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For other persons named Stephen King, see Stephen King (disambiguation). Stephen King (or Steven Steve may refer to In media Stephen King, an American author Steve King (radio, an American radio
Stephen King

Stephen King, February 2007
Born September 21, 1947 (1947-09-21) (age 60)
Portland, Maine, United States
Pen name Richard Bachman, John Swithen
Occupation Novelist, Short story writer, Screenwriter, Columnist, Actor, Producer, Director
Genres Horror fiction, Fantasy, Science fiction, Drama
Spouse(s) Tabitha King
Children Naomi Rachel King
Joe King
Owen King
Influences
Influenced
Official website

Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author, screenwriter, musician, columnist, actor, film producer and director. Events 1217 - The Estonian tribal leader Lembitu of Lehola was killed in a battle against Teutonic Knights. Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Portland is the largest city in the US state of Maine and the County seat of Cumberland County. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a Pseudonym adopted by an Author or their publishers to conceal their identity Richard Bachman is a Pseudonym used by Horror fiction author Stephen King. Employment is a Contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. A literary genre is a category of literary composition Genres may be determined by Literary technique, tone, Content, or even (as in the case of fiction Horror fiction is broadly Fiction in any medium intended to scare unsettle or horrify the audience Fantasy is a Genre that uses magic and other Supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting Drama is the specific mode of Fiction represented in Performance. Tabitha King (née Tabitha Jane Spruce) (born March 24, 1949) is an American Author and Activist. Joseph Hillstrom King (born June 1972 Hermon Maine) is an American Writer of Fiction, writing under the pen name of Joe Hill. Owen Philip King (born February 21 1977) is an American Author and the youngest son of authors Stephen and Tabitha King Burton Norval Hatlen ( April 9, 1936 Harlen worked closely with Carroll F Robert Albert Bloch (April 5 1917 Chicago – September 23 1994 Los Angeles) was a prolific American Writer, primarily of crime Clifford Donald Simak ( August 3, 1904 - April 25, 1988) was a major American Science fiction writer Ray Douglas Bradbury (born August 22 1920 is an American mainstream, Fantasy, horror, Science fiction and mystery Sir William Gerald Golding ( 19 September, 1911 – 19 June, 1993) was a British novelist poet and Nobel Prize for Literature Shirley Jackson ( December 14, 1916, San Francisco California - August 8, 1965, Bennington Vermont) was an influential This article refers to the science fiction writer For the actor see Fritz Leiber Sr Howard Phillips Lovecraft ( August 20, 1890 – March 15, 1937) was an American author of horror, fantasy Richard Matheson (born February 20, 1926) is an American Author and Screenwriter, typically of fantasy, horror John Dann MacDonald ( July 24, 1916 &ndash December 28, 1986) was an American Author. Don Robertson ( March 21, 1929 – March 21, 1999) was an American novelist Thomas Hardy OM (2 June 1840 – 11 January 1928 was an English novelist Short story writer and poet of the naturalist movement though he saw Theodore Herman Albert Dreiser ( August 27 1871 &ndash December 28 1945) was an American novelist and journalist John Robert Fowles ( March 31, 1926 &ndash November 5, 2005) was an English Novelist and Essayist. Edgar Allan Poe (January 19 1809 – October 7 1849 was an American poet, short-story Writer, editor and Literary critic, Stanley Grauman Weinbaum ( April 4, 1902 - December 14, 1935) was a Jewish American Science fiction author Robert Browning (7 May 1812 - 12 December 1889 was an English poet and playwright whose mastery of Dramatic verse, especially Dramatic monologues made him one of Daphne du Maurier Lady Browning DBE ( 13 May, 1907 – 19 April, 1989) (ˈdæfnɪ du ˈmɒɹieɪ was a British Rodman Edward "Rod" Serling ( December 25, 1924 &ndash June 28, 1975) was an American Screenwriter, best known Bentley Little (born 1960 in Arizona) is an American Author of numerous horror novels. Scott Carl Sigler November 30) --> is a contemporary American author of Science fiction and horror as well as an avid Podcaster Sarah Pinborough is an English -born horror Writer whose books have found success in the United States. Events 1217 - The Estonian tribal leader Lembitu of Lehola was killed in a battle against Teutonic Knights. Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the An author is defined both as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created Screenwriters or scenarists are Scriptwriters who write the Screenplays from which Films and Television programs are made A musician is a person who plays or writes Music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music An instrumentalist plays a A columnist is a Journalist who writes material on a regular basis for publication in a series An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works A film producer is a person who creates the conditions for making movies. A film director, or filmmaker, is a person who directs the making of a Film. Having sold over 350 million copies of his books, King is best known for his work in horror fiction, which demonstrates a thorough knowledge of the genre's history. This page provides a list of best-selling Fiction authors to date and in any language Horror fiction is broadly Fiction in any medium intended to scare unsettle or horrify the audience He has also written science fiction, fantasy, short-fiction, non-fiction, screenplays, teleplays and stageplays. Fantasy is a Genre that uses magic and other Supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting Many of his stories have been adapted for other media, including movies, television series and comic books. King has written a number of books using the pen name Richard Bachman and one short story where he was credited as John Swithen. Richard Bachman is a Pseudonym used by Horror fiction author Stephen King. The Fifth Quarter is a short story written by Stephen King, originally published in Cavalier (under the pen name John Swithen and collected In 2003 he received The National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. The National Book Foundation, founded 1988 is a non-profit American literary foundation established "to raise the cultural appreciation of great writing in America The National Book Awards are among the most eminent literary prizes in the United States.

Contents

Biography

Early life

Stephen King was born on September 21, 1947 to Donald Edwin and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. Events 1217 - The Estonian tribal leader Lembitu of Lehola was killed in a battle against Teutonic Knights. Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. When King was two years old, his father deserted the family when going to get a pack of cigarettes, leaving his mother to raise King and his adopted older brother David by herself, sometimes under great financial strain. Adoption is the act of legally placing a child with a Parent or parents other than those to whom they were born The family moved to West De Pere, Wisconsin, Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Stratford, Connecticut. De Pere is a city located in Brown County in the US state of Wisconsin. Fort Wayne is a City in northeastern Indiana, United States and the County seat of Allen Stratford is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located on Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Housatonic When King was eleven, they returned to Durham, Maine where Ruth King cared for her parents until their death. Durham is a town in Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. She then became a caterer in a local residential facility for the mentally challenged. [2]

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 King's dark, disturbing creations. [3] but King himself has dismissed the idea. [4] This also may have been what sparked the idea for the novella The Body, later made into the motion picture Stand by Me. The Body is a Novella by Stephen King, originally published in the 1982 collection Different Seasons. Stand by Me is a 1986 adventure - Drama film directed by Rob Reiner.

King's primary inspiration for writing horror fiction was related in detail in his 1981 non-fiction best-seller "Danse Macabre" in a chapter titled "An Annoying Autobiographical Pause" . Danse Macabre (1981 is a nonfiction book by Stephen King, about Horror fiction in print radio film and comics and the genre's influence on United King makes a comparison of his grandfather successfully dowsing for water using the bough of an apple branch with the sudden realization of what he wanted to do for a living. While browsing through an attic with his elder brother, King uncovered a paperback version of an H.P. Lovecraft collection of short stories that had belonged to his father. Howard Phillips Lovecraft ( August 20, 1890 – March 15, 1937) was an American author of horror, fantasy The cover art—an illustration of a monster hiding within the recesses of a hell-like cavern beneath a tombstone--was, he writes,

“the moment of my life when the dowsing rod suddenly went down hard . . . as far as I was concerned, I was on my way. ”

Education and early creativity

King attended Durham Elementary School. He displayed an early interest in horror as an avid reader of EC's horror comics, including Tales from the Crypt (he later paid tribute to the comics in his screenplay for Creepshow). Entertaining Comics, more commonly known as EC Comics, was an American Publisher of Comic books specializing in Crime fiction, Tagline General information Stephen King's Creepshow is a 1982 anthology Horror movie directed by George A He began writing for fun while still in school, contributing articles to Dave's Rag, the newspaper that his brother published with a mimeograph machine, and later began selling stories to his friends which were based on movies he had seen (though when discovered by his teachers, he was forced to return the profits).

From 1966 King studied English at the University of Maine, where he graduated in 1970 with a Bachelor of Arts in English. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States The University of Maine, established in 1865 is the Flagship University of the University of Maine System. He wrote a weekly column for the student newspaper, the Maine Campus, titled "King's Garbage Truck", took part in a writing workshop organized by Burton Hatlen,[1] and took odd jobs to pay for his studies, including one at an industrial laundry. Burton Norval Hatlen ( April 9, 1936 Harlen worked closely with Carroll F He sold his first short story, "The Glass Floor," to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967 while attending UMaine. [2] The Fogler Library at UMaine now holds King's papers. The University of Maine, established in 1865 is the Flagship University of the University of Maine System.

After leaving the university King gained a certificate to teach high school but, being unable to find a teaching post immediately, initially supplemented his laboring wage by selling short stories to men's magazines such as Playboy. This is a list of Magazines primarily marketed to Men. The list has been split into subcategories according to the target audience of the magazines In 1971, King married Tabitha Spruce, a fellow student at UMaine, whom he had met at the Fogler Library. Tabitha King (née Tabitha Jane Spruce) (born March 24, 1949) is an American Author and Activist. That fall King was hired as a teacher at Hampden Academy in Hampden, Maine. Hampden Academy is a public high school located on Main Street in Hampden Maine. Hampden is a town in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The population was 6327 at the 2000 census He continued to contribute short stories to magazines and worked on ideas for novels. [2] It was during this time that King developed a drinking problem, which stayed with him for more than a decade.

Success with Carrie

On Mother's Day, 1973, King's novel Carrie was accepted by publishing house Doubleday. Carrie is American author Stephen King 's first published Novel, released in 1974 The Doubleday Publishing Group is the fifth largest Book Publishing company in the world King has written how he became so discouraged when trying to develop the idea of a girl with psychic powers into a novel that he threw an early draft in the trash, but Tabitha rescued it and encouraged him to finish it. The word psychic (ˈsaɪkɨk from the Greek psychikos—"of the soul mental" refers to the claimed ability to perceive things hidden from the normal senses [5] He received a $2,500 advance (not large for a novel, even at that time) but the paperback rights eventually earned $400,000, with half going to the publisher. King and his family relocated to Southern Maine because of his mother's failing health. The State of Maine ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean At this time he began writing a book titled Second Coming, later titled Jerusalem's Lot, before finally changing the title to 'Salem's Lot (published 1975). 'Salem's Lot is a 1975 horror Novel written by Stephen King, and was the author's second published novel Soon after the release of Carrie in 1974, his mother died of uterine cancer. Carrie is American author Stephen King 's first published Novel, released in 1974 Endometrial cancer refers to several types of malignancy which arise from the Endometrium, or lining of the Uterus. His Aunt Emrine read the novel to her before she died. 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. [4]

Despite the loss of his mother and his dependency problems, this was an exciting time for King. After his mother's death, King and his family moved to Boulder, Colorado, where King wrote The Shining (published 1977). Boulder is a Home Rule Municipality that is the County seat and most populous city of Boulder County, Colorado, in the United States The Shining (1977 is a horror Novel by American Author Stephen King. The family returned to Western Maine in 1975, where King completed his fourth novel, The Stand (published 1978). The State of Maine ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean The Stand is a Post-apocalyptic horror / Science fiction Novel by Stephen King originally published in 1978 In 1977 the family traveled briefly to England, returning to Maine that fall where King began teaching creative writing at the University of Maine. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The State of Maine ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean King has kept his primary residence in Maine ever since.

Richard Bachman

Main article: Richard Bachman

In the late 1970s-early 1980s, King published a handful of short novels—Rage (1977), The Long Walk (1979), Road Work (1981), The Running Man (1982) and Thinner (1984)—under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. Richard Bachman is a Pseudonym used by Horror fiction author Stephen King. Rage (originally titled Getting It On) is the first novel by Stephen King published under the Pseudonym Richard Bachman The Long Walk is a Novel by Stephen King published under the Pseudonym Richard Bachman in 1979 as a Paperback Roadwork is a novel by Stephen King, published in 1981 under the Pseudonym Richard Bachman as a Paperback original For the movie with the same name please see The Running Man (film The Running Man is a Science fiction Novel by Stephen Thinner is a 1984 novel by Stephen King, published under his pseudonym Richard Bachman. The idea behind this was largely an experiment to measure for himself whether or not he could replicate his own success again, and allay at least part of the notion inside his own head that popularity might all be just an accident of fate. An alternate (or additional) explanation was because of publishing standards back then allowing only a single book a year. [6]

The Bachman novels contained hints to the author's actual identity that were picked up on by fans, leading to King's admission of authorship in 1985. 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. The Dark Half is a horror Novel by Stephen King, published in 1989 Desperation is a Horror novel by Stephen King. It was published in 1996 at the same time as its "mirror" novel The Regulators is a novel by Stephen King under the Pseudonym Richard Bachman.

Cover of Blaze by Richard Bachman (a.k.a. Stephen King)
Cover of Blaze by Richard Bachman (a. k. a. Stephen King)

In 2006, during a London UK press conference, King declared that he had discovered another Bachman novel, titled Blaze. Blaze is a novel written by Stephen King under the name Richard Bachman. It was published on June 12, 2007 in the UK and US. Events 1381 - Peasants' Revolt: in England, rebels arrive at Blackheath. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. In fact, the 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 completely rewrote the 1973 manuscript for its publication.

Confronting addiction

Shortly after The Tommyknockers publication in 1987, King's family and friends staged an intervention, dumping evidence of his addiction taken from the trash including beer cans, cigarette butts, grams of cocaine, Xanax, Valium, NyQuil, dextromethorphan (cough medicine), and marijuana, on the rug in front of him. The Tommyknockers is a 1987 horror novel by Stephen King. While maintaining a horror style the novel is more of an excursion into Cocaine ( benzoylmethyl ecgonine) is a Crystalline Tropane Alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the Coca plant Alprazolam, also known under the trade names Xanax and Niravam, is a short-acting drug of the Benzodiazepine class used to treat moderate Diazepam (daɪˈæzɨpæm first marketed as Valium by Hoffmann-La Roche, is a Benzodiazepine derivative Drug. NyQuil, produced by the Vicks company is the brand name of a family of cold medicine designed to help relieve many symptoms of the Common cold. Dextromethorphan ( DXM or DM) is an Antitussive (cough suppressant drug found in many over-the-counter cold and Cough medicines Cannabis, also known as marijuana or marihuana, or ganja (from Hindi / Sanskrit: गांजा gānjā hemp) is a As King related in his memoir, he then sought help and quit all forms of drugs and alcohol in the late 1980s, and has remained sober since. [4]

Car accident and thoughts of retirement

In the summer of 1999, King had finished the memoir section of On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft but had abandoned the book for nearly eighteen months, unsure of how or whether to proceed. On Writing A Memoir of the Craft is an Autobiography and Writing Guide by Stephen King, published in 2000

On June 19, at about 4:30 p. Events 1179 - The Norwegian Battle of Kalvskinnet outside Nidaros. m. , he was walking on the right shoulder of Route 5 in Center Lovell, Maine. Driver Bryan Smith, distracted by an unrestrained dog moving in the back of his minivan,[7] struck King, who landed in a depression in the ground about 14 feet from the pavement of Route 5. Bryan E Smith ( July 16, 1957 &ndash September 21, 2000) was the driver of a van that hit author Stephen King on June 19 [4] According to Oxford County Sheriff deputy Matt Baker, King was struck from behind and witnesses said the driver was not speeding or reckless. [8] King's website, however, says King was walking facing traffic.

King was conscious enough to give the deputy phone numbers to contact his family but was in considerable pain. The author was first transported to Northern Cumberland Hospital in Bridgton and then flown by helicopter to Central Maine Hospital in Lewiston. Lewiston, in Androscoggin County, is the second-largest city in the U His injuries—a collapsed right lung, multiple fractures of the right leg, scalp laceration and a broken hip—kept him in Central Maine Medical Center until July 9, almost three weeks. Events 455 - Roman military commander Avitus is proclaimed Emperor of the Western Roman Empire.

Earlier that year, King had finished most of From a Buick 8, a novel in which a character dies after getting struck by a car. From a Buick 8 is a Novel by horror writer Stephen King. Published on September 24, 2002, this is the second novel Of the similarities, King says that he tries "not to make too much of it. "

After five operations in ten days and physical therapy, King resumed work on On Writing in July, though his hip was still shattered and he could only sit for about forty minutes before the pain became intolerable.

King's lawyer and two others purchased Smith's van for $1,500, reportedly to avoid it appearing on eBay. eBay Inc is an American Internet company that manages eBaycom an Online auction and shopping Website in which people and businesses buy and The van was later crushed at a junkyard after King had severely beaten it with a baseball bat. King later mentioned during an interview with Fresh Air's Terry Gross that he wanted to completely destroy the vehicle himself with a sledgehammer. Fresh Air is a Radio talk show hosted by Terry Gross, broadcast on National Public Radio stations across the United States Terry Gross (born 1951 is the host and co-executive producer of Fresh Air, an interview format Radio show produced by WHYY-FM in Philadelphia [9]

A fictionalized account of the accident was written into the last novel of the Dark Tower series, in which the main character, Roland Deschain, tries to prevent the van from hitting King. For other uses of The Dark Tower, see The Dark Tower (disambiguation The Dark Tower is a series of seven books written by American author Stephen King between 1970 and 2004 Roland Deschain of Gilead is a fictional character the protagonist and Anti-hero of Stephen King 's The Dark Tower series Parts of the conversation between Smith and King, as he awaited medical attention, were used in the book, as well as an accurate description of the injuries sustained.

Two years later, King suffered severe pneumonia as a direct result of his lung being punctured in the accident. During this time Tabitha King was inspired to redesign his studio. Stephen visited the space while his books and belongings were packed away. What he saw was an image of what his studio would look like if he died, providing a seed for his novel Lisey's Story. Lisey's Story is a Psychological horror Novel by Stephen King.

In 2002, King announced he would stop writing, apparently motivated in part by frustration with his injuries, which had made sitting uncomfortable and reduced his stamina. He has since resumed writing, but states on his website that:

"I'm writing but I'm writing at a much slower pace than previously and I think that if I come up with something really, really good, I would be perfectly willing to publish it because that still feels like the final act of the creative process, publishing it so people can read it and you can get feedback and people can talk about it with each other and with you, the writer, but the force of my invention has slowed down a lot over the years and that's as it should be. "[10]

Family life

King's home in Bangor
King's home in Bangor

King owns two houses, one in Bangor and one in Center Lovell, while he and his wife regularly spend winter in a waterfront mansion located off the Gulf of Mexico in Sarasota, Florida. Bangor is the County seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States, and the major commercial and cultural center for eastern and northern Maine A mansion is a large dwelling House. The word itself derives (through Old French) from the Latin word mansus (the perfect passive participle The Gulf of Mexico ( Spanish: Golfo de México) is the ninth largest Body of water in the world Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the state of Florida in the United States. He and Tabitha have three children and three grandchildren. [2] Tabitha King has published nine of her own novels. Tabitha King (née Tabitha Jane Spruce) (born March 24, 1949) is an American Author and Activist. Both King's sons are published authors: Owen King published his first collection of stories, We're All in This Together: A Novella and Stories in 2005; Joseph Hillstrom published an award-winning collection of short stories, 20th Century Ghosts, in 2005 and his first novel, Heart-Shaped Box will be adapted by Irish director Neil Jordan for a 2008 Warner Bros. release. Owen Philip King (born February 21 1977) is an American Author and the youngest son of authors Stephen and Tabitha King Joseph Hillstrom King (born June 1972 Hermon Maine) is an American Writer of Fiction, writing under the pen name of Joe Hill. Publication 20th Century Ghosts is the first publication made by American author Joe Hill in October 2005 by PS Publishing which is based Heart-Shaped Box is a 2007 debut horror novel by author Joe Hill Plot summary Middle-aged rock star Judas Coyne collects The Irish people ( Irish: Muintir na hÉireann, na hÉireannaigh, na Gaeil) are a Western European Ethnic group who originate Neil Jordan (born February 25, 1950) is an Academy Award -winning Irish filmmaker and Novelist He received the Academy Award Warner Bros Entertainment Inc (or Warner Bros, Warner Bros Pictures) is one of the world's largest producers of Film and King's daughter Naomi spent two years as a minister in the Unitarian Universalist Church in Utica, New York, where she lived with her partner Thandeka. In Christian churches, a minister is someone who is authorized by a church or religious organization to perform clergy functions such as teaching of beliefs Unitarian Universalism ( UUism) is a theologically liberal Religion characterized by its support for a "free and responsible search for truth Utica is a City in the American state of New York, and the County seat of Oneida County. She has since been reassigned to the Unitarian Universalist Church of River of Grass in South Florida.

Recent activity

Interests

Philanthropy

Since becoming commercially successful, King and his wife have donated money to causes around their home state of Maine.

The Kings' early nineties donation to the University of Maine Swim Team saved the program from elimination from the school's athletics department. The University of Maine, established in 1865 is the Flagship University of the University of Maine System. Donations to local YMCA and YWCA programs have allowed renovations and improvements that would otherwise have been impossible. The Young Men's Christian Association (" YMCA " or " the Y " was founded on June 6, 1844 in London England by a young man For other uses see Young Women's Christian Association The World YWCA is the umbrella organization of the global network of the YWCA - a movement of women working for Additionally, King annually sponsors a number of scholarships for high school and college students.

The Kings do not desire recognition for their bankrolling of Bangor-area facilities: they named the Shawn T. Mansfield Stadium for a prominent local little league coach's son who had cerebral palsy, while the Beth Pancoe Aquatic Park memorializes an accomplished area swimmer who died of cancer.

Baseball

Stephen King is a fan of the Boston Red Sox and frequently attends home and away baseball games. The Boston Red Sox are a Professional baseball team based in Boston Massachusetts, and are the reigning (2007 World Series Champions. Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each He helped coach his son Owen's Bangor West team to the Maine Little League Championship in 1989. Little League Baseball is the name of a Non-profit organization in the United States which organizes local children's leagues of baseball and Softball He recounts this experience in the New Yorker essay "Head Down," which also appears in the collection Nightmares and Dreamscapes. The New Yorker is an American Magazine that publishes reportage commentary criticism essays fiction satire cartoons and poetry Head Down is a non-fiction essay by Stephen King that first appeared in The New Yorker in 1990 and was later republished as part of his Nightmares & Dreamscapes is a short story collection by Stephen King published in 1993. In 1999, King wrote The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, which featured former Red Sox pitcher Tom Gordon as the protagonist's imaginary companion. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon ( 1999) is a Novel by Stephen King about a nine year old girl Patricia "Trisha" McFarland who gets In Baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the Pitcher's mound toward the Catcher to begin each play with the goal of Thomas Gordon (born November 18, 1967 in Sebring Florida) nicknamed "Flash" is a Major League Baseball right-handed Pitcher King recently co-wrote a book titled Faithful: Two Diehard Boston Red Sox Fans Chronicle the Historic 2004 Season with Stewart O'Nan, recounting the authors' roller coaster reaction to the Red Sox's 2004 season, a season culminating in the Sox winning the 2004 American League Championship Series and World Series. Stewart O'Nan (born February 4, 1961) is an American Novelist Life and work Born on February 4, 1961 to The American League Championship Series was a Major League Baseball playoff series played between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees The 2004 World Series was the championship series of the 2004 Major League Baseball (MLB season In the 2005 film Fever Pitch, about an obsessive Boston Red Sox fan, King tosses out the first pitch of the Sox's opening day game. Fever Pitch, which was released as The Perfect Catch outside of the United States and Canada, is a Farrelly Brothers He also participates in neighborhood softball games around his Maine estate.

Radio stations

Stephen and his wife Tabitha own The Zone Corporation, a central Maine radio station group consisting of WDME, WZON, and WKIT. The State of Maine ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean WZON (620 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Sports radio format WKIT (1003 FM) is a Rock music formatted Radio station licensed to Brewer, Maine with studios and offices in Bangor Maine The latter of the three stations features a caricature of King as Frankenstein-esque character as part of the logo and the tagline "Stephen King's Rock 'n' Roll Station. Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus, generally known as Frankenstein, is a Novel written by the British author Mary Shelley "

Society and politics

In April 2008, King spoke out against HB 1423, a bill pending in the Massachusetts state legislature that would restrict or ban the sale of violent video games to anyone under the age of 18. Although King stated that he had no personal interest in video games as a hobby, he criticized the proposed law, which he sees as an attempt by politicians to scapegoat pop culture, and to act as surrogate parents to others' children, which he asserted is usually "disastrous" and "undemocratic". He also saw the law as inconsistent, as it would forbid a 17-year-old, legally able to see Hostel: Part II, from buying or renting Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, which is violent but less graphic. Hostel Part II is the 2007 Sequel to writer-director Eli Roth's 2005 Horror film Hostel. Grand Theft Auto San Andreas is a sandbox-style action-adventure computer and Video game developed by Rockstar North While conceding that he saw no artistic merit in some violent video games, King also opined that such games reflect the violence that already exists in society, which would not be lessened by such a law, which would be redundant in light of the ratings system that already exists for video games. King argued that such laws allows legislators to ignore the economic divide between the rich and poor, and the easy availability of guns, which he felt were the more legitimate causes of violence. [24]

Work

Stephen King stated at a recent book reading in Washington, DC on April, 4 2008 that Marvel Comics may soon be doing a graphic novel adaptation of The Stand due to success of the graphic novel adaptation of The Dark Tower.

The books

  • Novels by Stephen King
  • Novels by Richard Bachman
  • Short stories by Stephen King
  • Short story collections by Stephen King

Writing style

On Writing
On Writing

In his nonfiction book On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, King discusses his writing style at great length. This is a list of short fiction by Stephen King. This includes short stories, Novelettes and Novellas as well as Poems It is arranged This Stephen King bibliography is a list of books written by Stephen King, including collections Ebooks, and Comic books. On Writing A Memoir of the Craft is an Autobiography and Writing Guide by Stephen King, published in 2000 King believes that, generally speaking, good stories cannot be called consciously and should not be plotted out beforehand; they are better served by focusing on a single "seed" of a story and letting the story grow itself. King often begins a story with no idea how it will end. He mentions in the Dark Tower series that halfway through its nearly 30-year writing period a terminally-ill woman asked how it would end, certain she would die before the series's completion. He told her he did not know. King believes strongly in this style, stating that his best writing comes from "freewriting. " In On Writing, King stated that he believed stories to exist fully formed, like fossils, and that his role as a writer was to excavate the fossil as well as he could. When asked for the source of his story ideas in interviews, however, he has several times, including the appearance on Amazon. com's Fishbowl, answered, "I have the heart of a small boy……and I keep it in a jar on my desk. " (This quote is most often attributed to Robert Bloch, author of Psycho. Psycho is a 1959 pulp thriller by Robert Bloch. Plot summary The story is divided (below but not in the actual book into )

He is known for his great eye for detail, for continuity and for inside references; many stories that may seem unrelated are often linked by secondary characters, fictional towns, or off-hand references to events in previous books. Many of the settings for King's books are in Maine, though often fictional locations, especially the town of Castle Rock. The State of Maine ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean (Castle Rock was the setting for The Body; when the novella was adapted for the screen by Rob Reiner, Reiner formed a production company, Castle Rock Entertainment, which has since gone on to produce other King adaptations including Dolores Claiborne, Hearts In Atlantis, The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile. Robert "Rob" Reiner (born March 6, 1947) is an American Actor, director, producer, Writer, and Dolores Claiborne is a 1995 film based on the eponymous novel by Stephen King, starring Kathy Bates and Jennifer Jason Leigh. The Shawshank Redemption is a 1994 American Drama film, written and directed by Frank Darabont, based on the Stephen King The Green Mile is a 1999 American Drama film, directed by Frank Darabont and adapted by him from the 1996 Stephen )

King's books are filled with references to American history and American culture, particularly the darker, more fearful side of these. These references are generally spun into the stories of characters, often explaining their fears. Recurrent references include crime, war (especially the Vietnam War), violence, the supernatural and racism. The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia

King is also known for his folksy, informal narration, often referring to his fans as "Constant Readers" or "friends and neighbors. " This familiar style contrasts with the horrific content of many of his stories.

King has a very simple formula for learning to write well: "Read four hours a day and write four 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. "[25]

Shortly after his accident, King wrote the first draft of the book Dreamcatcher with a notebook and a Waterman fountain pen, which he called "the world's finest word processor. This is about the novel by Stephen King For other uses see Dreamcatcher (disambiguation. The Waterman Pen company is a major manufacturer of Fountain pens Established in 1884 in New York City by Lewis Edson Waterman, it is one of A fountain pen is a Pen that contains a reservoir of water-based liquid ink. "[26]

King's writing style throughout his novels alternates from future to past, character development (including character illumination, dynamics and revelation), and setting in each chapter—leaving a cliffhanger at the end. He then continues this process until the novel is finished.

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. "[27]

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. A fictional book is a non-existent Book (or one created specifically for a work of Fiction) that sometimes provides the basis of the Plot of a story a See also List of fictional books in the works of Stephen King for a complete list. The following is a List of fictional books in the works of Stephen King.

Influences

King has called Richard Matheson "the author who influenced me most as a writer. Richard Matheson (born February 20, 1926) is an American Author and Screenwriter, typically of fantasy, horror "[4] Both authors casually integrate characters' thoughts into the third person narration, just one of several parallels between their writing styles. In a current edition of Matheson's The Incredible Shrinking Man, King is quoted: "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. The Incredible Shrinking Man is a 1957 Science fiction film directed by Jack Arnold and adapted for the screen by Richard Matheson from "

King is a fan of H. P. Lovecraft and refers to him several times in Danse Macabre. Howard Phillips Lovecraft ( August 20, 1890 – March 15, 1937) was an American author of horror, fantasy Danse Macabre (1981 is a nonfiction book by Stephen King, about Horror fiction in print radio film and comics and the genre's influence on United Lovecraft's influence shows in King's invention of bizarre, ancient deities, subtle connections among all of his tales and the integration of fabricated newspaper clippings, trial transcripts and documents as narrative devices. King's invented trio of afflicted New England towns—Jerusalem's Lot, Castle Rock and Derry—are reminiscent of Lovecraft's Arkham, Dunwich and Innsmouth. "Jerusalem's Lot" is a short story by Stephen King, first published in 1978 in the compilation Night Shift. Castle Rock Maine is part of Stephen King ’s fictional Maine topography and as such serves as the setting for a number of his novels novellas and short stories Derry Maine is part of Stephen King 's fictional Maine Topography, and like Castle Rock, it has served as the setting for a number of his novels Arkham is a Fictional city in Massachusetts, part of the Lovecraft Country setting created by H Dunwich is a fictional town that appeared in the H P Lovecraft Short story " The Dunwich Horror " ( 1929) Innsmouth is a Fictional town in the writings of H P Lovecraft, part of the Lovecraft Country setting of the Cthulhu Mythos. King's short story Crouch End is an explicit homage to, and part of, Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos story cycle. Crouch End is a horror story by Stephen King, originally published in New Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos ( 1980) and The Cthulhu Mythos is a Shared universe created in the 1920s by American horror writer H Gramma, a short story made into a film in the 1980s anthology horror show The New Twilight Zone, mentions Lovecraft's notorious fictional creation Necronomicon, also borrowing the names of a number of the fictional monsters mentioned therein. The New Twilight Zone is the popular nickname for the 1985 revival of Rod Serling 's acclaimed 1950/60s Television series, The Twilight Zone The Necronomicon is a Fictional book appearing in the stories by horror novelist H I Know What You Need from 1976's anthology collection Night Shift, and 'Salem's Lot also mention the tome. I Know What You Need is a short story by Stephen King, first published in 1978 in the compilation Night Shift. 'Salem's Lot is a 1975 horror Novel written by Stephen King, and was the author's second published novel Another tribute to Lovecraft is in King's short story Jerusalem's Lot, which opens Night Shift. "Jerusalem's Lot" is a short story by Stephen King, first published in 1978 in the compilation Night Shift. King differs markedly from Lovecraft in his focus on extensive characterization and naturalistic dialogue, both notably absent in Lovecraft's writing. In On Writing, King is critical of Lovecraft's dialogue-writing skills, using passages from The Colour Out of Space as particularly poor examples. On Writing A Memoir of the Craft is an Autobiography and Writing Guide by Stephen King, published in 2000 "The Colour Out of Space" is a Short story by American horror writer H There are also several examples of King referring to Lovecraftian characters in his work, such as Nyarlathotep and Yog-Sothoth. Nyarlathotep (the Crawling Chaos) is a Fictional character in the Cthulhu Mythos. Yog-Sothoth ( The Lurker at the Threshold, The Key and the Gate, The Beyond One, Opener of the Way, The All-in-One and the One-in-All

Alexandre Dumas, père, an influence on King.
Alexandre Dumas, père, an influence on King.

Edgar Allan Poe exerts a noticeable influence over King's writing as well. Edgar Allan Poe (January 19 1809 – October 7 1849 was an American poet, short-story Writer, editor and Literary critic, In The Shining, the phrase "And the red death held sway over all" hearkens back to Poe's "And Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all" from The Masque of the Red Death. The Shining (1977 is a horror Novel by American Author Stephen King. " The Masque of the Red Death " originally published as " The Mask of the Red Death " is a Short story written by Edgar Allan Poe The short story Dolan's Cadillac has a theme almost identical to Poe's The Cask of Amontillado, including a paraphrase of Fortunato's famous plea, "For the love of God, Montresor!" In The Shining, King refers to Poe as "The Great American Hack". Dolan’s Cadillac is a short story by Stephen King. It is included in Nightmares and Dreamscapes, King's fifth collection of short stories " The Cask of Amontillado " (sometimes spelled " The Casque of Amontillado " is a Short story, written by Edgar Allan Poe and first published

King acknowledges the influence of Bram Stoker, particularly on his novel ’Salem's Lot, which he envisioned as a retelling of Dracula. Abraham "Bram" Stoker (8 November 1847 – 20 April 1912 was an Irish writer of novels and short stories who is best known today for his 1897 horror Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker, featuring as its primary Antagonist the vampire Count Dracula. [28] Its related short story "Jerusalem's Lot", is reminiscent of Stoker's The Lair of the White Worm. The Lair of the White Worm (also known as The Garden of Evil) is a Horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker, who also

King has also openly declared his admiration for another, less prolific author: Shirley Jackson. Shirley Jackson ( December 14, 1916, San Francisco California - August 8, 1965, Bennington Vermont) was an influential 'Salem's Lot opens with a quotation from Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House. The Haunting of Hill House is a 1959 Novel by author Shirley Jackson. Tony, an imaginary playmate from The Shining, bears a striking resemblance to another imaginary playmate with the same name from Jackson's Hangsaman. A pivotal scene in Storm of the Century is based on Jackson's The Lottery. Storm of the Century, alternatively known as Stephen King's Storm of the Century, is a 1999 horror TV Miniseries written by Stephen " The Lottery " is a Short story by Shirley Jackson, first published in the June 26, 1948 issue of The New Yorker A character in Wolves of the Calla references the Jackson book We Have Always Lived in the Castle. We Have Always Lived in the Castle is a 1962 novel by author Shirley Jackson.

King is a big fan of John D. MacDonald and dedicated the novella Sun Dog to MacDonald, saying "I miss you, old friend. John Dann MacDonald ( July 24, 1916 &ndash December 28, 1986) was an American Author. " For his part, MacDonald wrote an admiring preface to Night Shift, and even had his famous character, Travis McGee, reading Cujo in one of the last McGee novels. Travis McGee is a Fictional character and amateur Sleuth created by prolific American mystery writer John D

In 1987 King's Philtrum Press published Don Robertson's novel, The Ideal, Genuine Man. Philtrum Press is a small publishing house run by Stephen King. Don Robertson ( March 21, 1929 – March 21, 1999) was an American novelist In his forenote to the novel, King wrote, "Don Robertson was and is one of the three writers who influenced me as a young man who was trying to 'become' a novelist (the other two being Richard Matheson and John D. MacDonald). "[29]

In an Amazon.com interview, King said the one book he wishes he'd written is William Golding's Lord of the Flies. Amazoncom Inc ( is an American electronic commerce ( E-commerce) company in Seattle Washington. Sir William Gerald Golding ( 19 September, 1911 – 19 June, 1993) was a British novelist poet and Nobel Prize for Literature Lord of the Flies is an allegorical Novel by Nobel Prize -winning author William Golding.

King makes references in several of his books to characters and events in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The Hobbit or There and Back Again is an award-winning fantasy The Lord of the Rings is an epic

Robert A. Heinlein's book The Door into Summer is repeatedly mentioned in King's Wolves of the Calla. Robert Anson Heinlein (July 7 1907 – May 8 1988 was an American Novelist and Science fiction Writer. The Door into Summer is a Science fiction Novel by Robert A Heinlein, originally serialized in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science

Collaborations

Peter Straub at the University of South Florida on February 15, 2007
Peter Straub at the University of South Florida on February 15, 2007

King has written two novels with acclaimed horror novelist Peter Straub: The Talisman and a sequel, Black House. The University of South Florida ( USF) known within its system as USF Tampa, is a public research University system located in Tampa, Florida Events 590 - Khosrau II is crowned as king of Persia 1637 - Ferdinand III becomes Holy Roman Emperor Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. This article is about Peter Straub the novelist For the German statesman see Peter Straub (politician. The Talisman is a 1984 fantasy novel by Stephen King and Peter Straub. For other uses of the term please see Black House, a disambiguation page King has indicated that he and Straub will likely write the third and concluding book in this series, the tale of Jack Sawyer, but has set no time line for its completion.

King also wrote the nonfiction book, Faithful with novelist and fellow Red Sox fanatic Stewart O'Nan. Stewart O'Nan (born February 4, 1961) is an American Novelist Life and work Born on February 4, 1961 to

In 1996 King collaborated with Michael Jackson to create Ghosts (1997 film), a long and expensive musical video, which is based on King's Thinner. Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29 1958 is an American musician entertainer and businessman Ghosts is a short film starring Michael Jackson which could also be classified as a long-form Music video.

"Throttle", a novella written in collaboration with his son Joe Hill, will be included in the anthology He Is Legend: Celebrating Richard Matheson, forthcoming from Gauntlet Press in February 2009. Joseph Hillstrom King (born June 1972 Hermon Maine) is an American Writer of Fiction, writing under the pen name of Joe Hill. [30]

The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer: My Life at Rose Red, was a paperback tie-in for the King-penned miniseries Rose Red. The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer My Life at Rose Red is a 2001 novel by Ridley Pearson published under the Pseudonym Joyce Reardon Ph Rose Red (also known as Stephen King's Rose Red) is a Television Miniseries scripted by horror novelist Stephen King The book was published under anonymous authorship, and written by Ridley Pearson. 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.

King wrote an introduction to one of Neil Gaiman's many graphic novel collections, and expressed admiration for him. Neil Richard Gaiman (ˈgeɪmən (born November 10, 1960) is an English author of Science fiction and Fantasy short stories and He also wrote an introduction to the October 1986 400th issue of the Batman comic book. Batman is an ongoing Comic book series featuring the DC Comics Hero of the same name.

Speculation that King wrote the novel Bad Twin, a tie-in to the series Lost, under the pseudonym Gary Troup has been discredited. The Lost Experience was an Alternate reality game that was part of the American television drama ''Lost''. Lost is an Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning American serial drama television series. A pseudonym is a fictitious alternative to a person's legal name (see Alias) The Lost Experience was an Alternate reality game that was part of the American television drama ''Lost''. This theory was fueled by King being an avid and self-declared Lost fan, having mentioned it and praised it several times in his Entertainment Weekly articles.

King played guitar for the rock band Rock Bottom Remainders, several of whose members are authors. The Rock Bottom Remainders is a Rock and roll band consisting of published writers most of them both amateur musicians and popular English-language Book, Magazine Other members include Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson, Scott Turow, Amy Tan, James McBride, Mitch Albom, Roy Blount Jr., Matt Groening, Kathi Kamen Goldmark and Greg Iles. David "Dave" Barry (born July 3, 1947) is a bestselling American author and Pulitzer Prize -winning columnist who wrote a nationally Ridley Pearson, born on March 13, 1953 in Glen Cove New York, is an American writer For Polish place names see Turów. Scott Turow (born April 12, 1949) is an American Author as well as a practicing Amy Tan (Chinese 譚恩美 pinyin Tán Enmei (born February 19, 1952) is an American Writer of Chinese descent whose works James McBride (born 1957 is an American writer and Musician whose compositions have been recorded by a variety of other musicians Mitchell David Albom (born May 23, 1958 in Passaic New Jersey) is a best-selling author journalist screenwriter playwright radio and television Roy Alton Blount Jr (born October 4, 1941; IPA: blʌnt is an American writer Matthew Abram Groening (ˈɡreɪnɪŋ GRAY-ning) (born February 15 1954 is an American Cartoonist, television producer and writer from Portland Greg Iles (born 1960 is an American bestselling Novelist who lives in Natchez Mississippi. None of them claim to have any musical talent. King is a fan of the rock band AC/DC, who did the soundtrack for his 1986 film, Maximum Overdrive. AC/DC are an Australian Hard rock band formed in Sydney, Australia in 1973 by brothers Angus and Malcolm Young. Maximum Overdrive is a 1986 Tongue-in-cheek Horror film, written and directed by horror Novelist Stephen King He is also a fan of The Ramones, who wrote the title song for Pet Sematary and appeared in the music video. The Ramones were an American rock band often regarded as the first Punk rock group Pet Sematary (sometimes referred to as Stephen King's Pet Sematary) is a 1989 Horror film adaptation of the Stephen King novel They are referred to several times in various novels and stories. In addition he wrote the liner notes for their tribute album We're a Happy Family[31] . We're a Happy Family - A Tribute to Ramones is a Tribute album by various artists as a tribute to the Ramones.

Films and TV

Main article: Media based on Stephen King works

Many of King's novels and short stories have been made into major motion pictures or TV movies and miniseries. This is a list of media based on work by Stephen King (including the Richard Bachman titles Theatrical releases 1976 Carrie [32] Unlike some authors, King is untroubled by movies based on his works differing from the original work. He has contrasted his books and its film adaptations as "apples and oranges; both delicious, but very different. "Apples and oranges" refers to the Idiom "comparing apples and oranges" or "apples to oranges" which is used to indicate that two " The exception to this is The Shining, which King criticized when it was released in 1980; and The Lawnmower Man (he sued to have his name removed from the credits). The Shining is a 1980 horror Film directed by Stanley Kubrick, based on Stephen King 's novel of the same name The Lawnmower Man is a 1992 film which uses elements from the writings of Stephen King, most notably the short story of the same name. King seems to have gained greater appreciation for Kubrick's The Shining over the years. Kubrick had described the original novel in an interview as not "literary," having its merits exclusively in the plot. This understandably may have upset King. As a film, The Lawnmower Man bore no resemblance whatsoever to King's original short story. King's name was used solely as a faux-brand. A brand is a collection of Images and ideas representing an economic producer more specifically it refers to the descriptive verbal attributes and concrete symbols such as a

King made his feature film acting debut in Creepshow, playing Jordy Verrill, a backwoods redneck who, after touching a fallen meteor in hopes of selling it, grows moss all over his body. He has since made cameos in several adaptations of his works. He appeared in Pet Sematary as a minister at a funeral, in Rose Red as a pizza deliveryman, in The Stand as "Teddy Wieszack," in the Shining miniseries as band member Gage Creed and in The Langoliers as Tom Holby. Pet Sematary (1983 is a Horror novel by Stephen King. Plot Louis Creed a doctor from Chicago, is Rose Red (also known as Stephen King's Rose Red) is a Television Miniseries scripted by horror novelist Stephen King The Stand is a 1994 television Miniseries based on the novel The Stand by Stephen King. The Shining is a four part television Miniseries chronicling the events and actions that transpire as a family watches over a large and imposing Colorado hotel during The Langoliers is one of four novellas published in the Stephen King book Four Past Midnight in 1990. He has also appeared in The Golden Years, in Chappelle's Show and, along with fellow author Amy Tan, on The Simpsons as himself. Chappelle's Show is an American Comedy Television Amy Tan (Chinese 譚恩美 pinyin Tán Enmei (born February 19, 1952) is an American Writer of Chinese descent whose works " Insane Clown Poppy " is the third episode of the twelfth season of The Simpsons. In addition to acting, King tried his hand at directing with Maximum Overdrive. Maximum Overdrive is a 1986 Tongue-in-cheek Horror film, written and directed by horror Novelist Stephen King

After a private screening of the film Stand By Me (which was an adaptation of his novella The Body), King told director Rob Reiner that it was the best film adaptation of any of his works up to that point. Stand by Me is a 1986 adventure - Drama film directed by Rob Reiner. The Body is a Novella by Stephen King, originally published in the 1982 collection Different Seasons. Robert "Rob" Reiner (born March 6, 1947) is an American Actor, director, producer, Writer, and He said it was actually better than his original novella. King was also very happy with the job Frank Darabont did with The Green Mile. Frank Darabont (born January 28, 1959) is a three-time Academy Award-nominated American Film director, Screenwriter and producer The Green Mile (1996 is a serial novel by Stephen King, later republished with all six volumes in a Trade paperback.

King produced and acted in a miniseries, Kingdom Hospital, which is based on the Danish miniseries Riget by Lars von Trier. Stephen King's Kingdom Hospital is a thirteen-episode Miniseries based on Lars von Trier's "The Kingdom" (aka Riget) which was developed The Kingdom ( Danish title Riget) is an eight-episode Danish Television Mini-series, created by Lars von Lars von Trier (born Lars Trier, April 30, 1956) is a Danish Film director and Screenwriter. He also co-wrote The X-Files season 5 episode "Chinga" with the creator of the series Chris Carter. The X-Files is a Peabody, Golden Globe and Emmy Award -winning American Science fiction television series created by Chris Carter " Chinga " is the tenth episode of season 5 of the television series The X-Files. Christopher Carl Carter (born October 13, 1956) is an American Screenwriter, Film director and producer, best known

He is rumored to have stored in his house many of the film props from the numerous movies adapted from his original books, including the car used in Christine and a life-sized model of Barlow the Vampire from 'Salem's Lot. Christine is a horror novel by Stephen King, published in 1983 'Salem's Lot is a 1975 horror Novel written by Stephen King, and was the author's second published novel Since 1977, King has granted permission to student filmmakers to make adaptations of his short stories for one dollar (see Dollar Baby). The Dollar Baby (also sometimes referred to as the Dollar Deal) is a term coined by best-selling author Stephen King in reference to a select group of students and

King is friends with film director George Romero, to whom he partly dedicated his book Cell, and wrote a tribute about the filmmaker in Entertainment Weekly for his pop culture column, as well as an essay for the Elite DVD version of Night of the Living Dead. A film director, or filmmaker, is a person who directs the making of a Film. George Andrew Romero (born February 4, 1940) is an American director writer editor and actor Cell is an apocalyptic Horror novel published by American author Stephen King in January 2006 Entertainment Weekly (sometimes abbreviated as EW) is a Magazine published by Time Inc Popular culture (or pop culture) is the Culture — patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activities significance and importance — DVD (also known as " Digital Versatile Disc " or " Digital Video Disc " - see Etymology)is Night of the Living Dead (1968 directed by George Romero, is an independent Black-and-white Horror film. Romero is rumored to be directing the adaptations of King's novels The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon and From a Buick 8. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon ( 1999) is a Novel by Stephen King about a nine year old girl Patricia "Trisha" McFarland who gets From a Buick 8 is a Novel by horror writer Stephen King. Published on September 24, 2002, this is the second novel

King has also made an appearance as a contestant on Celebrity Jeopardy! in 1995.

Reception

Critical response

Critical responses to King's works have been mixed.

In his analysis of post-World War II horror fiction, The Modern Weird Tale (2001), critic S. T. Joshi[33] devotes a chapter to King's work. Sunand Tryambak Joshi (b 22 June 1958 in Pune, India) is an Indian American Literary Critic, and a leading Joshi argues that King's best-known works, his supernatural novels, are his worst, claiming they are mostly bloated, illogical, maudlin and prone to deus ex machina endings. A deus ex machina ( lat. ˈdeːus eks ˈmaːkʰina literally "god from a/the machine" is an improbable 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. Gerald's Game ( 1992) is a Novel by Stephen King. Unlike most of King's work there is almost no hint of the supernatural Joshi also stresses that, despite his flaws, King almost unfailingly writes insightfully about the pains and joys of adolescence, and has produced a few outstanding books and stories. Joshi cites two early non-supernatural novels -– Rage (1977) and The Running Man (1982) -– as King's best, suggesting both are riveting and well-constructed suspense thrillers, with believable characters. The thriller is a broad Genre of Literature, Film, Gaming and Television.

In 1996, King won an O. Henry Award for his short story "The Man in the Black Suit. The O Henry Award is the only yearly award given to short stories of exceptional merit " The Man in the Black Suit " is a Short story by Stephen King. "

In 2003, King was honored by the National Book Awards with a lifetime achievement award, the Medal of Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, with his work being described thus:

Stephen King’s writing is securely rooted in the great American tradition that glorifies spirit-of-place and the abiding power of narrative. The National Book Awards are among the most eminent literary prizes in the United States. He crafts stylish, mind-bending page-turners that contain profound moral truths–some beautiful, some harrowing–about our inner lives. This Award commemorates Mr. King’s well-earned place of distinction in the wide world of readers and book lovers of all ages.

Some in the literary community expressed disapproval of the award: Richard Snyder, the former CEO of Simon & Schuster, 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. Literature is the Art of written works Literally translated the word means "acquaintance with letters" (from Latin littera letter Harold Bloom' (born July 11, 1930) is a Literary critic. Bloom defended 19th-century Romantic poets at a time when their reputations I've described King in the past as a writer of penny dreadfuls, but perhaps even that is too kind. This article is about US novels For the British versions see Story papers and Penny Dreadfuls. He shares nothing with Edgar Allan Poe. Edgar Allan Poe (January 19 1809 – October 7 1849 was an American poet, short-story Writer, editor and Literary critic, What he is is an immensely inadequate writer on a sentence-by-sentence, paragraph-by-paragraph, book-by-book basis. [34]

However, others came to King's defense, such as writer Orson Scott Card, who 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. Orson Scott Card (born August 24, 1951) is a bestselling American Author, Critic, political writer and speaker. What Snyder really means is that it is not the literature preferred by the academic-literary elite. "[35]

In Roger Ebert's review of the 2004 movie Secret Window, he states "A lot of people were outraged that [King] was honored at the National Book Awards, as if a popular writer could not be taken seriously. Roger Joseph Ebert (iːbɝt born June 18, 1942) is an American film critic and Screenwriter. Secret Window ( 2004) is a Psychological thriller Movie, starring Johnny Depp and John Turturro. But after finding that his book On Writing had more useful and observant things to say about the craft than any book since Strunk and White's The Elements of Style, I have gotten over my own snobbery. On Writing A Memoir of the Craft is an Autobiography and Writing Guide by Stephen King, published in 2000 The Elements of Style ( Strunk & White) is an American English Writing Style guide. "[36]

Influence on popular culture

Since the publication of Carrie, public awareness of King and his works has reached a high saturation rate,[37] becoming as popular as The Twilight Zone or the films of Alfred Hitchcock[38]. The Twilight Zone is an American Television series created by Rod Serling. Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE (13 As the best-selling novelist in the world, and the most financially successful horror writer in history, King is an American horror icon of the highest order. King's books and characters encompass primary fears in such an iconic manner that his stories have become synonymous with certain key genre ideas. Carrie, Christine, Cujo, It, and The Shining, for example, are instantly recognizable to millions as popular shorthand for the Vengeful Nerd Wronged, the Killer Car, the Evil Dog, the Evil Clown and the Haunted Hotel. Carrie is American author Stephen King 's first published Novel, released in 1974 Christine is a horror novel by Stephen King, published in 1983 Cujo is a horror Novel by Stephen King, published by Viking in 1981 It is a Horror novel by Stephen King, published in 1986 Considered one of King's most visceral and graphic works and his masterpiece alongside The Shining (1977 is a horror Novel by American Author Stephen King.

Awards

King has won 6 Bram Stoker awards, 6 Horror Guild awards, 5 Locus Awards, 3 World Fantasy Awards (including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004), the 1996 O. Henry award, a Hugo Award in 1982 for the non-fiction Danse Macabre. The Bram Stoker Award is a recognition presented by the Horror Writers Association (HWA for "superior achievement" in horror writing. The International Horror Guild Award is a recognition presented by the International Horror Guild (IHG to recognize the achievements of those who create in the field of The Locus Awards were established in 1971 and are presented to winners of Locus Magazine 's annual readers' poll The World Fantasy Awards are annual international awards given to authors and artists who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of Fantasy. The O Henry Award is the only yearly award given to short stories of exceptional merit The Hugo Awards are given every year for the best Science fiction or Fantasy works and achievements of the previous year Danse Macabre (1981 is a nonfiction book by Stephen King, about Horror fiction in print radio film and comics and the genre's influence on United He was given a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003 by the Horror Writers' Association and, controversially, a Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters from the National Book Foundation in 2003 (see Critical Response, above). The Horror Writers Association (HWA is a worldwide Non-profit organization of professional Writers and publishing professionals dedicated to promoting the interests The National Book Awards are among the most eminent literary prizes in the United States. The National Book Foundation, founded 1988 is a non-profit American literary foundation established "to raise the cultural appreciation of great writing in America [39] In 2007 King received an award for lifetime achievement from the Canadian Literary Guild (The only non-Canadian to be bestowed this award).

See also

Family

Projects

Publishers

King's fictional topography

References

  1. ^ a b Anstead, Alicia. Tabitha King (née Tabitha Jane Spruce) (born March 24, 1949) is an American Author and Activist. Owen Philip King (born February 21 1977) is an American Author and the youngest son of authors Stephen and Tabitha King Joseph Hillstrom King (born June 1972 Hermon Maine) is an American Writer of Fiction, writing under the pen name of Joe Hill. The Dollar Baby (also sometimes referred to as the Dollar Deal) is a term coined by best-selling author Stephen King in reference to a select group of students and The Rock Bottom Remainders is a Rock and roll band consisting of published writers most of them both amateur musicians and popular English-language Book, Magazine The Doubleday Publishing Group is the fifth largest Book Publishing company in the world Philtrum Press is a small publishing house run by Stephen King. Charles Scribner's Sons is a publisher The firm published Scribner's Magazine for many years Viking Press is an American Publishing company currently owned by Penguin Books. Cemetery Dance Publications is a specialty press publisher of horror and dark suspense Castle Rock Maine is part of Stephen King ’s fictional Maine topography and as such serves as the setting for a number of his novels novellas and short stories Derry Maine is part of Stephen King 's fictional Maine Topography, and like Castle Rock, it has served as the setting for a number of his novels Jerusalem's Lot (often shortened to 'Salem's Lot or just the Lot is a Fictional town in the works of Horror fiction writer Stephen King. "UM scholar Hatlen, mentor to Stephen King, dies at 71", Bangor Daily News, 2008-01-23. Bangor Daily News is an American Newspaper that was founded on June 18, 1889; in 1900 the paper merged with the Bangor Whig and 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 393 - Roman Emperor Theodosius I proclaims his nine year old son Honorius co-emperor Retrieved on 2008-03-04. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth  
  2. ^ a b c d King, Tabitha; Marsha DeFilippo. Stephen King.com: Biography. Retrieved on 2008-03-04. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth
  3. ^ Beahm, George The Stephen King Story: A Literary Profile Andrews and McMeel. 1991. ISBN 0-8362-7989-1 : pp. 101
  4. ^ a b c d e King, Stephen (2000). On Writing. Scribner. ISBN 0684853523.  
  5. ^ King, Stephen (2000). On Writing. Scribner, 76–77. ISBN 0684853523.  
  6. ^ King, Stephen. Stephen King FAQ: "Why did you write books as Richard Bachman?". StephenKing. com. Retrieved on December 13, 2006. Events 1294 - Saint Celestine V abdicates the papacy after only five months Celestine hoped to return to his previous life Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.
  7. ^ Stephen King cracking jokes following surgery - June 21, 1999
  8. ^ Liljas-library homepage
  9. ^ Novelist Stephen King : NPR
  10. ^ Stephen King.com: The Official FAQ: Is it true that you have retired?. Retrieved on 2008-03-04. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth
  11. ^ Slashdot | Stephen King's Net Horror Story
  12. ^ The Pop of King: The Tao of Steve
  13. ^ Peter David discusses the signing on his blog.
  14. ^ Another blog entry of the signing with photos and links to interviews.
  15. ^ Stephen King Ventures Into Comic Books
  16. ^ Abrams on Dark Tower?
  17. ^ Stephen King on Virginia Tech | Violence in the Media | Essays | News + Notes | Entertainment Weekly
  18. ^ ABC News, Stephen King mistaken for vandal in Alice
  19. ^ Stephen King backing Barack Obama : US Entertainment
  20. ^ Discussion on Writing with Stephen King: C-SPAN Video Library
  21. ^ Writer Stephen King: If You Can't Read, You'll End Up in the Army or Iraq
  22. ^ StephenKing.com (2008-05-05). 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John Retrieved on 2008-05-23. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne
  23. ^ McGarrigle, Dale. "Stephen King defends remarks on Army, Iraq", Bangor Daily News, 2008-05-08. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 589 - Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo 1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen Retrieved on 2008-05-23. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne  
  24. ^ King, Stephen; "Videogame Lunacy"; "The Pop of KIng" Entertainment Weekly; April 11, 2008. Entertainment Weekly (sometimes abbreviated as EW) is a Magazine published by Time Inc Events 491 - Flavius Anastasius becomes Byzantine Emperor, with the name of Anastasius I. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common
  25. ^ Everything You Need to Know About Writing Successfully—in Ten Minutes
  26. ^ King, Stephen (2001). Dreamcatcher. Scribner. ISBN 0743211383.  
  27. ^ Stephen King's official site. Retrieved on 2007-05-14. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1264 - Battle of Lewes: Henry III of England is captured in France making Simon de Montfort the
  28. ^ StephenKing.com: 'Salems Lot
  29. ^ Robertson, Don (1987). Don Robertson ( March 21, 1929 – March 21, 1999) was an American novelist The Ideal, Genuine Man. Bangor, ME: Philtrum Press, viiI.  
  30. ^ Gauntlet Press website, forth coming titles[1]
  31. ^ They, in return, name checked him on the song "It's not my place (in the 9 to 5 world)" [2] , which is on 1981's Pleasant Dreams
  32. ^ Internet Movie Database: Stephen King. Pleasant Dreams is the sixth album by the Ramones. It was released in 1981 (see 1981 in music) by Sire Records. Retrieved on 2007-04-10. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 879 - Louis III becomes King of the Western Franks. 1407 - the lama
  33. ^ Joshi, S. T, The Modern Weird Tale : A Critique of Horror Fiction, McFarland & Company, 2001, ISBN 978-0786409860
  34. ^ Boston.com / News / Boston Globe / Editorial / Opinion / Op-ed / Dumbing down American readers
  35. ^ Yummi Bears, Lions, Boomtown, Mayer, and King - Uncle Orson Reviews Everything
  36. ^ Chicago Sun-Times - Reviews Secret Window (xhtml)
  37. ^ Linda Badley, Writing Horror and the Body: The Fiction of Stephen King, Clive Barker, and Anne Rice (Contributions to the Study of Popular Culture) (Greenwood Press, 1996); Michael R. Collings, Scaring Us to Death: The Impact of Stephen King on Popular Culture (Borgo Press; 2nd Rev edition, 1997, ISBN 0930261372). Michael Robert Collings (born 1947 is an Author, Poet, literary critic, and bibliographer, and a former professor of Creative writing
  38. ^ Amy Keyishian, Stephen King (Pop Culture Legends) (Chelsea House Publications, 1995).
  39. ^ Stephen King.com: The Official FAQ: Awards. Retrieved on 2008-03-04. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth

Additional reading

See also Books about Stephen King

External links

Persondata
NAME King, Stephen
ALTERNATIVE NAMES King, Stephen Edwin
SHORT DESCRIPTION American author
DATE OF BIRTH 21 September 1947
PLACE OF BIRTH Portland, Maine
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH
WorldCat is a Union catalog which itemizes the collections of more than 10000 libraries which participate in the OCLC global cooperative Events 1217 - The Estonian tribal leader Lembitu of Lehola was killed in a battle against Teutonic Knights. Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
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