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Stephen King on J.K. Rowling and Stephenie Meyer

Famous author Stephen King spoke with USA Weekend's Lorrie Lynch about some of the current popular authors and whether he feels he helped pave the way for them. In the interview, he mentions Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling and Twilight author Stephenie Meyer. Read more to see some of what he had to say.

He said he does believe that J.K. Rowling did read some of his books and that they influenced some of her writing. "I think that has some kind of formative influence the same way reading Richard Matheson had an influence on me," King explains. "People always say to me, 'Well, what about H.P. Lovecraft?' And the thing was, you read Lovecraft when you were a kid but I never felt that he was speaking my language. It was chillier than my heart was, and when Matheson started to write about ordinary people and stuff, that was something that I wanted to do. I said, 'This is the way to do it. He’s showing the way.' I think that I serve that purpose for some writers, and that’s a good thing. Both Rowling and Meyer, they’re speaking directly to young people. ... The real difference is that Jo Rowling is a terrific writer and Stephenie Meyer can’t write worth a darn. She’s not very good."

He goes on to explain that although an author may not be a very good writer that it doesn't necessarily mean they aren't successful or popular.

But then King recalls that when his mom was alive, she read all the Erle Stanley Gardner books, the Perry Mason mysteries, obsessively when he was growing up. "He was a terrible writer, too, but he was very successful," King says.

He goes on to explain a bit more about Stephenie Meyer. "People are attracted by the stories, by the pace and in the case of Stephenie Meyer, it’s very clear that she’s writing to a whole generation of girls and opening up kind of a safe joining of love and sex in those books. It’s exciting and it’s thrilling and it's not particularly threatening because they’re not overtly sexual. A lot of the physical side of it is conveyed in things like the vampire will touch her forearm or run a hand over skin, and she just flushes all hot and cold. And for girls, that’s a shorthand for all the feelings that they’re not ready to deal with yet."

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by STEVE @ 4 Oct 2010 - 17:51

SORRY jK IS VERY ... BUT A GOOD WRITER NOT EVEN CLOSE, DEARY DESCIPTIVE PASSAGE, RISIBLE DIALOGUE. BASIC STORY FINE, IMAGINATION OK, BIT OF PLAGIARISM BUT WHICH AUTHOR HASN'T.

by FHS @ 8 Feb 2009 - 09:27

If Stephenie Meyer is such a bad writer then why did you idiots even read the books? Seriously get a life.

by @ 6 Feb 2009 - 09:19

Wow!!!!!!!! Stephen King is harsh!!!! BUt i love him, he is an excellent writer, but poor stephenie meyer, it must feel like a slap in the face! lol

but he's got a point shes not that good! J.K is definetly better yep

by jujubee @ 4 Feb 2009 - 00:40

I doubt Stephen King is threatened by SM. I think SM is popular and successful by the idea behind her books. The love story and such. Her writing really is not all that great, but the readers are in love with the idea of a 'perfect' man and love.
I think it's great that Stephen King said exactly what he thought of it all.

by Sin @ 3 Feb 2009 - 20:58

Many terrible authors get published. Hundreds. Thousands. Probably more. It's not some extremely difficult task. For them, it's a mixture of luck and nailing something with a vast audience that isn't terribly picky from a literary standpoint. The best comparison I've ever heard was comparing Twilight to bad fanfiction.. which is also a surprisingly popular venture among said audience. The success isn't so much surprising as disappointing in a way.

At this point I don't think Stephen King has anything to be threatened by. Even if a stunningly amazing author were to rise up in his own field, not only has he made more than enough money off of his already-popular books and all that they've resulted in, but he's also enough of a lover of literature that he'd probably welcome it.

by Clare @ 3 Feb 2009 - 17:36

Stephen King's books are really good, and although he's entitled to his own opinion, I think he is rather brave saying Stephenie Meyer is not very good. She is a very successful author, and a raw talent. Perhaps he is just threatened by her talent?

by bets @ 3 Feb 2009 - 16:43

daaang, harsh words. i knew he thought J.K Rowling was a great writer but i didnt know what he felt about stephanie..he's definately entitled to his own opinion but i gotta say..i'm all about stephanie meyer's books, especially the host..and stephen king has some pretty awesome books too

by seeker15 @ 3 Feb 2009 - 16:32

Steph may not be the greatest writer in the world, but she's not terrible! If she wasn't a good author then her books never would've been published! Give her a break! evil