The stories of the "king of horror" – a title that has been rightfully attributed to him, given his literary work - revolve around people who experience terrifying, usually supernatural experiences and around the terror that lurks behind simple, everyday things.

But let's get to know our author a little better!

The dysfunctional family environment

Stephen King was born in Portland, Maine, on September 21, 1947. His father abandoned his mother, his brother, and himself when he was only 2 years old, a fact that significantly influenced his psyche and his literary work. Perhaps that's why he so often connects the motif of the dysfunctional family in his work, with absent or present parental figures in a suffocating degree.

His first literary success

His stories had already been published in magazines and newspapers, at the same time he was trying to write the book “Carrie”. Disappointed by his multiple attempts, he threw the manuscript of his first book “Carrie” in the trash. If his wife, Tabitha, hadn't picked up the pages and convinced him to give the work another chance, one of his most popular books - which defined his international career - would never have been published. So, King, with Tabitha's help, convincingly captured the female psyche required by the work, resulting in the book being first published on April 5, 1974, attributing to the author huge artistic and commercial success, with sales skyrocketing. 

Problems with Alcohol and Drug Use

During the 80s, the tremendous success that the author experienced led him to become addicted to alcohol and drugs. Once again, his wife appeared as his savior, as she was the driving force that motivated him to overcome his addictions.

Through his famous works "The Shining / H Λάμψη" and "Misery / Μίζερι," the author often depicts his own abuses, turning his fear of becoming a bad father into fiction.

What terrifies the "king of horror"

The so-called triskaidekaphobia is the name of a phobia, in which the number 13 causes terror. It is interesting that the author of the most terrifying stories is himself superstitious about the number 13. So, King, fearing the number 13, does not close a book if its page is the 13th or a multiple of 13, and he does not stop walking if he has exactly taken 13 steps.

Record Cinematic Adaptations

Stephen King rightfully holds the record for the most cinematic adaptations of books by a single author. Even if someone hasn't read his novels, they have surely watched a film adaptation of his works, the most famous of which are "It" and "The Shining", movies with the highest worldwide box office revenues.

Discover all the literature of the author here!