Stephen King vs. Stephenie Meyer: “She Can’t Write Worth A Darn!”

February 3rd, 2009 by Castina

Tagged as: Books, Stephen King, Stephenie Meyer, Twilight

It’s safe to say Stephen King is not a Twilight fan!

Literature’s King of Fright is about to drive a stake through the heart of Twilight creator Stephenie Meyer.

Bestselling author Stephen King blasted Meyer’s popular young adult vampire series and her lack of creative ability in a new interview with USA Weekend.

“People are attracted by the stories, by the pace and in the case of Stephenie Meyer, it’s very clear that she’s writing to a whole generation of girls and opening up kind of a safe joining of love and sex in those books.”

“Both Rowling and Meyer, they’re speaking directly to young people… The real difference is that J.K. Rowling is a terrific writer and Stephenie Meyer can’t write worth a darn. She’s not very good,” Stephen says emphatically.

Ouch!

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42 Responses to “Stephen King vs. Stephenie Meyer: “She Can’t Write Worth A Darn!””

On February 4th 2009, Cay wrote:

Amen
On February 4th 2009, Liz wrote:

Pot. Kettle. Black.
On February 4th 2009, justgroovy wrote:

Stephen King?… Stephen King?…Oh yeah, isn’t he that twit that wrote “Cujo”, the story of a dog that was supposedly possessed by Frank Dodd’s spirit; you know, the creepy dude from “The Dead Zone”, another King masterpiece of ineloquent writing. The part about the clothespin on the penis is thought to be autobiographical. In the story it drove a young man to rape and murder an actress. In King’s life it is suspected to have driven him to writing. I guess insanity manifests itself in different ways in different people.

Anyway, the dog was named after the terrorist boyfriend of Patty Hearst. How’s that for quality material?
On February 4th 2009, justgroovy wrote:

In my previous post I mis-remembered! The young man who went insane raped and murdered a waitress not an actress, though in the movie the waitress was played by an actress (who I’m sure would just like to forget that part ever came along). Either way the story wouldn’t have been any worse or any better.
On February 4th 2009, Shelby. wrote:

In my opinion, she is a very good author. And who is he to speak? Did she intend it to be for teenage girls? My mother is 40, and also agrees with me that she is a very talented author. He has his own opinions, and he has his own books he may like. Her writing may not be like most adult books, that you have to read over and over to understand. Like J.K Rowling, she is an amazing author, But the books are a little confusing for the readers she’s intending it to be to. I’ve never even heard or read Stephen King’s books, and nor do i intend to.
On February 5th 2009, Abbie wrote:

He’s just mad that her books are outselling his now. Let her have her fame and fortune and go write something that’s actually readable. Don’t hate, congratulate!!
On February 5th 2009, Nancy wrote:

Personally, I can’t get through a Stephen King book to save my life, and I’ve tried. Does that mean he’s a terrible writer and has no talent? No, and I would never say that.

I thought a critic’s job was to provide a critique, which is constructive criticism- not a generalized bashing, and King managed to work in pot-shots at Earle Stanley Gardner, Dean Koontz, and James Patterson as well.

He also indirectly insulted Meyer’s readers, implying they’re all young girls who get cheap thrills from Meyer’s vampire. If his intent was to influence younger readers about their reading choices, I think all he managed to do was to come off as a pompous ass.

He’s entitled to his opinion- I just wish he found a more respectful way to express it.
On February 5th 2009, Dr. Ruin wrote:

Long live Stephen King, someone who said the truth, at last.
On February 5th 2009, Chantay wrote:

I agree 100% with Mr.King. King is a exceptional writer, and his talent has been widely known and read and turned into movies for big and small screens. Granted, he does have some misses, but when he hits; he hits big. I have tried to read Meyer’s books, but found myself bored around the first couple of pages. The story drag’ s on and the writing is laughable.

I found myself having no empathy for her Mary-sue character Bella. She just seems too malleable and pliable, Not to mention Meyer’s undertones of misogyny and sexism. I can go on and on about how also Meyer is glorying abusive relationships and labeling that abuse “love.”

Meyer work is pop culture drivel dressed up to young girls as some type of second-coming of vampirism lore/lovefest. So, that they or their parents can waste their money on something useless, vapid and empty. Kind of like junk food, expect without the cavities. Empty brain cells, people, empty brain cells.
On February 6th 2009, NADIA wrote:

WTF. okay, stephen king is probably just bitter than a YOUNGER writer is doing so well.
he’s probably upset that stephenie has been getting so much press recently.
all these bitter old guys.
On February 6th 2009, Gos wrote:

I love how people are slamming Stephen King for having an opinion.

I may not love every book he’s written – but at least he is a skilled writer. People should respect his opinion, I’d bet that he know what he’s talking about.
On February 7th 2009, _ujen_ wrote:

I will not contradict Mr. King. I’ve been reading his works since I was 13 ( a very long time ago). i tried to read Twilight and i was so disappointed. I don’t like Bella. I don’t like the way the story goes. First, the ending was predictable. I don’t even understand how come it was a saga.. One book should have summarized it all. Second, i think Bella is the vampire.. so self centered.. Lastly, the saga were very weak to be compared to DARK TOWER King’s series. Vampires don’t know love. and they are impossible to reproduce. aren’t their sperms dead already???
On February 9th 2009, charles wrote:

im i 32 year old guy who thinks her books a wonderfull …king is a hack get over it
On February 10th 2009, Mae wrote:

I think its hilarious.
Stephen King is my favorite writer,
as well as Stephanie Meyer.

Another thing is that SK shouldnt stick his head up, because i dont see his books flying off the shelves like SM’s.
At least shes getting kids to read!
WHAT HAS SK DONE FOR KIDS?!
Teach them to be creepy.
Yes, his books are good.
But sometimes i find they can drag on and on.
The Twilight Series were page turners.
I’ve been reading “Stories Just After Sunset”
and im still stuck on this one story,
because it just cant pick up pace.

Maybe he’s jealous?
Maybe.
Maybe he should mind his business?
Maybe.
Maybe we shouldnt give a shit?
Actually, thats a good idea.

I personally do not like the Harry Potter series.
Its completely worthless.
Also, a waste of paper AND film!

Just because SK thinks hes amazing for writing for 35 years, doesnt make him the Book God.
I feel horrible for saying that,
but its the truth and he knows it.

You readers need to get over it,
if you dont like twilight,
DONT READ IT.
Have you wrote a book?
Did it become a better sucess than Twilight?
No. She’s new, and its time SK puts down his pen.
He’s a great writter,
but someones bound to start up a new famous writter for the generation.
JKR and SM are inspriations for young and old people.

You should be happy!
Kids are reading instead of doing a line of coke.
People are never satisfied.
On February 10th 2009, bittersweetuprising wrote:

Stephen King is WAAAAYYY better than Stephenie Meyer. And for those who can’t stand finishing his books are those who aren’t capable of understanding a wonderful art, in other words, they are SHALLOW! Let me ask you guys, have you tried writing in “First-Person Point of View”? Which one is easier? Third-Person Point of View or First-Person Point of View? before you start flaming Stephen King, read all his books. His books are just soo different, it strikes you inside and the twilight series is just like a teenager’s diary, the feeling is fleeting. Who has read Langeliers? I.T? Mist? The Long Walk?
On February 10th 2009, bittersweetuprising wrote:

Seriously? Stephen King is angry at Stephenie Meyer because literature nowadays have degraded into nothing more than a teenager’s book. Which some give out a false sense of hope, love and an always happy-ending.
On February 10th 2009, bittersweetuprising wrote:

Which we all know is true. Life doesn’t always end the way we want to and it isn’t always happy. That is what is in Stephen King is trying to portray. But I do believe He has past the line on this one. but think of this, Stephen King might just be doing this to popularize her. He might have a good intention.
On February 10th 2009, bittersweetuprising wrote:

And BTW the Harry Potter series has more substance than Twilight.
On February 10th 2009, bittersweetuprising wrote:

And Stephen King is amazing for writing for 35 years because it takes skill for people to stay that long.
On February 10th 2009, bittersweetuprising wrote:

To add, Meyer’s work is just like mainstream music, much like Jonas Brothers (ewww!) Seriously? Do you want teenager’s to read and listen to such things? Where were the classical books? Do you want your children to act like Bratz? Lol! I’d rather read The Little Princess anytime! than waste my time trying to finish a crappy book.
On February 13th 2009, sassysouthernsiren wrote:

Really, who gives a flying fig. There is no need for all this inane pen measuring. They are both good authors in their own right and each enjoy a great deal of respect from different parts of the literary community.
Stephen King, JK Rowling, and Stephenie Meyer are successfully. Can’t we just be happy for one another.
Good grief, it’s like high school.
On February 23rd 2009, Gala wrote:

Love how the only comeback twilight fags have are that he’s jealous lol.

The god of literature jealous? I think not. Especially of somebody so void of writing talent.

Stephanie is nothing more than an attention whoring talentless hack.
On February 25th 2009, Marine wrote:

Long live the King.
I praise him for voicing his opinion about that terrible excuse for literature.
On March 28th 2009, Nanner wrote:

Well, I am quite torn here because I have been a fan of SK for ages there are a few books of his I couldn’t finish and no not because im shallow but because they scared the living shit out of me LOL. I think he is brilliant, however as was previously stated he is entitled to his opinion and just because you or I may not agree with it does not mean we have to choose team SK or team SM. I have read the twilight series twice now and was as enthralled the second time around. I am 35, I am also an huge fan of JK as well, I also agree with a previous poster that while SM’s twilight series is captivating and imaginative it does not have the substance that JK’s books have. JK seemed to have all her bases covered and then some. I also agree that SK could have been a bit more diplomatic in his criticism if for no other reason than to keep himself from looking like an heartless bonehead. All in all I feel that all 3 authors books are brilliant in their own rights and if SK’s opinions differ from ours then so be it. It dosent mean I won’t continue to enjoy her books any less.
On April 7th 2009, Mr Mayhem wrote:

Everyone’s entitled to an opinion. Mine is; i love the Harry Potter Movies, the books…well i just couldn’t get into them.
The directors in all the HP movies have went from strength to strength, and made them visually arousing to the mind.
The flip side is i could not put down any of the books in the Twilight saga, they are simply very engaging.
I was disappointed with the movie, as i thought the direction was poor. New Moon has a New Man at the helm and i expect better than the first.

Its worth noting that i never got into Stephen King books either…maybe i just like vampires more!!
On April 11th 2009, J. M. C. wrote:

He was asked his opinion and he gave it. Some agree, others don’t. I will not presume to think that Mr. King believes himself a literary GOD, as some ignorant folk have put it.
I get asked my opinion and I give a straight answer. Why bother with political correctness?
Meyer does not appeal to me. Is she a terrible writer?
I will judge that on both her writing and her reaction to this statement.
So what? Why are people so polarized by this? I find it hilarious.
On May 5th 2009, Common Sense wrote:

LONG LIVE STEPHEN KING.
1- if you haven’t heard of him, you have obviously been living under a rock for 30 years.
2- if you think he teaches bad morals… Twilight is full of anti feminism (Bella continuously faints and is always saved by Edward), abuse (Edward stops her from seeing Jacob multiple times and is always controlling their relationship), poor family values (Bella throws her life away without thinking about family) and poor moral values overall (teaches that if you see someone that looks good, go and marry them). I mean, seriously.
3- people like it because Bella is a self-insert where they can be with the Adonis-God-marble-cupcake man.
On May 19th 2009, chantelle wrote:

screw stephen king i mean he is a good writer but i dont understand why he has to be just so retarded she did nothing to him her books are great and to be honest his books are just long and boring and drag on .go stephanie meyer
On May 21st 2009, Peter Hansen wrote:

Stephen King is wonderful. Meyer is meh.
On June 1st 2009, reader wrote:

Wow! Stephen King is king of all the authors… I love Stephen KIng. I love his book and even the movies and compare to Stephanie Meyer he is more powerful. But see i have to read his books twice to be able to understand ’cause sometimes the story is just too confusing. If you compare both authors between apple and windows. Stephen King is an apple a great author and all that while Stephenie Meyer is a windows – a user friendly… That’s all I’m going to say.
On June 15th 2009, Conrad wrote:

I think it’s hilarious that some people suggest Stephen King can’t write. The man is so talented that not only has he published many amazingly successful books that have been turned into equally successful movies, he has published a book on writing. So please children, educate yourself before you spout unfounded “omgz stephen king cant write” comments. You’re so laughably, amusingly wrong.

As for Stephanie Meyer, she has written a series with a catchy story. Don’t confuse it with profound writing. Some elements in story telling aren’t subjective.
On July 18th 2009, LongBow wrote:

I think it’s funny how people call Stephen King terms like “hack” and assume he’s jealous over Meyer when all he did was give an opinion that he was asked for.

As for myself, I couldn’t even finish the first “Twilight”, much less any of its sequels, and I think all the hype over it is misplaced. The story is dull and the characters have next to no depth.

Long live Stephen King, an opinion from a GOOD writer.
On July 22nd 2009, Evan1356 wrote:

I dont even know how people can compare the 2 one has written for 30 odd years and the has written for 1 ,2 at the most and if your comparing them then it showing that you know who he is and how good he is there. And if stephen king came out with a vampire novel stephanie meyer would be forgotten so fast it would be soo funny so dont call stephen king a hack and if u dont like one of his novels you cant talk bad about the rest and if your to dumb to understand his novel it doesnt show anything on his part there so maybe the 12 year old on this should think about that

ohh i have read everyone of Stephen kings Books and i have read the twilight saga and there is no ground to compare LONG LIVE THE KING!!!!!!!
On July 23rd 2009, Ally wrote:

…

Stephen King published an incredible vampire novel called Salem’s Lot. While Stephanie Meyer engages young readers and helps generate revenue for the publishing industry, you cant compare Twilight to Salem’s Lot. King’s novel stays with you, making you question good and evil.

Twilight is more of a guilty pleasure. Sadly, what stayed most with me was what I could make fun of, even though I was hooked enough to read all four books.
On August 3rd 2009, Laughable wrote:

…Stephen king’s books have sold over 350 million copies, earned multiple prestigous awards, and the movies based on his books have also generated a fortune and many have been nominated for multiple awards…

I HIGHLY doubt he’s jealous of Stepenie Meyer, lol.
On August 22nd 2009, Benny wrote:

Stephen King is probably the worst hack writer to have ever delved into the horror genre. He pales in comparison to Poe or Lovecraft. On his first try, Danielewski wrote the best horror book to have ever been written and gets absolutely no accolades for it, yet King continues pumping out crap for garbage bags filled with cash. What was his last book? About killer cellphones? Too bad you didn’t get crushed in that truck accident. We would have been saved from Rose Red.
On September 8th 2009, bittersweetuprising wrote:

hahaha… your comment amuses me….
On September 21st 2009, Abolina wrote:

Please I have read all of King’s books and compared to others he is a hack and will always be a hack. Popularity does not automatically endow skill it just means the majority of the public are really that stupid. And p.s. his book, “On Writing : A Memoir of the Craft” is a how-to on being a hack.
On September 29th 2009, MarcChang wrote:

hahaha

this entire argument is just so retarded

I mean let’s get this out

Why are we comparing SK’s work to Twilight?. SK writes Horror, Meyer’s are geared towards romance.

SK’s writing is very good, and he is definitely not a hack. Pales in comparison to Poe and Lovecraft? please. SK’s characterisation brings all of his stories into the kind of level Lovecraft never did.

But all that aside, point is that they are different . DEAL WITH IT. Stop bashing SK just because his stories don’t engage you personally, just because his stories aren’t about sparkly vampires, and Stop trying the lift SM to the level of SK because the fact is that they are on completely diff planes of story comparison.

This is essentially what the core of this is

“Person A writes a good Horror story
Person B writes a good Romance story

Which writer is better?”

So just stop it
On October 3rd 2009, Lucian wrote:

well King was asked what he thinks about her books… he just said what he was thinking about Meyers books so if you were a writer and you would be asked: “what do you think about X (name of the Book) from the writer Y?” and you would would think it`s total crap would you say it? i would
On November 3rd 2009, Amanda wrote:

Comparing SM and SK is absurd. They write completely different genres. Of course that doesn’t change the fact that SM is a terrible writer. Her abuse of adverbs and adjectives (not to mention tags) attests to that fact. Good writing isn’t about having a good story. It’s a craft in and of itself. I don’t like Harry Potter, don’t really care for the story. BUT Ms. Rowlings is an excellent writer. Her stories don’t appeal to me, but the woman’s got talent. SM is talentless. I supposed her story appeals to some, but the writing is simply atrocious.
On November 19th 2009, Tills wrote:

Ok, this solves all those “omg!!1! HeS JuSt JeLoUs!!1!!1″ things..
Novels world wide sold by:
Stephen King- more than 350 million
Stephanie Meyers- 70 million.

What does he have to be jelous of? He’s got her beat.

As for more reasons why Meyers cannot write to save her life, visit twilightsucks.com

Props to King.