almost got it **HotDogWater** … ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-king-trivia/609590/20 "2012-01-15T19:28:05Z")
> [@HotDogWater](#): > > Easy first one, **Revtim**. The driver was distracted by his dogs, who were nosing around in his cooler trying to eat the hamburger he bought for dinner. > > More, please? OK, here’s a much tougher one (unless you Google it of course)… In ‘Duma Key’, what was the alleged local term for out-of-season hurricanes? FYI, I’ve lived in South Florida for almost 30 years, and I have _never_ heard this term elsewhere. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-king-trivia/609590.md?page=2)