Stephen King

American · b. 1947

Stephen King (born 1947) is an American author widely regarded as one of the most successful and influential writers of horror, suspense, and speculative fiction. Since his debut novel Carrie in 1974, King has published more than 65 novels and hundreds of short stories, many adapted into films and television series, including The Shining, It, Pet Sematary, and The Shawshank Redemption. Writing under his own name and, in the 1970s and 80s, under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, King is known for grounding supernatural horror in ordinary American settings and characters, a technique that has made his work broadly accessible while still deeply unsettling. He has received the National Medal of Arts and the National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, recognitions unusual for a writer primarily associated with genre fiction. King's audiobooks are especially notable for his long-running collaborations with narrators like Will Patton and Michael Beck, whose performances have become closely identified with his voice.

Notable works: The Shining; It; Pet Sematary; The Stand; Doctor Sleep