One of the most famous horror writers of the twentieth century is Stephen King. How would you compare Stephen King with Edgar Allan Poe? If Stephen King lived during Poe's era, we he be as successful as he is?

-- Anonymous, September 02, 2001

Answers

Read Stephen King's "On Writing", an autobiographical dissertation on the craft. THAT will provide the foundation to your speculations. Writing was evidently in King's blood as well and his roots were fairly impoverished and stunted as well. Less erudite but dedicated to learning the craft through journalism and magazine submissions he likely would have followed the same path. He might have been relegated however to a life of poverty as a writer of short stories unless he made a connection as he did with "Carrie." Not primarily a poet or essayist he is much more limited than Poe, and yes, less a genius though perhaps a clearer, more down-to-earth writer. The market for the horror genre at that time was quite different, obviously far more limited than today. Not his time. He might well have been forgotten and ended up as a newspaper journalist.

-- Anonymous, September 04, 2001