Like many
people I have been reading Stephen King for a long time. I can still remember
the days of pure joy and excitement when I started reading outside the bounds
of school assigned books. I headed for the shelves where the mystery and horror
novels were and, man, I was home. Of course, King was the top shelf. You
couldn't go wrong with a King book--unless you had to get up for school the
next day.
You get scared, you get hooked and you ride along for life. That's the
way it is with Stephen King. The amazing power in his books is not in the
chills, I don't think. It's in the fact that these are everyman stories. You
think that if it could happen to them it could happen to you. That makes it
real. Real scary.
In more recent years I have come to know of Stephen King in another
dimension; as one of the most generous writers I know of. He is the kind of
writer who will use his podium time when receiving an award to talk about other
writers who should also be considered. He is the type of writer who uses his
lofty standing in publishing circles to mention other writers who stand outside
the circle. In short, I think his skill as a writer who captivates us may only
be surpassed by his skill as a man who cares about us. It is a very rare
combination. It is why he will always be top shelf.
--Michael Connelly
