Bev Vincent
Author of Flight or Fright
About the Author
Image credit: Photo by Tom Richardson, SouthernExposure.Biz
Works by Bev Vincent
The Road to the Dark Tower: Exploring Stephen King's Magnum Opus (2004) — Author — 536 copies, 6 reviews
The Stephen King Illustrated Companion Manuscripts, Correspondence, Drawings, and Memorabilia (2009) 224 copies, 8 reviews
The Stephen King Ultimate Companion: A Complete Exploration of His Work, Life, and Influences (2022) 125 copies, 2 reviews
Overtoun Bridge 4 copies
Twenty-First Century King 4 copies
One Of Those Weeks 2 copies
Ghost Inn 2 copies
Lost (or Found) in Translation 2 copies
Zombies on a Plane 1 copy
Groundwood 1 copy
Associated Works
The Blue Religion: New Stories about Cops, Criminals and the Chase (2008) — Contributor — 170 copies, 7 reviews
Shining in the Dark: Celebrating 20 Years of Lilja's Library (2018) — Contributor — 115 copies, 2 reviews
Where Nightmares Come From: The Art of Storytelling in the Horror Genre (2017) — Interviewer — 46 copies, 3 reviews
Tesseracts Thirteen: Chilling Tales of the Great White North (2009) — Contributor — 27 copies, 1 review
The Book of Extraordinary Impossible Crimes and Puzzling Deaths (2020) — Contributor — 17 copies, 1 review
The Perfectly Fine Neighborhood — Contributor — 3 copies
Killer Crimes — Author — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1961-06-02
- Gender
- male
- Education
- Dalhousie University
- Organizations
- Horror Writers Association
Mystery Writers of America
International Thriller Writers - Agent
- Michael Psaltis
- Nationality
- Canada
- Birthplace
- New Brunswick, Canada
- Places of residence
- Texas, USA
- Associated Place (for map)
- Canada
Members
Reviews
Rating: 5* of five
The Publisher Says: A thrilling visual companion curated for young adults voraciously reading their way through Stephen King’s colossal corpus of creepy books.
For many young readers, when the last page of Goosebumps is turned, the first chapter of Pet Sematary begins, and a world of terror crafted by Stephen King is revealed. His novels are as fascinating as his life, and in this ultimate illustrated guidebook, young readers explore the cultural phenomenon and legacy of show more the King of Horror.
From scare-seeking child to impoverished university student to struggling schoolteacher to one of the best-selling—and most recognizable—authors of all time, this engrossing book reveals the evolution and influences of Stephen King’s body of work over his nearly 50-year career, and how the themes of his writing reflect the changing times and events within his life.
With tons of photos, approachable bite-size sections, and gripping details to captivate young readers, the book offers an extensive look into Stephen King’s books, short stories, writings, movies, series, and other adaptations ideal for the young reader to review. Exclusive memorabilia from Stephen King, including personal and professional correspondences, handwritten manuscript pages, book covers, movie stills, and a never-before-seen excerpts from his poems. Personal insights and observations such as real-life settings that inspired King’s writing, the editor who discovered him, his life as a Boston Red Sox fan, and the many awards and honors he has received. Motivating quotes from King from interviews over the decades.
Young adults will covet this comprehensive yet accessible reference to their favorite horror author.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: Author Vincent's a King superfan, and believe you me, it shows. This compendium of anecdotes and overviews of his career, and the stories he's offered us, is exactly what a young fan will love.
Plenty of not-so-young fans too, I'll wager.
I'm not a Constant Reader, as he addresses his immense and well-earned audience online, more of a dibble-dabbler. I enjoy many of his massive tomes—my own favorite being 11/22/63—because I'm very old and that date means so very much to me. (Rob asked me once why that date was important...ouch.) The manner in which Author Vincent hits the life and career high points will make this a deeply welcome gift to your King-stan teen or tween. (Officially. We won't discuss what you do with it before wrapping it up.)
The design and visuals are very much up to the job, as one would expect from a Quarto Group imprint.
Clear, concise, not too busy to fail in its primary duty of informing as well as keeping one's interest.
I enjoyed the glimpse into King's early methods and processes.
It's safe to say we do not share a taste in companion animals. *shudder*
The stuff of literal nightmares for decades now!
...speaking of which...Tim Curry does Pennywise the best, in my never-remotely humble opinion. Skarsgard's got a different take, not worse not better...but give me Curry every time.
Here are a couple text-only spreads to round out your visual impression of the book. I'll stress that, even on my tablet, the design's readable and very appealing.
Solid design, appealing to a recipient fan, very intentionally a gift book. It's a terrific value at this price! show less
The Publisher Says: A thrilling visual companion curated for young adults voraciously reading their way through Stephen King’s colossal corpus of creepy books.
For many young readers, when the last page of Goosebumps is turned, the first chapter of Pet Sematary begins, and a world of terror crafted by Stephen King is revealed. His novels are as fascinating as his life, and in this ultimate illustrated guidebook, young readers explore the cultural phenomenon and legacy of show more the King of Horror.
From scare-seeking child to impoverished university student to struggling schoolteacher to one of the best-selling—and most recognizable—authors of all time, this engrossing book reveals the evolution and influences of Stephen King’s body of work over his nearly 50-year career, and how the themes of his writing reflect the changing times and events within his life.
With tons of photos, approachable bite-size sections, and gripping details to captivate young readers, the book offers an extensive look into Stephen King’s books, short stories, writings, movies, series, and other adaptations ideal for the young reader to review. Exclusive memorabilia from Stephen King, including personal and professional correspondences, handwritten manuscript pages, book covers, movie stills, and a never-before-seen excerpts from his poems. Personal insights and observations such as real-life settings that inspired King’s writing, the editor who discovered him, his life as a Boston Red Sox fan, and the many awards and honors he has received. Motivating quotes from King from interviews over the decades.
“My childhood was pretty ordinary, except from a very early age I wanted to be scared…there was a radio program at the time called Dimension X, and my mother didn’t want me to listen to that because she felt it was too scary for me, so I would creep out of bed and go to the bedroom door and crack it open. And she loved it, so apparently, I got it from her, but I would listen at the door and then when the program was over, I’d go back to bed and quake.” —Stephen King
Young adults will covet this comprehensive yet accessible reference to their favorite horror author.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: Author Vincent's a King superfan, and believe you me, it shows. This compendium of anecdotes and overviews of his career, and the stories he's offered us, is exactly what a young fan will love.
Plenty of not-so-young fans too, I'll wager.
I'm not a Constant Reader, as he addresses his immense and well-earned audience online, more of a dibble-dabbler. I enjoy many of his massive tomes—my own favorite being 11/22/63—because I'm very old and that date means so very much to me. (Rob asked me once why that date was important...ouch.) The manner in which Author Vincent hits the life and career high points will make this a deeply welcome gift to your King-stan teen or tween. (Officially. We won't discuss what you do with it before wrapping it up.)
The design and visuals are very much up to the job, as one would expect from a Quarto Group imprint.
Clear, concise, not too busy to fail in its primary duty of informing as well as keeping one's interest.
I enjoyed the glimpse into King's early methods and processes.
It's safe to say we do not share a taste in companion animals. *shudder*
The stuff of literal nightmares for decades now!
...speaking of which...Tim Curry does Pennywise the best, in my never-remotely humble opinion. Skarsgard's got a different take, not worse not better...but give me Curry every time.
Here are a couple text-only spreads to round out your visual impression of the book. I'll stress that, even on my tablet, the design's readable and very appealing.
Solid design, appealing to a recipient fan, very intentionally a gift book. It's a terrific value at this price! show less
Stephen King Illustrated Companion Manuscripts, Correspondence, Drawings, and Memorabilia from the Master of Modern Horror by Bev Vincent
Knowing my love for King, you might be surprised to learn that I just found out about the existence of this book today. Despite the fact that I am a devoted King fan, and a member of the Stephen King Fan group here on GR, in which there was a thread about this book open since last October, I somehow managed to miss it.
But that was kind of fortuitous, as events worked out in such a way as for me to get this book 1/2 price. But even if I hadn't, it would still have been worth every penny. show more
This is an absolute MUST-HAVE for every King lover. Inside is a plethora of tidbits and relics of King's life and career. Everything from reproductions of sections of the newspaper he and his brother put out as kids, to reproductions of rough drafts of work, sketches, etc.
Bev Vincent provides not only a readable and interesting narrative, but also contributes a lot of insight into King's work that I'd never thought of before. It makes me want to go back and read these books with a new eye. (So I think I will! :D)
A lot of the information in this book regarding King's life is general knowledge or pulled from the pages of Danse Macabre (which I haven't read yet, but will squeeze in as soon as it lands on my doorstep), On Writing, which I've just read, and quotes from interviews and the like. Most of the major facets of King's life are touched on. His childhood, his early writing career, his inspiration and ideas, The Rock Bottom Remainders, his radio station, his accident (with some touches on "old" King vs "post-accident" King), his relationship with his wife, his philanthropy, his innovation in publishing, and the possibilities the future may hold. Just about everything but the kitchen sink. But I'd have read about that too if they put it in. :)
Contained within these pages is a quote which I think sums up most of what I love about King:
I'm proud to call Stephen King my favorite author. He deserves it. Not only is he able to write characters that make me physically miss them after a while, but he is accessible, and real and good-hearted himself. And yet, literary snobs like Harold Bloom seem to think that he is the "death of the Literary Reader". Pfft. This is twice that old Harold has offended me (three times if you count that he cannot even spell "Tolkien", yet claims to be a fan...). Somebody needs to slap old Harold. He's an idiot. King's response is to say
Anyway, enough ranting about Harold. (Although I now wonder if overweight, pimply and pompous poet-wannabe Harold Lauder was modeled after old Harold Bloom? Hmm. The answer does not lie within this book, but if I ever meet King, I'll be sure to ask.) Really, now, enough of the snobs.
As I mentioned before, this is a must have for any King fan. Surely the Harold quote is enough to justify the purchase, but really, these 176 pages are jam-packed with memorabilia that shows us (if we didn't know already) that King is a person, and a GOOD one, not just a FAMOUS or a RICH person.
He's active in his community, has several charities, and gives back whenever he can, most recently by purchasing bus tickets so that a good-sized chunk of soldiers home from Afghanistan (I think- may have to check which war they were home from) could visit their families for the holidays.
So, yes, he deserves to be my favorite author, and he's got a spot on my 'favorite person' list too. :) show less
But that was kind of fortuitous, as events worked out in such a way as for me to get this book 1/2 price. But even if I hadn't, it would still have been worth every penny. show more
This is an absolute MUST-HAVE for every King lover. Inside is a plethora of tidbits and relics of King's life and career. Everything from reproductions of sections of the newspaper he and his brother put out as kids, to reproductions of rough drafts of work, sketches, etc.
Bev Vincent provides not only a readable and interesting narrative, but also contributes a lot of insight into King's work that I'd never thought of before. It makes me want to go back and read these books with a new eye. (So I think I will! :D)
A lot of the information in this book regarding King's life is general knowledge or pulled from the pages of Danse Macabre (which I haven't read yet, but will squeeze in as soon as it lands on my doorstep), On Writing, which I've just read, and quotes from interviews and the like. Most of the major facets of King's life are touched on. His childhood, his early writing career, his inspiration and ideas, The Rock Bottom Remainders, his radio station, his accident (with some touches on "old" King vs "post-accident" King), his relationship with his wife, his philanthropy, his innovation in publishing, and the possibilities the future may hold. Just about everything but the kitchen sink. But I'd have read about that too if they put it in. :)
Contained within these pages is a quote which I think sums up most of what I love about King:
"...King says, 'I believe these {horror} stories exist because we sometimes need to create unreal monsters and bogies to stand in for all the things we fear in our real lives.'This quote is in the section dedicated to The Shining, but it's true of all of his work, in my opinion. I love the way that King brings his characters to life. They are more than just words on a page, they could be real people, some that I would love to know, others that I'd avoid like the plague, but real nonetheless.
His hope, though, is that 'you don't get scared of monsters-- you get scared for people.' This succinctly describes one of the secrets of King's success-- his books are fundamentally about how people react to stressful circumstances. He makes readers care for his characters, and then throws something catastrophic at them."
I'm proud to call Stephen King my favorite author. He deserves it. Not only is he able to write characters that make me physically miss them after a while, but he is accessible, and real and good-hearted himself. And yet, literary snobs like Harold Bloom seem to think that he is the "death of the Literary Reader". Pfft. This is twice that old Harold has offended me (three times if you count that he cannot even spell "Tolkien", yet claims to be a fan...). Somebody needs to slap old Harold. He's an idiot. King's response is to say
"Harold Bloom has never been very interested in popular culture, and he has no real grasp of popular culture, popular writing, or the places where what we call pop culture crosses what you would call higher culture... What I would really like to do is see Harold Bloom given an injection of sodium pentothol so that he had to tell the truth and say 'Now, Harold, how much Stephen King have you actually read?' And I think the answer would be probably less than one whole book. My guess is he's dipped a few times, and you come to the table with certain prejudices, and naturally you're going to see those prejudices fulfilled."Bravo. How true. Prejudiced is the perfect word to describe Harold Bloom in my opinion.
Anyway, enough ranting about Harold. (Although I now wonder if overweight, pimply and pompous poet-wannabe Harold Lauder was modeled after old Harold Bloom? Hmm. The answer does not lie within this book, but if I ever meet King, I'll be sure to ask.) Really, now, enough of the snobs.
As I mentioned before, this is a must have for any King fan. Surely the Harold quote is enough to justify the purchase, but really, these 176 pages are jam-packed with memorabilia that shows us (if we didn't know already) that King is a person, and a GOOD one, not just a FAMOUS or a RICH person.
He's active in his community, has several charities, and gives back whenever he can, most recently by purchasing bus tickets so that a good-sized chunk of soldiers home from Afghanistan (I think- may have to check which war they were home from) could visit their families for the holidays.
So, yes, he deserves to be my favorite author, and he's got a spot on my 'favorite person' list too. :) show less
Stephen King, horror writer extraordinaire, hates flying. So naturally, he decided that he and Bev Vincent should put together a collection of stories exploring all the terrible things that can happen when you’re in flight. There are stories from a variety of time periods, in a variety of formats, and a couple were written expressly for the collection. Each story is introduced by Stephen King, and Bev Vincent writes an afterword explaining how the collection was put together.
As an aviation show more enthusiast, I couldn’t help but be intrigued by the concept, while not sure whether to expect schlock horror or genuine chills. I’d classify most of these stories as thrillers rather than actual horror, although there were some genuinely creepy ones in the batch (e.g., “The Horror of the Heights”) and some breathtaking ones (“Two Minutes Forty-Five Seconds”).
My favourite story of the whole collection was Joe Hill’s story, “You Are Released,” both for its technical details and for its utter realism. I found it the scariest story in the collection because it felt so plausible. I also liked “The Horror of the Heights,” written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle of all people—that one ended up being genuinely creepy. And while I’m not usually one for zombies, I did like Bev Vincent’s “Zombies on a Plane,” possibly because it was set in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
A few of the stories were set in wartime on various bombers, and they felt a bit similar, but they were all pretty good. The only story I really wasn’t crazy about was Peter Tremayne’s, which had stiff dialogue and was slow enough that I skipped to the end to find out whodunnit. I did also find the James Dickey poem challenging, but I always find free verse poetry to be challenging so that wasn’t really as much of an issue.
I’d recommend this collection if you like to read stories about air travel and if you’re not easily scared. Reading it ON a plane would be the ultimate immersive experience. show less
As an aviation show more enthusiast, I couldn’t help but be intrigued by the concept, while not sure whether to expect schlock horror or genuine chills. I’d classify most of these stories as thrillers rather than actual horror, although there were some genuinely creepy ones in the batch (e.g., “The Horror of the Heights”) and some breathtaking ones (“Two Minutes Forty-Five Seconds”).
My favourite story of the whole collection was Joe Hill’s story, “You Are Released,” both for its technical details and for its utter realism. I found it the scariest story in the collection because it felt so plausible. I also liked “The Horror of the Heights,” written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle of all people—that one ended up being genuinely creepy. And while I’m not usually one for zombies, I did like Bev Vincent’s “Zombies on a Plane,” possibly because it was set in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
A few of the stories were set in wartime on various bombers, and they felt a bit similar, but they were all pretty good. The only story I really wasn’t crazy about was Peter Tremayne’s, which had stiff dialogue and was slow enough that I skipped to the end to find out whodunnit. I did also find the James Dickey poem challenging, but I always find free verse poetry to be challenging so that wasn’t really as much of an issue.
I’d recommend this collection if you like to read stories about air travel and if you’re not easily scared. Reading it ON a plane would be the ultimate immersive experience. show less
Having read the basic [[[Dark Tower]]] series multiple times now, this was a nice infusion of Ka into my reading life without taking up all the books. It's my second time reading the book, this time in preparation for a more expanded reading of the series with all the related works, of which there are many.
Vincent gives us tower junkies everything we could ever ask of him. First, there is a good bit of background on the early goings in seeing the initial story written and the series show more launched. All the back story information is so illuminating. Then, he gives us a chapter synopsis on each of the goings-on in each book, which is a nice way to revisit the story and the world. Next, he folds in tons of information about all the related works and why/how they're related. I might be more expansive on my choices, but his choices here are impeccable and well documented for their place in the series. Finally, he has a brief discussion on the importance of the total work to King's legacy, and offers some great appendices.
Short of Robin Furth's extensive concordance, this is the best way to get in the weeds in all things [[[Dark Tower]]].
5 bones!!!!!
Highly recommended!!!!! show less
Vincent gives us tower junkies everything we could ever ask of him. First, there is a good bit of background on the early goings in seeing the initial story written and the series show more launched. All the back story information is so illuminating. Then, he gives us a chapter synopsis on each of the goings-on in each book, which is a nice way to revisit the story and the world. Next, he folds in tons of information about all the related works and why/how they're related. I might be more expansive on my choices, but his choices here are impeccable and well documented for their place in the series. Finally, he has a brief discussion on the importance of the total work to King's legacy, and offers some great appendices.
Short of Robin Furth's extensive concordance, this is the best way to get in the weeds in all things [[[Dark Tower]]].
5 bones!!!!!
Highly recommended!!!!! show less
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