In Defense of Stephen King’s The Tommyknockers
Many fans seem to disparage this novel and I don’t understand why
Recently, I have become a fan of a podcast that discusses the works of Stephen King, and especially focuses on adaptations of his novels to the screen. It’s called The Kingcast, and it is hosted by a couple of film gurus, Scott Wampler and Eric Vespe. On their weekly episodes, they basically bring on guests to discuss various King properties, and their successes or failures in how they have been adapted. I enjoy this show so much, I contribute monthly to their Patreon, which is not something I normally do. Anyway, if you love film and King, you really should check it out, if for no other reason than to hear their interview with Dee Wallace, which was so excellent it honestly moved me to tears.
The point of this article, however, is to respond to how viciously they and others have disparaged the novel The Tommyknockers. Before I get into that, understand, I am in no way trying to defend the horrendous television adaptation starring Jimmy Smits that was made in 1993. That mini-series, like most of the King television adaptations, is a train wreck of bad decisions that I wish to God I could erase from my memory. The novel, on the other hand, is a decidedly different beast.
