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Stephen King

スティーヴン・エドウィン・キング

Stephen King

Pen Names: Richard Bachman（Used to publish several early novels and experiment with a different authorial persona）, John Swithen（Pseudonym used for at least one early short story publication）, Beryl Evans（Used for a children's tie-in book (e.g. Charlie the Choo-Choo)）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1947-09-21 （Portland, Maine, U.S.）
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Religion
Raised Methodist (later non-practicing)
Residence History
Chicago, Illinois (family/relatives, childhood) → Croton-on-Hudson, New York (childhood) → Durham, Maine (childhood) → Auburn/Bangor, Maine (long-term residence) → Sarasota, Florida (winter home)

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Author
Active Years
1967-2025
Influenced By
Richard Matheson, Ray Bradbury, H. P. Lovecraft, Shirley Jackson, Mary Shelley and other classic Gothic/horror authors
Influenced
Contemporary authors including Colson Whitehead, Lauren Groff, Sherman Alexie, Junot Díaz, Authors such as Joe Hill (his son) and many writers influenced by his blending of the quotidian and超常

Education

University of Maine at Orono
Bachelor of Arts / English
Degree: Bachelor of Arts
Period: 1966–1970
Year of Graduation: 1970
Country: United States
Wrote for the student newspaper The Maine Campus; mentored by Burton Hatlen and others

Awards

O. Henry Award
1996
Work: The Man in the Black Suit
Organization: O. Henry Awards
Result: 受賞
Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller
2011
Work: 11/22/63
Category: ミステリ／スリラー
Organization: Los Angeles Times
Result: 受賞
Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters
2003
Organization: National Book Foundation
Result: 栄誉（功労賞）
Grand Master Award
2007
Organization: Mystery Writers of America
Result: 受賞
National Medal of Arts
2014
Organization: National Endowment for the Arts / U.S. government
Result: 受賞
Bram Stoker Award (Best Novel)
1987
Work: Misery
Category: 最優秀長編
Organization: Horror Writers Association
Result: 受賞
Hugo Award for Best Related Work
1982
Work: Danse Macabre
Organization: World Science Fiction Society
Result: 受賞
Edgar Award for Best Novel
2015
Work: Mr. Mercedes
Organization: Mystery Writers of America
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Carrie

1974 Horror 199 pages

The story of Carrie White, a bullied high-school girl who discovers telekinetic powers that culminate in violent revenge.

adolescencereligious repressionrevenge
Adaptations
  • [Film] Carrie / Brian De Palma (1976)

The Shining

1977 Gothic horror 447 pages

An alcoholic writer and his family serve as winter caretakers of an isolated hotel, where malevolent forces drive him toward madness.

isolationfamilial breakdownmadness
Adaptations
  • [Film] The Shining / Stanley Kubrick (1980)
  • [TV (miniseries)] The Shining (miniseries) (1997)

It

1986 Horror / Dark fantasy 1138 pages

A massive novel about a shape-shifting entity that embodies fears, haunting the town of Derry and affecting a group of children and then adults.

fear and memoryfriendship and traumasmall-town secrets
Adaptations
  • [TV (miniseries)] It (1990 miniseries) / Tommy Lee Wallace (1990)
  • [Film] It (2017) / Andy Muschietti (2017)

The Stand

1978 Post-apocalyptic / Horror 823 pages

An epic novel about a lethal pandemic and the ensuing struggle between good and evil among the survivors.

apocalypse and renewalstruggle of good vs evilcommunity
Adaptations
  • [TV (miniseries)] The Stand (1994 miniseries) (1994)

11/22/63

2011 Time travel / Historical fiction 849 pages

A man discovers a time portal and tries to prevent the assassination of JFK, exploring memory, fate, and midcentury America.

changing historyfate and consequencepersonal loss
Adaptations
  • [TV (miniseries)] 11.22.63 (Hulu miniseries) (2016)

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

2000 Memoir / Writing craft 288 pages

A mix of memoir and practical advice on the craft of writing.

craft of writingpersonal developmentpractical advice

Adaptations

  • Numerous novels and short stories adapted for film and television (Carrie, The Shining, The Shawshank Redemption, It, etc.)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Cinematic, image-driven realismColloquial voice with strong ear for dialogueCross-genre approach (not limited to horror)
Recurring Motifs
small-town life and its darknessfamily dynamics and breakdownloss and coming-of-agemeta-fictional exploration of authorship

Health

  • Addiction (cocaine and alcohol, historically)
    1970s–1980s
    Significantly affected personal life and writing; prompted intervention and treatment, and influenced themes (addiction metaphors) in some works.
  • Serious injuries from a 1999 road accident
    1999（事故発生）
    Sustained multiple fractures and collapsed lung in 1999, required surgeries and rehabilitation, temporarily impacted writing but later resumed work.

Legacy

A hugely influential writer whose work—while rooted in horror—spans genres and has shaped both popular literature and contemporary writers; numerous film and TV adaptations have embedded his work in American popular culture.

Museums

  • Stephen King Archive (planned) Bangor, Maine, U.S.

Academic Societies

  • Horror Writers Association (related)

Archives

  • University of Maine (holds some manuscripts/archives)

In Popular Culture

  • Extensive film and TV adaptations (Carrie, The Shining, The Shawshank Redemption, It, etc.)
  • Fictional Maine towns (Derry, Castle Rock) have become part of pop-culture lore

Quotes

  • Stories are found things, like fossils in the ground; the writer's job is to get as much of each one out of the ground intact as possible.
    Source: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (2000) (2000)

Trivia

  • Published several novels as Richard Bachman before being unmasked
  • His Bangor home is a local attraction and there are plans to convert it into an archive/writers' retreat
  • Two of his sons (Joe Hill, Owen King) are also authors