I was fortunate enough to have read "Salem's Lot" before ever hearing about who Stephen King was. I was in Naples, Italy, circa 1975-77. The paperback jacket wasn't really clear on what the story was about...and by the time I learned it was about a vampire (making other vampires!!) in a New England town, I was already well into the novel. Gave me nightmares, too.
Next time I recognized King's name was when the movie "Carrie" was released. I saw it in the Summer of 1977 in Naples and was then hooked on King. Imagine my surprise upon returning to the U.S. that Stephen King was quite the rage.
Just before Christmas 1978 I was in Falls Creek VA shopping center bookstore and picked up something called "Interview With A Vampire." I put it back down thinking it would not be worth my time.
Fourteen years later, I was playing catchup in the Lestat saga...along with Ann Rice's "witches" saga. Ripe, terrific reading for my final tour of duty on an aircraft carrier.
I consider "The Stand" -- the expanded edition that came out -- what was it?? -- 10 or 15 years ago?? -- Stephen King's masterpiece. The TV movie was pretty good in its own right, but the book is not really filmable the way "I" read it.
I love good horror -- but not when they start putting Part II, Part III and so on after the title. If you can't get it right the first time, what's the point?
And then there's "The Exorcist."