Welcome To Salem’s Lot!
Well, it’s “Shocktober”, which means the “Weekly Bookmobile” is going to take you to a nice little town – that’s filled with Vampires!
Yes, Author Stephen King has written some of the scariest horror novels of all time, but let’s not forget where he started:
This newspaper article congratulates King on the sale of his first novel, “Carrie.” While a terrific book, it’s his second novel a year later that catapulted him to stardom.
“Salem’s Lot” was King’s second novel, the story of a writer named Ben Mears who returns to his home town of Jerusalem’s Lot in Maine. Oh, one thing has changed since he lived there: the residents are becoming vampires!
As an article highlighting King’s scariest books noted:
“The story centers on a group of makeshift vampire hunters who mount an opposition to the dark entity that threatens to engulf the entire town. Floating vampire children and a nasty suicide legend round out the ‘Salem’s Lot experience.”
Does it ever! And for those who find today’s current political climate horrific, that’s where King got his inspiration at the time he wrote this book. As he said in an interview:
“I wrote ‘Salem’s Lot during the period when the Ervin committee was sitting. That was also the period when we first learned of the Ellsberg break-in, the White House tapes, the connection between Gordon Liddy and the CIA, the news of enemies lists, and other fearful intelligence. During the spring, summer and fall of 1973, it seemed that the Federal Government had been involved in so much subterfuge and so many covert operations that, like the bodies of the faceless wetbacks that Juan Corona was convicted of slaughtering in California, the horror would never end … Every novel is to some extent an inadvertent psychological portrait of the novelist, and I think that the unspeakable obscenity in ‘Salem’s Lot has to do with my own disillusionment and consequent fear for the future. In a way, it is more closely related to Invasion of the Body Snatchers than it is to Dracula. The fear behind ‘Salem’s Lot seems to be that the Government has invaded everybody.”
Book lovers have been taken on dozens of incredible adventures with King, so bravo to him on this “Wednesday Bookmobile”!
And since it’s “Shocktober”, don’t forget to pick up this anthology of creepy murder mysteries:
A terrific collection of stories, check it out here:
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Leave a comment on your thoughts about “Salem’s Lot!”
Categories: Art, Books / Media, Horror films, Pop Culture, Talent/Celebrities, TV Show
As a long-time Stephen King reader, this is the lone novel of his that actually gave me a nightmare while reading it. 🙂
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I’ve said this before, but I’m truly amazed that this masterwork was only his second novel! It’s SO great!
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It really is a great one that was unfairly overshadowed by later novels.
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Salem’s Lot is on my top ten list of favorite King books, so I’m thrilled you featured it.☺️
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Thank you for commenting!
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I can’t remember—have we discussed his new one, The Institute? Are you going to read it?
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I read one review that put it in the upper range of his work…not his best, but better than average…the subject matter doesn’t jump out at me, so i may wait…
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I would put it my personal top ten.
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Salem’s Lot is one of my favourite Stephen King books, John, with The Shining and It also being in my top three. I haven’t seen the movie, but think I should. I have never seen it advertised anywhere. Thank you for boosting Death Among Us, it is much appreciated.
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The new film hasn’t been released, just being discussed…glad you saw the mention of “Death”….you’re “Nethergate” release is still to come on the Bookmobile!
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Thank you, John. I am expecting Nethergate to be available on Amazon on Tuesday next week.
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That’s great – can’t wait!
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The original “Salem’s Lot” movie was for TV, but it is available on streaming and DVD I think…
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I shall look for it. Those teeth are amazing. Stephen King looked quite wild as a young man, don’t you think?
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He sure did!
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It was a great book, and the film adaptation was very good too!
Best wishes, Pete.
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I believe a new one is underway, we’ll seesaw that measures up…I believe that the “modern” take on horror isn’t very horrific at all!
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