Biography
With sales of over 300 million copies of more than 70 books, plus dozens of stories adapted for film and television, Stephen King was the dominant American storyteller for over 25 years. While King wrote in a wide variety of genres, from the coming-of-age short story The Body (1982) to the psychological thriller Misery (1987), King was most closely associated with horror and fantasy stories with supernatural elements. A great storyteller with …
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Career Milestones
| Formed Philtrum Press | ||
| Helped form the Maine Film Commission | ||
| Left Viking/Penguin, his publisher of over 20 years | ||
| Worked as a high school teacher of English at Hampden Academy, Hampden ME | ||
| Worked on first unpublished novel, "The Aftermath" | ||
1949 | Family deserted by father, Donald King; went out one night for a pack of cigarettes and never returned | |
1949 | Moved with mother and brother around the country; lived in New York, Illinois; Wisconsin, Indiana and Connecticut | |
1954 | Wrote first short story at age seven | |
1958 | Moved to Durham, ME and remained for the rest of his childhood | |
1959 | Discovered a box of his father's books, fantasy and horror fiction; obtained a typewriter and began writing fantasy fiction | |
1965 | First published story, "I Was a Teenage Grave Robber," in a comic book fan magazine Comics Review | |
1967 | First professional short story publication, "The Glass Floor," in Startling Mystery Stories | |
1970 | Worked as a laborer in an industrial laundry after graduating college | |
1973 | Sold paperback rights to New American Library; quit teaching job to write full-time | |
1973 | Submitted manuscript of his fourth novel, "Carrie," to Doubleday, which purchased it; first published novel | |
1976 | First film based on a King novel, Brian De Palma's "Carrie" | |
1978 | Served as judge for 1977 World Fantasy Awards | |
1979 | First TV miniseries based on a King novel, Tobe Hooper's "Salem's Lot" | |
1980 | Acting debut in George A. Romero's "Knightriders" | |
1980 | Stanley Kubrick's production of "The Shining" released | |
1982 | First screenplay, George A. Romero's "Creepshow" | |
1982 | First substantial acting role: portrayed title character in "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill," a segment of "Creepshow" | |
1986 | Feature directorial debut, "Maximum Overdrive" (also scripted); only directing credit to date | |
1986 | First original teleplay, "Sorry, Right Number," for the syndicated "Tales from the Darkside" | |
1989 | Signed a four-book deal with Viking Press for a reported $35 million | |
1991 | First TV credit as creator and executive producer, "Stephen King's Golden Years," a NBC sci-fi drama serial (also wrote several episodes) | |
1997 | Signed three-book contract with Simon & Schuster | |
1998 | Co-wrote script for an episode of the hit Fox drama "The X-Files" | |
1999 | Injured when struck by a car while walking on a road in Maine; underwent surgery to repair broken leg and hip and punctured lung (June); King bought the van which struck him for $1,500 in September | |
2002 | Penned script for the ABC miniseries "Rose Red" | |
2002 | Retired from writing novels | |
2004 | Executive produced "Riding the Bullet" based on his novel by the same name | |
2004 | Made TV series debut as writer of "Kingdom Hospital," a drama loosely based on Lars von Trier's film of the same name | |
2005 | Signed a deal with Marvel Comics, to publish a seven-issue, miniseries spinoff of "The Dark Tower" series called The Gunslinger Born; first issue was published on Feb. 7, 2007 | |
2007 | The novel Blaze, which was written in the early 1970s, under his long-time pseudonym Richard Bachman, was published | |
Awards
1994 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries in Stephen King's The Stand |
1997 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries in Stephen King's The Shining |