The King Paradox is another matter. Rarely does he get establishment respect, a blackout that will likely continue as long as he writes what people enjoy reading. Or as the critics accuse him of, pandering to the lowest common denominator.

I’ve not studied his style very closely but his work is not always simple. One of his greatest strengths that strikes me are transitions. He has a way of knowing exactly how and when to change gears. As if he mainlines into the literal pulse of the paragraph.

I don’t think his chosen genre precludes critical approbations. Their problem has more to do with his astronomical sales figures. Let’s face it, in the late 80′s to mid 90′s he occupied multiple spots on the hardcover and paperback fiction bestseller lists. His greatest competition was himself.

No one likes sucking up the fumes of a blowout.

Same goes for Stephen King. Doesn’t matter if you love him or hate him, you can’t deny the guy’s success or the impact he’s had on literature. But, because a large portion of his work is horror, he automatically forfeits a certain amount of respect in the eyes of the critics who think that horror (or any other type of genre fiction) is somehow inferior in quality to Literature.

It’s just another form of prejudice, really. And quite honestly, I’ve never not read a book or not gone to see a movie or not bought a CD based on what someone else told me.