Stephen King is a very big writer of American Literature. He has become very successful over the years, and he is a household name across the world. His books have inspired lots of different films within the horror genre.
Just like how J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series has influenced the media industry through movies, games, and other wonderful creations we know and love.
Stephen King is seen as one of the greatest novelists in recent years, and he has gained lots of attention for his ability to write a great novel that masters suspense, fantasy and sci-fi. He has been writing for more than half a century, prompting some to call him an immortal legend in the horror literature industry.
Stephen King has written over 60 books over the years, including the very famous ‘It’ and ‘The Shining’.
How Many Books Has Stephen King Written?
Stephen King has published 64 novels overall. Seven of these are under the name Richard Bachman, the pen name. He has also written 5 non-fiction books. Stephen King has also written around 200 short stories, some of which are quite…short.
These have been published in various different book collections.
What Was Stephen King’s Early Life Like?
Stephen King was born in Main in 1947. He was born to the sea merchant Donald King and Nellie Ruth. When King was still very young, his father left his family, and his family began to struggle financially.
King went to Durham Elementary School and then to Lisbon Falls High. During this time, he fell in love with writing. He had a short story that he wrote at school published in a comic book in 1965.
This story was entitled ‘I Was A Teenage Grave Robber’ and it was a 6000 word short story.
King continued writing throughout his childhood and teenage years, and he was given the Scholastic Art and Writing Award.
King went on to the University of Maine, and in 1970, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English. He continued writing throughout his studies, and then began to try to establish himself as a writer when he left.
King’s first job was at a laundry shop, although he continued to write alongside this job to make a name for himself.
Stephen King’s Writing Career
Stephen King went on to write a staggering 64 successful books. He had a very successful writing career, and this began with the 1974 book: Carrie.
Carrie
In 1974, King published Carrie. This was his first successful novel, and it told the story of a bullied teenager. She developed a telekinetic power that allows her to attack everyone who had done her wrong in the past.
This film has been made into a movie twice – once in 1976, and again in 2013.
The Shining
The Shining, written by King in 1977, was a very critically acclaimed novel that set him aside as one of the most successful writers of the time. This book was published just 3 years after Carrie.
It follows a young boy with strong psychic powers as he understands the horror that lies in the hotel’s past that his parents had been staying in.
This novel made Stephen King into the popular man that he is today, setting him aside as one of the most beloved horror writers of his time.
Stephen King’s Accomplishments
Stephen King is a very successful writer who has made huge changes to the world of fantasy and science fiction (If you like his sci-fi works, also check out the best Robert Heinlein Books). He has sold over 340 million copies of his novels across the world and these books have been turned into films, comic books, and TV series.
Stephen King won the Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2002. He was given this award as a reward for his contribution to the genre of horror in literature.
Although this was his most successful award, he has also been awarded numerous other Bram Stoker awards. He has won the best fiction collection award, the best novel award, and the best long and short fiction award.
In 2003, Stephen King was awarded the Medal of Distinguished Contribution. This was awarded to him by the National Book Awards. This award first came about in 1936.
King also received the National Medal of Arts. In 2015 he received this medal, which was given to him by Barack Obama. He also wasn’t the only thriller/horror author to receive an award by a US president. James Patterson’s book series also led to an award granted by then-president Donald Trump. How many books has James Patterson written, you ask? Quite a lot!
Why Is King So Into Horror?
Many people believe that King is so into writing horror stories because he grew up reading H.P Lovecraft. He also read some other famous authors of the era, all of which impacted King to read horror.
Some believe that King has experienced trauma in his early years which explains why he is so fascinated with horror.
What’s not be fascinated with, after all? Horror is an incredibly profound genre that’s as exciting as it is breath-taking and eery. Take the Five Nights at Freddy’s collection of anthologies, for instance. That’s creepy horror, right there!
Who Influenced Stephen King?
H.P Lovecraft, a horror and fantasy writer, was a big inspiration for King. He has stated that he is influenced by authors like Don Robertson and Elmore Leonard.
When Stephen King was a young boy, he watched his friend get hit by a train. The boy did not survive. King has stated lots of times that he doesn’t recall the event. This is believed to have had an impact on his writing.
Facts About Stephen King
- Stephen has written some stories for the X Men comics. Stan Lee and Chris Claremont have also contributed to the comics that were published in ‘Heroes For Hope Starring The X-Men’. Any of the profits that were generated from these comics were donated to charity.
- King supports the Boston Red Sox.
- The novel ‘Carrie’ was originally intended to be a short story which would be published in Cavalier magazine. However, his wife encouraged him to keep writing it. He received £2500 from the publishing house for this story.
- King was raised as a Methodist. He was very religious as a child, but he lost a lot of this faith in his teens. Later in life, he indicated that he was an agnostic, although he never actually said it.
Final Thoughts
Stephen King is a huge American horror writer. He is very successful and his books have inspired lots of different films. He has written many books, short stories and comics over the years.
Goosebumps by R.L. Stine is another highly-successful horror book series that you might want to check out, especially if you’re looking to introduce your little on in the macabre world of literary horror. Stine has also authored Fear Street, which you might have come across on Netflix!
I have been reading books for as long as I can remember, and have fallen deeply in love with more books than I can count!
With this site, I hope that you can find a novel to get you out of a reading slump, or to get you hooked on a series. So, pick up one of our recommendations today. I promise you that you won’t regret it!
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