Books of the Day: "the Horatio Alger of Horror"

In the current issue of The Oyster Review, Alexandra Salerno considers the works of Stephen King:

When Joyce Carol Oates introduced Stephen King at Princeton in 1997, she began, “It's commonly said that certain individuals, notably the famous, need no introductions. On the contrary, I think, it's precisely those whom we imagine we know, in broad stereotypical terms, who require introductions.” And it’s true, most people know Stephen King in very broad, stereotypical terms; you can’t sell over 350 million books without making a serious cultural impression. He’s been a fixture of the American literary landscape for so long that casual readers and even non-readers know much of his background by heart. Horror writer, folksy Mainer—the addict who scribbled out his first novel while sitting on a washing machine, and eventually rocketed to the top of the bestseller list. He’s also among that rare circle of writers whose film adaptations have become just as iconic as his words—more so, even, than their original source material. He’s the Horatio Alger of horror. 

When Sherman Alexie was asked what formative stories he’d read as a kid, Alexie answered gushingly, “Oh my gosh. Stephen King, who was always writing about underdogs, and bullied kids, and kids fighting back against overwhelming, often supernatural forces. The world aligned against them. As an Indian boy growing up on a reservation, I always identified with his protagonists. Stephen King, fighting the monsters.”

Henry Bemis Books has a collection of sixteen Stephen King first editions/first printings we’d love to find good home for:

Stephen King and f-stop Fitzgerald, Nightmares in the Sky: Gargoyles and Grotesques (Viking Studio Books, 1988; hardcover, 128 pp, ISBN 0-670-82307-4; 1st ed., hardcover, unclipped dust jacket, 10" x 11.25", very good condition). Your price: US $75. Horror and suspense writer Stephen King found his first face-to-grimace encounter with a gargoyle, the grotesque waterspouts that have carried water away from the sides of stone buildings since ancient times. Seeing one up close, King writes, is like "having a nightmare awake."

The avant-gardishly named avant-garde photographer, f-stop Fitzgerald, shares King's fascination, and the two collaborated on what became a 1988 best-seller, Nightmares in the Sky: Gargoyles and Grotesques. 100 duotones and 24 full-color images menace and confront the reader in a fascinating, up-close-and-personal encounter with an art form we rarely notice at ground level.

King, Stephen, Cujo (Viking, 1st ed., 1st printing, 1981). ISBN 0-670-45193-2. Hardcover, unclipped dust jacket, very good condition; two nicks to back dust jacket. Owner’s name and “1981” inscribed on front endpaper. HBB price: $99.

King, Stephen, Skeleton Crew (G.P. Putnam’s, 1st ed. 1st printing, 1985). ISBN 0-399-13039-X. Twenty-two terrifying tales. Hardcover, unclipped dust jacket, very good condition. HBB price: $49.

King, Stephen, The Tommyknockers (G.P. Putnam’s, 1st ed. 1st printing, “Permissions to Come” notation, 1987). ISBN 0-399-13341-3. Be careful what you pull out of the ground: it could be the exposed bit of a buried space vehicle with plans for humanity. Hardcover, unclipped dust jacket, very good condition. HBB price: $99.

King, Stephen, The Dark Half (Viking, 1st ed. 1st printing, 1987). 0-670-82982-X. An author’s pseudonym, resentful of being retired, gets even. Hardcover, unclipped dust jacket, very good condition. HBB price: $99.

King, Stephen, Four Past Midnight (Viking, 1st ed. 1st printing, 1990). ISBN 0-399-13341-3. Four novellas: “The Langoliers,” “Secret Window,” “The Library Policeman” and “The Sun Dog.” Hardcover, unclipped dust jacket, very good condition; a slight stain on the fore-edge. HBB price: $99.

King, Stephen, Dolores Claiborne (Viking, 1st ed. 1st printing, 1993). ISBN 0-67084452-7. Accused of murdering an elderly woman for whom she cared, and suspected of offing her husband, Dolores tells all- and then some. What did she do? Was she right to do it? 9.5” x 6”. Hardcover, unclipped dust jacket, fine condition. HBB price: $99.

King, Stephen, Nightmares & Dreamscapes (Viking, 1st ed., first printing, 1993). ISBN 0-670-85108-6. Masterful collection of short stories. Hardcover, unclipped dusty jacket. Very good condition. 2 copies; one with longhand gift inscription, and dog-ear crease on half-title page; small crease on top front dust jacket flap in the other. HBB price: $125 each.

King, Stephen, Rose Madder (Viking, 1st ed., 1st printing, 1995) ISBN 0-670-85869-2. Gripping tale of a woman pursued by a phcho husband. Hardcover, unclipped dust jacket, very good condition. HBB price: 49.00

King, Stephen, Desperation (Viking, 1st ed. 1st printing, 1996). ISBN 0-670-86386-1. A chance gathering of passers-through run up against the batshit-crazy cop of Desperation, Nevada. Hardcover, unclipped dust jacket, fine condition. HBB price: 3 copies; $119 each.

King, Stephen, Hearts in Atlantis (Scribner, 1st ed. 1st printing, 1999). ISBN 0-684-85351-5. Five interconnected narratives, the ghosts of Vietnam lurking in them all. Hardcover, unclipped dust jacket, fine condition. HBB price: $75.

King, Stephen, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (Scribner, 1st ed., 1st printing, 1999). ISBN 0-684-86762-1. A hiking trip on the Appalachian Trail goes rather seriously wrong. Hardcover, unclipped dust jacket, very good condition. HBB price: $99.

King, Stephen, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (Scribner, 1st ed., 1st printing, 2000). ISBN 0-684-85352-3. Highly-praised account of King’s evolution as an author. Hardcover, unclipped dust jacket, very good condition. HBB price: $59.

King, Stephen, Everything’s Eventual: 14 Dark Tales (Scribner, 1st ed., 1st printing, 2002). ISBN 0-7432-3515-0. Hardcover, unclipped dust jacket, very good condition. HBB price: $99.

King, Stephen, The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah (Donald M. Grant, Publisher, Inc., 1st trade ed. 1st printing, 2004). ISBN 1-880148-59-2. The penultimate volume in King’s Dark Tower series. Hardcover, unclipped dust jacket, very good condition. HBB price: $99.

King, Stephen, Duma Key (Scribner, 1st ed., 1st printing, 2008). ISBN 1-4165-5251-0. Hardcover, unclipped dust jacket, very good condition. HBB price: $89.

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Henry Bemis Books is one man’s attempt to bring more diversity and quality to a Charlotte-Mecklenburg market of devoted readers starved for choices. Our website is at www.henrybemisbookseller.blogspot.com. For more information about any listed book, or more photos, please contact Lindsay at henrybemisbookseller@gmail.com. Henry Bemis Books is also happy to entertain reasonable offers on items in inventory. Shipping is always free; local buyers are welcome to drop by and pick up their purchases at our location off Peachtree Road in Northwest Charlotte if they like. #RareBooks #HenryBemisBooks #StephenKing #FirstEditions #OysterReview