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Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction,
suspense Suspense is a state of mental uncertainty, anxiety, being Decision-making, undecided, or being Doubt, doubtful. In a Drama, dramatic work, suspense is the anticipation of the wikt:outcome, outcome of a plot (narrative), plot or of the solution t ...
,
crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in C ...
,
science-fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
, and
fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...
novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high standing in pop culture, his books have sold more than 350 million copies, and many have been adapted into films, television series, miniseries, and comic books. King has published 64 novels, including seven under the pen name Richard Bachman, and five non-fiction books. He has also written approximately 200 short stories, most of which have been published in book collections.Jackson, Dan (February 18, 2016)
"A Beginner's Guide to Stephen King Books"
. Thrillist. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
King has received Bram Stoker Awards,
World Fantasy Award The World Fantasy Awards are a set of awards given each year for the best fantasy fiction published during the previous calendar year. Organized and overseen by the World Fantasy Convention, the awards are given each year at the eponymous ann ...
s, and British Fantasy Society Awards. In 2003, the National Book Foundation awarded him the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He has also received awards for his contribution to literature for his entire bibliography, such as the 2004 World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement and the 2007 Grand Master Award from the
Mystery Writers of America Mystery Writers of America (MWA) is an organization of mystery and crime writers, based in New York City. The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday. It presents the Edgar Award ...
. In 2015, he was awarded with a
National Medal of Arts The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the United States Congress in 1984, for the purpose of honoring artists and patrons of the arts. A prestigious American honor, it is the highest honor given to artists and arts patrons ...
from the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts for his contributions to literature.


Early life

King was born in Portland, Maine, on September 21, 1947. His father, Donald Edwin King, a travelling vacuum salesman after returning from
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, was born in Indiana with the surname Pollock, changing it to King as an adult.Ancestry of Stephen King
at Genealogy.com. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
King's mother was Nellie Ruth King (née Pillsbury). His parents were married in
Scarborough, Maine Scarborough is a town in Cumberland County on the southern coast of the U.S. state of Maine. The town is a coastal resort area. Located about south of Portland, Scarborough is part of the Portland– South Portland– Biddeford, Main ...
on July 23, 1939. Shortly afterwards, they lived with Donald's family in
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
before moving to Croton-on-Hudson, New York. King's parents returned to Maine towards the end of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, living in a modest house in Scarborough. When King was two, his father left the family. His mother raised him and his older brother David by herself, sometimes under great financial strain. They moved from Scarborough and depended on relatives in Chicago; Croton-on-Hudson;
West De Pere, Wisconsin De Pere ( ) is a city located in Brown County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 25,410 according to the 2020 Census. De Pere is part of the Green Bay Metropolitan Statistical Area. History At the arrival of the first European, ...
; Fort Wayne, Indiana;
Malden, Massachusetts Malden is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. At the time of the 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 66,263 people. History Malden, a hilly woodland area north of the Mystic River, was settled by Puritans in 1640 on la ...
; and
Stratford, Connecticut Stratford is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is situated on Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Housatonic River. Stratford is in the Bridgeport–Stamford–Norwalk Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was settled ...
. When King was 11, his family moved to
Durham, Maine Durham is a town in Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,173 at the 2020 census. It is included in both the Lewiston- Auburn, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine Metropolitan New Engla ...
, where his mother cared for her parents until their deaths. She then became a caregiver in a local residential facility for the mentally challenged. King was raised
Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...
, but lost his belief in organized religion while in high school. While no longer religious, he says he chooses to believe in the existence of God. As a child, King apparently witnessed one of his friends being struck and killed by a train, though he has no memory of the event. His family told him that after leaving home to play with the boy, King returned speechless and seemingly in shock. Only later did the family learn of the friend's death. Some commentators have suggested that this event may have psychologically inspired some of King's darker works, but King makes no mention of it in his memoir '' On Writing'' (2000). He related in detail his primary inspiration for writing horror fiction in his non-fiction '' Danse Macabre'' (1981), in a chapter titled "An Annoying Autobiographical Pause". He compared his uncle's dowsing for water using the bough of an apple branch with the sudden realization of what he wanted to do for a living. That inspiration occurred while browsing through an attic with his elder brother, when King uncovered a paperback version of an H. P. Lovecraft collection of short stories he remembers as ''The Lurker in the Shadows'', that had belonged to his father. King told Barnes & Noble Studios in a 2009 interview, "I knew that I'd found home when I read that book." King attended Durham Elementary School and graduated from
Lisbon Falls High School Lisbon Falls High School is an historic former school building at 4 Campus Avenue in Lisbon Falls, Maine. Built in 1904–05 to a design by William R. Miller, it is a significant local example of Romanesque Revival architecture. It served as t ...
in
Lisbon Falls, Maine Lisbon Falls is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Lisbon, located in Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population of Lisbon Falls was 4,100 at the 2010 census. It is included in both the Lewiston- Auburn, Maine, metropo ...
, in 1966. He displayed an early interest in horror as an avid reader of EC horror comics, including ''
Tales from the Crypt Tales from the Crypt may refer to: * ''Tales from the Crypt'' (album), by American rapper C-Bo * ''Tales from the Crypt'' (comics), published by EC Comics during the 1950s ** ''Tales from the Crypt'' (film), a 1972 Amicus film starring Ralph Ric ...
'', and he later paid tribute to the comics in his screenplay for ''
Creepshow ''Creepshow'' is a 1982 American horror comedy anthology film directed by George A. Romero and written by Stephen King, making this film his screenwriting debut. The film's ensemble cast includes Hal Holbrook, Adrienne Barbeau, Fritz Weaver ...
''. He began writing for fun while in school, contributing articles to ''Dave's Rag'', the newspaper his brother published with a mimeograph machine, and later began selling stories to his friends based on movies he had seen. (He was forced to return the profits when it was discovered by his teachers.) The first of his stories to be independently published was " I Was a Teenage Grave Robber", which was serialized over four issues (three published and one unpublished) of a
fanzine A fanzine (blend of '' fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''-zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) for the pleasure of others who share ...
, ''Comics Review'', in 1965. It was republished the following year in revised form, as "In a Half-World of Terror", in another fanzine, ''Stories of Suspense'', edited by Marv Wolfman. As a teen, King also won a Scholastic Art and Writing Award. King entered the
University of Maine The University of Maine (UMaine or UMO) is a public land-grant research university in Orono, Maine. It was established in 1865 as the land-grant college of Maine and is the flagship university of the University of Maine System. It is classifie ...
in 1966, and graduated in 1970 with a
Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...
in English. That year, his daughter Naomi Rachel was born. He wrote a column, ''Steve King's Garbage Truck'', for the student newspaper, ''
The Maine Campus ''The Maine Campus'' is a weekly newspaper produced by the students of the University of Maine in the United States. It covers university and Town of Orono, Maine, Orono events, and has four sections: News, Opinion, Culture and Sports. It serves t ...
'', and participated in a writing workshop organized by
Burton Hatlen Burton Norval Hatlen (April 9, 1936 – January 21, 2008) was an American literary scholar and professor at the University of Maine. Hatlen worked closely with Carroll F. Terrell, an Ezra Pound scholar and co-founder of the National Poetry Foun ...
. King held a variety of jobs to pay for his studies, including as a janitor, a gas-station attendant, and an industrial laundry worker. He met his wife, fellow student Tabitha Spruce, at the university's Fogler Library after one of Professor Hatlen's workshops; they wed in 1971.


Career


Beginnings

King sold his first professional short story, " The Glass Floor", to ''Startling Mystery Stories'' in 1967. After graduating from the
University of Maine The University of Maine (UMaine or UMO) is a public land-grant research university in Orono, Maine. It was established in 1865 as the land-grant college of Maine and is the flagship university of the University of Maine System. It is classifie ...
, King earned a certificate to teach high school but, unable to find a teaching post immediately, he supplemented his laboring wage by selling short stories to men's magazines such as ''
Cavalier The term Cavalier () was first used by Roundheads as a term of abuse for the wealthier royalist supporters of King Charles I and his son Charles II of England during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration (1642 – ). ...
''. Many of these early stories were republished in the collection '' Night Shift''. The short story " The Raft" was published in ''Adam'', a men's magazine. After being arrested for stealing traffic cones (he was annoyed after one of the cones knocked his muffler loose), he was fined $250 for petty larceny but had no money to pay. However, a check then arrived for "The Raft" (then titled "The Float"), and King cashed it to pay the fine. In 1971, King was hired as a teacher at Hampden Academy in
Hampden, Maine Hampden is a town on the Penobscot River estuary in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The population was 7,709 at the 2020 census. Hampden is part of the Bangor metropolitan statistical area. History The town was originally called Whe ...
. He continued to contribute short stories to magazines and worked on ideas for novels. During 1966–1970, he wrote a draft about his dystopian novel called ''
The Long Walk ''The Long Walk'' is a dystopian horror novel by American writer Stephen King, published in 1979, under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. It was collected in 1985 in the hardcover omnibus '' The Bachman Books'', and has seen several reprints ...
'' and the anti-war novel '' Sword in the Darkness'', but neither of the works was published at the time; only ''The Long Walk'' was later released in 1979.


''Carrie'' and aftermath

In 1973, King's novel, '' Carrie'', was accepted by publishing house, Doubleday. It was King's fourth novel, but the first to be published. He wrote it on his wife Tabitha's portable typewriter. It began as a short story intended for ''
Cavalier The term Cavalier () was first used by Roundheads as a term of abuse for the wealthier royalist supporters of King Charles I and his son Charles II of England during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration (1642 – ). ...
'' magazine, but King tossed the first three pages in the garbage can. Tabitha recovered the pages and encouraged him to finish the story, saying she would help him with the female perspective; he followed her advice and expanded it into a novel. He said: "I persisted because I was dry and had no better ideas… My considered opinion was that I had written the world's all-time loser." According to ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
'', ''Carrie'' "is the story of Carrie White, a high-school student with latent—and then, as the novel progresses, developing—telekinetic powers. It's brutal in places, affecting in others (Carrie's relationship with her almost hysterically religious mother being a particularly damaged one), and gory in even more." When ''Carrie'' was chosen for publication, King's phone was out of service. Doubleday editor William Thompson—who became King's close friend—sent a telegram to King's house in late March or early April 1973King (2000), p.83 which read: "Carrie Officially A Doubleday Book. $2,500 Advance Against Royalties. Congrats, Kid – The Future Lies Ahead, Bill." King said he bought a new Ford Pinto with the advance. On May 13, 1973, New American Library bought the paperback rights for $400,000, which—in accordance with King's contract with Doubleday—was split between them. ''Carrie'' set King's career in motion and became a significant novel in the horror genre. In 1976, it was made into a successful
horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, ap ...
. King's ''
'Salem's Lot ''Salem's Lot'' is a 1975 horror novel by American author Stephen King. It was his second published novel. The story involves a writer named Ben Mears who returns to the town of Jerusalem's Lot (or 'Salem's Lot for short) in Maine, where he li ...
'' was published in 1975. In a 1987 issue of ''The Highway Patrolman'' magazine, he said, "The story seems sort of down home to me. I have a special cold spot in my heart for it!" After his mother's death, King and his family moved to
Boulder, Colorado Boulder is a home rule city that is the county seat and most populous municipality of Boulder County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 108,250 at the 2020 United States census, making it the 12th most populous city in Colora ...
, where he wrote '' The Shining'' (published 1977). The family returned to Auburn, Maine in 1975, where he completed '' The Stand'' (published 1978). In 1977, the family, with the addition of Owen Philip, his third and youngest child, traveled briefly to England. They returned to Maine that fall, where King began teaching creative writing at the University of Maine. In 1982, King published ''Different Seasons'', a collection of four novellas with a more serious dramatic bent than the horror fiction for which he is famous. It is notable for having three of its four novellas turned into Hollywood films: '' Stand by Me'' (1986) was adapted from '' The Body''; '' The Shawshank Redemption'' (1994) was adapted from ''
Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption ''Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption'' is a novella by Stephen King from his 1982 collection ''Different Seasons'', subtitled ''Hope Springs Eternal''. The novella has also been published as a standalone short book. The story is entirely to ...
''; and '' Apt Pupil'' (1998) was adapted from the novella of the same name. In 1985, King wrote his first work for the comic book medium, writing a few pages of the benefit
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in ...
comic book '' Heroes for Hope Starring the X-Men''. The book, whose profits were donated to
famine A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including war, natural disasters, crop failure, population imbalance, widespread poverty, an economic catastrophe or government policies. This phenomenon is usually accompan ...
relief in Africa, was written by a number of different authors in the comic book field, such as Chris Claremont,
Stan Lee Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Publications which ...
, and Alan Moore, as well as authors not primarily associated with comics, such as
Harlan Ellison Harlan Jay Ellison (May 27, 1934 – June 28, 2018) was an American writer, known for his prolific and influential work in New Wave speculative fiction and for his outspoken, combative personality. Robert Bloch, the author of '' Psycho'' ...
. The following year, King published '' It'' (1986), which was the best-selling hardcover novel in the United States that year, and wrote the introduction to ''
Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. I ...
'' No. 400, an anniversary issue where he expressed his preference for the character over
Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book '' Action Comics'' #1 ( cover-dated June 1938 and pu ...
.


''The Dark Tower'' books

In the late 1970s, King began what became a series of interconnected stories about a lone gunslinger, Roland, who pursues the "Man in Black" in an alternate-reality universe that is a cross between J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth and the American Wild West as depicted by
Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the " Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "'' Do ...
and
Sergio Leone Sergio Leone (; 3 January 1929 – 30 April 1989) was an Italian film director, producer and screenwriter credited as the pioneer of the Spaghetti Western genre and widely regarded as one of the most influential directors in the history of cin ...
in their spaghetti Westerns. The first of these stories, '' The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger'', was initially published in five installments by ''
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'' (usually referred to as ''F&SF'') is a U.S. fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House, a subsidiary of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Press. Editors Anthony Boucher ...
'' under the editorship of
Edward L. Ferman Edward Lewis Ferman (born March 6, 1937) is an American science fiction and fantasy editor and magazine publisher, known best as the editor of ''The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction'' (F&SF). Ferman is the son of Joseph W. Ferman, the publ ...
, from 1977 to 1981. ''The Gunslinger'' was continued as an eight-book epic series called '' The Dark Tower'', whose books King wrote and published infrequently over four decades (1978-2012).


Pseudonyms

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, King published a handful of short novels—'' Rage'' (1977), ''
The Long Walk ''The Long Walk'' is a dystopian horror novel by American writer Stephen King, published in 1979, under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. It was collected in 1985 in the hardcover omnibus '' The Bachman Books'', and has seen several reprints ...
'' (1979), '' Roadwork'' (1981), '' The Running Man'' (1982) and '' Thinner'' (1984)—under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. The idea behind this was to test whether he could replicate his success again and to allay his fears that his popularity was an accident. An alternate explanation was that publishing standards at the time allowed only a single book a year. He picked up the name from the hard rock band Bachman-Turner Overdrive, of which he is a fan. Richard Bachman was exposed as King's pseudonym by a persistent Washington, D.C. bookstore clerk, Steve Brown, who noticed similarities between the works and later located publisher's records at the
Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The libra ...
that named King as the author of one of Bachman's novels. This led to a press release heralding Bachman's "death"—supposedly from "cancer of the pseudonym". King dedicated his 1989 book '' The Dark Half'', about a pseudonym turning on a writer, to "the deceased Richard Bachman", and in 1996, when the Stephen King novel '' Desperation'' was released, the companion novel '' The Regulators'' carried the "Bachman" byline. In 2006, during a press conference in London, King declared that he had discovered another Bachman novel, titled '' Blaze''. It was published on June 12, 2007. In fact, the original manuscript had been held at King's Alma mater, the University of Maine in Orono, for many years and had been covered by numerous King experts. King rewrote the original 1973 manuscript for its publication. King has used other pseudonyms. The short story " The Fifth Quarter" was published under the pseudonym John Swithen (the name of a character in the novel '' Carrie''), by ''
Cavalier The term Cavalier () was first used by Roundheads as a term of abuse for the wealthier royalist supporters of King Charles I and his son Charles II of England during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration (1642 – ). ...
'' in April 1972. The story was reprinted in King's collection '' Nightmares & Dreamscapes'' in 1993 under his own name. In the introduction to the Bachman novel '' Blaze'', King claims, with tongue-in-cheek, that "Bachman" was the person using the Swithen pseudonym. The "children's book" '' Charlie the Choo-Choo: From the World of The Dark Tower'' was published in 2016 under the pseudonym Beryl Evans, who was portrayed by actress Allison Davies during a book signing at
San Diego Comic-Con San Diego Comic-Con International is a comic book convention and nonprofit multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California since 1970. The name, as given on its website, is Comic-Con International: San Diego; but it is ...
, and illustrated by Ned Dameron. It is adapted from a fictional book central to the plot of King's previous novel '' The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands''.


Digital era

In 2000, King published
online In computer technology and telecommunications, online indicates a state of connectivity and offline indicates a disconnected state. In modern terminology, this usually refers to an Internet connection, but (especially when expressed "on line" ...
a serialized horror novel, '' The Plant''. At first the public assumed that King had abandoned the project because sales were unsuccessful, but King later stated that he had simply run out of stories. The unfinished epistolary novel is still available from King's official site, now free. Also in 2000, he wrote a digital novella, ''
Riding the Bullet ''Riding the Bullet'' is a horror novella by American writer Stephen King. It marked King's debut on the Internet. Simon & Schuster, with technology by SoftLock, first published ''Riding the Bullet'' in 2000 as the world's first mass-market e-bo ...
'', and saying he foresaw
e-book An ebook (short for electronic book), also known as an e-book or eBook, is a book publication made available in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, readable on the flat-panel display of computers or other electronic devices. A ...
s becoming 50% of the market "probably by 2013 and maybe by 2012". However, he also stated: "Here's the thing—people tire of the new toys quickly." King wrote the first draft of the 2001 novel '' Dreamcatcher'' with a notebook and a Waterman
fountain pen A fountain pen is a writing instrument which uses a metal nib (pen), nib to apply a Fountain pen ink, water-based ink to paper. It is distinguished from earlier dip pens by using an internal reservoir to hold ink, eliminating the need to repeat ...
, which he called "the world's finest word processor". In August 2003, King began writing a column on pop culture appearing in ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular ...
'', usually every third week. The column was called ''The Pop of King'' (a play on the nickname "The King of Pop" commonly attributed to
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the " King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over ...
). In 2006, King published an apocalyptic novel, '' Cell''. The book features a sudden force in which every cell phone user turns into a mindless killer. King noted in the book's introduction that he does not use cell phones. In 2008, King published both a novel, ''
Duma Key ''Duma Key'' is a novel by American writer Stephen King published on January 22, 2008, by Scribner. The book reached No. 1 on the New York Times Best Seller List. It is King's first novel to be set in Florida, as well as the first to be set in Mi ...
'', and a collection, ''
Just After Sunset ''Just After Sunset'' is the fifth collection of short stories by Stephen King. It was released in hardcover by Scribner on November 11, 2008, and features a holographic dust jacket. On February 6, 2008, the author's official website revealed th ...
''. The latter featured 13 short stories, including a previously unpublished novella, '' N.'' Starting July 28, 2008, ''N.'' was released as a serialized animated series to lead up to the release of ''Just After Sunset.'' In 2009, King published '' Ur'', a novella written exclusively for the launch of the second-generation
Amazon Kindle Amazon Kindle is a series of e-readers designed and marketed by Amazon. Amazon Kindle devices enable users to browse, buy, download, and read e-books, newspapers, magazines and other digital media via wireless networking to the Kindle Store. ...
and available only on Amazon.com, and '' Throttle'', a novella co-written with his son Joe Hill and released later as an audiobook titled ''
Road Rage Road rage is aggressive or angry behavior exhibited by motorists. These behaviors include rude and verbal insults, yelling, physical threats or dangerous driving methods targeted at other drivers, pedestrians or cyclists in an effort to intimid ...
'', which included Richard Matheson's short story "
Duel A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people, with matched weapons, in accordance with agreed-upon rules. During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the rapier and ...
". King's novel '' Under the Dome'' was published on November 10 of that year; it is a reworking of an unfinished novel he tried writing twice in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and at 1,074 pages, it is the largest novel he has written since '' It'' (1986). ''Under the Dome'' debuted at No. 1 in ''The New York Times'' Bestseller List. On February 16, 2010, King announced on his Web site that his next book would be a collection of four previously unpublished novellas called ''
Full Dark, No Stars ''Full Dark, No Stars'', published in November 2010, is a collection of four novellas by American author Stephen King, all dealing with the theme of retribution. One of the novellas, ''1922'', is set in Hemingford Home, Nebraska, which is the h ...
''. In April of that year, King published '' Blockade Billy'', an original novella issued first by independent small press Cemetery Dance Publications and later released in mass-market paperback by
Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest publi ...
. The following month,
DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. ( doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with the ...
premiered ''
American Vampire ''American Vampire'' is an American comic book series created by writer Scott Snyder and drawn by artist Rafael Albuquerque. It was published by DC Comics under its Vertigo imprint. ''American Vampire'' continued under the newly-created DC Blac ...
'', a monthly comic book series written by King with short-story writer Scott Snyder, and illustrated by Rafael Albuquerque, which represents King's first original comics work. King wrote the background history of the very first American vampire, Skinner Sweet, in the first five-issues story arc. Scott Snyder wrote the story of Pearl. King's next novel, '' 11/22/63'', was published November 8, 2011, and was nominated for the 2012 World Fantasy Award Best Novel. The eighth '' Dark Tower'' volume, '' The Wind Through the Keyhole'', was published in 2012. King's next book was '' Joyland'', a novel about "an amusement-park serial killer", according to an article in ''
The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...
'', published on April 8, 2012. During his Chancellor's Speaker Series talk at University of Massachusetts Lowell on December 7, 2012, King indicated that he was writing a crime novel about a retired policeman being taunted by a murderer. With a working title ''
Mr. Mercedes ''Mr. Mercedes'' is a novel by American writer Stephen King. He calls it his first hard-boiled detective book. It was published on June 3, 2014. It is the first volume in a trilogy, followed in 2015 by '' Finders Keepers'', the first draft of wh ...
'' and inspired by a true event about a woman driving her car into a McDonald's restaurant, it was originally meant to be a short story just a few pages long. In an interview with '' Parade'', published on May 26, 2013, King confirmed that the novel was "more or less" completed he published it in June 2014. Later, on June 20, 2013, while doing a video chat with fans as part of promoting the upcoming '' Under the Dome'' TV series, King mentioned he was halfway through writing his next novel, '' Revival'', which was released November 11, 2014. King announced in June 2014 that ''Mr. Mercedes'' is part of a trilogy; the second book, '' Finders Keepers'', was released on June 2, 2015. On April 22, 2015, it was revealed that King was working on the third book of the trilogy, '' End of Watch'', which was ultimately released on June 7, 2016. During a tour to promote ''End of Watch'', King revealed that he had collaborated on a novel, set in a women's prison in West Virginia, with his son, Owen King, titled '' Sleeping Beauties''. In 2018, he released the novel '' The Outsider'', which featured the character of
Holly Gibney Holly Gibney is a fictional character created by American author Stephen King. Originally appearing in the Bill Hodges trilogy of novels ('' Mr. Mercedes'', '' Finders Keepers'' and ''End of Watch''), she later appears as a major supporting charac ...
, and the novella ''
Elevation The elevation of a geographic location is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface (see Geodetic datum § ...
''. In 2019, he released the novel '' The Institute''. In 2020, King released ''
If It Bleeds ''If It Bleeds'' is a collection of four previously unpublished novellas by American writer Stephen King. The stories in the collection are titled "Mr. Harrigan's Phone", "The Life of Chuck", "If It Bleeds", and "Rat". It was released on April 28 ...
'', a collection of four previously unpublished novellas. In 2022, King released his latest novel, ''
Fairy Tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic, enchantments, and mythical or fanciful beings. In most cult ...
''.


Collaborations


Writings

King has written two novels with horror novelist
Peter Straub Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...
: ''
The Talisman A talisman is an object which is purported to possess certain magical properties. Talisman may also refer to: Art and entertainment Fictional characters * Talisman (comics), a superhero from Marvel Comics who was a member of Alpha Flight * Tali ...
'' (1984) and a sequel, '' Black House'' (2001). King has indicated that he and Straub would likely write the third and concluding book in this series, the tale of Jack Sawyer, but after Straub passed away in 2022 the future of the series is in doubt. King produced an artist's book with designer Barbara Kruger, ''
My Pretty Pony "My Pretty Pony" is a short story written by Stephen King and illustrated by the artist Barbara Kruger. It was the sixth publication in the Whitney Museum of American Art artist and writer series. An original limited coffee table book edition o ...
'' (1989), published in a limited edition of 250 by the Library Fellows of the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Alfred A. Knopf Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. () is an American publishing house that was founded by Alfred A. Knopf Sr. and Blanche Knopf in 1915. Blanche and Alfred traveled abroad regularly and were known for publishing European, Asian, and Latin American writers i ...
released it in a general trade edition. '' The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer: My Life at Rose Red'' (2001) was a paperback tie-in for the King-penned miniseries '' Rose Red'' (2002). Published under anonymous authorship, the book was written by Ridley Pearson. The novel is written in the form of a diary by Ellen Rimbauer, and annotated by the fictional professor of paranormal activity, Joyce Reardon. The novel also presents a fictional afterword by Ellen Rimbauer's grandson, Steven. Intended to be a promotional item rather than a stand-alone work, its popularity spawned a 2003 prequel television miniseries to ''Rose Red'', titled '' The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer''. This spin-off is a rare occasion of another author being granted permission to write commercial work using characters and story elements invented by King. The novel tie-in idea was repeated on Stephen King's next project, the miniseries '' Kingdom Hospital''.
Richard Dooling Richard Patrick Dooling (born 1954) is an American novelist and screenwriter. He is best known for his novel ''White Man's Grave'', a finalist for the 1994 National Book Award for Fiction, and for co-producing and co-writing the 2004 ABC miniseri ...
, King's collaborator on ''Kingdom Hospital'' and writer of several episodes in the miniseries, published a fictional diary, ''The Journals of Eleanor Druse'', in 2004. Eleanor Druse is a key character in ''Kingdom Hospital'', much as Dr. Joyce Readon and Ellen Rimbauer are key characters in ''Rose Red.'' '' Throttle'' (2009), a novella written in collaboration with his son Joe Hill, appears in the anthology ''He Is Legend: Celebrating Richard Matheson''. Their second novella collaboration, '' In the Tall Grass'' (2012), was published in two parts in ''
Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentlema ...
''. It was later released in
e-book An ebook (short for electronic book), also known as an e-book or eBook, is a book publication made available in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, readable on the flat-panel display of computers or other electronic devices. A ...
and audiobook formats, the latter read by Stephen Lang. King and his son Owen King wrote the novel '' Sleeping Beauties'', released in 2017, that is set in a women's prison. King and
Richard Chizmar Richard Thomas Chizmar (born 1965) is an American writer, the publisher and editor of '' Cemetery Dance'' magazine, and the owner of Cemetery Dance Publications. He also edits anthologies, produces films, writes screenplays, and teaches writing ...
collaborated to write
Gwendy's Button Box ''Gwendy's Button Box'' is a horror novella by American writers Stephen King and Richard Chizmar. It was announced by ''Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainme ...
(2017), a horror novella taking place in King's fictional town of Castle Rock. A sequel titled ''Gwendy's Magic Feather'' (2019) was written solely by Chizmar. In November 2020, Chizmar announced that he and King were writing a third installment in the series titled ''Gwendy's Final Task'', this time as a full-length novel, to be released in February 2022.


Music

In 1988, the band Blue Öyster Cult recorded an updated version of its 1974 song "Astronomy". The single released for radio play featured a narrative intro spoken by King. The Blue Öyster Cult song " (Don't Fear) The Reaper" was also used in the King TV series '' The Stand''. King collaborated with
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the " King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over ...
to create ''
Ghosts A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to re ...
'' (1996), a 40-minute musical video. King states he was motivated to collaborate as he is "always interested in trying something new, and for (him), writing a minimusical would be new". In 2005, King featured with a small spoken word part during the
cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song relea ...
of ''
Everlong "Everlong" is a song by American rock group Foo Fighters. It was released in August 1997 as the second single from their second studio album, ''The Colour and the Shape'' (1997). The song reached number three on the US ''Billboard'' Alternative ...
'' (by Foo Fighters) in Bronson Arroyo's album ''
Covering the Bases ''Covering the Bases'' is the debut album by Major League Baseball pitcher Bronson Arroyo. It was released in 2005 following the Boston Red Sox 2004 World Series Championship, which Arroyo was a part of. The album features cover versions of twel ...
'', at the time, Arroyo was a
pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or dr ...
for
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...
team
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
of whom King is a longtime fan. In 2012, King collaborated with musician Shooter Jennings and his band Hierophant, providing the narration for their album, '' Black Ribbons''. King played guitar for the rock band
Rock Bottom Remainders The Rock Bottom Remainders, also known as the Remainders, was an American rock charity supergroup, consisting of published writers, most of them both amateur musicians and popular English-language book, magazine, and newspaper authors. The band ...
, several of whose members are authors. Other members include Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson,
Scott Turow Scott Frederick Turow (born April 12, 1949) is an American author and lawyer. Turow has written 13 fiction and three nonfiction books, which have been translated into more than 40 languages and sold more than 30 million copies. Turow’s novel ...
, Amy Tan, James McBride, Mitch Albom,
Roy Blount, Jr. Roy Alton Blount Jr. (; born October 4, 1941) is an American writer, speaker, reporter, and humorist. Life and career Blount was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, and grew up in Decatur, Georgia. He attended Ponce de Leon Elementary School and gr ...
, Matt Groening, Kathi Kamen Goldmark,
Sam Barry Justin McCarthy "Sam" Barry (December 17, 1892 – September 23, 1950) was an American collegiate coach who achieved significant accomplishments in three major sports - football, baseball, and basketball. He remains one of only three coaches to ...
, and Greg Iles. King and the other band members collaborated to release an e-book called ''Hard Listening: The Greatest Rock Band Ever (of Authors) Tells All'' (June 2013). King wrote a musical entitled '' Ghost Brothers of Darkland County'' (2012) with musician
John Mellencamp John J. Mellencamp (born October 7, 1951), previously known as Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his catchy brand of heartland rock, which emphasizes traditional instrumen ...
.


Analysis


Writing style and approach

King's formula for learning to write well is: "Read and write four to six hours a day. If you cannot find the time for that, you can't expect to become a good writer." He sets out each day with a quota of 2000 words and will not stop writing until it is met. He also has a simple definition for talent in writing: "If you wrote something for which someone sent you a check, if you cashed the check and it didn't bounce, and if you then paid the light bill with the money, I consider you talented." When asked why he writes, King responds: "The answer to that is fairly simple—there was nothing else I was made to do. I was made to write stories and I love to write stories. That's why I do it. I really can't imagine doing anything else and I can't imagine not doing what I do." He is also often asked why he writes such terrifying stories and he answers with another question: "Why do you assume I have a choice?" King usually begins the story creation process by imagining a "what if" scenario, such as what would happen if a writer is kidnapped by a sadistic nurse in Colorado.Jenna Blum, 2013, ''The Modern Scholar'' published by Recorded Books, ''The Author at Work: The Art of Writing Fiction'', Disk 1, Track 11, King often uses authors as characters, or includes mention of fictional books in his stories, novellas and novels, such as Paul Sheldon, who is the main character in '' Misery'', adult
Bill Denbrough William "Bill" Denbrough is a fictional character created by Stephen King and the main protagonist of his 1986 novel '' It''. The character is considered to be the leader of "The Losers Club" and initiates finding and killing Pennywise the Dancing ...
in '' It'', Ben Mears in ''
'Salem's Lot ''Salem's Lot'' is a 1975 horror novel by American author Stephen King. It was his second published novel. The story involves a writer named Ben Mears who returns to the town of Jerusalem's Lot (or 'Salem's Lot for short) in Maine, where he li ...
'', and Jack Torrance in '' The Shining''. He has extended this to breaking the
fourth wall The fourth wall is a performance convention in which an invisible, imaginary wall separates actors from the audience. While the audience can see through this ''wall'', the convention assumes the actors act as if they cannot. From the 16th cen ...
by including ''himself'' as a character in ''The Dark Tower'' series from '' The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla'' onwards. In September 2009 it was announced he would serve as a writer for ''
Fangoria ''Fangoria'' is an internationally distributed American horror film fan magazine, in publication since 1979. It is published four times a year by Fangoria Publishing, LLC and is edited by Phil Nobile Jr. The magazine was originally released ...
''.


Influences

King has called Richard Matheson "the author who influenced me most as a writer". In a current edition of Matheson's ''
The Shrinking Man ''The Shrinking Man'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Richard Matheson, published in 1956. It has been adapted into a motion picture twice, called ''The Incredible Shrinking Man'' in 1957 and ''The Incredible Shrinking Woman'' in 19 ...
'', King is quoted as saying, "A horror story if there ever was one...a great adventure story—it is certainly one of that select handful that I have given to people, envying them the experience of the first reading." Other acknowledged influences include H. P. Lovecraft, Arthur Machen,King, Stephen,
Self-Interview
", 10:50 am, September 4, 2008. StephenKing.com. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
Ray Bradbury Ray Douglas Bradbury (; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of modes, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, and ...
,
Joseph Payne Brennan Joseph Payne Brennan (December 20, 1918 – January 28, 1990) was an American writer of fantasy and horror fiction, and also a poet. Of Irish ancestry, he was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and he lived most of his life in New Haven, Connecti ...
,
Elmore Leonard Elmore John Leonard Jr. (October 11, 1925August 20, 2013) was an American novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter. His earliest novels, published in the 1950s, were Westerns, but he went on to specialize in crime fiction and suspense th ...
,
John D. MacDonald John Dann MacDonald (July 24, 1916December 28, 1986) was an American writer of novels and short stories. He is known for his thrillers. MacDonald was a prolific author of crime and suspense novels, many set in his adopted home of Florida. On ...
, and Don Robertson. King's ''The Shining'' is immersed in
gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
influences, including "
The Masque of the Red Death "The Masque of the Red Death" (originally published as "The Mask of the Red Death: A Fantasy") is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1842. The story follows Prince Prospero's attempts to avoid a dangerous plag ...
" by
Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wid ...
(which was directly influenced by the first gothic novel,
Horace Walpole Horatio Walpole (), 4th Earl of Orford (24 September 1717 – 2 March 1797), better known as Horace Walpole, was an English writer, art historian, man of letters, antiquarian, and Whig politician. He had Strawberry Hill House built in Twi ...
's '' The Castle of Otranto''). The Overlook Hotel acts as a replacement for the traditional gothic castle, and Jack Torrance is a tragic villain seeking redemption."The Castle of Otranto: The creepy tale that launched gothic fiction"
.
BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadc ...
. Retrieved October 11, 2017
King's favorite books are (in order): '' The Golden Argosy''; ''
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn ''Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' or as it is known in more recent editions, ''The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'', is a novel by American author Mark Twain, which was first published in the United Kingdom in December 1884 and in the United S ...
''; '' The Satanic Verses''; ''
McTeague ''McTeague: A Story of San Francisco'', otherwise known as simply ''McTeague'', is a novel by Frank Norris, first published in 1899. It tells the story of a couple's courtship and marriage, and their subsequent descent into poverty and violence ...
''; '' Lord of the Flies''; '' Bleak House''; '' Nineteen Eighty-Four''; ''
The Raj Quartet ''The Raj Quartet'' is a four-volume novel sequence, written by Paul Scott, about the concluding years of the British Raj in India. The series was written during the period 1965–75. ''The Times'' called it "one of the most important la ...
''; ''
Light in August ''Light in August'' is a 1932 novel by the Southern American author William Faulkner. It belongs to the Southern gothic and modernist literary genres. Set in the author's present day, the interwar period, the novel centers on two strangers, a ...
''; and '' Blood Meridian''.


Critical response

Science fiction editors
John Clute John Frederick Clute (born 12 September 1940) is a Canadian-born author and critic specializing in science fiction and fantasy literature who has lived in both England and the United States since 1969. He has been described as "an integral part ...
and Peter Nicholls offer a largely favorable appraisal of King, noting his "pungent prose, sharp ear for dialogue, disarmingly laid-back, frank style, along with his passionately fierce denunciation of human stupidity and cruelty (especially to children) ll of which rankhim among the more distinguished 'popular' writers." In his book ''The Philosophy of Horror'' (1990),
Noël Carroll Noël Carroll (born 1947) is an American philosopher considered to be one of the leading figures in contemporary philosophy of art. Although Carroll is best known for his work in the philosophy of film (he is a proponent of cognitive film theory ...
discusses King's work as an exemplar of modern horror fiction. Analyzing both the narrative structure of King's fiction and King's non-fiction ruminations on the art and craft of writing, Carroll writes that for King, "the horror story is always a contest between the normal and the abnormal such that the normal is reinstated and, therefore, affirmed." In his analysis of post–World War II horror fiction, ''The Modern Weird Tale'' (2001), critic
S. T. Joshi Sunand Tryambak Joshi (born June 22, 1958) is an American literary critic whose work has largely focused on weird and fantastic fiction, especially the life and work of H. P. Lovecraft and associated writers. Career His literary critici ...
devotes a chapter to King's work. Joshi argues that King's best-known works are his worst, describing them as mostly bloated, illogical, maudlin and prone to '' deus ex machina'' endings. Despite these criticisms, Joshi argues that since '' Gerald's Game'' (1993), King has been tempering the worst of his writing faults, producing books that are leaner, more believable and generally better written. In 1996, King won an O. Henry Award for his short story "
The Man in the Black Suit "The Man in the Black Suit" is a horror short story by American writer Stephen King. It was originally published in the October 31, 1994 issue of ''The New Yorker'' magazine. In 1995, it won the World Fantasy Award and the O. Henry Award for B ...
". In his short story collection ''A Century of Great Suspense Stories'', editor
Jeffery Deaver Jeffery Deaver (born May 6, 1950) is an American mystery and crime writer. He has a bachelor of journalism degree from the University of Missouri and a J.D. degree from Fordham University and originally started working as a journalist. He l ...
noted that King "singlehandedly made popular fiction grow up. While there were many good best-selling writers before him, King, more than anybody since John D. MacDonald, brought reality to genre novels. He has often remarked that ''
'Salem's Lot ''Salem's Lot'' is a 1975 horror novel by American author Stephen King. It was his second published novel. The story involves a writer named Ben Mears who returns to the town of Jerusalem's Lot (or 'Salem's Lot for short) in Maine, where he li ...
'' was "'' Peyton Place'' meets ''Dracula''. And so it was. The rich characterization, the careful and caring social eye, the interplay of story line and character development announced that writers could take worn themes such as vampirism and make them fresh again. Before King, many popular writers found their efforts to make their books serious blue-penciled by their editors. 'Stuff like that gets in the way of the story,' they were told. Well, it's stuff like that that has made King so popular, and helped free the popular name from the shackles of simple genre writing. He is a master of masters." In 2003, King was honored by the
National Book Award The National Book Awards are a set of annual U.S. literary awards. At the final National Book Awards Ceremony every November, the National Book Foundation presents the National Book Awards and two lifetime achievement awards to authors. The Nat ...
s with a lifetime achievement award, the Medal of Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. Some in the literary community expressed disapproval of the award:
Richard E. Snyder Richard Elliot “Dick” Snyder (born 1933) in Brooklyn, New York is an American publishing executive best known for his tenures at Simon & SchusterYardley, Jonathan (June 20, 1994). A Publishing Tycoon's Lasting Imprint. ''The Washington Post'' a ...
, the former CEO of
Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest publi ...
, described King's work as "non-literature" and critic Harold Bloom denounced the choice:
The decision to give the National Book Foundation's annual award for "distinguished contribution" to Stephen King is extraordinary, another low in the shocking process of dumbing down our cultural life. I've described King in the past as a writer of penny dreadfuls, but perhaps even that is too kind. He shares nothing with
Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wid ...
. What he is is an immensely inadequate writer on a sentence-by-sentence, paragraph-by-paragraph, book-by-book basis.
Orson Scott Card responded:
Let me assure you that King's work most definitely is literature, because it was written to be published and is read with admiration. What Snyder really means is that it is not the literature preferred by the academic-literary elite.
In 2008, King's book ''On Writing'' was ranked 21st on ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular ...
''s list of "The New Classics: The 100 Best Reads from 1983 to 2008".


Political views and activism

In 1984, King endorsed
Gary Hart Gary Warren Hart (''né'' Hartpence; born November 28, 1936) is an American politician, diplomat, and lawyer. He was the front-runner for the 1988 Democratic presidential nomination until he dropped out amid revelations of extramarital affairs. ...
's presidential campaign. In April 2008, King spoke out against HB 1423, a bill pending in the
Massachusetts state legislature The Massachusetts General Court (formally styled the General Court of Massachusetts) is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from the earliest days of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, ...
that would restrict or ban the sale of
violent video games Since their inception in the 1970s, video games have often been criticized by some for violent content. Politicians, parents, and other activists have claimed that violence in video games can be tied to violent behavior, particularly in children, ...
to anyone under the age of 18. King argued that such laws allow legislators to ignore the economic divide between the rich and poor and the easy availability of guns, which he believed were the actual causes of violence. During the 2008 presidential election, King voiced his support for Democratic candidate
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
. King was quoted as calling conservative commentator Glenn Beck "Satan's mentally challenged younger brother". On March 8, 2011, King spoke at a political rally in Sarasota aimed against Governor
Rick Scott Richard Lynn Scott ( Myers, born December 1, 1952) is an American politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, junior United States Senate, United States senator from Florida since 2019. A member of the Republican Party (U ...
(R-FL), voicing his opposition to the
Tea Party movement The Tea Party movement was an American fiscally conservative political movement within the Republican Party that began in 2009. Members of the movement called for lower taxes and for a reduction of the national debt and federal budget def ...
.Bershad, Jon
"Stephen King Speaks At Budget Cut Protest, Says Florida Governor Should Star In His Next Horror Novel"
, Mediaite, March 9, 2011
On April 30, 2012, King published an article in ''
The Daily Beast ''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. It was founded in 2008. It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief from 2018 to 2021. In a 20 ...
'' calling for rich Americans, including himself, to pay more taxes, citing it as "a practical necessity and moral imperative that those who have received much should be obligated to pay ... in the same proportion". On January 25, 2013, King published an essay titled " Guns" via Amazon.com's
Kindle single A Kindle single is a type of e-book which is published through Amazon's Kindle Store. It is specifically intended as a format for novella-length nonfiction literature or long-form journalism. The name "single" comes from musical singles which are ...
feature, which discusses the gun debate in the wake of the
Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting occurred on December 14, 2012, in Newtown, Connecticut, United States, when 20-year-old Adam Lanza shot and killed 26 people. Twenty of the victims were children between six and seven years old, and t ...
. King called for gun owners to support a ban on automatic and semi-automatic weapons, writing, "Autos and semi-autos are weapons of mass destruction...When lunatics want to make war on the unarmed and unprepared, these are the weapons they use." The essay became the fifth-bestselling non-fiction title for the Kindle. King has criticized
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
and Rep. Steve King, deeming them racists. In June 2018, King called for the release of the Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov, who was jailed in Russia. In the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries, King endorsed
Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth Ann Warren ( née Herring; born June 22, 1949) is an American politician and former law professor who is the senior United States senator from Massachusetts, serving since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party and regarded as ...
's campaign. Warren eventually suspended her campaign, and King later endorsed Joe Biden's campaign in the 2020 general election. In 2022, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, King expressed support for Ukraine. On his Twitter account, King posted a photo in an "I stand with Ukraine" t-shirt and later tweeted that he refuses to cooperate with Russian publishers. In July 2022, Stephen King appeared in a video call with the Russian pranksters Vovan and Lexus who played the role of Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In the call Stephen King said ""You can always find things about people to pull them down.
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
and Jefferson were slave owners — that doesn't mean they didn't do many good things to the United States of America. There are always people who have flaws, we are humans. On the whole, I think
Bandera Bandera - from a Spanish word meaning a ''flag'' - may refer to: Places * Bandera County, Texas ** Bandera, Texas, its county seat ** Bandera Creek, a river in Texas, with its source near Bandera Pass ** Bandera Pass, a mountain pass in Bandera C ...
is a great man, and you're a great man, and Viva Ukraine!" However, King later realized that he was pranked and apologized on Twitter, noting that he wasn't the only victim and "other victims who fell for these guys include J.K. Rowling, Prince Harry, and Justin Trudeau". King testified in an August 2022 in a case brought by the U.S.
Justice Department A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...
to block a $2.2 billion merger of
Penguin Random House Penguin Random House LLC is an Anglo-American multinational conglomerate publishing company formed on July 1, 2013, from the merger of Penguin Group and Random House. On April 2, 2020, Bertelsmann announced the completion of its purchase ...
and
Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest publi ...
(two of the "Big Five" book publishers). ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' credited King's high-profile testimony, which was against his own publisher, with helping to convince presiding judge Florence Y. Pan with ultimately blocking the merger.


Maine politics

King endorsed
Shenna Bellows Shenna Lee Bellows (born March 23, 1975) is an American politician and a non-profit executive director, best known for her work with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). She is the 50th Maine secretary of state. On December 2, 2020 the Mai ...
in the 2014 U.S. Senate election for the seat held by Republican Susan Collins. King publicly criticized Paul LePage during LePage's tenure as Governor of Maine, referring to him as one of The Three Stooges (with then- Florida Governor
Rick Scott Richard Lynn Scott ( Myers, born December 1, 1952) is an American politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, junior United States Senate, United States senator from Florida since 2019. A member of the Republican Party (U ...
and then- Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker being the other two). He was critical of LePage for incorrectly suggesting in a 2015 radio address that King avoided paying Maine income taxes by living out of state for part of the year. The statement was later corrected by the Governor's office, but no apology was issued. King said LePage was "full of the stuff that makes the grass grow green" and demanded that LePage "man up and apologize". LePage declined to apologize to King, stating, "I never said Stephen King did not pay income taxes. What I said was, Stephen King's not in Maine right now. That's what I said." The attention garnered by the LePage criticism led to efforts to encourage King to run for Governor of Maine in
2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
. King said he would not run or serve. King sent a tweet on June 30, 2015, calling LePage "a terrible embarrassment to the state I live in and love. If he won't govern, he should resign." He later clarified that he was not calling on LePage to resign, but to "go to work or go back home". On August 27, 2016, King called LePage "a bigot, a homophobe, and a racist".


Philanthropy

King has stated that he donates approximately $4 million per year "to libraries, local fire departments that need updated lifesaving equipment (
Jaws of Life Hydraulic rescue tools, also known as jaws of life, are used by emergency rescue personnel to assist in the extrication of victims involved in vehicle accidents, as well as other rescues in small spaces. These tools include cutters, spreaders, ...
tools are always a popular request), schools, and a scattering of organisations that underwrite the arts." The Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation, chaired by King and his wife, ranks sixth among Maine charities in terms of average annual giving, with over $2.8 million in grants per year, according to The Grantsmanship Center. In November 2011, the STK Foundation donated $70,000 in matched funding via his radio station to help pay the heating bills for families in need in his home town of Bangor, Maine, during the winter. In February 2021, King's Foundation donated $6,500 to help children from the Farwell Elementary School in
Lewiston, Maine Lewiston (; ; officially the City of Lewiston, Maine) is List of cities in Maine, the second largest city in Maine and the most central city in Androscoggin County, Maine, Androscoggin County. The city lies halfway between Augusta, Maine, August ...
, to publish two novels on which they had been working over the course of several prior years, before being stopped due to the
COVID-19 pandemic in Maine The COVID-19 pandemic was publicly reported to have reached the U.S. state of Maine on March 12, 2020. , the Maine Department of Health and Human Services reported 131,530 confirmed cases and 46,971 probable cases in the state, with 1,777 deat ...
.


Personal life

King married Tabitha Spruce on January 2, 1971. She too is a novelist and philanthropic activist. They own and divide their time between three houses: one in Bangor, Maine, one in Lovell, Maine, and for the winter a waterfront mansion located off the
Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United ...
in
Sarasota, Florida Sarasota () is a city in Sarasota County, Florida, Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The c ...
. King's home in Bangor has been described as an unofficial tourist attraction, and , the couple plan to convert it into a facility housing his archives, as well as a writers' retreat. The Kings have three children—a daughter and two sons. Their daughter Naomi is a
Unitarian Universalist Church Unitarian or Unitarianism may refer to: Christian and Christian-derived theologies A Unitarian is a follower of, or a member of an organisation that follows, any of several theologies referred to as Unitarianism: * Unitarianism (1565–present) ...
minister in
Plantation, Florida Plantation is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 91,750. It is a principal city of the Miami metropolitan area. The city's name comes from the previous part-owner of the land, the ...
, with her partner, Rev. Dr. Thandeka. Both of the Kings' sons are authors: Owen King published his first collection of stories, ''We're All in This Together: A Novella and Stories'', in 2005. Joseph Hillström King, who writes as Joe Hill, published his first collection of short stories, '' 20th Century Ghosts'', in 2005. King has a history of abusing alcohol and other drugs. He wrote of his struggles with addiction in ''On Writing.'' Soon after ''Carrie''s release in 1974, King's mother died of uterine cancer; King has written of his severe drinking problem at this time, stating that he was drunk while delivering the eulogy at his mother's funeral. King's substance addictions were so serious during the 1980s that, as he acknowledged in ''On Writing'' in 2000, he can barely remember writing '' Cujo''. Shortly after ''Cujo'''s publication, King's family and friends staged an intervention, dumping in front of him evidence of his addictions taken from his office, including beer cans, cigarette butts, grams of
cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Am ...
, Xanax, Valium, NyQuil,
Robitussin Cold medicines are a group of medications taken individually or in combination as a treatment for the symptoms of the common cold and similar conditions of the upper respiratory tract. The term encompasses a broad array of drugs, including ...
, and mouthwash. As King related in ''On Writing'', he then sought help, and became sober in the late 1980s. The first novel he wrote after becoming sober was '' Needful Things''. King told ''
Bon Appétit ''Bon Appétit'' is a monthly American food and entertaining magazine, that typically contains recipes, entertaining ideas, restaurant recommendations, and wine reviews. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered at the One World Trade Center i ...
'' magazine in 2013 that he married Tabitha "because of the fish that she cooked for me." He said his favorite foods are baked salmon and cheesecake. A recipe from King, Lunchtime Gloop, is included in the 2020 cookbook ''Maine Bicentennial Community Cookbook''. The Rachael Ray magazine printed the recipe as made with "greasy hamburger" and canned spaghetti. King and his wife Tabitha own Zone Radio Corp, a radio station group consisting of WZON/620 AM, WKIT/100.3 &
WZLO WZLO (103.1 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station broadcasting an adult album alternative format. Licensed to Dover-Foxcroft, Maine, the station serves the Bangor area. It is also broadcast on 98.3 in Bangor using an FM translator. The studi ...
/103.1. In sports, King is a longtime fan of
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...
team
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
. His nonfiction book '' Faithful'' published in 2004, co-written with his friend and fellow author
Stewart O'Nan Stewart O'Nan (born February 4, 1961) is an American novelist. Life and work Background Born on February 4, 1961, to John Lee O'Nan II and Mary Ann O'Nan (''née'' Smith), he and his brother John were raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where t ...
, chronicles the exchanges between King and O'Nan (also a longtime fan of the Red Sox) about the historic 2004 Boston Red Sox season that culminated with the Red Sox winning the 2004 World Series, ending an 86-year championship drought.


Car accident and aftermath

On June 19, 1999, at about 4:30 p.m., King was walking on the shoulder of
Maine State Route 5 State Route 5 (abbreviated SR 5) is a state highway in Maine that runs from an intersection with State Route 9 in Old Orchard Beach, to an intersection with State Route 120 in Andover. Route description From its southern terminus near the Pi ...
, in Lovell, Maine. Driver Bryan Edwin Smith, distracted by an unrestrained dog moving in the back of his minivan, struck King, who landed in a depression in the ground about 14 feet (four meters) from the pavement of Route 5. Early reports at the time from Oxford County Sheriff deputy Matt Baker claimed King was hit from behind, and some witnesses said the driver was not speeding, reckless, or drinking. However, Smith was later arrested and charged with driving to endanger and aggravated assault. He pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of driving to endanger and was sentenced to six months in county jail (suspended), and had his driving license suspended for a year. In his book ''On Writing'', King states he was heading north, walking against the traffic. Shortly before the accident took place, a woman in a car, also northbound, passed King first and then the light-blue Dodge van. The van was looping from one side of the road to the other, and the woman told her passenger she hoped "that guy in the van doesn't hit him." King was conscious enough to give the deputy phone numbers to contact his family but was in considerable pain. He was transported to Northern Cumberland Hospital in Bridgton and then flown by air ambulance to Central Maine Medical Center (CMMC) in Lewiston. His injuries—a collapsed right lung, multiple fractures of his right leg, scalp laceration and a broken hip—kept him at CMMC until July 9. His leg bones were so shattered that doctors initially considered amputating his leg but stabilized the bones in the leg with an
external fixator External fixation is a surgical treatment wherein rods are screwed into bone and exit the body to be attached to a stabilizing structure on the outside of the body. It is an alternative to internal fixation, where the components used to provide ...
. After five operations in 10 days and
physical therapy Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is one of the allied health professions. It is provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through physical examination, diagnosis, management, prognosis, pat ...
, King resumed work on ''On Writing'' in July, though his hip was still shattered and he could sit for only about 40 minutes before the pain became unbearable. King's lawyer and two others purchased Smith's van for $1,500, reportedly to prevent it from appearing on
eBay eBay Inc. ( ) is an American multinational e-commerce company based in San Jose, California, that facilitates consumer-to-consumer and business-to-consumer sales through its website. eBay was founded by Pierre Omidyar in 1995 and became ...
. The van was later crushed at a junkyard, to King's disappointment, as he had fantasized about smashing it.


Awards

*
Alex Awards The Alex Awards annually recognize "ten books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults ages 12 through 18". Essentially, the award is a listing by the American Library Association parallel to its annual Best Books for Young A ...
2009: ''
Just After Sunset ''Just After Sunset'' is the fifth collection of short stories by Stephen King. It was released in hardcover by Scribner on November 11, 2008, and features a holographic dust jacket. On February 6, 2008, the author's official website revealed th ...
'' *
American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members ...
Best Books for Young Adults ** 1978: ''
'Salem's Lot ''Salem's Lot'' is a 1975 horror novel by American author Stephen King. It was his second published novel. The story involves a writer named Ben Mears who returns to the town of Jerusalem's Lot (or 'Salem's Lot for short) in Maine, where he li ...
'' ** 1981: '' Firestarter'' * Balrog Awards 1980: '' Night Shift'' * Black Quill Awards 2009: ''
Duma Key ''Duma Key'' is a novel by American writer Stephen King published on January 22, 2008, by Scribner. The book reached No. 1 on the New York Times Best Seller List. It is King's first novel to be set in Florida, as well as the first to be set in Mi ...
'' * Bram Stoker Award ** 1987: '' Misery''Bram Stoker Awards
, Horror Writer's Association. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
** 1990: '' Four Past Midnight'' ** 1995: " Lunch at the Gotham Café" ** 1996: '' The Green Mile'' ** 1998: ''
Bag of Bones ''Bag of Bones'' is a 1998 horror novel by American writer Stephen King. It focuses on an author who suffers severe writer's block and delusions at an isolated lake house four years after the death of his wife. It won the 1999 Bram Stoker Award ...
'' ** 2000: ''On Writing'' ** 2000: "
Riding the Bullet ''Riding the Bullet'' is a horror novella by American writer Stephen King. It marked King's debut on the Internet. Simon & Schuster, with technology by SoftLock, first published ''Riding the Bullet'' in 2000 as the world's first mass-market e-bo ...
" ** 2002: Lifetime Achievement Award ** 2003: '' The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla'' ** 2006: ''
Lisey's Story ''Lisey's Story'' is a novel by American writer Stephen King that combines elements of psychological horror and romance. The novel was released on October 24, 2006. It won the 2006 Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel, and was nominated for the Worl ...
'' ** 2008: ''
Duma Key ''Duma Key'' is a novel by American writer Stephen King published on January 22, 2008, by Scribner. The book reached No. 1 on the New York Times Best Seller List. It is King's first novel to be set in Florida, as well as the first to be set in Mi ...
'' ** 2008: ''
Just After Sunset ''Just After Sunset'' is the fifth collection of short stories by Stephen King. It was released in hardcover by Scribner on November 11, 2008, and features a holographic dust jacket. On February 6, 2008, the author's official website revealed th ...
'' ** 2010: ''
Full Dark, No Stars ''Full Dark, No Stars'', published in November 2010, is a collection of four novellas by American author Stephen King, all dealing with the theme of retribution. One of the novellas, ''1922'', is set in Hemingford Home, Nebraska, which is the h ...
'' ** 2011: " Herman Wouk Is Still Alive" ** 2013: '' Doctor Sleep'' * British Fantasy Award ** 1981: Special AwardBritish Fantasy Society Awards
, Fantastic Fiction. Retrieved March 11, 2011.
** 1982: '' Cujo'' ** 1983: " The Breathing Method" ** 1987: '' It'' ** 1999: ''
Bag of Bones ''Bag of Bones'' is a 1998 horror novel by American writer Stephen King. It focuses on an author who suffers severe writer's block and delusions at an isolated lake house four years after the death of his wife. It won the 1999 Bram Stoker Award ...
'' ** 2005: '' The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower'' * Deutscher Phantastik Preis ** 2000: '' Hearts in Atlantis'' ** 2001: '' The Green Mile'' ** 2003: '' Black House'' ** 2004: International Author of the Year ** 2005: ''The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower'' *
Edgar Award The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, popularly called the Edgars, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America, based in New York City. Named after American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), a pioneer in the genre, the awards honor the bes ...
for Best Novel ** 2015: ''
Mr. Mercedes ''Mr. Mercedes'' is a novel by American writer Stephen King. He calls it his first hard-boiled detective book. It was published on June 3, 2014. It is the first volume in a trilogy, followed in 2015 by '' Finders Keepers'', the first draft of wh ...
'' * Horror Guild ** 1997: '' Desperation'' ** 2001: ''
Riding the Bullet ''Riding the Bullet'' is a horror novella by American writer Stephen King. It marked King's debut on the Internet. Simon & Schuster, with technology by SoftLock, first published ''Riding the Bullet'' in 2000 as the world's first mass-market e-bo ...
'' ** 2001: ''On Writing'' ** 2002: ''Black House'' ** 2003: ''
From a Buick 8 ''From a Buick 8'' is a Horror fiction, horror novel by American writer Stephen King. Published on September 24, 2002, this is the second novel by King to feature a supernatural car (the first one being ''Christine (novel), Christine'' which, like ...
'' ** 2003: ''
Everything's Eventual ''Everything's Eventual'' is a collection of 11 short stories and 3 novellas by American writer Stephen King, published in 2002. Stories "The Little Sisters of Eluria" is part of '' The Dark Tower'' series. Story order In the introduction t ...
'' *
Hugo Award The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention and chosen by its members. The Hugo is widely considered the premier ...
1982: '' Danse Macabre'' *
International Horror Guild Award The International Horror Guild Award (also known as the IHG Award) was an accolade recognizing excellence in the field of horror/dark fantasy, presented by the International Horror Guild (IHG) from 1995 to 2008. The IHG Awards were determined by ...
s ** 1999: ''
Storm of the Century ''Storm of the Century'', alternatively known as ''Stephen King's Storm of the Century'', is a 1999 American horror television miniseries written by Stephen King and directed by Craig R. Baxley. Unlike many other television adaptations of King ...
''International Horror Guild Awards
, International Horror Guild. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
** 2003: Living Legend *
Kono Mystery ga Sugoi! is an annual mystery fiction guide book published by Takarajimasha. The guide book publishes a list of the top ten mystery books published in Japan in the previous year. 1988 ''Kono Mystery ga Sugoi! 1988'' (JICC Shuppankyoku. December, 198 ...
(The Best Translated Mystery Fiction of the Year in Japan) ** 2014: '' 11/22/63'' * Los Angeles Times Book Prize ** 2011: '' 11/22/63'' * Locus Awards ** 1982: ''Danse Macabre''Locus Awards
, ''Locus Magazine''. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
** 1986: '' Skeleton Crew'' ** 1997: '' Desperation'' ** 1999: ''Bag of Bones'' ** 2001: ''On Writing'' *
Mystery Writers of America Mystery Writers of America (MWA) is an organization of mystery and crime writers, based in New York City. The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday. It presents the Edgar Award ...
2007: Grand Master Award *
National Book Award The National Book Awards are a set of annual U.S. literary awards. At the final National Book Awards Ceremony every November, the National Book Foundation presents the National Book Awards and two lifetime achievement awards to authors. The Nat ...
2003: Medal of Distinguished Contribution to American Letters *
National Magazine Awards The National Magazine Awards, also known as the Ellie Awards, honor print and digital publications that consistently demonstrate superior execution of editorial objectives, innovative techniques, noteworthy enterprise and imaginative design. Or ...
** 2004: " Rest Stop" ** 2013: "Batman and Robin Have an Altercation" * New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age 1982: ''Firestarter'' * O. Henry Award 1996: "
The Man in the Black Suit "The Man in the Black Suit" is a horror short story by American writer Stephen King. It was originally published in the October 31, 1994 issue of ''The New Yorker'' magazine. In 1995, it won the World Fantasy Award and the O. Henry Award for B ...
" *
Quill Award The Quill Award was an American literary award that ran for three years in 2005-2007. It was a " consumer-driven award created to inspire reading while promoting literacy." The Quills Foundation, the organization behind the Quill Award, was supp ...
2005: '' Faithful'' * Shirley Jackson Award 2009: "
Morality Morality () is the differentiation of intentions, decisions and actions between those that are distinguished as proper (right) and those that are improper (wrong). Morality can be a body of standards or principles derived from a code of co ...
" * Spokane Public Library Golden Pen Award 1986: Golden Pen Award *
University of Maine The University of Maine (UMaine or UMO) is a public land-grant research university in Orono, Maine. It was established in 1865 as the land-grant college of Maine and is the flagship university of the University of Maine System. It is classifie ...
1980: Alumni Career Award * ''Us'' Magazine 1982: Best Fiction Writer of the Year *
World Fantasy Award The World Fantasy Awards are a set of awards given each year for the best fantasy fiction published during the previous calendar year. Organized and overseen by the World Fantasy Convention, the awards are given each year at the eponymous ann ...
** 1980: Convention Award ** 1982: " Do the Dead Sing?" ** 1995: "The Man in the Black Suit" ** 2004: Lifetime Achievement * World Horror Convention 1992: World Horror Grandmaster


Bibliography


Audiobooks

* 2000: ''On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft'' (read by Stephen King), Simon & Schuster Audio, * 2004: ''Salem's Lot'' (introduction), Simon & Schuster Audio, * 2005 ( Audible: 2000): ''Bag of Bones'' (read by Stephen King), Simon & Schuster Audio, * 2008: ''Needful Things'' (read by Stephen King), Highbridge Audio, * 2012: ''The Wind Through The Keyhole – A Dark Tower Novel'' (read by Stephen King), Simon & Schuster Audio, * 2016: ''Desperation'' (read by Stephen King), Simon & Schuster Audio, * 2018: ''Elevation'' (read by Stephen King), Simon & Schuster Audio,


Filmography


See also

* List of adaptations of works by Stephen King *
Castle Rock (Stephen King) Castle Rock (sometimes referred to as the Rock) is a fictional town appearing in Stephen King's fictional Maine topography, providing the setting for a number of his novels, novellas, and short stories. Castle Rock first appeared in King's 1979 ...
*
Charles Scribner's Sons Charles Scribner's Sons, or simply Scribner's or Scribner, is an American publisher based in New York City, known for publishing American authors including Henry James, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Kurt Vonnegut, Marjorie Kinnan R ...
(aka Scribner) * Derry (Stephen King) *
Dollar Baby The Dollar Baby (or Dollar Deal) is an arrangement by which American author Stephen King grants permission to students and aspiring filmmakers or theatre producers to adapt one of his short stories for $1. (He retains rights to his work. As he be ...
*
Jerusalem's Lot (Stephen King) Jerusalem's Lot, Maine (often shortened to 'Salem's Lot or just the Lot) is a fictional town and a part of writer Stephen King's fictional Maine topography. 'Salem's Lot has served as the setting for a number of his novels, novellas, and short ...
* '' Haven''


References


Further reading

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


External links

*
Stephen King on Twitter

Working with the King – Shotsmag Ezine Interview with Philippa Pride, King's UK editor
* * * * * *
"I try to create sympathy for my characters and then turn the monsters loose."
- Stephen King and one of his key approaches to writing horror stories. {{DEFAULTSORT:King, Stephen 1947 births 20th-century American essayists 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American poets 20th-century American short story writers 20th-century pseudonymous writers 21st-century American essayists 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers 21st-century American novelists 21st-century American poets 21st-century American short story writers 21st-century pseudonymous writers American crime writers American cultural critics American fantasy writers American film directors American gun control activists American horror novelists American male essayists American male film actors American male non-fiction writers American male novelists American male poets American male screenwriters American male short story writers American mystery writers American opinion journalists American philanthropists American psychological fiction writers American science fiction writers American screenwriters American short story writers American social commentators American thriller writers Former Methodists Critics of neoconservatism Cthulhu Mythos writers Dark fantasy writers Edgar Award winners Florida Democrats Ghost story writers Hugo Award-winning writers Living people The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction people Maine culture Maine Democrats Male feminists National Book Award winners Novelists from Florida Novelists from Maine O. Henry Award winners People from Lisbon, Maine People from Lovell, Maine People from Scarborough, Maine People from Sarasota, Florida Philanthropists from Maine Rock Bottom Remainders members Schoolteachers from Maine Science fiction critics Science fiction fans Social critics Teachers of English United States National Medal of Arts recipients University of Maine alumni Weird fiction writers World Fantasy Award-winning writers Writers about activism and social change Writers about religion and science Writers from Bangor, Maine Writers from Portland, Maine Writers of books about writing fiction Writers of Gothic fiction