Comparing King to Dickens is an interesting idea. There are few similarities in tone and theme. However, Dickens's work does present a richly detailed picture of 19th century English life. King's writing evokes contemporary American life vividly, once you set aside the supernatural and SF elements.
The ultimate test, of course, is that of time. People are still reading Dickens 130 years after his death. While some of his books are overwritten, since he was paid by the word and wrote magazine serials, almost everyone has heard the names of characters such as Uriah Heep, Oliver Twist, the artful Dodger, David Copperfield, Mr. Micawber, and many more. Even people who have never read Dickens have probably heard such immortal lines as "Please, sir, I want some more" and "Tell wind and fire where to stop, but don't tell me."
King is currently the bestselling author on Earth; however, it remains to be seen if people will still be reading his work in 150 years, or 200 years. Some of my favorite authors will probably not have the same appeal two centuries from now (Philip K. Dick comes to mind). If I had to bet, I'd wager that King will not be read much 200 years from now, if only because his work is so tied into pop culture.
I liked King's earlier work (up through "Pet Sematary"); after that it becomes hit-or-miss for me. As he became more successful, he had no incentive to cut and consequently many of his books go on much longer than they need to. He also writes so much that he ultimately repeats himself (there's no avoiding this). Rod Serling, a very talented writer, said that towards the end of the original Twilight Zone series he had cranked out so many scripts that he was losing his sense of what was good and what was bad. Stephen King has never taken a break but continues to produce long novels at a very rapid clip, and as a result the quality has declined.
As for GOLDEN YEARS, the script isn't that bad. The production is badly done, very cheap and flimsy, and it isn't up to snuff. King's later scripts STORM OF THE CENTURY and KINGDOM HOSPITAL are excellent, some of his very best work. In fact those two scripts showcase what King does best.
I start drinking coffee, and look what happens.
We report, you decide; but we decide what to report.
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