Stephen King is back and ready to make your hair stand on end with 'Under the Dome,' a complex novel about society and humanity with that signature King touch. PopEater is proud to exclusively premierean interview in which King discusses 'Dome.'
"There's a saying that people have in Alcoholics Anonymous, which is, 'You're only as sick as your secrets.' Some of the people in this book are pretty sick indeed, and let's put it this way -- I think readers are going to be engaged, but I don't think they're going to be totally surprised by some of the things people are holding back, because we have them in our own lives," King says in the interview.
See the clip after the jump!
PRODUCTION PLAYER! DO NOT DELETE.
"I saw it as a chance to write about the serious ecological problems that we face in the world today. I don't want to get real heavy about this ... but the fact is we all live under the dome. We have this little blue world we've all seen from outer space, and it appears that's all there is," King says in the interview.
Explaining how the book came to fruition, King says he tried to write 'Dome' in 1976, but that it went on the back burner until three years later -- but even then, King wasn't ready. "It's kind of like a baseball player saying, 'I missed a really fat pitch and I'd really like to have another chance.' "
During a plane trip to Australia three years ago, King nabbed that fat pitch, and the inspiration to revisit the 'Dome' concept returned.
"The image that caught my mind was the idea of these people giving a press conference to the outside world ... and from what you see there's nothing between them and the cameras until somebody reaches out and knocks on, you know, thin air," King explains.
The acclaimed author of more than 50 books says it "was great to be working on a big canvas again," explaining that he ultimately writes "two kinds of books: I do books that are like murals -- they're big and they're populated with all kinds of characters -- and then [I] do the close-up books like 'Misery.' If you're going to write a book that people are going to love ... you just can't phone it in."
The world and the environment was a key factor for King's inspiration, the author says. "I saw it as a chance to write about the serious ecological problems that we face in the world today. I don't want to get real heavy about this ... but the fact is we all live under the dome. We have this little blue world we've all seen from outer space, and it appears that's all there is."
Get info on Stephen King's upcoming comic book project, 'American Vampire,' at ComicsAlliance.
King, you still rock! Entertainment is all speculative. It's kind of like a love/ hate relationship. It's better to have something a little bit different than to never have had it at all. Thanks for opening both of our minds.
I love all of Stephen King's novels. He's truely gifted. Yes, he's the master of horror, but he's managed to stick a few really good dramatic tales into his collection. I like that he's very versitile and he's got many different writing styles. If you don't like one book, try another...they're all unique. I look foward to reading this one.
Yeah what did happen to King? It's like he's in a bad phase of his career now or something. It's like he's writing to please his critics instead of us. It's too bad. I'm holding out hope for Dome, but stop with the preachy writing Steve! I know no interviewer has the guts to tell him that, but we want the classic vintage viceral King back!
I hope it comes out in time for Christmas,because I know what to tell the kids that I want ! Steven King is the greatest. I have all his books and most of his movies ....Love him
I absolutely wait with baited breath each time he releases a new novel. I am almost ashamed to say that when he was in that terrible car accident, my first thought was for myself and the fear that I would never know what happened to Roland of Gilead. My second thought was to wish him well, but I think he would understand. He impacts his fans on a visceral level. Not many current authors can do that. Rock on, Stephen.
Go to Steve's website and it'll take you to a place you can read a part of the first chapter..just enough to hook you..I love him..he made people want to read way before Harry Potter and Twilight.
I have noticed some of Mr. Kings work is getting to be rewrites of earlier things. Lisey's Story is just a reworking of Rose Madder. Cell is a different spin of Salem's Lot.
I quit reading Stephen King when he started pairing up with Straub. I like the horror but not the sci-fi. Straub books r weird and I don't like his writting. I hope King has gone back to his old style of horror, back when he wrote the really scary stuff like "Pet Sematary", etc. The worse book he wrote was about the "Buick 8". total crap in my opinion.
I have not yet forgiven King for the ending to the Gun Slinger, but will if he does a sequel to the Stand. Having read every one of his books , if only I could have that time back I might be ten years younger, but so much less enriched. Without a doubt, Mr.King is the greatest writer of all time, so much so I hope he out lives me so I won't have to know the world without his story telling in it. Just like Brenda says, me too, and pnut166, you are so correct, he is the man! All you haters can go reread the bible and you'll be fine.
Yeah Kings older books rocked his new stuff is just boring he can take a mondain task like taking a crap and turn into 50 pages of nothing to do with the story .
Exactly!! Like many before me have said, his older books were so much better for this very reason. They were tighter, stuck to the subject at hand and forced the reader to make up in his/her mind the details. That's is why few of his books have translated to the screen. His words created psychological pictures that only the reader could see. Now I find myself skimming long passages. I have said it's almost as if he's getting paid per word.
I am an avid reader when given the right book, and I think that Stephen King's material is lack luster on story line and rely's too much on the shock factor & foul language. He's so judgemental of authors like Stephanie Meyers because he's threatened by the fact that she can right a good solid story without needing foul language and vivid gore to keep a solid fan base. He thinks he is something that he's not and I will not buy any of his books or see any of his movies.
Peter, I am absolutely serious. Even if you are not a fan of the Twilight Saga, Stephanie Meyers novel The Host is an amazing read that rely's on a good story and not fould language to carry it through. Everyone is going to have their own taste in books, but I think King's need to talk trash about another author is horrible. He should accept that there is another author out there that writes different kinds of books then him that has a huge fan base and get over it. I will never read any of his books, but I am a Stephanie Meyer's fan for life.
I am a writer and a huge fan of King. Yet I don't love all his works. As with any author you have preference. But to say he has gone down hill after Tommyknockers is insane. Obviously you missed out on some really dynamic books. Again King knows very well not everything is golden he has made that statement before, it's his fans that buy every piece of his work. As with anything we all have different tastes. Sometimes I want to read some King and sometimes I want to read Jane Austin or a new author. Sometimes acary sometimes plot driven. It all depends. King is one of the most creative minds of our time and I am sure that losing some fans would never bother him. Read his non-fiction and see him as person. The fact he is able to write for a living is the reason he is happy. He never had to become rich to be happy just published.
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Stephen King is back and ready to make your hair stand on end with 'Under the Dome,' a complex novel about society and humanity with that signature King touch. PopEater is proud to exclusively premiere an interview in which King discusses 'Dome.' 
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i am a stephen king fan always have been and always will be.look forward to reading his new book.
Reply
Stephen King is the man !
Reply
King, you still rock! Entertainment is all speculative. It's kind of like a love/ hate relationship. It's better to have something a little bit different than to never have had it at all. Thanks for opening both of our minds.
Reply
Go to Steve's official website and it'll direct you to a place you can read the beginning of the book..Can't wait to read whole thing!
Reply
I love all of Stephen King's novels. He's truely gifted. Yes, he's the master of horror, but he's managed to stick a few really good dramatic tales into his collection. I like that he's very versitile and he's got many different writing styles. If you don't like one book, try another...they're all unique. I look foward to reading this one.
Reply
Yeah what did happen to King? It's like he's in a bad phase of his career now or something.
It's like he's writing to please his critics instead of us.
It's too bad. I'm holding out hope for Dome, but stop with the preachy writing Steve! I know no interviewer has the guts to tell him that, but we want the classic vintage viceral King back!
Reply
I hope it comes out in time for Christmas,because I know what to tell the kids that I want ! Steven King is the greatest. I have all his books and most of his movies ....Love him
Reply
I absolutely wait with baited breath each time he releases a new novel. I am almost ashamed to say that when he was in that terrible car accident, my first thought was for myself and the fear that I would never know what happened to Roland of Gilead. My second thought was to wish him well, but I think he would understand. He impacts his fans on a visceral level. Not many current authors can do that. Rock on, Stephen.
Reply
Go to Steve's website and it'll take you to a place you can read a part of the first chapter..just enough to hook you..I love him..he made people want to read way before Harry Potter and Twilight.
Reply
I have noticed some of Mr. Kings work is getting to be rewrites of earlier things. Lisey's Story is just a reworking of Rose Madder. Cell is a different spin of Salem's Lot.
Reply
I quit reading Stephen King when he started pairing up with Straub. I like the horror but not the sci-fi. Straub books r weird and I don't like his writting. I hope King has gone back to his old style of horror, back when he wrote the really scary stuff like "Pet Sematary", etc. The worse book he wrote was about the "Buick 8". total crap in my opinion.
Reply
I have not yet forgiven King for the ending to the Gun Slinger, but will if he does a sequel to the Stand. Having read every one of his books , if only I could have that time back I might be ten years younger, but so much less enriched. Without a doubt, Mr.King is the greatest writer of all time, so much so I hope he out lives me so I won't have to know the world without his story telling in it. Just like Brenda says, me too, and pnut166, you are so correct, he is the man! All you haters can go reread the bible and you'll be fine.
Reply
Yeah Kings older books rocked his new stuff is just boring he can take a mondain task like taking a crap and turn into 50 pages of nothing to do with the story .
Reply
Exactly!! Like many before me have said, his older books were so much better for this very reason. They were tighter, stuck to the subject at hand and forced the reader to make up in his/her mind the details. That's is why few of his books have translated to the screen. His words created psychological pictures that only the reader could see.
Now I find myself skimming long passages. I have said it's almost as if he's getting paid per word.
LOVE LOVE LOVE Stephen King! From his number one fan!!!!
Reply
I am an avid reader when given the right book, and I think that Stephen King's material is lack luster on story line and rely's too much on the shock factor & foul language. He's so judgemental of authors like Stephanie Meyers because he's threatened by the fact that she can right a good solid story without needing foul language and vivid gore to keep a solid fan base. He thinks he is something that he's not and I will not buy any of his books or see any of his movies.
Reply
You can't be serious. The Twilight books are garbage and King's output is golden.
Peter, I am absolutely serious. Even if you are not a fan of the Twilight Saga, Stephanie Meyers novel The Host is an amazing read that rely's on a good story and not fould language to carry it through. Everyone is going to have their own taste in books, but I think King's need to talk trash about another author is horrible. He should accept that there is another author out there that writes different kinds of books then him that has a huge fan base and get over it. I will never read any of his books, but I am a Stephanie Meyer's fan for life.
My favorite book was "The Stand". With all this H1N1 going on, it seems like Captain Tripps is alive and well!
Reply
I am a writer and a huge fan of King. Yet I don't love all his works. As with any author you have preference. But to say he has gone down hill after Tommyknockers is insane. Obviously you missed out on some really dynamic books. Again King knows very well not everything is golden he has made that statement before, it's his fans that buy every piece of his work. As with anything we all have different tastes. Sometimes I want to read some King and sometimes I want to read Jane Austin or a new author. Sometimes acary sometimes plot driven. It all depends. King is one of the most creative minds of our time and I am sure that losing some fans would never bother him. Read his non-fiction and see him as person. The fact he is able to write for a living is the reason he is happy. He never had to become rich to be happy just published.
Reply