Book Meme - Day 22

What author, book, or series do you refuse to read and why?

Somewhat recently, an older, beloved author died. I had never heard of him until that day, or at least not in a way that made an impression. I read his obituary and a couple of other articles about him and reactions to his death. And I decided that I had no interest in ever reading anything he'd ever written. As someone who reads a lot of books, there are few things as satisfying as learning about a new author and then decisively not adding them to your to-read list.

It might help if I could remember the name of this particular author. But forgetting about him is just as effective as purposely avoiding him.

Actively refusing to read something isn't generally something I do. If I'm not interested in something, it doesn't stay on my radar long enough to show up on my to-read list. And if I keep hearing about someone, well, never say never. There's always a chance I'll get around to them someday.

Possibly the best example of this is Stephen King. A lot of people love him. He's incredibly prolific and has had a profound impact on both horror and science-fiction. He seems like a cool dude. But trying to pick a starting point is honestly overwhelming. It's not just that he's written so many books. It's that so many of his books are so long. I'm not sure I'm ready for that kind of commitment right now.

I did finally decide to try The Dark Tower, his magnum opus. A sprawling, science-fiction series seemed like as good a starting point as any. But I read the first two books, and I just didn't care. And now I'm worried that I won't like any of his other books. Too worried to pick up a 1000-page tome just because other people love it.

I'll probably never pick up another Stephen King book. Not because I actively refuse to read him, but because there's pretty much always something else I'd rather read. Then again, never say never. My curiosity may just get the better of me one of these days and compel me to finally pick up Carrie or It or The Stand. It just won't be anytime soon.