# Stephen King

> A Maine schoolteacher whose first novel, Carrie, let him write full time, he has published more than sixty books, some as Richard Bachman, and about a third of his fiction has been adapted for the screen.

- Novelist · Carrie · It · The Shining · The Dark Tower
- Known for: Horror and suspense novels from *Carrie* (1974) to *It* and *The Shining*, the Dark Tower series and the Bill Hodges crime novels.[9] Encyclopaedia Britannica credits his books with reviving horror fiction in the late 20th century.[11]
- Born: September 21, 1947
- Last updated: 2026-11-14
- Editorial review: approved 2026-11-14
- Web page: https://authorbackstories.com/authors/stephen-king/
- Reading list (PDF): https://authorbackstories.com/authors/stephen-king/reading-list.pdf

## Featured book: Newest book

*Other Worlds Than These* (2026). The third and last Talisman novel, written with Peter Straub, who died in 2022, and published by Scribner on October 6, 2026.[3][4] Before he died, Straub sent King an idea for a new Jack Sawyer novel.[6]

## At a glance

- Born: Stephen Edwin King, September 21, 1947, in Portland, Maine[9]
- Education: University of Maine at Orono, B.A. in English, 1970[1]
- Before writing full time: Industrial laundry worker; high school English teacher at Hampden Academy[1]
- Pen name: Richard Bachman[8][10]
- Married: The novelist Tabitha King, in January 1971[1][5]
- Major award: Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters (National Book Foundation), 2003[1]
- Major award: Edgar Award for Best Novel, 2015, for *Mr. Mercedes*[16]

## Stephen King's Backstory

### Early life

Stephen Edwin King was born in Portland, Maine, on September 21, 1947, the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King.[9][1] His parents separated when he was a toddler, and his mother raised him and his older brother, David, partly in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Stratford, Connecticut, before the family returned for good to Durham, Maine, when he was eleven.[1] He graduated from Lisbon Falls High School in 1966 and earned a B.A. in English at the University of Maine at Orono in 1970, writing a weekly column for the student newspaper.[1] His first professional story sale, "The Glass Floor," appeared in 1967.[1]

### Teaching and Carrie

He married Tabitha Spruce, whom he met at the university library, in January 1971.[1] While he looked for a teaching job he worked in an industrial laundry, and in the fall of 1971 he began teaching high-school English at Hampden Academy, selling stories to men's magazines on the side.[1] Doubleday accepted his novel *Carrie* in the spring of 1973 for a $2,500 advance; the paperback rights later sold for $400,000, which let him leave teaching to write full time.[12][1] *Carrie* was published in the spring of 1974, and the family spent the following year in Boulder, Colorado, where he wrote *The Shining*.[1]

### Richard Bachman

Beginning with *Rage* in 1977, he published several novels under the name Richard Bachman.[8] He confirmed in 1985 that he was Bachman, after a reader contacted his publisher about the similarity in style, and that year he published the first four Bachman novels under his own name as *The Bachman Books*.[10][11] Later books also appeared as Bachman, among them *The Regulators* (1996) and *Blaze* (2007).[8]

### Career

From the late 1970s he published novels, story collections and novellas at a steady pace, among them *The Stand*, *It*, *Misery* and the seven-book Dark Tower series, completed in 2004.[8] He has written with other authors: *The Talisman* and *Black House* with Peter Straub, *Sleeping Beauties* with his son Owen King, and the Gwendy books with Richard Chizmar.[8] In 2014 he began a crime trilogy with *Mr. Mercedes*, which won the Edgar Award for Best Novel in 2015; the Mystery Writers of America had named him a Grand Master in 2007.[16][17] In 2003 he received the National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.[1] He also directed one film, *Maximum Overdrive* (1985).[1]

### The accident and On Writing

On June 19, 1999, he was struck by a van while walking on the shoulder of Route 5 in Lovell, Maine; his injuries included a collapsed lung, a broken hip and multiple leg fractures that needed several operations.[13] While he recovered he finished *On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft*, published in 2000, which includes his account of the accident.[14][13] AARP notes that he struggled with alcohol for years and has been sober for decades.[15]

### Recent work

His recent books include the Holly Gibney novel *Never Flinch* (2025) and *Hansel and Gretel* (2025), a retelling illustrated with art by Maurice Sendak.[5][2] In October 2026 Scribner published *Other Worlds Than These*, the final Talisman novel, completed after Straub's death in 2022.[3][4] He lives in Maine with his wife, the novelist Tabitha King.[5]

## Fun facts

- His first professional sale was a short story, "The Glass Floor," published in *Startling Mystery Stories* in 1967.[1]
- Doubleday paid a $2,500 advance for *Carrie*; the paperback rights later sold for $400,000.[12]
- He wrote *The Shining* during a year the family spent in Boulder, Colorado.[1]
- He directed one film, *Maximum Overdrive* (1985), from his own screenplay based on his story "Trucks."[1]
- He called Rob Reiner's *Stand by Me* "the best film ever made out of anything I've written."[18]
- The Mystery Writers of America made him a Grand Master in 2007, eight years before his Edgar for Best Novel.[17]
- About a third of his novels, novellas and short stories have been adapted for the screen, according to a 2020 tally published by Yahoo News.[19]

## Books

In order of first publication; each series is kept together in reading order.

Titles and years from Wikipedia's Stephen King bibliography, with books from 2025 and 2026 from the publisher and stephenking.com.[8][5][3][2]

- 1974: *Carrie* (Novel). His first published novel; Doubleday paid a $2,500 advance.[12] ISBN 9781984898104. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781984898104) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781984898104)
- 1975: *'Salem's Lot* (Novel). ISBN 9780345806796. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9780345806796) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9780345806796)
- 1977: *Rage* (Novel). Published under the pen name Richard Bachman.[8] [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Rage%20Stephen%20King)
- **The Shining** (series, 2 books, 1977–2013)
  - 1977: *The Shining* (Novel). Written during a year in Boulder, Colorado.[1] ISBN 9780345806789. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9780345806789) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9780345806789)
  - 2013: *Doctor Sleep* (Novel). ISBN 9781451698855. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781451698855) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781451698855)
- 1978: *Night Shift* (Story collection). ISBN 9780307947291. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9780307947291) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9780307947291)
- 1978: *The Stand* (Novel). ISBN 9780307947307. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9780307947307) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9780307947307)
- 1979: *The Dead Zone* (Novel). ISBN 9781668094754. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781668094754) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781668094754)
- 1979: *The Long Walk* (Novel). Published under the pen name Richard Bachman.[8] ISBN 9781501144264. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501144264) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501144264)
- 1980: *Firestarter* (Novel). ISBN 9781668094747. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781668094747) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781668094747)
- 1981: *Cujo* (Novel). ISBN 9781668075777. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781668075777) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781668075777)
- 1981: *Danse Macabre* (Nonfiction). ISBN 9781439170984. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781439170984) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781439170984)
- 1981: *Roadwork* (Novel). Published under the pen name Richard Bachman.[8] ISBN 9781501192210. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501192210) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501192210)
- 1982: *Different Seasons* (Story collection). ISBN 9781501143489. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501143489) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501143489)
- **The Dark Tower** (series, 8 books, 1982–2012)
  - 1982: Book 1, *The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger* (Novel). ISBN 9781501143519. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501143519) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501143519)
  - 1987: Book 2, *The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three* (Novel). ISBN 9781501143533. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501143533) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501143533)
  - 1991: Book 3, *The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands* (Novel). ISBN 9781501143540. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501143540) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501143540)
  - 1997: Book 4, *The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass* (Novel). ISBN 9781501143557. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501143557) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501143557)
  - 2012: Book 4.5, *The Dark Tower: The Wind Through the Keyhole* (Novel). ISBN 9781501166228. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501166228) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501166228)
  - 2003: Book 5, *The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla* (Novel). ISBN 9780743251624. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9780743251624) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9780743251624)
  - 2004: Book 6, *The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah* (Novel). ISBN 9780743254557. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9780743254557) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9780743254557)
  - 2004: Book 7, *The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower* (Novel). ISBN 9780743254564. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9780743254564) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9780743254564)
- 1982: *The Running Man* (Novel). Published under the pen name Richard Bachman.[8] ISBN 9781501144516. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501144516) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501144516)
- 1983: *Christine* (Novel). ISBN 9781668075784. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781668075784) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781668075784)
- 1983: *Cycle of the Werewolf* (Novella). ISBN 9781501177224. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501177224) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501177224)
- 1983: *Pet Sematary* (Novel). ISBN 9781668075760. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781668075760) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781668075760)
- 1984: *The Eyes of the Dragon* (Novel). ISBN 9781501192203. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501192203) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501192203)
- **The Talisman** (series, 3 books, 1984–2026). Written with Peter Straub.[4]
  - 1984: Book 1, *The Talisman* (Novel, with Peter Straub). ISBN 9781501192272. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501192272) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501192272)
  - 2001: Book 2, *Black House* (Novel, with Peter Straub). ISBN 9781501192296. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501192296) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501192296)
  - 2026: Book 3, *Other Worlds Than These* (Novel, with Peter Straub). The last Talisman novel, published October 6, 2026.[3] ISBN 9781668233092. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781668233092) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781668233092)
- 1984: *Thinner* (Novel). Published under the pen name Richard Bachman.[8] ISBN 9781501144523. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501144523) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501144523)
- 1985: *Skeleton Crew* (Story collection). ISBN 9781501143502. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501143502) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501143502)
- 1986: *It* (Novel). ISBN 9781501142970. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501142970) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501142970)
- 1987: *Misery* (Novel). ISBN 9781501143106. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501143106) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501143106)
- 1987: *The Tommyknockers* (Novel). ISBN 9781501144288. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501144288) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501144288)
- 1988: *Nightmares in the Sky* (Nonfiction). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Nightmares%20in%20the%20Sky%20Stephen%20King)
- 1989: *The Dark Half* (Novel). ISBN 9781501144196. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501144196) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501144196)
- 1990: *Four Past Midnight* (Story collection). ISBN 9781501143496. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501143496) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501143496)
- 1991: *Needful Things* (Novel). ISBN 9781501147418. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501147418) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501147418)
- 1992: *Dolores Claiborne* (Novel). ISBN 9781501147425. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501147425) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501147425)
- 1992: *Gerald's Game* (Novel). ISBN 9781501144202. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501144202) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501144202)
- 1993: *Nightmares & Dreamscapes* (Story collection). ISBN 9781501192036. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501192036) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501192036)
- 1994: *Insomnia* (Novel). ISBN 9781501144226. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501144226) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501144226)
- 1995: *Rose Madder* (Novel). ISBN 9781501192302. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501192302) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501192302)
- 1996: *Desperation* (Novel). ISBN 9781501192234. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501192234) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501192234)
- 1996: *The Green Mile* (Novel). ISBN 9781501160448. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501160448) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501160448)
- 1996: *The Regulators* (Novel). Published under the pen name Richard Bachman.[8] ISBN 9781501144271. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501144271) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501144271)
- 1998: *Bag of Bones* (Novel). ISBN 9781501198892. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501198892) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501198892)
- 1999: *Hearts in Atlantis* (Story collection). ISBN 9781501195976. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501195976) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501195976)
- 1999: *The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon* (Novel). ISBN 9781501157516. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501157516) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501157516)
- 2000: *On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft* (Memoir). Written partly while he recovered from being struck by a van in 1999.[14] ISBN 9781982159375. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781982159375) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781982159375)
- 2000: *Secret Windows* (Nonfiction). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Secret%20Windows%20Stephen%20King)
- 2001: *Dreamcatcher* (Novel). ISBN 9781501192227. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501192227) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501192227)
- 2002: *Everything's Eventual* (Story collection). ISBN 9781501197963. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501197963) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501197963)
- 2002: *From a Buick 8* (Novel). ISBN 9781668234044. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781668234044) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781668234044)
- 2004: *Faithful* (Nonfiction, with Stewart O'Nan). ISBN 9780743267533. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9780743267533) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9780743267533)
- 2005: *The Colorado Kid* (Novel). ISBN 9781789091557. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781789091557) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781789091557)
- 2006: *Cell* (Novel). ISBN 9781668234068. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781668234068) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781668234068)
- 2006: *Lisey's Story* (Novel). ISBN 9781501138256. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501138256) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501138256)
- 2007: *Blaze* (Novel). Published under the pen name Richard Bachman.[8] ISBN 9781501195914. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501195914) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501195914)
- 2008: *Duma Key* (Novel). ISBN 9781501192258. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501192258) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501192258)
- 2008: *Just After Sunset* (Story collection). ISBN 9781501197659. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501197659) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501197659)
- 2009: *Under the Dome* (Novel). ISBN 9781439149034. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781439149034) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781439149034)
- 2010: *Full Dark, No Stars* (Story collection). ISBN 9781501197949. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501197949) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501197949)
- 2011: *11/22/63* (Novel). ISBN 9781451627299. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781451627299) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781451627299)
- 2013: *Joyland* (Novel). ISBN 9781781162644. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781781162644) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781781162644)
- **Bill Hodges** (series, 3 books, 2014–2016). Holly Gibney, from these books, returns in *Holly* and *Never Flinch*.[5]
  - 2014: Book 1, *Mr. Mercedes* (Novel). Won the 2015 Edgar Award for Best Novel.[16] ISBN 9781476754475. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781476754475) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781476754475)
  - 2015: Book 2, *Finders Keepers* (Novel). ISBN 9781501100123. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501100123) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501100123)
  - 2016: Book 3, *End of Watch* (Novel). ISBN 9781501190377. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501190377) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501190377)
- 2014: *Revival* (Novel). ISBN 9781476770390. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781476770390) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781476770390)
- 2015: *The Bazaar of Bad Dreams* (Story collection). ISBN 9781501197956. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501197956) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501197956)
- **Gwendy** (series, 2 books, 2017–2022)
  - 2017: *Gwendy's Button Box* (Novella, with Richard Chizmar). ISBN 9781501188299. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501188299) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501188299)
  - 2022: *Gwendy's Final Task* (Novel, with Richard Chizmar). ISBN 9781982191559. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781982191559) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781982191559)
- 2017: *Sleeping Beauties* (Novel, with Owen King). ISBN 9781501163418. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501163418) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501163418)
- 2018: *Elevation* (Novella). ISBN 9781982102326. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781982102326) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781982102326)
- 2018: *The Outsider* (Novel). ISBN 9781501181009. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781501181009) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781501181009)
- 2019: *The Institute* (Novel). ISBN 9781982110581. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781982110581) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781982110581)
- 2020: *If It Bleeds* (Story collection). ISBN 9781982137984. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781982137984) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781982137984)
- 2021: *Billy Summers* (Novel). ISBN 9781982173623. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781982173623) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781982173623)
- 2021: *Later* (Novel). ISBN 9781789096491. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781789096491) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781789096491)
- 2022: *Fairy Tale* (Novel). ISBN 9781668002193. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781668002193) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781668002193)
- 2023: *Holly* (Novel). ISBN 9781668014943. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781668014943) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781668014943)
- 2024: *You Like It Darker* (Story collection). ISBN 9781668037720. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781668037720) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781668037720)
- 2025: *Hansel and Gretel* (Children's book, illustrated by Maurice Sendak). A retelling of the Grimm tale, made with the Maurice Sendak Foundation.[2] ISBN 9780062644695. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9780062644695) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9780062644695)
- 2025: *Never Flinch* (Novel). A Holly Gibney novel.[5] ISBN 9781668089330. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781668089330) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781668089330)

## Latest news

- Oct. 6, 2026: Scribner published *Other Worlds Than These*, the final Talisman novel by King and the late Peter Straub, which also brings in the world of the Dark Tower.[3][4]
- Feb. 10, 2026: Hodder & Stoughton announced that it would publish *Other Worlds Than These* in Britain on October 6, 2026.[7]

## Adaptations and other media

### Film

- *Carrie* (1976). Based on *Carrie*. Brian De Palma's film; Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie were both nominated for Academy Awards.[18]
- *The Shining* (1980). Based on *The Shining*. Stanley Kubrick's film; King disliked the liberties it took with his novel.[18]
- *The Dead Zone* (1983). Based on *The Dead Zone*. David Cronenberg directed Christopher Walken as a teacher who wakes from a coma with psychic powers.[18]
- *Stand by Me* (1986). Rob Reiner's film of the novella *The Body*; King called it "the best film ever made out of anything I've written."[18]
- *Misery* (1990). Based on *Misery*. Rob Reiner directed; Kathy Bates won an Academy Award as Annie Wilkes.[18]
- *The Shawshank Redemption* (1994). Frank Darabont's film of the novella *Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption*; the BFI notes it flopped in theaters but became the most-rented film of 1995.[18]
- *The Green Mile* (1999). Based on *The Green Mile*. Frank Darabont directed Tom Hanks as a death-row guard; its worldwide gross was $286.8 million.[18][19]
- *It and It Chapter Two* (2017–2019). Based on *It*. Andrés Muschietti's two films are the highest-grossing King adaptations, at $701.7 million and $473 million worldwide.[19]
- *The Dark Tower* (2017). Based on *The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger*. Nikolaj Arcel's film grossed $113.2 million worldwide.[19]

### Television

- *'Salem's Lot* (1979). Based on *'Salem's Lot*. Tobe Hooper directed this miniseries, with James Mason as the antiques dealer Richard Straker.[18]

## Timeline

- Sept. 21, 1947: Born in Portland, Maine.[9]
- 1970: Graduates from the University of Maine at Orono.[1]
- January 1971: Marries Tabitha Spruce; that fall he begins teaching English at Hampden Academy.[1]
- Spring 1973: Doubleday accepts *Carrie*.[1]
- Spring 1974: *Carrie* is published.[1]
- 1985: Confirms that he is Richard Bachman after a reader notices the similarity in style.[10]
- June 19, 1999: Struck by a van while walking on Route 5 in Lovell, Maine.[13]
- 2000: Publishes *On Writing*, finished during his recovery.[14]
- 2003: Receives the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.[1]
- April 29, 2015: *Mr. Mercedes* wins the Edgar Award for Best Novel.[16]
- Oct. 6, 2026: *Other Worlds Than These* completes the Talisman trilogy.[3]

## What's next

*Other Worlds Than These*, published in October 2026, is his newest book.[3]

## Sources

1. [Stephen King biography](https://stephenking.com/promo/utd_widget/author_bio/bio.html). stephenking.com (official site). (primary record)
2. [New Releases](https://stephenking.com/new-releases). stephenking.com (official site). (primary record)
3. [Other Worlds Than These](https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Other-Worlds-Than-These/Stephen-King/The-Talisman-Novels/9781668233092). Simon & Schuster. (primary record)
4. [Other Worlds Than These (audiobook)](https://www.simonandschuster.ca/books/Other-Worlds-Than-These/Stephen-King/The-Talisman-Trilogy/9781668171578). Simon & Schuster Canada. (primary record)
5. [Never Flinch](https://simonandschuster.ca/books/Never-Flinch/Stephen-King/9781668089330). Simon & Schuster Canada. (primary record)
6. [Stephen King and Peter Straub's last Talisman novel to be published by Hodder](https://www.thebookseller.com/rights/stephen-king-and-peter-straubs-last-talisman-novel-to-be-published-by-hodder). The Bookseller. (news)
7. [Hodder & Stoughton to publish Other Worlds Than These](https://stephenkingbooks.co.uk/?p=3318). Hodder & Stoughton (Stephen King Books UK). (primary record)
8. [Stephen King bibliography](https://wiki.riteme.site/wiki/King-Verse). Wikipedia (mirror). (reference)
9. [Stephen King](https://www.biography.com/author/stephen-king). Biography.com. (reference)
10. [Stephen King biography](https://www.biography.com/people/stephen-king-9365136). Biography.com. (reference)
11. [Stephen King](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Stephen-King). Encyclopaedia Britannica. (reference)
12. [Stephen King](https://ebsco.com/research-starters/biography/stephen-king). EBSCO Research Starters. (reference)
13. [On crash anniversary, King focuses on happier memories](https://newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/on-crash-anniversary-king-focuses-on-happier-memories/97-450285158). NEWS CENTER Maine. (news)
14. [Stephen King: The 'Craft' Of Writing Horror Stories](https://www.npr.org/transcripts/128239303). NPR. (news)
15. [10 Surprising Facts About Stephen King](https://www.aarp.org/entertainment/books/stephen-king-facts/). AARP. (news)
16. [2015 Edgar Awards Winners](https://locusmag.com/2015/04/2015-edgar-awards-winners). Locus. (news)
17. [Stephen King wins Edgar for best mystery novel](https://www.pressherald.com/2015/04/30/stephen-king-wins-edgar-for-best-mystery-novel/). Portland Press Herald (AP). (news)
18. [10 great Stephen King adaptations](https://www.bfi.org.uk/lists/10-great-stephen-king-adaptations). British Film Institute. (reference)
19. [The 20 highest-grossing Stephen King movies, ranked](https://ca.news.yahoo.com/20-highest-grossing-stephen-king-220100544.html). Yahoo News. (news)