Intentional or otherwise, there are references to earlier King books, such as the Derry Standpipe, which gives a sort of familiarity to the book. Dreamcatcher is not horrifying in the way that other King books, though. Because the book makes frequent references to bodily functions, it is more gross than scary. With most cases, King books will have me frequently checking under my bed and leaving the nightlight just in case, Dreamcatcher made me dread the return of the yellow slime fungus that appears in our garden each Spring. Dreamcatcher is peppered with references to American culture.
King references all sorts of things from rock to popular products.
In some cases, this was a tad annoying and made me feel like King had lined up a bunch of sponsors who would pay for the references in much the same manner as they do for product placements in movies. I don't necessarily see popular references as a failing, though I will admit that it will keep the book from becoming a literary classic. But for now, I could chuckle about them. Another thing that I found really irritating about the book is King's debased dreamcatcher metaphor. According to Native American lore, the dreamcatcher starts with a hoop that represents the circle of life, the means through which all things are connected.