A gun from a book I read

[UpTheIrons]

UpTheIrons, I think I have grossly understated my disappointment with King's ending to Dark Tower. I thought it was the worst book ending I've ever read. After reading literally thousands of pages to reach the end, I felt completely disgusted. ...

...That said, I hear Ron Howard will be making a movie trilogy based on the Dark Tower, and I'll likely go see it. Maybe the movies will have a better ending.

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on the ending. I still maintain that's the best possible way it could have gone - after all those years, King is out of gas and just can't think up a whiz-bang knock-your-socks-off ending. (See his latest, "Under the Dome" for a parallel - good story throughout, bad ending).

But I do agree with you on the overall 'quality' of the last half of the series. Aside from the unbearable "Blaine the Mono" material, the first half was much, much better. There was certainly a rushed and craptastic nature to the later stuff, and I wonder if some of that material didn't come out of some medical-induced hallucinations after the accident.

Don't feel too bad about not reading anything from King since DT7 - I think his best days are well behind him.

As to the Ron Howard diercted Trilogy and concurrent TV series, the jury is still out. I still think it would be best done as an animated (CG type) series, but I'm also the one to always choose the unabridged version when I get an audio book. That's not to say some healthy editing won't fix some things - I'm just not going to hold my breath.

Now, to get back OT, I'm not sure exactly what kind of gun Eddie Dean had, it has been too long since I read the series, and I have too much other good stuff to read to go back in the near (or distant) future to find out.

So, long days and pleasant nights to you, sai, and I cry your pardon if I've caused offense.

 

[minutemen1776]

So, long days and pleasant nights to you, sai, and I cry your pardon if I've caused offense.

Thanks. It was nice sharing khef with you.

 

[FourteenMiles]

Just gotta say:
the dark tower series = bad
The stand = kings true magnum opus

 

[rmfnla]

I agree.

 

[Don357]

There were at least 5 companies that made the .44 Auto. Wildey, AMT, Desert Eagle, LAR and Coonan. They also came in .30 carbine, 9mm WinMag, .45 WinMag, 10mm, .44Mag, .357 Mag, .38 Super, and ,38 spl.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

I love Stephen King and Dean Koontz both, but I do get frustrated with their gun mistakes. Koontz seems more open to firearms, as he fraquently writes about them and his characters seem to hardly ever have an aversion to them. Almost makes me think he's a gun owner.
I just purchased the first four books in the Dark Tower series at a local used bookstore by the way. I'll be starting them soon.

 

[RainDodger]

As for the Desert Eagle... here's Wiki's take on it:

The Desert Eagle is a large-framed gas-operated semi-automatic pistol designed by Magnum Research in the U.S., and manufactured primarily in Israel by IMI (Israel Military Industries, now Israel Weapon Industries). Manufacturing was moved to Saco Defense in the state of Maine from 1996 to 2000 which carried the XIX designation, but shifted back to Israel when Saco was acquired by General Dynamics.[1] The Desert Eagle has been featured in roughly 500 motion pictures and TV films, considerably increasing its popularity and boosting sales.[2]

Magnum Research has marketed various versions of the short recoil Jericho 941 pistol under the Baby Eagle name; these have no functional relationship to the Desert Eagle and bear only a moderate cosmetic resemblance.[3]

 

[GoWolfpack]

I really like Stephen King but he should hire an expert when he writes about guns. ..... King certainly qualifies as a liberal and an anti.

Why? If he is an anti (which I don't fully believe), why would he put money in the pocket of somebody who might go spend it buying another evil gun? Why should he spend his money that he earns writing fiction to make it seem more realistic? Do firearm related inaccuracies turn you off so much that you put down the book? If not, then what does it matter? The technical inaccuracies in 24 haven't stopped me from enjoying it.

For whatever little it might be worth, I haven't read the Dark Tower series yet. It's on the list though. I don't believe I've ever read anything from Stephen King that was a real serious disappointment. And I've read newer stuff, at least From a Buick 8, Duma Key and Cell.

 

[HunterBear71]

King has made comments that could be considered anti-gun. He is a very vocal liberal. I have enjoyed his books for 30 years and have read everything he has written. I don't quit reading when he makes mistakes concerning guns. However, it does affect my ability to suspend believe and buy into the fantasy he is creating. King is going to sale millions of books regardless of how he arms his characters. No tremendous amount of damage is done by his inept handling of firearm related issues. I did consider the book Insomnia to be a real disappointment. It put me to sleep.

 

[usmccpl]

Ever read the whole Dark Tower series? It is full of stuff we dont have. A monorail train with AI, 100 ft tall bears, robotic wolves riding robotic horses, and the KansasCity Monarchs. Maybe in the where that they pulled Jake Chambers from Ruger is making a semi auto in 44.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

Did I hear Automag???

 

[Mitch from LA]

I love Stephen King and Dean Koontz both, but I do get frustrated with their gun mistakes. Koontz seems more open to firearms, as he fraquently writes about them and his characters seem to hardly ever have an aversion to them. Almost makes me think he's a gun owner.
I just purchased the first four books in the Dark Tower series at a local used bookstore by the way. I'll be starting them soon.

Koontz is a gun owner and a shooting enthusiast, I believe. His characters generally carry a S&W Chief's Special or an HK P7.

 

[Jim K]

Why should a writer care about accuracy if nonsense sells. If I can make millions writing that the villain fired his 98.5 caliber Smouth and Western autovolver as he fled in his 2005 Ford Corvette with the big hemi engine, do I need to care if that means anything?

The best thing the average writer can do is say something like "The detective drew his gun ...." It is when he tries to get cute and show off knowledge he doesn't have that he looks like a fool. "The detective drew his .99mm Gluck automatic revolver and pulled back the clicker thingy to check the nozzle; sure enough the wheel was charged with all 29 heads...."

Jim

 

[w_houle]

you can definitely chalk him up as an anti.

He made a 1911 catastrophically fail for merely being old when someone tried to shoot it in The Stand That's an anti right thar