Best Work

When I was 9, one of my older brothers gave me Salem's Lot to read.  "Here, read this!" He would do this from time to time with horror books that he read - it is also because of him that I have an inclination to the horror genre.  Anyway, for me, Salem's Lot is a book that continues to give me the creeps and while others have the long argument that the Stand and/or the Shining are the better books.  It is his development of the characters from Ben Mears and Susan Norton to Kurt Barlow and Richard Straker that make this book so great.  The voices are clear and as I got older, it's something I would strive for in my own writing.  I wont throw any spoilers in here if you haven't read this, but just read it.  

It is also in this book that the student and local grave digger, Mike Ryerson awaits for his teacher in a back bedroom of his house one night after being buried in the graveyard he worked in.  That was enough to keep me up at night when I was a kid.  

Best Adaptation

Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redeption.  One might argue that its between this book and The Green Mile, but again, for me, The Shawshank Redemption was the best adaptation.  Again, you could argue it is Dolores Claiborne or Stand By Me or Green Mile.  All were great adaptations, but for the... wait...How could I forget Misery?  Yeah that one goes in the list, too. 

Wait wait wait...Carrie?  Does Carrie make this list?  How could you make me pick just one?  OK, OK, OK, This is going to have to be a list because all of these were rock solid and this is my opinion based on what I liked - with no critical training in critiquing adaptations.

1. Shawshank Redemption

2. Dolores Claiborne

3. Misery

4. The Green Mile

5. Stand By Me

As I sit and look at this list - The Shining was a good movie but really, it was just loosely based on the book and therefore doesn't make the list...so, there!