According to Library Journal, Joe Hill, author of the praised-in-advance new horror novel Heart Shaped Box, is son of Stephen King. Now the huge press packet I got along with my advance copy makes so much more sense. Not that it's not deserved....it's a pretty tense page-turner of a novel with a great central character and a quirky twist on the worn out genre of ghost stories. But a first novel getting so much attention, including film rights being purchased prior to the book coming out, is really rare. I can understand why Hill (King, whatever) would want to use a pen name, although now that it's out, will it matter?
Excelsior
2 comments:
In a word: yes. If the last name King appeared on the cover then the rank-and-file bookstore groupies might associate him with his father. Instead Mr. Hill has made an effort to rise on his own merits, even not telling his agent of his famous father.
I have heard that, and that Hill finally let his agent know sometime between the release of his collection and his novel. Although now that the word's out, every article and book review I see now mentions his father. It's too bad, because it really is a good book. It should be judged on it's own, and I hope it will be. The marketing machine the way it is, though, I have my doubts.
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