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, primarily known for his horror novels, earning him the title "King of Horror." While specializing in the horror genre, King has also ventured into suspense, crime, science fiction, fantasy, and mystery. Beyond his novels, he has penned around 200 short stories, many of which are compiled in collections.
1958: Plymouth Fury Model Year
In 1958, the Plymouth Fury was built and became a haunted vehicle in Stephen King's 1983 novel Christine.
1965: First Independently Published Story
In 1965, Stephen King's first independently published story, "I Was a Teenage Grave Robber", was serialized in the fanzine Comics Review, marking an early step in his writing career.
1967: First Professional Short Story Sale
In 1967, Stephen King sold his first professional short story, "The Glass Floor", to Startling Mystery Stories, marking an early success in his writing career.
1971: Hired as English Teacher at Hampden Academy
In 1971, Stephen King was hired as an English teacher at Hampden Academy in Hampden, Maine, providing him with a steady job while continuing to write.
1974: Publication of Carrie
In 1974, Stephen King's debut novel, Carrie, was published, marking the beginning of his successful career in the horror genre.
1975: Return to Auburn, Maine and Completion of The Stand
In 1975, Stephen King's family returned to Auburn, Maine, where he completed The Stand, an apocalyptic novel.
1976: Film Adaptation of Carrie
In 1976, Carrie, Stephen King's novel, was adapted into a film, further popularizing his work.
1978: Publication of Night Shift
In 1978, Stephen King published Night Shift, a collection of short stories, including many of his early works.
1979: Publication of The Dead Zone
In 1979, Stephen King published The Dead Zone, his first novel set in Castle Rock, Maine, marking a stride in his writing career.
1980: Film Adaptation of The Shining
In 1980, The Shining, one of Stephen King's novels, was adapted into a film, solidifying his reputation in the horror genre.
1981: Publication of Danse Macabre
In 1981, Stephen King published Danse Macabre, a nonfiction work exploring the horror genre.
1982: Publication of Different Seasons
In 1982, Stephen King published Different Seasons, a collection of four novellas representing a departure from his horror fiction. It received some of the best reviews of his career and was the first time that people thought that it "wasn't really a horror thing."
1983: Establishment of Zone Corporation
In 1983, Stephen King and his wife established the Zone Corporation to acquire the radio station WACZ in Bangor, which was renamed WZON.
1983: Publication of Christine and Pet Sematary
In 1983, Stephen King published Christine, which he "barely remembers writing" due to addiction and Pet Sematary, which he initially found too disturbing to publish.
1983: The Dead Zone and Christine Film Adaptations
In 1983, two of Stephen King's works, The Dead Zone and Christine, were adapted into films, contributing to his continued success.
1985: Publication of Skeleton Crew
In 1985, Stephen King published Skeleton Crew, a collection of short fiction including "The Reach" and The Mist, reflecting his exploration of childhood fears and horror themes.
1986: Film Adaptation of Stand by Me
In 1986, Stand by Me, based on Stephen King's novella The Body from Different Seasons, was released as a film.
1986: Release of Stand by Me
In 1986, the film Stand by Me, based on Stephen King's novella The Body from Different Seasons, was released.
1987: Publication of The Eyes of the Dragon, Misery, and The Tommyknockers
In 1987, Stephen King published The Eyes of the Dragon, Misery, and The Tommyknockers, marking an unusually productive year and showcasing his versatility in different genres. Misery shared the Bram Stoker Award with Swan Song by Robert R. McCammon.
1988: Narrative Intro on Blue Öyster Cult Song
In 1988, Stephen King provided a narrative intro for an updated version of Blue Öyster Cult's 1974 song "Astronomy".
1990: Publication of Four Past Midnight
In 1990, Stephen King published Four Past Midnight, a collection of four novellas centered on the theme of time.
1990: Essay about Owen's Little League Team
In 1990, Stephen King published an essay about his son Owen's Little League team in The New Yorker.
1990: Film Adaptation of Misery
In 1990, Stephen King's novel Misery was adapted into a film, further showcasing his storytelling abilities.
1991: Publication of Needful Things
In 1991, Stephen King published Needful Things, his first novel since achieving sobriety, marking a new chapter in his writing career.
1992: Publication of Gerald's Game and Dolores Claiborne
In 1992, Stephen King published Gerald's Game and Dolores Claiborne, two novels about women loosely linked by a solar eclipse.
1994: Co-authorship of Midlife Confidential
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 short story "The Man in the Black Suit" was published in The New Yorker, showcasing his versatility in different literary outlets.
1994: Release of The Shawshank Redemption
In 1994, The Shawshank Redemption, a film based on Stephen King's novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption from Different Seasons, was released.
1994: Film Adaptation of The Shawshank Redemption
In 1994, The Shawshank Redemption, based on Stephen King's novella Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption from Different Seasons, was released as a film.
1995: Film Adaptation of Dolores Claiborne
In 1995, Dolores Claiborne, a novel by Stephen King, was adapted into a film.
1995: Appearance on Celebrity Jeopardy!
In 1995, Stephen King was a contestant on Celebrity Jeopardy!.
1995: Acquisition of WKIT-FM and WNSW
In 1995, Two additional radio stations, WKIT-FM and WNSW in Brewer, were added.
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, achieving remarkable success on the New York Times bestseller list.
1998: Publication of Bag of Bones
In 1998, Stephen King published Bag of Bones, his first book with Scribner, receiving praise for his maturation as a writer and winning the Bram Stoker and August Derleth Awards.
1998: Appearance on Celebrity Jeopardy!
In 1998, Stephen King was a contestant on Celebrity Jeopardy!.
1998: Release of Stranger Than Fiction
In 1998, The Rock Bottom Remainders, a charity supergroup including Stephen King, released an album titled Stranger Than Fiction.
1998: Release of Apt Pupil
In 1998, the film Apt Pupil, based on Stephen King's novella of the same name from Different Seasons, was released.
1999: Baseball features in The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
In 1999, Baseball features in King's novella The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon.
1999: Publication of The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon and Hearts in Atlantis & King's Hospitalization
In 1999, Stephen King published The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon and Hearts in Atlantis. Later in 1999, King was hospitalized after being hit by a van, an incident he humorously compared to his own novels.
1999: Film Adaptation of The Green Mile
In 1999, The Green Mile, a novel by Stephen King, was adapted into a film.
2000: Publication of On Writing and Riding the Bullet's E-book Launch
In 2000, Stephen King published On Writing, a memoir and style manual. Also in 2000, he published Riding the Bullet as "the world's first mass e-book, with more than 500,000 downloads".
2000: Publication of On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
In 2000, Stephen King published On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, a nonfiction book that provides insights into his writing process.
2001: Acquisition of WDME-FM
In 2001, A third station, WDME-FM in Dover-Foxcroft was acquired by King's Zone Corporation.
2002: Wavedancer Benefit
In 2002, Stephen King, Peter Straub, John Grisham, and Pat Conroy organized the Wavedancer Benefit, a public reading to raise funds for Frank Muller. Their reading was released as an audiobook.
2004: Co-authorship of Faithful
In 2004, Stephen King and Stewart O'Nan coauthored Faithful, a chronicle of their correspondence about the Boston Red Sox season.
2005: Publication of Sons' First Collection of Stories
In 2005, both of Stephen King's sons, Owen King and Joseph Hillström King (Joe Hill), published their first collections of stories.
2007: Film Adaptation of The Mist
In 2007, The Mist, a novella by Stephen King, was adapted into a film.
2008: Endorsement of Barack Obama
In 2008, Stephen King endorsed Barack Obama for president.
2008: On Writing Ranked on Entertainment Weekly's List
In 2008, Stephen King's book On Writing was ranked 21st on Entertainment Weekly's list of "The New Classics: The 100 Best Reads from 1983 to 2008".
2010: Baseball features in Blockade Billy
In 2010, Baseball features in King's novella Blockade Billy.
March 8, 2011: Speech at political rally
On March 8, 2011, Stephen King spoke at a political rally in Sarasota against Governor Rick Scott and voiced opposition to the Tea Party movement.
November 2011: Donation by STK Foundation
In November 2011, the STK Foundation donated $70,000 in matched funding via Stephen King's radio station to help pay heating bills for families in need in Bangor, Maine.
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 exploration of blending the ordinary and supernatural, the novel's premise of a time portal allowing an English teacher to travel back to 1958 to prevent the Kennedy assassination, and the novel's reflection on memory, fate, and free will while evoking midcentury America.
April 30, 2012: Article in The Daily Beast on Taxes
On April 30, 2012, Stephen King published an article in The Daily Beast advocating for wealthy Americans to pay more taxes, calling it a moral imperative.
2012: Narration for Shooter Jennings's Album
In 2012, Stephen King provided the narration for Shooter Jennings's album Black Ribbons.
January 25, 2013: Publication of Guns via Amazon.com's Kindle
On January 25, 2013, Stephen King published an essay titled Guns via Amazon.com's Kindle single feature, advocating for a ban on automatic and semi-automatic weapons.
2013: Co-authorship of Hard Listening
In 2013, Stephen King and his band-mates coauthored the e-book Hard Listening: The Greatest Rock Band Ever (of Authors) Tells All.
2014: Endorsement of Shenna Bellows
In 2014, Stephen King endorsed Shenna Bellows in the U.S. Senate election.
June 30, 2015: Tweet Criticizing Paul LePage
On June 30, 2015, Stephen King tweeted that Governor Paul LePage was a "terrible embarrassment" to Maine.
2015: Criticism of Paul LePage
In 2015, Stephen King criticized Governor Paul LePage for suggesting that King avoided paying Maine income taxes.
August 27, 2016: King calls LePage a Bigot, Homophobe, and Racist
On August 27, 2016, Stephen King called Governor Paul LePage "a bigot, a homophobe, and a racist".
2016: Condemnation of Donald Trump's candidacy
In 2016, Stephen King joined other writers in signing a letter condemning the candidacy of Donald Trump, citing concerns about the abuse of language and appeal to violent elements.
2017: Film Adaptation of It
In 2017, It, a novel by Stephen King, was adapted into a film.
June 2018: Call for release of Oleg Sentsov
In June 2018, Stephen King called for the release of Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov, who was jailed in Russia.
2018: Efforts to Encourage King to Run for Governor
In 2018, efforts were made to encourage Stephen King to run for Governor of Maine, but he declined.
2019: Plans to Convert Bangor Home
In 2019, Stephen King and his wife planned to convert their home in Bangor into a facility housing his archives and a writers' retreat.
2020: Endorsement of Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden
In 2020, Stephen King initially endorsed Elizabeth Warren's campaign in the Democratic Party presidential primaries and later endorsed Joe Biden's campaign in the general election.
February 2021: Foundation donates to Elementary School
In February 2021, King's Foundation donated $6,500 to help children from the Farwell Elementary School in Lewiston, Maine, to publish two novels.
July 2022: Prank Video Call with Russian Pranksters
In July 2022, Stephen King appeared in a video call with Russian pranksters Vovan and Lexus, posing as Volodymyr Zelenskyy. After realizing he was pranked, King apologized on Twitter.
August 2022: Testimony Against Penguin Random House 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, helping to convince the judge to block the merger.
2022: King's list of ten favorite books
In 2022, Stephen King provided another list of ten favorite books; Lord of the Flies, Nineteen Eighty-Four and Blood Meridian remained, 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: Support for Ukraine
In 2022, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Stephen King expressed support for Ukraine. He posted a photo in an "I stand with Ukraine" T-shirt and stated that he would not cooperate with Russian publishers.
December 2024: Announcement of Radio Station Closures
In December 2024, Stephen King announced that his radio stations would shut down at the end of the year due to his advancing age and financial losses.
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