Need Help Selecting A Stephen King Story? There’s An App For That!
Since his first novel Carrie, published in 1974, Stephen King has written more than 50 books and shows no sign of slowing down. While King is best known for legendary tales of terror, his writing has also touched our hearts with intrigue, survival, nostalgia, mystery and societal controversy. Given all the options, how does one select a story best suited to their taste? Thanks to some high tech magic, it seems you need only ask.
Stephen King Library, a free voice-activated app available on Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant smart speakers launched by Scribner on June 11th, is at your story-selecting service.
“We began to talk about voice-activation technology late last year, with the aim of creating a reading list tailored to a person’s specific likes and dislikes,” said Roz Lippel, Scribner’s associate publisher. “We wanted to find a way to introduce Stephen King to new readers and entice longtime fans.” Source: Wall Street Journal
The new app engages users with a bit of eerie music followed by the voice of narrator Jeremy Bobb asking seven questions designed to help determine a reader’s tastes across the various genres within the Stephen King Universe. An algorithm, created by tech company Skilled Creative, links potential answers to each question back to some element of a Stephen King book. The program then supplies its user with five or six titles from a pool of 56 books chosen by Scribner editors. Stephen King himself weighed in the project…
“The technology has outraced my ability to comprehend,’ he said, via email. Scribner “told me all about it, and I’m like, ‘Okay, sounds good, whatever, knock yourselves out.’ ” Source – Wall Street Journal
As a devoted fan, I will read everything Stephen King writes. I am curious however to discover if technology could determine what titles are my favorites. For newbies looking to dive into Mr. King’s ever-expanding universe, perhaps this app can provide the perfect ‘where to start’ solution. Would you trust technology to make your literary match?
Be sure to check out Stephen King’s newly released novel, The Outsider and don’t miss a trip back to Castle Rock later this year in his latest novella, Elevation.
Full-time fangirl and part-time manager. A comic-con junkie with a passion for writing and great artwork. Catch me… if you can!
