King, Stephen

King, Stephen, 1947–, American writer, b. Portland, Maine. He writes horror stories influenced by the 19th-century Gothic tradition, especially that of Edgar Allan Poe. His novels, short stories, screenplays, and essays have made him one of the best-selling authors in the world. King takes everyday situations and experiences and reveals their macabre and horrific potential. Noted for their cinematic style, many of his novels and stories have been turned into successful motion pictures, some with screenplays by King, e.g., Pet Sematary (1989, film 1992). His novels include Carrie (1974, film 1976), The Shining (1977, film 1980), Misery (1987, film 1990), Needful Things (1991, film 1993), Dolores Claiborne (1992, film 1995), Rose Madder (1995), Bag of Bones (1998), Dreamcatcher (2001, film 2003), a seven-volume fantasy series entitled The Dark Tower (1982–2004), and Cell and Lisey's Story (both: 2006). His novella Riding the Bullet (2000, film 2004) was released as an electronic entity, to be read on an e-book reader, personal digital assistant, or computer, and a subsequent novel, The Plant, was electronically self-published and released in installments on the Internet beginning in 2000. In his nonfiction On Writing (2000), King describes his life, his craft, and a near-fatal accident.

---

King, Stephen (Edwin)

(born Sept. 21, 1947, Portland, Maine, U.S.) U.S. writer. Educated at the University of Maine, he wrote a number of enormously popular books, which made him one of the world's best-selling writers. His books blend horror, the macabre, fantasy, and science fiction. Carrie (1974; film 1976), his first published novel and an immediate success, was followed by a long string of popular books, including The Shining (1977; film, 1980; television miniseries, 1997), The Dead Zone (1979; film, 1983), Pet Sematary (1983; film, 1989), and Misery (1987; film, 1990). Most of his novels have been adapted for television or film, and most have been translated into many languages.

---

King, Stephen (Edwin) (Steve King, Richard Bachman, John Swithen, pen names) (1947–  ) writer; born in Portland, Maine. He graduated from his state university and continued to live in Maine, at first supporting himself with odd jobs while establishing his writing career. The success of his first horror novel, Carrie (1974), enabled him to publish earlier work under the pseudonym Richard Bachman (1977–84), a ploy which disguised the true extent of his prolific output of novels, short stories, and screenplays until the ruse became public knowledge and he abandoned it. His own name became synonymous with best-selling novels blending horror, fantasy, and science fiction into a consistently scary mix. His books sold more than one hundred million copies worldwide and included Salem's Lot (1975), The Shining (1977), The Dead Zone (1979), Misery (1987), Needful Things (1991), and Gerald's Game (1992). Several were made into successful movies and he himself tried his hand at directing movies.