The literary equivalent of a Big Mac and fries?: Academics, moralists, and the Stephen King phenomenon

Abstract

There has been an ongoing debate concerning the literary legitimacy of the novels of Stephen King. While they sell in unbelievable amounts, critics and cynics allege that it's simply not good literature. However, by offering his readers quality narratives in which they can vicariously escape widespread social corruption, King seems to provide a fictional outlet for a nation of jaded former idealists.