The Guardian calls Stephen King the "king" of horror fiction because of his talent for scaring readers around the world for more than half a century. With more than 60 novels and 200 short stories, he is like a "literary writing machine" that shows no signs of stopping.
Stephen King was born in 1947 in Portland, Maine. He wrote his first story at the age of 7 and sold his first book at the age of 18. He received his master's degree from the University of Maine in 1970.
He has won numerous literary awards, including the Hugo Science Fiction Award for Danse Macabre (1980) and the O. Henry Memorial Award for his short story The Man in the Black Suit (1994).
Stephen King Literary Machine (Design: The Guardian).
Books for beginners
The quintessential characteristics of Stephen King's writing include: The main character is a writer, the setting is in Maine, the village is haunted by a supernatural entity. All will be found in 'Salem's Lot - his second novel.
The classic vampire novel is set in a small American town. The town of 'Salem's Lot' is described as having white-paneled houses, tree-lined streets, and sturdy church steeples.
That summer, writer Ben Mears, whose childhood was tied to the land, returned home after 25 years. He hoped that discovering the history of the old abandoned house would help exorcise the ghosts in his heart and inspire him to write a new book.
A stranger besides Ben Mears has also appeared at 'Salem's Lot , carrying a shocking secret that has the potential to cause irreparable harm to those who touch him.
And when the people he loves are drawn into that horrible nightmare, what will Ben Mears do?
The first book cover of the novel "'Salem's Lot" (Photo: Heritage Auctions).
If you love epics
The Stand is considered one of the greatest horror novels of all time. Due to the original manuscript being so long, the work was cut by more than 400 pages when it was first published in 1978.
In 1990, Stephen King restored the entire original manuscript, changing the setting from 1980 to 1990. The Stand was republished as The Complete and Uncut Edition of The Stand with 1,152 pages, selling 4.5 million copies.
The Stand's plot centers on a deadly flu pandemic. A patient who escaped from a bio-testing facility accidentally brought with him a mutant strain of super flu that could kill 99% of the world's population within weeks.
The survivors are terrified and must choose between good and evil.
The book gives you intense emotions
The Dark Tower is an 8-part series by Stephen King, about the journey to find the mysterious black tower of Roland Deschain - the last of the legendary "gunmen".
According to legend, this is a tower closely related to the survival of the entire universe.
Stephen King spent 10 years to complete The Dark Tower . This is considered the greatest work he has ever done. This series is also considered "unfilmable" because of its massive scale.
In 2017, The Dark Tower was adapted into a film directed and co-written by Nikolaj Arcel, starring Idris Elba as Roland Deschain.
The Dark Tower film version is considered an extension of the original novel series as the film begins at the end of the 8th book. The film was widely released in the US, Vietnam and many other countries, earning 111 million USD worldwide compared to a production budget of 60 million USD.
Idris Elba in the 2017 film "The Dark Tower" (Photo: Sony Pictures/All Star).
If you are in a hurry
People often think of Stephen King as the author of very long books, but he has also published more than 10 collections of short stories. The Guardian 's experts say it's hard to pick a series that is considered the best, but Skeleton Crew probably stands out.
The series demonstrates Stephen King's outstanding imagination and ability to write a wide range of subjects, from bizarre horror stories, dark comedy to tragic plots.
A Book for Aspiring Writers
Stephen King opens On Writing : "This is a short book because most books about writing are full of bullshit."
Stephen King's semi-autobiographical guide to writing tells the story of his life, writing career, practical experiences, and approach to work. It doesn't offer technical instructions or easy paths to success, but rather advice and experience.
Stephen King strongly asserts: "You can, you should, and if you are brave enough to begin, you will."
The book deserves more attention.
From a Buick 8 is one of Stephen King's works that is loved by many writers and novelists, but almost forgotten by readers.
The book tells the story of a rural police force and a car that is not as simple as it seems. In fact, this car can be a gateway to somewhere else.
From a Buick 8 is earnestly delivered, "irresistibly compelling," and contains Stephen King's magic at its best.
Cover of the book "IT - The Evil Clown" (Photo: Goodreads).
Masterpiece
Stephen King poured everything he learned about writing into his massive horror masterpiece IT .
With over 1,100 pages, IT tells the story of a group of teenagers fighting against a demonic entity in the form of a clown in a small town. Parallel to the present is the story 27 years later, when the group of friends once again gathers and fights the clown.
The image of Pennywise the clown, the child-eater of all time, is considered Stephen King's greatest contribution to the world of horror monsters. Although the work is dense with horrifying details, IT still praises friendship and adulthood.
IT has been adapted into two feature films directed by Andy Muschietti, released in 2017 and 2019 respectively.
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