View Full Version : Companion Novels
Storyslinger
10-29-2007, 05:50 AM
I was just wondering if anyone liked the idea of the companion novels The Regulators and Desperation. Do you think there should be some more of these?
Darkthoughts
10-29-2007, 07:13 AM
Yes, its interesting to see not just connections, but to have the actual plot and characters flipped the way they were with these two. As a concept I loved it.
Storyslinger
10-29-2007, 07:14 AM
Would you like to see him write something else in this kind of format.
Or....would you like to see this done with an already existing book
Darkthoughts
10-29-2007, 07:20 AM
Hmm...good question - something new, but also...I don't know I'll have to think about it :thumbsup:
Storyslinger
10-29-2007, 07:21 AM
*wait for Darkthoughts and others*
Randall Flagg
10-29-2007, 10:22 AM
Well, if you mean the tandem books should be a King/Bachman duo, then what existing King or Bachman books would be the best to have a "twin"?
Perhaps The Dark Half?
ooohh good answer! i'd love to see that happen.
Heather19
10-29-2007, 01:40 PM
That's a very interesting question. I had never thought about it before. I loved the idea of Desperation and The Regulators, and would love to see him do that again with a story. But I'm not too sure I'd be happy if he decided to do it with a novel already published.
Wuducynn
10-29-2007, 04:45 PM
I love the idea. I also loved The Regulators and Desperation. I wish he would do something like them again. Maybe Black House 3 somehow? Hmmmm
Storyslinger
10-30-2007, 08:22 AM
Agreed, That would be awesome to do something like that with Black House
Cutter
11-06-2007, 06:13 AM
Well I going to expound on this question and make my own observations. I like when King uses same settings and/or characters. The Dark Tower obviously falls into the category, as does the Talisman books, along with the Regulators/Desperation. Also using other characters from other stories like Dinky Ernshaw (spelling?) from Everything’s Eventual into the Dark tower is cool.
So what I would go for a new twosome book like The Regulators and Desperation, but I would also like King to use a setting again, for example another fantasy tale set within Eyes of the Dragon. Or how about having Randall Flag as a villain in another story? King already does this a ton, as he reuses characters and towns like Castle Rock left and right. But I like this stuff, I like the familiarity.
Also I would like to see a couple of short stories involving Pennywise. Why not? There were a couple of ‘Salem Lot short stories. I would love to read more of Pennywise.
Sorry for derailing this thread with my own interpretation of the question. lol
:pirate:
Storyslinger
11-06-2007, 06:21 AM
NOt a problem, I like your thinking. Plus, it does kind of stick with the whole companion thing. I would love for King to write another story in old settings like in EOTD. But, I think that so many of King's characters keep showing up in other things, besides that ka is a wheel, is that he hates to kill off his characters.
ZoNeSeeK
11-15-2007, 05:34 PM
A modern version of Eyes of the Dragon would be very interesting, I think ;)
Storyslinger
11-16-2007, 06:46 AM
That would be even better than it set in the old time. I would love to see how it would pan out in our world, great idea Zone
friends... I know I will sound silly, the thread being already so long... but can someone explain to me what was the big idea behind Desperation / The Regulators companionship? I could never ever understand that.
Randall Flagg
11-16-2007, 08:23 AM
Do you mean what was the inspiration to write the stories in general, or what was the inspiration to write companion novels, or literally what was all the fuss about?
Literally. I see different people having the same names, and I don't know what the point of that was.
Spencer
11-17-2007, 08:37 AM
To me, it was to show the dichotomy between King and Bachman and their very different interpretations of the same characters.
I see the dichotomy, but I don't see the same characters! What are they?
Randall Flagg
11-17-2007, 02:28 PM
Edited:
Sorry I didn't put spoiler warnings up. The site and the following contain info on characters that die in one or both novels.
Borrowed from another site (http://users.cybercity.dk/~nmb21186/desreg.htm)with much more info:
Ames, Steve
Desperation:
- he is a nice person from Lubbock, Texas. Driver of the Ryder, works for Johnny Marinville. He survives.
The Regulators:
- he has long grey hair, and wears a rock T-shirt. Also driver of the Ryder, but doesn't work for Johnny Marinville. He survives.
Billingsley, Tom
Desperation:
- he is a retired alcoholic veterinarian. He dies.
The Regulators:
- he's a retired veterinarian. Called "Old Doc" by most people. He survives.
Carver, David
Desperation:
- he is a eleven-year-old boy. Son of the Carver family.
The Regulators:
- he is the husband and father of the Carver family. A Postal worker. He dies.
Carver, Ellen
Desperation:
- she is the wife and mother of the Carver family. She dies.
The Regulators:
- she is the eleven-year-old daughter of the Carver family. She survives.
Carver, Kirsten
Desperation:
- she is the seven-year-old daughter of the Carver family.
The Regulators:
- she is the wife and mother of the Carver family. She dies.
Carver, Ralph
Desperation:
- he's the husband and father of the Carver family. He dies.
The Regulators:
- he's the snotty little son of the Carver family. He survives.
Entragian, Collier
Desperation:
- he's the maniac cop. He dies.
The Regulators:
- he's an ex-cop. He dies.
Garin, Seth
Desperation:
- not present...
The Regulators:
- he's the seven-year-old autistic nephew of Audrey Wyler. He dies.
Geller, Frank
Desperation:
- he's the Chief Mining Engineer of Desperation Mining Corp. He dies.
The Regulators:
- Kim Geller's husband, father of Susi. Not a player. Lives.
Geller, Kim
Desperation:
- not present...
The Regulators:
- she's the mother of Susi Geller. She dies.
Geller, Susi
Desperation:
- not present...
The Regulators:
- she's the teenage daughter of Kim and Frank. She survives.
Hannibal
Desperation:
- not present...
The Regulators:
- he's a German Sheperd owned by the Reed's. He dies.
Jackson, Mary
Desperation:
- she's the wife of Peter Jackson. She survives.
The Regulators:
- she's the wife of Peter Jackson. She dies.
Jackson, Peter
Desperation:
- he's the husband of Mary, assistant professor of English. He dies.
The Regulators:
- he's the Husband of Mary, teacher. He dies.
Josephson, Belinda
Desperation:
- not present...
The Regulators:
- she's the wife of Brad. She survives.
Josephson, Brad
Desperation:
- he's the Secretary at Deep Mining, Corp. Gorgeous chocolate skin, long, sloping gut. He dies.
The Regulators:
- he's the husband of Belinda. Gorgeous chocolate skin, long, sloping gut. He survives.
Marinville, Johnny
Desperation:
- a writer, kind of a jerk. Long, greying hair. 56 years-old. Hero. He dies.
The Regulators:
- he's a writer, and a nicer guy. Survives.
Marinville, Terry
Desperation:
- Johnny's ex-wife, voice in his head.
The Regulators:
- Johnny's ex-wife, voice in his head.
Martin, Reverend
Desperation:
- David's advisor on things religious. He dies.
The Regulators:
- Mary Jackson's illicit lover, although not a priest.
Reed, Cammie
Desperation:
- not present...
The Regulators:
- she's the mother of David and Jim Reed. She dies.
Reed, Charlie
Desperation:
- not present...
The Regulators:
- he's the husband of Cammie, not a player. He lives.
Reed, David
Desperation:
- not present...
The Regulators:
- he's one of Cammie's twin sons. He survives
Reed, Jim
Desperation:
- he's the Desperation Town Safety Officer. Fat. He dies.
The Regulators:
- he's one of Cammie's twin sons. He dies.
Ripton, Cary
Desperation:
- he's the Pit Foreman at the China Pit. He dies.
The Regulators:
- he's a fourteen-year-old paperboy. He dies.
Ross, Brian
Desperation:
- he's David's best friend. Coma-boy. He survives.
The Regulators:
- not present...
Ross, Debbie
Desperation:
- she's Brian's mother. Not a player. She lives.
The Regulators:
- she's the red-headed galpal of the Reed twins. She dies.
Ross, Mark
Desperation:
- he's Brian's father. Not a player. He lives.
The Regulators:
- Not a player.
Smith, Cynthia
Desperation:
- she's a two-toned hair girl, skinny, hangs with Steve Ames. She survives.
The Regulators:
- Two-toned hair girl, skinny, hangs with Steve Ames. Survives.
Soderson, Gary
Desperation:
- he's the husband of Marielle, friend of the Jacksons. Lives in Lake Tahoe. Not a player.
The Regulators:
- he's Marielle's husband. He dies.
Soderson, Marielle
Desperation:
- she's the wife of Gary, friend of the Jacksons. Lives in Lake Tahoe. Not a player.
The Regulators:
- she's Gary's wife. She dies.
Symes, Allen
Desperation:
- he's the Desperation Mining Corp. comptroller. He dies.
The Regulators:
- he's a Geologist for Deep Earth Mining Co. Not a player. He lives.
Tak
Desperation:
- Can de lach. Buried in Rattlesnake Number One.
The Regulators:
- Nasty evil presence in Seth. It escapes.
Wyler, Audrey
Desperation:
- she's a consulting geologist for Diablo Mining. She dies.
The Regulators:
- she's the wife of Herb, and aunt of Seth. She dies.
Wyler, Herb
Desperation:
- not present...
The Regulators:
- he's the husband of Audrey, and uncle of Seth. He dies.
RF: thank you very, very much for the list and the work you have done - I am sorry I wasn't a little clearer in phrasing my question. I see the dichotomy, and I do see the same names; I still do not see how they are the same people, or mirrored people, or people in any way connected, and what was the point of giving them the same names.
I remember when I was reading The Regulators for the first time - soon after Desperation - I was very impressed, during the first quarter or so, by those names, and wondered what would come out of it. And then, as it seemed to me, nothing did, and I thought, WTF? Now I see that there are people who do see some deep meaning of all that, and I am sure they are right; - I only wish someone could explain what it is you guys see, and I don't.
Darkthoughts
11-18-2007, 06:12 AM
I only felt it was SK teasing us really.
Heather19
11-18-2007, 09:11 AM
Just a thought, but you could give 2 people a list of characters, and they could both come up with 2 completely different stories based around those same characters. For example, say you're given Collie Entragian and told he's a cop. One might make him a bad guy, and focus of their story, while the other might use him in a different way.
However, I kind of always thought of them as taking place in parallel universes or something of that sort.
Storyslinger
11-19-2007, 07:30 AM
friends... I know I will sound silly, the thread being already so long... but can someone explain to me what was the big idea behind Desperation / The Regulators companionship? I could never ever understand that.
My thought behind it was to show either1)to show what would have happen had Tak been able to find a way out, or 2)show what happens on the different levels of the tower.
Or, may King wasn't ready to let these characters go. I truly think it is the second choice though.
Thanks for that list RF
Mattrick
11-23-2007, 01:20 AM
I'm pissed as I've got Desperation and Regulators, Hard Cover and I think First Editions, in my crawlspace in a box and I can't find them. Pretty sure I've got Wizard and Glass hardcover first edition as well. A whole box of them from when I moved 9 years ago and never got a chance to read them.
Randall Flagg
11-27-2007, 09:22 AM
You wouldn't want to screw them up by reading them.:nope:
That's what paperbacks are for.
Storyslinger
11-27-2007, 09:24 AM
Totally agree with ya on that RF. Any book I own in Hardcover has the matching paperback counter part that has been read at least once
Mattrick
11-28-2007, 12:24 AM
I could really care less about the value. I've no interest in ending up like Calvin Toren.
I only felt it was SK teasing us really.
that's the closest to how I see it, too
thank you Heather19 and Storyslinger, though, I'll be re-reading both novels in a couple of weeks and will try to see it your way (although as far as I remember, only their names were reshuffled, but not human types or destinies which were all different)
Darkthoughts
11-28-2007, 03:39 AM
To expand on what I meant there - I'm not sure how aware at that point that people were that King was Bachman, but I thought those books were almost SK giving people a not so subtle hint. Almost as if he'd tired of the charade, or was, as I said - simply teasing :)
Storyslinger
11-28-2007, 06:44 AM
Well said, Lisa, well said
Patrick
11-28-2007, 11:50 PM
I could really care less about the value. I've no interest in ending up like Calvin Toren.
I totally agree!
oh. um. :unsure:
:blush:
:ninja:
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