Cell by Stephen King
By geniouslea
@geniouslea (195)
United States
September 16, 2008 7:34am CST
Has anyone read the book Cell by Stephen King? I read it and I absolutely loved it even though I'm not typically interested in zombie type stories. I like the fact that they weren't really zombies like back from the deadf to eat you type, but more that they just resorted to the basic human condition. The whole concept of it happening to everyone who was talking on their phone at a given moment was also something that kept me interested because it made me think of how absolutely insane it is that we now feel the need to talk on our cell phones so often. What did people do 10 years ago when only the rich or very professional had cell phones, what about 20 years ago when no one had them? So waht did you guys think of the novel, and of society's need to constantly be on cell phones?
5 responses
@ShellyB (5241)
• United States
16 Sep 08
I agree with you and I guess in many ways a cell can be something that we want more than what we need.
I did not read the book, I want to read it but I need to buy the book first 
As for the need to have a cell, I know now some of my friends that prefer to have a cell than a landline.
During the last big earthquake in California, the landlines and cells did not work but email did, most decent cells are able to email, so it could be plus.
TO me since I do not drive I consider my cell a must have even tho my real emergencies are not that many.
As for the need to have a cell, I know now some of my friends that prefer to have a cell than a landline.
During the last big earthquake in California, the landlines and cells did not work but email did, most decent cells are able to email, so it could be plus.
TO me since I do not drive I consider my cell a must have even tho my real emergencies are not that many.@geniouslea (195)
• United States
16 Sep 08
I agree with you about needing a cell phone for emergencies. They are very convenient in situations like that. But I remember sitting outside of the library on my college campus one day people watching (I'm a writer so I do that to get inspiration sometimes) and about 95 percent of the people I saw were talking on their cell phones. As they entered the library I saw them tell whoever they were talking to they had to go, and as people left the library they all pulled the cell phones out of a bag and started dialing. Then there were some poeple just standing around outside talking on the phone becasue they didnt want to end theri conversation yet but needed to go into the library (our library had a strict no cell phone policy.) Now all of these people couldn't have been in emergency situations.
Even aside from emergencies, I understand using it on occasion, but what I really can't understand are those people who will be on thier way to meet someone and call them on the drive over and talk to that person until they get there. Couldn't the conversation wait until they were face to face?
And the fact that cell phones have e-mail access now is very convenient.
I'm one of those people who has a cell phone instead of a landline, and sometimes I admit that I'm guilty of unneccessary cell phone usage and am not really criticizing it. I just think its an interesting observation on how dependent society has become on them.
@ShellyB (5241)
• United States
17 Sep 08
I agree with you. I believe too that more than 75% of my cell usage is for fun.
Where I live, I used to see a lot more people attached to their cells phones, thanks to the economy I believe I have more text beeping that ringing.
But there was at time where I will see people in the bus talking their ears off just because.
In CA the police will make a lot of money giving tickets to people who drive and call their cells. Even in my town people who see better than me have spotted more cell callers on cars than on foot or the bus.
I am kinda interested on cell usage too.
I am the cell freak at home and my bill is 40 something per month now.(prepaid)
@geniouslea (195)
• United States
16 Sep 08
lol yeah me too. But when I really think about it I don't know whether I'd rather become one of them, or be one of the survivors and have to deal with losing my family and friends, and the constant danger.
@randomosity_prevails (1110)
•
24 Nov 08
When I first saw Cell in a book shop, all I could think was that King must have been watching too much Asian horror. The blurb read like something from a Hideo Nakada film!
I bought it anyway as I'm a massive King fan. It's actually really good, I like how you're thrust straight into the story. There's no character development or scene setting until later in the book, so it grabs your attention from the outset.
It did make me rather wary of using my mobile for the next few days though. I wouldn't say I'm particularly dependent on my phone, it never has any credit on it, and I tend to use e-mail to communicate with people now. I do usually take an emergency SIM card with me when I'm out though, in case I need to text someone or call a taxi, so I suppose in that sense it is important to me.
@mmcgee12278 (24)
• United States
17 Sep 08
I enjoyed the book, but not one of my favorites of King's. I like the books where the characters are built up more. This one was more of a monster story.
But it is really creepy to think that if anything ever happened to everyone that has a cell phone there would be no one hardly in the US and Western Europe left! It seems people are obsessed with them. Both my younger brother and sister are constantly on them and texting people. It kinda takes away their social skills.
