One of my favorite authors is Stephen King. It’s not so much the horror in his stories I enjoy, it’s how he gets deep into the psyche of his characters, developing them so fully you feel you know them. 

With over 60 published novels and endless short stories, there are, of course, books I haven’t enjoyed as much as others. But I still read them through, knowing the journey would be worth it. Until his latest novel, Holly. 

King has always been outspoken on his political views, often making reference to them in his books. However, it was never enough to take away from the story or my enjoyment of reading it. I don’t care what his, or anyone’s, political bias is, that’s not how I judge people.

King has always understood the reason he’s successful is because of who he calls his ‘constant readers’, those who have supported him throughout his career. With Holly he seems to have forgotten that, and instead chose to demonize the half of his readers who don’t agree with his politics. 

Reading Holly there were numerous times I almost put it down, which I’ve never done with any of his work before. The novel is so full of blatant bias that it overshadows the actual story. I kept telling myself it would get better. It didn’t.

In Holly, COVID nursing home deaths were all because an orderly refused to get the vaccine. Trump and all who support him are painted as evil, and it’s those supporters who refuse to get vaccinated. They’re the ones who die from COVID, vaxxed people either don’t get sick or only get the sniffles.

One reader actually counted the number of times those things were talked about throughout the novel. COVID is mentioned 78 times, masking 63 times, Trump 14 times, and vaccinations 13 times. That’s ridiculous for what is supposed to be entertainment fiction, not political self-righteousness. 

I want to state again that I don’t care which way a person leans politically. Everyone has the right to think, believe, and voice their opinion about what they want, including King, But to completely disrespect those who don’t agree with his views to me is reprehensible. Not respecting other views is why our country is so divided. 

Please listen to and respect others, even when you disagree. Only then will our country be back to what it once was. 

Please, Stephen King, and everyone else, be better.