I've just reread a bit of my previous post, which mentioned that Stephen King himself loved the Dead Zone. I forgot about that when I was reading it.
The book, to me, felt like 80-85% build up. Literally, according to my kindle, that's where I was when the main plot started going. Then it's a little anti-climactic, which I guess is the point. Johnny's lancing a boil before it really gets going, so the whole point is to avoid a terrible climax.
I really enjoyed the journey. I liked the characters. It hasn't surpassed Rose Madder as my favourite, so apparently the tastes of Stephen King and I differ significantly, since he's said he feels Rose Madder was a young man trying too hard.
As I may have mentioned, James Smythe is doing a series in the Guardian where he revisits all of Stephen King's novels. He's rather ahead of me at the moment; his latest article is on The Dark Tower III, which was published in 1991, 11 years after The Dead Zone which came out in 1979.
James Smythe's excellent article is here, and he pointed out something that I didn't realise; The Dead Zone is the first book set in Castle Rock.
As for links to other King novels...well, Johnny mentions the fire in Carrie at one point. Looking at this flowchart, Frank Dodd is briefly mentioned in IT, which I've not read yet, and in Cujo, which I have. His Sheriff, Gregg Bannerman is the same Sheriff who dies in that book.
That flowchart excludes the Dark Tower series. This one includes it, but The Dead Zone isn't really connected to so it makes no difference.
Firestarter next! I've read it before, but this time I have it audiobook for a change.
