Stephen King Facts: Stephen King, the master of horror and suspense, has a fascinating array of facts surrounding his life and work. One intriguing fact is that King’s debut novel, “Carrie,” almost didn’t see the light of day. Frustrated with the story, King threw the manuscript in the trash, but his wife, Tabitha, retrieved it and encouraged him to continue. This pivotal moment led to the publication of “Carrie” in 1974, which marked the beginning of King’s illustrious career as a best-selling author. Another captivating aspect of King’s life is his prolific writing routine. He is known for his dedication to writing, maintaining a daily goal of producing 2,000 words, even on holidays. This commitment has resulted in an impressive bibliography of over 60 novels and numerous short stories, making him one of the most prolific and influential writers of our time.
Beyond his literary achievements, Stephen King has also made several notable appearances in pop culture. For instance, he had a cameo role in the 1996 miniseries adaptation of his novel “The Shining,” and he played himself in episodes of popular TV shows like “The Simpsons” and “Sons of Anarchy.” Furthermore, King’s impact on the horror genre is so immense that his name has become synonymous with the style of storytelling he excels at—often referred to as “Stephen King-esque.” His unique ability to tap into the fears and anxieties of society, coupled with his captivating storytelling, has cemented Stephen King’s status as one of the most fascinating and enduring figures in modern literature.
Stephen King Facts
1- He’s written under two pen names: Richard Bachman and John Swithen
2- He tries to write a minimum of 2,000 words a day.
3- Stephen King is the 2003 recipient of The National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.
4- He has written approximately 200 short stories
5- King published seven novels (“”Rage””, “”The Long Walk””, “”Roadwork””, “”The Running Man””, “”Thinner””, “”The Regulators”” and “”Blaze””) under the pseudonym Richard Bachman.
6- He’s sold over 350 million copies of his books
7- He barely remembers writing his 1981 horror hit, Cujo
8- He also teamed up with Michael Jackson to make a short film called “Ghosts.”
9- According to Guinness Superlatives more of King’s books have been adapted into films than any other living author.
10- Horror director George A. Romero was one of King’s childhood heroes. The two are now close friends.
11- Portions of King’s writings from when he was 9 years old appears in the 1993 book, “”First Words””, edited by Paul Mandelbaum.
12- He’s written 48 novels, 84 short stories, and 16 novellas.
13- He Wrote A Musical With John Mellencamp.
14- Beginning in 2003 Stephen King began writing for Entertainment Weekly as a pop culture journalist
15- He’s a huge fan of the hit ABC TV show Lost (2004)
16- In 2015, King was awarded with a National Medal of Arts from the United States National Endowment for the Arts for his contributions to literature
17- He banned his own book, “Rage.
18- He Was Hit By A Car, Then Bought The Car That Hit Him
19- King holds the record for the most books on the New York Times Best Seller List at one time
20- He has an estimated annual salary of $40 million.
21- He used to work for a dry cleaner before publishing his first novel.
22- Stephen King has received Bram Stoker Awards, World Fantasy Awards, and British Fantasy Society Awards.
23- Stephen King used to write under a pseudonym—until he killed his alias.
24- Stephen King worked as an English teacher starting in 1971
25- He made many cameos in his film adaptations. Example: A minister in “Pet Sematary,” a pizza delivery guy in “Rose Red,” a cemetery caretaker in “Sleepwalkers” and many other small parts in his movies.
26- Stephen King Has A Fear Of Flying
27- Stephen King appeared in George Romeros film Knightriders as an enthusiastic audience member
28- Stephen King is in a band called The Rock Bottom Remainders with the other writers. Most nerdy thing ever happen to music. He plays rhythm guitar for the band”
29- Stephen King’s father, Donald Edwin King, was also a writer, though he wasn’t quite as successful as his son
30- Stephen King holds the record for the most film adaptations by a single author.
31- His house looks like it could be haunted
32- Stephen has been described as the “King of Horror”
33 His debut novel, “Carrie,” is one of the most banned books in U.S. Schools.”
34- Stephen King has more than 17,000 books in his personal library and has read almost all of them.
35- Two of his favorite bands are AC/DC and The Ramones
36- He’s a huge Boston Red Sox fan.
37- Stephen King was 2 when his father went out for cigarettes and never returned, leaving he and his older brother (adopted) to be raised by their mother.
38- Stephen King has over 22 film appearances on IMDB
39- Stephen wrote a music video for Michael Jackson
40- Stephen King started writing and submitting his short stories when he was 16
41- The Shawshank Redemption based on one of King’s stories became a smash hit
42- His childhood friend died after being struck by a train
43- he hates the Stanley Kubrick adaptation of The Shining
44- Stephen and his wife, Tabitha King, own a few radio stations.
45- One of King’s favorite TV shows is Breaking Bad
46- Stephen King wrote The Running Man in just 10 days.
47- Stephen King suffers from triskaidekaphobia
48- Of all his novels, King likes 1975’s ‘Salem’s Lot the best
