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Stephen King

Writing

Born September 21, 1947 · Portland, Maine, USA

Also known as Stephen Edwin King · John Swithen · Richard Bachman

Biography

Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. He is widely known for his horror novels and has been crowned the "King of Horror". He has also explored other genres: suspense, crime, science-fiction, fantasy, and mystery. Though known primarily for his novels, he has written approximately 200 short stories, most of which have been published in collections. His debut, Carrie (1974), established him in horror. Different Seasons (1982), a collection of four novellas, was his first major departure from the genre. Among the films adapted from King's fiction are Carrie (1976), The Shining (1980), The Dead Zone and Christine (both 1983), Stand by Me(1986), Misery (1990), The Shawshank Redemption (1994), Dolores Claiborne (1995), The Green Mile (1999), The Mist (2007), and It (2017). He has also published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman and has co-written works with other authors, notably his friend Peter Straub and sons Joe Hill and  Owen King. He has also written nonfiction, notably Danse Macabre (1981) and On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (2000). Among other awards, he has won the O. Henry Award for "The Man in the Black Suit" (1994) and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller for 11/22/63 (2011). He has also won honours for his overall contributions to literature, including the 2003 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, the 2007 Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America and the 2014 National Medal of Arts. Joyce Carol Oates called King "a brilliantly rooted, psychologically 'realistic' writer for whom the American scene has been a continuous source of inspiration, and American popular culture a vast cornucopia of possibilities." Description above from the Wikipedia article Stephen King, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Awards & recognition

  • Goodreads Choice Awards · 2019
  • Edgar Awards · 2016
  • Edgar Awards · 2015
  • Shirley Jackson AwardSingle-Author Collection · 2015
  • Hammett Prize · 2014
Show all 139 awards →
  • National Medal of Arts · 2014
  • Bram Stoker AwardNovel · 2013
  • Bram Stoker Awards · 2011
  • British Fantasy AwardBest Collection · 2011
  • Bram Stoker AwardBest Fiction Collection · 2010
  • Shirley Jackson Award · 2009
  • Bram Stoker AwardBest Fiction Collection · 2008
  • Bram Stoker AwardNovel · 2008
  • Edgar Awards · 2007
  • Bram Stoker AwardNovel · 2006
  • August Derleth Award · 2005
  • National Book Award · 2003
  • Bram Stoker AwardLifetime Achievement · 2002
  • Special Award of the Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire · 2002
  • Bram Stoker AwardBest Non-Fiction · 2000
  • Bram Stoker Awards · 2000
  • August Derleth Award · 1999
  • Locus AwardBest Horror Novel · 1999
  • Bram Stoker AwardNovel · 1998
  • Grand Prix de l'ImaginaireBest Essay · 1997
  • Locus AwardBest Horror Novel · 1997
  • Bram Stoker AwardNovel · 1996
  • O. Henry Award · 1996
  • World Fantasy AwardBest Short Fiction · 1995
  • World Horror Convention Grand Master Award · 1992
  • Bram Stoker AwardBest Fiction Collection · 1990
  • August Derleth Award · 1987
  • Bram Stoker AwardNovel · 1987
  • Locus AwardBest Collection · 1986
  • British Fantasy AwardBest Short Fiction · 1983
  • August Derleth Award · 1982
  • Hugo AwardBest Related Work · 1982
  • World Fantasy AwardBest Short Fiction · 1982
  • World Fantasy Convention Award · 1980
  • Locus AwardBest Horror Novel · 2026 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Collection · 2025 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Horror Novel · 2023 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Horror Novel · 2022 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Collection · 2021 · nominated
  • August Derleth AwardBest Horror Novel · 2020 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Horror Novel · 2020 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Horror Novel · 2019 · nominated
  • Bram Stoker AwardNovel · 2017 · nominated
  • Hugo AwardBest Novelette · 2016 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Novelette · 2016 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Fantasy Novel · 2016 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Fantasy Novel · 2015 · nominated
  • Grand Prix de l'ImaginaireBest Foreign Novel · 2014 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Fantasy Novel · 2014 · nominated
  • August Derleth AwardBest Horror Novel · 2012 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Science Fiction Novel · 2012 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Novelette · 2012 · nominated
  • Robert Holdstock AwardBest Fantasy Novel · 2012 · nominated
  • World Fantasy AwardBest Novel · 2012 · nominated
  • British Fantasy AwardBest Novella · 2011 · nominated
  • August Derleth Award · 2010 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Science Fiction Novel · 2010 · nominated
  • British Fantasy AwardBest Novella · 2009 · nominated
  • British Fantasy AwardBest Collection · 2009 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Short Story · 2008 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Fantasy Novel · 2007 · nominated
  • World Fantasy AwardBest Novel · 2007 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Fantasy Novel · 2005 · nominated
  • Bram Stoker AwardNovel · 2004 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Fantasy Novel · 2004 · nominated
  • Bram Stoker AwardNovel · 2003 · nominated
  • British Fantasy AwardBest Collection · 2003 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Collection · 2003 · nominated
  • Bram Stoker AwardNovel · 2002 · nominated
  • Bram Stoker AwardBest Fiction Collection · 2002 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Fantasy Novel · 2002 · nominated
  • Bram Stoker AwardNovel · 2001 · nominated
  • British Fantasy AwardBest Collection · 2000 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Collection · 2000 · nominated
  • Nebula AwardBest Script · 2000 · nominated
  • World Fantasy AwardBest Collection · 2000 · nominated
  • Bram Stoker AwardNovel · 1999 · nominated
  • Bram Stoker AwardBest Fiction Collection · 1999 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Novella · 1998 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Fantasy Novel · 1998 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Horror Novel · 1997 · nominated
  • Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Limited Miniseries · 1997 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Novelette · 1996 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Horror Novel · 1996 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Horror Novel · 1995 · nominated
  • Bram Stoker AwardNovel · 1994 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Novella · 1994 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Collection · 1994 · nominated
  • Bram Stoker AwardBest Fiction Collection · 1993 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Horror Novel · 1993 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Horror Novel · 1992 · nominated
  • Bram Stoker AwardNovel · 1991 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Collection · 1991 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Horror Novel · 1991 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Horror Novel · 1990 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Fantasy Novel · 1988 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Science Fiction Novel · 1988 · nominated
  • World Fantasy AwardBest Novel · 1988 · nominated
  • Golden Raspberry AwardWorst Director · 1987 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Fantasy Novel · 1987 · nominated
  • World Fantasy AwardBest Short Fiction · 1987 · nominated
  • World Fantasy AwardBest Novel · 1987 · nominated
  • World Fantasy AwardBest Collection · 1986 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Novella · 1985 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Fantasy Novel · 1985 · nominated
  • World Fantasy AwardBest Novel · 1985 · nominated
  • World Fantasy AwardBest Novella · 1985 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Fantasy Novel · 1984 · nominated
  • World Fantasy AwardBest Novel · 1984 · nominated
  • British Fantasy AwardBest Short Fiction · 1983 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Short Story · 1983 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Novella · 1983 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Collection · 1983 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Novelette · 1983 · nominated
  • World Fantasy AwardBest Novella · 1983 · nominated
  • World Fantasy AwardBest Collection · 1983 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Fantasy Novel · 1982 · nominated
  • August Derleth Award · 1981 · nominated
  • British Fantasy AwardBest Short Fiction · 1981 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Science Fiction Novel · 1981 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Fantasy Novel · 1981 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Novelette · 1981 · nominated
  • Nebula AwardBest Novelette · 1981 · nominated
  • World Fantasy AwardBest Novel · 1981 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Short Story · 1980 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Fantasy Novel · 1980 · nominated
  • World Fantasy AwardBest Novel · 1980 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Collection · 1979 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Novelette · 1979 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Novel · 1979 · nominated
  • World Fantasy AwardBest Collection · 1979 · nominated
  • World Fantasy AwardBest Novel · 1979 · nominated
  • Locus AwardBest Fantasy Novel · 1978 · nominated
  • World Fantasy AwardBest Novel · 1976 · nominated

Filmography50+ titles

The Shawshank Redemption

1994Novel, Thanks

The Green Mile

1999Novel, Thanks

Sons of Anarchy

2008as Bachman

The X-Files

1993Writer

IT: Welcome to Derry

2025Novel

The Shining

1980Novel

The Simpsons

1989as Stephen King (voice)

Duncanville

2020as (voice)

11.22.63

2016Executive Producer, Novel

Misery

1990Novel, Writer

Stand by Me

1986Novel

The Outer Limits

1995Writer

Frasier

1993as Brian (voice)

The Institute

2025Novel

Haven

2010Short Story

The Outsider

2020Novel

Stuck in Love.

2012as Self (voice)

The Life of Chuck

2024Executive Producer, Short Story

Chapelwaite

2021Short Story

The Dead Zone

2002Characters

Dolores Claiborne

1995Novel

Carrie

1976Novel

Stephen King: A Necessary Evil

2020as Self - Writer (archive footage)

Castle Rock

2018Characters, Executive Producer

Mr. Mercedes

2017Executive Producer

It

2017Novel

Doctor Sleep

2019Executive Producer, Novel

Under the Dome

2013as Diner Patron

Monsters

Story

King on Screen

2022as Self (archive footage)

No Smoking

2007Original Story

Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King

2006Short Story

Storm of the Century

1999as Lawyer in Ad (uncredited)

The Dead Zone

1983Novel

The Long Walk

2025Executive Producer, Novel

The Mist

2007Novel, Thanks

Christine

1983Novel

Creepshow

1982as Jordy Verrill (segment "The Lonesome Death Of Jordy Verrill")

It

Novel, Story

My Father, the BTK Killer

2025as Self - Author, 'The Good Marriage' / Guest, CBS This Morning (archive footage)

The Running Man

2025Executive Producer, Novel

The Stand

2020Novel

It: Chapter Two

2019as Shopkeeper

Rose Red

2002Executive Producer, Writer

Hearts in Atlantis

2001Book

The Stand

1994as Teddy Weizak

Jeopardy!

1984as Self

Salem's Lot

Creator, Novel

1408

2007Short Story

Pet Sematary

1989as Minister