King on Golding

The U.K.'s Daily Telegraph runs a piece by Stephen King on his discovery of Lord of the Flies, and the impact it had on him emotionally and as a writer. A wonderful appreciation of William Golding's masterpiece about what happens when a group of boys gets stranded on an island.

Stephen King: Readers are too  Lazy to Read Short Stories

In a brief interview with publisher Simon and Schuster, Stephen King bemoans the fate of the American short story, blaming readers who, according to him, prefer American Idol to good fiction. King, who had called himself the literary equivalent of a Big Mac earlier in his career, has had just as many of his short stories/novellas translated into film as novels, starting with the legendary Creepshow.   Apt Pupil, Stand By Me, The Shawshank Redemption and  1408 are just a few of the films based on King's short stories.

Do you think King is right? What was the last short story or anthology you read?  What is your favorite story or anthology of all time? Post a comment.

  And try short stories campfire style for Halloween. Light up the jack-o-lanterns, set up the snacks light the fire and play an audiobook of scary tales like King's Sorry, Right Number and Other Stories. Then try and sleep.