Michael Meyer

John Steinbeck and Stephen King do not seem to have a lot in common. The
first is known for classic fiction, novels, and short stories that are required
reading in America's middle and secondary schools and as the winner of the
Nobel Prize in 1962. The second is a cult hero, a prolific composer of
mystery and horror stories, and an icon of contemporary pop culture. His
newest works are seemingly guaranteed to be instant best sellers, but they are
seldom assigned as classroom reading or material for serious study. Yet these
authors share one specific character trait: an unstable artistic self image,
causing them to take negative critical reception of their respective works as
personal attacks. For example, both authors aspired to greatness, yet both
made it clear that in their opinion it was their writing that mattered, not the
fame or fortune that accompanied it. At one time, both were criticized as
mere hacks, authors who churned out inferior prose for inferior minds; in
addition, both were writers with a following who, after attaining initial
recognition by a reading public, were able to produce best sellers time and
time again, regardless of the topic. In fact, their books seemed to sell on the
basis of reputation rather than on any intrinsic excellence of their own.

Finally, it was said of both that success corrupted them and that the
quality of their writing deteriorated as they began to work for cash rewards
rather than out of artistic desire for excellence. Of course, both denied such
motives. In Nightmares and Dreamscapes, King stated: "But it isn't about

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