Stephen King is an American author whose value is unrivaled in the world of literature. With more than 350 million copies of his books sold worldwide, many of his books being adapted into films, television series, and comic books Stephen King has earned his place as an author who has driven the world further with his stories.
Life Facts
- Stephen King was born on September 21, 1947.
- Stephen King’s father left when he was only two.
- Stephen King got married in 1971 to Tabitha Spruce.
- Stephen King has three children.
- Stephen King has authored over 62 novels and 200 short stories.
Interesting Facts
- The film adaptation of ‘It‘ grossed over 700 million dollars for chapter one and 400 million dollars for chapter two making it the highest-grossing horror movie of all time.
- Stephen King is called the king of horror.
- Stephen King had a drinking and drug addiction problem and delivered his mother’s eulogy drunk.
Famous Books by Stephen King
Carrie is Stephen King’s fourth novel but his first to be published. Stephen King wrote the book with a portable typewriter his wife had gotten, and he had initially tossed away the first pages of the book but continued writing after being encouraged by his wife. Carrie is about a young girl from an abusive religious household who is friendless and bullied in high school. She discovers she has telekinetic powers and gets revenge on those who tormented her.
It is one of Stephen King’s masterpieces on horror. ‘It’ tells the story of an evil entity who kills children by coming in the form of what they feared most. A group of seven-year-olds, who call themselves the Losers club decide to come together and get rid of the evil once and for all.
The Dark Tower Series is a dark fantasy masterpiece created by Stephen King. The 8 part series book was published across a span of forty years, and it tells the story of a gunslinger, Roland, who pursues The Man In Black in a universe that is a combination of J.R.R Tolkien’s Middle-earth and the American Wild West.
11/22/63Â is a time-traveling novel that tells the tale of a time traveler who attempts to prevent the death of the United States president John F Kennedy a tragedy that occurred on November 22, 1963.
Short Stories – Throughout his career, Stephen King has written more than 200 short stories with names like “Night Shift,” “Different Seasons,” “Skeleton Crew,” “Just After Sunset,” and “Everything’s Eventual.”
Early Life
Stephen King was born to a merchant seaman father, Donald Edwin King, and Nellie Ruth King, who married on July 23, 1939. Stephen had an older brother named David.
Stephen King spent his early childhood moving from one place to another as his family frequently moved due to the financial strain his mother faced after his father left when he was only two. They moved to many places like Chicago; Stanford, Connecticut; West De Pere, Wisconsin; Fort Wayne, Indiana; and Walden, Massachusetts. Finally, they settled in Durham, Maine, where Stephen King’s maternal parents were; Stephen was eleven at the time.
Stephen King attended Durham Elementary school and went to Lisbon Falls High School, where he got his diploma in 1966. Stephen King showed great interest in horror while still in high school as he contributed stories to the newspaper his brother published with a mimeograph machine.
Finally, in 1966, Stephen entered the University of Maine, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1970. He met his then-to-be wife, Tabitha Spruce in 1969, and on January 2, 1971, they got married.
Literary Career
After graduating from the University of Maine, Stephen could not get a teaching job early though he had gotten a teaching certificate. To supplement his laboring wages, Stephen King sold short stories to men’s magazines. Later in 1971, he got a teaching job in Hampden Academy, Maine. Though he worked as a teacher, Stephen King continued selling his short stories to various magazines and worked on his novel ideas. Though he created the draft for his novels, The Long Walk and Sword In The Darkness, they were never published at the time.
Eventually, Stephen King got a break when his novel Carrie, was chosen for publication by Doubleday. The official message of his book publication read: “Carrie Officially A Doubleday Book. $2,500 Advance Against Royalties. Congrats, Kid – The Future Lies Ahead, Bill.” Carrie propelled Stephen King’s career as the book’s paper right was bought by the New American Library for four hundred thousand dollars.
Stephen King published other books like Salem’s Lot in 1975, The Shining, which he wrote after the death of his mother in 1977, and The Stand in 1978. After the birth of his third child, Stephen traveled to England and returned the same year, becoming a creative writing teacher at the University of Maine.
In 1985, Stephen King wrote for a comic medium writing a few pages of X-Men alongside renowned comic writers like Stan Lee, Alan Moore, and Chris Claremont. In 1986, Stephen King published It, a book that became the best-selling hard copy book of America 1986.
Legacy
With more than 350 million copies of his books sold worldwide, over 62 novels, 200 short stories, and many awards, Stephen King’s impact on the writing world has, without doubt, created a legacy that has had an impact on the world of pop culture, literature, and film adaptations.
Stephen King’s books became a beacon that defined many things, including the horrors of childhood, the horrors of teenage years, the horrors of life, and the horrors of society.
Stephen King’s books are defined by his explicit attention to detail, which gives his writing life and form.
Literature by Stephen King
Explore literature by Stephen King below, created by the team at Book Analysis.