has also written some science fiction novels, but
they have all been media tie-ins.
King, Stephen (1947– )
The dominant position Stephen King holds in
modern horror is unparalleled, and he has at least
indirectly influenced the vast majority of writers
working in the genre. He has mixed science fic-
tion, fantasy, and supernatural themes so well that
some of his novels can be read differently depend-
ing on the bias of the reader. Carrie(1974), for ex-
ample, is either supernatural or science fiction,
depending upon the question of whether Carrie’s
powers derive from poltergeists or psychokinesis,
which King never answers. King’s popularity re-
sults from his storytelling skills, his gift for creating
memorable characters, and to some extent his tim-
ing. THE EXORCIST(1971), by William Peter Blatty,
and ROSEMARY’S BABY(1967), by Ira Levin, had al-
ready suggested that the reading public was inter-
ested in high-quality horror tales. At the time,
King was being published primarily under his
Richard Bachman pseudonym, under which he
wrote two thrillers and two science fiction novels,
but his switch to horror under his own name had
an enormous impact.
King began writing horror short stories in the
late 1960s, producing memorable pieces right from
the outset such as “The Mangler” (1972), “TRUCKS”
(1973), “Sometimes They Come Back” (1974), and
“CHILDREN OF THE CORN” (1977). Most of his early
short fiction was collected in Night Shift(1978) and
Skeleton Crew(1985). It was Carriethat first caught
the public eye, however, the story of an outcast
teenager with the ability to move physical objects by
willpower alone. It was the first of many of King’s
creations to be turned into a motion picture and is
still one of the most successful adaptations. ’SALEM’S
LOT(1975) made King an instant superstar, the
most important vampire novel since DRACULA
(1898) by Bram STOKER and still the ultimate
American vampire story.
King’s next novel, THE SHINING (1977), a
haunted house variation that maintains an excep-
tionally high level of tension, secured his popular-
ity, and his books have been best-sellers ever since.
His fondness for science fiction devices reasserted
itself in the massive The Stand(1978), which was
heavily abridged when first published but later re-
leased with the excised text restored. A new
plague wipes out the vast majority of the human
race, and the relatively few survivors face an even
more terrible danger when the Walking Dude, es-
sentially Satan, physically manifests himself in the
world and begins recruiting allies for a physical as
well as metaphysical battle. Major novels followed
quickly. The Dead Zone(1979) also skirted science
fiction. Its protagonist wakens from a coma to dis-
cover he has prescient dreams about a future
Armageddon. The child protagonist in Firestarter
(1980) can start fires just by thinking about them,
and the chief horror comes from an insane but
not supernatural government agent, a common de-
vice in King’s fiction. Although Cujo(1981) was
not as well received, CHRISTINE(1983) and PET
SEMATARY(1983) both continued to broaden his
readership. There was also a steady supply of shorter
works, including excellent tales such as “THE
CRATE” (1979), “THE MIST” (1980), and “THE RAFT”
(1983).
In 1984 King revived the Richard Bachman
pseudonym for Thinner,but his true identity soon
became common knowledge. With Peter STRAUBhe
wrote The Talisman(1984), an atypical work for
each of them that is a contemporary quest story in-
volving werewolves and other magical components.
A recent sequel, Black House(2001), is much better.
King’s most impressive novel from the mid-1980s
was IT(1986). Tommyknockers(1987), which is ac-
tually science fiction involving aliens, and The Dark
Half(1989), in which an imaginary character comes
to life, were both readable but not nearly as con-
vincing and intense as the novels that preceded
them. The early 1990s saw a succession of compara-
tively minor novels, Needful Things(1991), Insomnia
(1994), Rose Madder(1995), Desperation(1996),
and The Regulators(1996), although two nonfantas-
tic novels, Misery (1987) and Dolores Claiborne
(1992), proved that he was still capable of turning
out well-crafted, emotionally moving fiction. He
also continued to produce first-rate short fiction, al-
though not at his former pace, including major
works such as “The Library Policeman” (1991),
“The Langoliers” (1991), and “The Night Flier”
(1988). Four Past Midnight(1991) and NightmaresKing, Stephen 191