Stephen King is one of my favourite authors! most like "IT" (best of all!), "The Stand", and insomnia.for those who don't know anything about these books or are too lazy to read at wikipedia:IT - It is a horror novel by Stephen King, published in 1986. It is one of his longest at 1138 pages. Like many of his earlier novels it was published by Viking. Considered one of King's most visceral, graphic works, It deals with themes which would eventually become King staples: the power of memory, the power of a unified group, childhood trauma and the ugliness lurking behind a happy, small-town fa?ade, and minor themes would include racism and, to a lesser extent, homophobia.the summary:The novel is a story of seven friends from the town of Derry, Maine, and is told with the narrative alternating between two different time periods.The novel "It" takes place in two separate time periods: In 1985, when the book was first published, and the main characters are adults, and in 1958, when they are eleven years old. The seven self-proclaimed members of the "Losers' Club" are united in seeking refuge from a gang of bullies led by Henry Bowers. The children each individually discover the existence of a terrifying, child-murdering, shape-changing monster (which they call "It"). Its appearance (about once every 27 years) always brings gruesome acts of violence that culminates in a horrific tragedy, among them a racially motivated arson attack, a homophobic murder, and the explosion of a factory killing numerous children. It is also responsible for the mutilation and killing of George Denbrough in 1957 (in the opening pages of the book), the six-year-old brother of Bill Denbrough, the leader of the Losers. The strange seven-way friendship begins with Ben Hanscomb. Being a complete social outcast due to his obesity, Ben is happy to start off his summer break. As he walks away from the library, Ben is attacked by Henry Bowers and his friends Victor Criss, and "Belch" Huggins. He escapes into the Barrens, a tract of wilderness taken for granted by most of the town of Derry. In the mean time Bill Denbrough and Eddie Kaspbrak, who are building a dam on a stream on the Kenduskeag River, are questioned by Henry, asking if they saw a "fat kid". After being told a flat out "no" Henry, Belch, and Victor destroy the small dam. One of them punches Eddie. Eddie has an asthma attack but has no more medicine in his aspirator.Despite being obese, Ben manages to out run them just in time to hide in behind a bush. While hiding, he falls asleep and has a flashback-nightmare of a clown/mummy he saw the previous winter. When he awakens two hours later, he finds that two kids, namely "Stuttering Bill" Denbrough and Eddie Kaspbrak, have been attacked by Bowers. Bill, who will later be the headstrong leader of the group, asks Ben to look after Eddie who has bad asthma, while he gets Eddie's aspirator refilled. As Bill rides faster then he ever has on his bike to save Eddie, Ben and Eddie become friends. Bill returns, and shows Ben the dam they were working on before Henry and his goons brutally crushed it. The next day, Bill invites Eddie and Ben, as well as Stan Uris and Richie Tozier. Ben, being a very good builder, instructs the operation. As they are admiring their work, an Irish cop finds them, and lectures them about how they might flood the Kenduskeag. As time goes by, Beverly Marsh, is drawn into the soon- to-be Losers. One day, Bill reveals that he had an encounter with It, which had seemingly possessed his brother George's album. One by one, the others admit that they have had similar experiences. They now form the first of the Losers, a club with members who are brought together by their fear of Henry Bowers, and the more ominous It. Mike Hanlon, the only black kid in Derry in a time of racism, is chased by Henry Bowers into the Barrens, where he meets the Losers. When Henry, Victor, "Belch", Peter Gordon (an obnoxious, spoiled kid), and "Moose" (a farmer's son, who lives on the same road as Mike), find them, the Losers had already gathered many rocks, which they begin to throw at them. While his friends leave, Henry swears revenge on all seven of the Losers.It appears in many forms, and takes the shape of its prey's worst fear (e.g., vampire, werewolf, leeches, hobos with syphilis, or mummy, and in one case the creature from the black lagoon), but most often appears as a sadistic, malevolent, balloon-wielding clown by the name of Bob Gray, or Pennywise the Dancing Clown. The children find Its lair and battle It, wounding the monster badly but not killing it. They make a pact to reunite and fight the creature again if it returns. All the Losers but one later move away from Derry and completely forget about the events. Mike Hanlon, who has become the town librarian, remains. He calls the other six characters in 1985, when It returns and the killings begin once more. Only five of the other Losers return to Derry to once again confront It and resurrect their harrowing and long-forgotten memories. The sixth, Stanley Uris, is dead, having committed suicide rather than face the ancient terror.All, except Mike, have gone on to fame and wealth:Stanley was a partner in a large Atlanta accounting firm. Ben Hanscom is a world-famous architect. Richie Tozier is a nationally syndicated disc-jockey and radio celebrity. He specializes in voicing wild characters and impressions. Beverly Marsh, the only female in the group, is a renowned fashion designer. Married an abusive man named Tom Rogan. Bill Denbrough, now a successful horror fiction writer, has married an actress (met while working on a film adaptation of one of his best-selling novels), named Audra, who bears a striking resemblance to Beverly. Eddie Kaspbrak (a hypochondriac whose asthma is psychosomatic) owns a limousine service catering to the wealthy and famous. The stamp of their unhappy childhoods is evident, however: none of them have children; Bev's husband is an abusive man just like her father; and Eddie married a morbidly obese, neurotic woman bearing a strong resemblance to his mother. Ben, Richie, and Mike have remained single. During a conversation, between the six Losers as adults (with the exception of Stan Uris, who committed suicide rather than face It again), the reader is informed that Bill and Audra have both tried to have children, and despite that they are fertile, have failed. Beverly admits to having the same problem (but she is not sure that her husband, Tom, is fertile; he refused to get tested himself).Henry Bowers, the crazed bully who tormented the Loser's Club as kids, also emerges from the shadows of their pasts; he was committed to Juniper Hill, an insane asylum, nearly thirty years earlier, and is goaded by It into escaping and returning to Derry to kill the remaining six. The book turns to all-out fantasy at the end as the details of Its origins and its sinister ties to Derry, Maine are revealed. An ancient magic ritual involving an enormous battle of wills is used by the Losers to fight It (during which Eddie loses his life). It is eventually destroyed by Bill who punches his way into Its body and crushes Its heart in his hands. One unfortunate side-effect of killing It is that the memories the Losers have of each other fade quite quickly, although the up-beat ending leaves the implication that while they may not remember each other exactly, they know that they will always be friends.Insomnia - Insomnia is a novel written by Stephen King and first published in 1994. Like It and Dreamcatcher, its setting is the fictional town of Derry, Maine.Plot summary:The novel deals with Ralph Roberts, a retired widower who begins to suffer from insomnia. As the condition worsens, he begins to see things that are invisible and intangible to others: colorful manifestations of life-force surrounding people auras, and diminutive white-coated beings he calls "little bald doctors", due to their appearance. Roberts becomes perceptive of other planes of reality and their influence upon the "real" world. Eventually, he finds that a friend of his, Lois Chasse, is also a sufferer. She joins him in his efforts to thwart the growing evil and learns the truth about the doctors ? Lois and Ralph refer to these beings as Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos, the Moirae of mythology. The background for the story is an approaching confrontation between women's rights groups and pro-life activists.The story climaxes with Ed Deepneau, a deranged maniac and former neighbor of Roberts and Chasse, attempting to crash a light plane containing C4 explosives into the Derry Civic Center during a heavily-attended rally while under control of an entity called The Crimson King. Ralph and Lois think Ed's intention is to kill thousands of people in the immediate area; however, Ed is only brainwashed into becoming a kamikaze to help fulfill The Crimson King's true motive. The Crimson King wishes to kill a boy named Patrick Danville who plays a key role in The Dark Tower. Ralph defeats the King and forces the light plane to crash into the parking lot, sparing Patrick's life and allowing him to fulfill his destiny and setting the path for the Dark Tower series. The doctors explain that Ed's innocent daughter Natalie will die if things are left to their own, but Ralph makes a deal which will allow him to trade his life for Natalie's.the stand - The Stand is a post-apocalyptic science fiction / horror / adventure novel by Stephen King originally published in 1978. It re-works the scenario in King?s earlier short story, "Night Surf" (included in the short story collection Night Shift). It is widely hailed by critics and fans as one of his best novelsThe novel was re-released as The Stand: The Complete & Uncut Edition in 1990. King restored some text originally cut for brevity, added and revised sections, changed the setting of the novel from 1980 to 1990, and updated a few pop culture references accordingly. This edition featured art by Berni Wrightson.A TV miniseries based on The Stand and scripted by King himself was released in 1994.Plot summary"Captain Trips"The novel is divided into 3 parts, or books. The first is entitled "Captain Trips" and takes place over 19 days, with the death of most of the human population in North America (and the world?it is hinted that General Starkey?s men released the virus in eastern Europe, Red China and the Soviet Union, though no mention of the southern hemisphere is made) following the escape and spread of a human-made biological weapon, a superflu (influenza) virus known formally as "Project Blue" and colloquially as "Captain Trips." 99.4% of people are susceptible to Captain Trips, and the disease has a mortality rate of 100%. King outlines the total breakdown and destruction of society through widespread violence, the failure of martial law to contain the outbreak, and eventually the death of virtually the entire population. The human toll is also dealt with as the few survivors care for their families and friends, dealing with confusion and grief as their loved ones ultimately succumb to the flu, which has inexplicably spared them.The expanded edition opens with a prologue entitled "The Circle Opens" that offers greater detail into the circumstances surrounding the development of the virus and security breach which allowed its escape from the compound where it was created."On the Border"Intertwining cross-country odysseys are undertaken by a small number of survivors, including a pregnant college student and an overweight high school outcast from Ogunquit, Maine (Frances Goldsmith and Harold Lauder, respectively); a factory worker from the fictional, tiny Arnette, Texas (Stuart Redman); a disillusioned pop musician from New York City (Larry Underwood); an insightful deaf-mute wanderer originally from Nebraska (Nick Andros); a virginal kindergarten teacher with a dark secret from New Hampshire (Nadine Cross); a savage, amnesiac and telepathic boy (Leo "Joe" Rockway); a quick-witted, pessimistic sociology professor from New Hampshire (Glen Bateman) and his dog, an Irish Setter named Kojak?one of the very few dogs immune to the plague; a jolly, easy-going farmer from Oklahoma (Ralph Brentner); and a kind-hearted mentally retarded man from Oklahoma (Tom Cullen). They are drawn together by their shared dreams of a 108-year-old black woman from Hemingford Home, Nebraska, whom they see as a refuge and a representation of good in the struggle of good versus evil. This woman, Abagail Freemantle (known as "Mother Abagail"), becomes the spiritual leader of this group of survivors, directing them to Boulder, Colorado, referred to as "the Free Zone" (officially "The Boulder Free Zone"), where they begin to reestablish a democratic society; much of this section of the book involves the struggles to create an orderly society more or less from scratch. Boulder is found to have considerably fewer plague victims than other cities due to a mass exodus following a false rumor in the early stages of the plague that the outbreak originated in the Boulder Air Test Center. While many corpses are present there, they number far fewer than any other major city in the North America.Meanwhile, another group of survivors includes a not-too-bright common thief (Lloyd Henreid); a schizophrenic pyromaniac (Donald Merwin Elbert, known as "the Trashcan Man"); an ex-Army cook and butcher (Whitney Horgan); an unstable, oversexed teenager (Julie Lawry); a pirate-like hood ("the Rat Man"); and a former detective of the Santa Monica Police Department (Barry Dorgan) are drawn to Las Vegas, Nevada by Randall Flagg (known as "the Dark Man," "the Hardcase," and "the Walkin? Dude"), an evil being with supernatural powers; he represents the evil, opposite side of Mother Abigail's survivors. Flagg?s rule is tyrannical and brutal, using crucifixion, torture and other torments as punishment for those who are disloyal. His group is able to quickly reorganize their society and rebuild the city."The Stand"The stage is now set for the final confrontation as the two camps become aware of one another, and each recognizes the other as a threat to its survival, leading to the "stand" of good against evil. There is no pitched battle, however. Instead, at Mother Abagail?s behest, Stu, Larry, Ralph and Glen set off on foot towards Las Vegas. Stu is injured en route and drops out, but the rest soon encounter Flagg?s men who take them prisoner. Flagg gathers his entire collective to witness the men?s execution, but before it can take place, Trashcan Man arrives with a nuclear warhead and a giant glowing hand?"The Hand of God"?detonates the bomb, destroying Flagg?s followers.Stu, with the aid of Kojak and later Tom Cullen, survives injury, illness and a harsh winter. The three of them arrive back in Boulder soon after the birth of Fran?s baby. Although the baby falls ill with the superflu, he is able to fight it off. In the end, Stu and Fran decide to return to Maine, and the original edition of the novel ends with the two of them questioning whether the human race can learn from its mistakes. The answer, given in the last line, is ambiguous: "I don?t know."The expanded edition follows this with a brief coda entitled "The Circle Closes," which leaves a darker impression and fits in with King?s ongoing "wheel of ka" theme.
