Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Stephen King
Discover the career path of Stephen King, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.
Stephen King is a prolific American author, best known for his horror novels, earning him the title "King of Horror." While primarily recognized for his contributions to the horror genre, King has also successfully ventured into suspense, crime, science fiction, fantasy, and mystery. Beyond his novels, he is also the author of approximately 200 short stories, which have been compiled into various collections, showcasing his versatility and wide-ranging storytelling abilities.
16 hours ago : Stephen King's 'The Long Walk' gets a chilling trailer after years in development.
Stephen King's 'The Long Walk' adaptation releases its first trailer, starring Mark Hamill. The film, deemed too merciless previously, generates fan excitement as King's scariest work.
1958: Christine is a 1958 Plymouth Fury
Christine is a 1958 Plymouth Fury which is published in 1983.
1958: Setting of 11/22/63
In Stephen King's novel "11/22/63," published in 2011, a time portal in a Maine diner allows an English teacher to travel back to 1958. The teacher's mission is to prevent Lee Harvey Oswald from assassinating John F. Kennedy, allowing the novel to explore themes of memory, fate, and free will in mid-century America.
1965: First Independently Published Story
In 1965, Stephen King's first independently published story, "I Was a Teenage Grave Robber", was serialized in Comics Review.
1967: Sale of First Professional Short Story
In 1967, Stephen King sold his first professional short story, "The Glass Floor", to Startling Mystery Stories.
1971: Hired as an English Teacher at Hampden Academy
In 1971, Stephen King was hired as an English teacher at Hampden Academy in Hampden, Maine.
1974: Astronomy song released
In 1974, Blue Oyster Cult released the song Astronomy.
1974: Publication of Carrie
In 1974, Stephen King's debut novel, Carrie, was published, marking his entry into the horror genre.
1975: Return to Auburn and Completion of The Stand
In 1975, Stephen King's family returned to Auburn, Maine, where he completed The Stand.
1976: Release of Carrie film adaptation
In 1976, the film adaptation of Stephen King's novel Carrie was released.
1978: Publication of Night Shift
In 1978, many of Stephen King's early short stories were republished in Night Shift.
1979: Publication of The Dead Zone
In 1979, Stephen King published The Dead Zone, his first novel set in Castle Rock, Maine.
1980: Release of The Shining film adaptation
In 1980, the film adaptation of Stephen King's novel The Shining was released.
1981: Publication of Danse Macabre
In 1981, Stephen King published Danse Macabre, a nonfiction work.
1982: Publication of Different Seasons
In 1982, Stephen King published Different Seasons, a collection of four novellas that represented a departure from his established horror genre.
1983: Zone Corporation Established
In 1983, Stephen King and his wife established the Zone Corporation to acquire WACZ radio station in Bangor, which was subsequently renamed WZON.
1983: Publication of Christine and Pet Sematary
In 1983, Stephen King published Christine and Pet Sematary.
1983: Releases of The Dead Zone and Christine film adaptations
In 1983, film adaptations of Stephen King's novels The Dead Zone and Christine were released.
1985: Publication of Skeleton Crew
In 1985, Stephen King published Skeleton Crew, a collection of short fiction.
1986: Release of Stand by Me film adaptation
In 1986, the film adaptation of Stephen King's novella The Body from Different Seasons, titled Stand by Me, was released.
1987: Publication of The Eyes of the Dragon, Misery, and The Tommyknockers
1987 was a particularly productive year for Stephen King, marked by the publication of The Eyes of the Dragon, Misery, and The Tommyknockers.
1988: Narrative Intro for Blue Öyster Cult Song
In 1988, Stephen King provided a narrative introduction for Blue Öyster Cult's updated version of their 1974 song "Astronomy," which was released as a single for radio play.
1990: Publication of Four Past Midnight
In 1990, Stephen King published Four Past Midnight, a collection of four novellas.
1990: King Writes About Little League Team
In 1990, Stephen King published an essay in The New Yorker about his son Owen's Little League baseball team.
1990: Release of Misery film adaptation
In 1990, the film adaptation of Stephen King's novel Misery was released.
1991: Publication of Needful Things
In 1991, Stephen King published Needful Things, his first novel since achieving sobriety.
1992: Publication of Gerald's Game and Dolores Claiborne
In 1992, Stephen King published Gerald's Game and Dolores Claiborne.
1994: Midlife Confidential Published
In 1994, Stephen King and his band-mates from The Rock Bottom Remainders coauthored "Midlife Confidential: The Rock Bottom Remainders Tour America With Three Chords and an Attitude".
1994: Publication of "The Man in the Black Suit"
In 1994, Stephen King's story "The Man in the Black Suit" was published in The New Yorker.
1994: Release of The Shawshank Redemption film adaptation
In 1994, the film adaptation of Stephen King's novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption from Different Seasons, titled The Shawshank Redemption, was released.
1995: Celebrity Jeopardy! Contestant
In 1995, Stephen King appeared as a contestant on "Celebrity Jeopardy!"
1995: Additional Radio Stations Added
In 1995, Stephen King's Zone Corporation added two more radio stations, WKIT-FM and WNSW in Brewer. However, WNSW was quickly shut down.
1995: Release of Dolores Claiborne film adaptation
In 1995, the film adaptation of Stephen King's novel Dolores Claiborne was released.
1996: Publication of The Green Mile as a Serial Novel
In 1996, Stephen King published The Green Mile as a serial novel in six parts.
1998: Celebrity Jeopardy! Contestant
In 1998, Stephen King appeared as a contestant on "Celebrity Jeopardy!"
1998: Publication of Bag of Bones
In 1998, Stephen King published Bag of Bones, his first book with Scribner.
1998: Stranger Than Fiction Album Released
In 1998, The Rock Bottom Remainders, a charity supergroup featuring Stephen King, released an album, "Stranger Than Fiction", under Don't Quit Your Day Job Records.
1998: Release of Apt Pupil film adaptation
In 1998, the film adaptation of Stephen King's novella Apt Pupil from Different Seasons was released.
1999: Publication of The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon and Hearts in Atlantis
In 1999, Stephen King published The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon and Hearts in Atlantis.
1999: The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon Released
In 1999, Stephen King's novella, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, which features a baseball game, was released.
1999: Release of The Green Mile film adaptation
In 1999, the film adaptation of Stephen King's novel The Green Mile was released.
2000: Publication of On Writing and Riding the Bullet
In 2000, Stephen King published On Writing, a memoir and style manual, and Riding the Bullet, the world's first mass e-book.
2000: Publication of On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
In 2000, Stephen King published On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, a nonfiction work.
2001: WDME-FM Acquired
In 2001, Stephen King's Zone Corporation acquired a third radio station, WDME-FM in Dover-Foxcroft, which was later renamed WZLO.
2002: Wavedancer Benefit Organized
In 2002, Stephen King, along with Peter Straub, John Grisham, and Pat Conroy, organized the Wavedancer Benefit, a public reading to raise funds for actor and audiobook reader Frank Muller, who had been injured in a motorcycle accident. Their reading was later released as an audiobook.
2004: King Co-Authors 'Faithful'
In 2004, Stephen King and Stewart O'Nan co-authored "Faithful", a book chronicling their correspondence about the Boston Red Sox's historic 2004 season and World Series win.
2005: Sons Publish First Story Collections
In 2005, both of Stephen King's sons published their first collections of stories: Owen King published "We're All in This Together: A Novella and Stories", and Joseph Hillström King (Joe Hill) published "20th Century Ghosts".
2007: Release of The Mist film adaptation
In 2007, the film adaptation of Stephen King's novella The Mist was released.
2008: On Writing Ranked Among New Classics
In 2008, Stephen King's "On Writing" was ranked 21st on Entertainment Weekly's list of "The New Classics: The 100 Best Reads from 1983 to 2008".
2008: King Endorses Barack Obama
In 2008, during the presidential election, Stephen King publicly endorsed Barack Obama for president.
2010: Blockade Billy Released
In 2010, Stephen King released the novella "Blockade Billy", which features a baseball game.
March 8, 2011: King Speaks at Political Rally
On March 8, 2011, Stephen King spoke at a political rally in Sarasota, Florida, opposing Governor Rick Scott and the Tea Party movement.
November 2011: STK Foundation Donates to Heating Bills
In November 2011, the STK Foundation donated $70,000 in matched funding through Stephen King's radio station to help families in need in Bangor, Maine, pay their heating bills during the winter.
2011: 11/22/63 named one of the best fiction books of the year
In 2011, Stephen King's "11/22/63" was recognized as one of the five best fiction books of the year by The New York Times. The review highlighted King's blending of the ordinary and supernatural, the novel's time portal concept, and its exploration of memory, fate, and free will in midcentury America.
April 30, 2012: King Calls for Higher Taxes
On April 30, 2012, Stephen King published an article in The Daily Beast advocating for wealthier Americans, including himself, to pay more taxes, framing it as a moral and practical imperative.
2012: King Narrates Shooter Jennings' Album
In 2012, Stephen King provided the narration for Shooter Jennings's album "Black Ribbons."
January 25, 2013: King Publishes Essay on Gun Control
On January 25, 2013, Stephen King released an essay titled "Guns" via Amazon.com's Kindle Single feature, addressing the gun control debate following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and advocating for a ban on automatic and semi-automatic weapons.
2013: Hard Listening E-book Released
In 2013, Stephen King and his band-mates from The Rock Bottom Remainders co-authored the e-book "Hard Listening: The Greatest Rock Band Ever (of Authors) Tells All".
2014: King Endorses Shenna Bellows
In 2014, Stephen King endorsed Shenna Bellows in the U.S. Senate election for the seat held by Susan Collins.
June 30, 2015: King Calls LePage an Embarrassment
On June 30, 2015, Stephen King tweeted that Governor Paul LePage was a "terrible embarrassment" to Maine and suggested he should either govern effectively or resign.
2015: King Criticizes Governor LePage
In 2015, Stephen King criticized Maine Governor Paul LePage for falsely implying that King avoided paying Maine income taxes. King demanded an apology, which LePage refused to provide.
August 27, 2016: King Labels LePage a Bigot, Homophobe, and Racist
On August 27, 2016, Stephen King publicly labeled Maine Governor Paul LePage as a bigot, a homophobe, and a racist.
2016: King Condemns Donald Trump's Candidacy
In 2016, Stephen King joined numerous writers in signing a letter condemning Donald Trump's presidential candidacy, citing concerns about the abuse of language and the encouragement of aggression.
2017: Release of It film adaptation
In 2017, the film adaptation of Stephen King's novel It was released.
June 2018: King Calls for Oleg Sentsov's Release
In June 2018, Stephen King publicly called for the release of Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov, who had been imprisoned in Russia.
2018: King Declines to Run for Governor
In 2018, following increased attention from his criticism of Governor LePage, efforts were made to encourage Stephen King to run for Governor of Maine, but King stated he would not run or serve in the position.
2019: King Plans Writers' Retreat
As of 2019, Stephen and Tabitha King were planning to convert their home in Bangor, Maine, into a facility housing his archives and a writers' retreat.
2020: King Endorses Elizabeth Warren and Later Joe Biden
In 2020, during the Democratic Party presidential primaries, Stephen King initially endorsed Elizabeth Warren's campaign. After Warren suspended her campaign, King then endorsed Joe Biden in the general election.
February 2021: King's Foundation Supports Student Novel Publication
In February 2021, Stephen King's Foundation donated $6,500 to assist children from Farwell Elementary School in Lewiston, Maine, in publishing two novels they had been working on prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
August 2022: King Testifies Against Publishing Merger
In August 2022, Stephen King testified in a case brought by the U.S. Justice Department to block the merger of Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster. His testimony was credited with helping to convince the judge to block the merger.
2022: King's Favorite Books List
In 2022, Stephen King provided another list of ten favorite books; Lord of the Flies, Nineteen Eighty-Four and Blood Meridian remained from the previous list, and he added Ship of Fools, The Orphan Master's Son, Invisible Man, Watership Down, The Hair of Harold Roux, American Pastoral and The Lord of the Rings.
2022: King Supports Ukraine
In 2022, amidst the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Stephen King voiced his support for Ukraine, posting a photo on his Twitter account wearing an "I stand with Ukraine" T-shirt and declaring he would not cooperate with Russian publishers.
December 2024: Radio Stations to Shut Down
In December 2024, Stephen King announced that his radio stations, owned by the Zone Corporation, would shut down at the end of the year due to his age and financial losses.
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