Stephen King

Stephen King Trivia and Quotes

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Trivia

  • Stephen King made a cameo in his movie Maximum Overdrive, where he plays a man who goes to an ATM machine that curses at him. []

  • Stephen lost his mother to cancer when he was 20 years old.

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  • Stephen had a close encounter with an ill-tempered Saint Bernard, which inspired him to write the book Cujo. []
  • Stephen's pet cat was run over on the highway by his house. This inspired him to write the book Pet Sematary. []
  • King has never censored his own work. The death scene of the doctor in his novel "Salem's Lot" was cut due to the demands of the editor at Doubleday.

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  • Stephen King's books have been translated into 33 different languages, published in over 35 different countries. []
  • When his wife went into labor with their son John, Stephen King was at a drive-in movie. He was notified by an announcement made by the manager. []
  • Although Stephen believes in God, he does not belong to any organized religion. []
  • Stephen King has suffered from many addiction problems. He is now a recovering smoker, alcoholic, and cocaine addict. He says his wife is responsible for him quitting everything. []
  • Stephen is a huge Red Sox fan. []
  • Stephen and Tabitha met in college when they were both working in a library. He states he fell in love with her during a poetry workshop in 1969. []
  • His first best selling novel, Carrie, got a $2,500,00 advance and its paperback rights went for $400,000.00. Stephen was notified on Mother's Day, 1973. []
  • Charlie McGee, main character of his novel Firestarter is a 9 year old girl. In the book's "afterword", Stephen thank his daughter Naomi for helping him understand the personality of a "bright nearly-10-years-old" girl. []
  • Music is one of Stephen King's passions and he even plays on a band. []
  • If Derry really existed, it would be located a few miles west from Bangor, in the Pendescot district, Maine. []
  • If Castle Rock really existed, it would be located a little to the south of the city of Mexico, in the Oxford District, Maine. []
  • King's character Carrieta White (a.k.a. Carrie), was based on two girls Stephen King met during his school years. []
  • Kathy Bates, Drew Barrymore, John Cusack, Pat Hingle, Ed Harris, Timothy Hutton, Thomas Jane, and Steven Weber are so far the only actors to participate in more than one movie based on Stephen's books.

    Kathy Bates:
    - Misery
    - Dolores Claiborne
    - The Stand

    Drew Barrymore:
    - Cat's Eye
    - Firestarter

    John Cusack:
    - Stand By Me
    - 1408 Ed Harris:
    - Creepshow
    - Needful Things
    - The Stand

    Pat Hingle:
    -Maximum Overdrive
    -The Shining (Made for TV remake)

    Timothy Hutton:
    -The Dark Half
    -Secret Window

    Thomas Jane:
    -Dreamcatcher
    -The Mist

    Steven Weber:
    -The Shining (Made for TV remake)
    -Desperation []
  • In the novel Dreamcatcher, when Jonesy reaches the water tower in Derry, the phrase "Pennywise Lives" is written at the entrance.

    Pennywise is the name of the famous clown from his other novel, It. []
  • Stephen and Tabitha married in January of 1971. []
  • He graduated from highschool in 1966. []
  • Stephen King made a cameo appearence on Creepshow. He is credited as "Jordy Verril". []
  • His novel The Dark Half, in which his main character "murders" his pseudonym, closely mirrors the end of his own career as Richard Bachman. []
  • Stephen King not only co-wrote the Creepshow films but he also had a part in both. He had a lead role in the first as Gordy Verill. In the second, he had a cameo as a cursing truck driver. []
  • Originally, Tabitha King is who to thank for the classic Carrie. The reason why is that Stephen threw his first manuscript of "Carrie" in the garbage. Tabitha loved it so much she retrieved it and got him to reconsider. []
  • The inspiration for the typewriter Paul Sheldon was forced to type on in "Misery"
    was Stephen King's first typewriter which was also missing an "n". []
  • Much of Stephen's life can be found in his book On Writing. This is a writing guide and an autobiography. []
  • Stephen attended Center School in Stratford, Connecticut and Durham Elementary School in Durham, Maine. []
  • Stephen wrote an X-Files episode entitled "Chinga" (5x10) that was forced to be retitled "Bunghoney" while airing overseas. Unbeknownst to King at the time, Chinga is also an offensive Spanish slang term. []
  • Stephen made his directorial debut, as well as writing the screenplay, for the movie Maximum Overdrive (an adaptation of his short story "Trucks") in 1985. []
  • Stephen and Tabitha provide scholarships for local high school students and contribute to many other local and national charities.

    []
  • Stephen is the 2003 recipient of The National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. []
  • Awards:

    1982
    Hugo Award (Non-Fiction) for Danse Macabre
    Locus Award (Non-Fiction) for Danse Macabre
    World Fantasy Award (Short Fiction) for Do the Dead Sing?
    1986
    Locus Award (Collection) for Skeleton Crew
    1987
    Bram Stoker Award (Best Novel) for Misery (Tie)
    1990
    Bram Stoker Award (Fiction Collection) for Four Past Midnight
    1995
    Bram Stoker Award (Long Fiction) for Lunch at the Gotham Cafe
    World Fantasy Award (Short Fiction) for The Man in the Black Suit
    1996
    Bram Stoker Award (Novel) for The Green Mile
    O. Henry Award for The Man in the Black Suit
    1997
    Horror Guild (Novel) for Desperation
    Locus Award (Novel) for Desperation
    1998
    Bram Stoker Award (Novel) for Bag of Bones
    1999
    Locus Award (Novel) for Bag of Bones
    2000
    Bram Stoker Award (Non-Fiction) for On Writing
    2001
    Horror Guild (Non-Fiction) for On Writing
    Horror Guild (Long Story) for Riding the Bullet
    Locus Award (Non-Fiction) for On Writing
    2002
    Horror Guild (Novel) for Black House
    2003
    Horror Guild (Novel) for From a Buick 8
    Horror Guild (Collection) for Everything's Eventual
    Horror Writer's Association (Lifetime Achievement Award)
    National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters
    2004
    World Fantasy Award - Lifetime Achievement Award
    2005
    Quill Award (Sports) for Faithful []
  • Stephen King has written more than 40 books and 200 short stories. []
  • Ironically Stephen, a man called "The Master of Horror," reportedly hates Halloween. []
  • In late 1999, the same year he was struck by a minivan driven by Bryan Smith, King purchased the van that hit him for $1,500. He had originally planned to destroy it with a sledgehammer on the anniversary of the accident, but was unable to move well enough to accomplish this. Instead he had the van destroyed in a crusher, partly as a sort of revenge and partly so that it wouldn't appear on Ebay. []
  • From 1977 - 1984, King published five books under the pseudonym "Richard Bachman." Eventually a journalist uncovered the secret and King gave up the identity. In 1996, however, he published his novel "The Regulators" as a posthumous work by Bachman. []
  • King has been quoted as saying that his favorite horror movie is "Tourist Trap." This low-budget cult film centers around a deranged killer with the power to control mannequins who attacks a group of tourists. []
  • According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Stephen has had more movie adaptations of his works than any other living author. []
  • King wrote The Running Man, a 304 page novel, in only ten days. []
  • It's rumored that Stephen will not sign autographs because of superstition. The fact is that he does not autographs photos at all because he hates the idolatry of celebrities. He also will not endorse an official fan club for the same reason.

    At one time, he would sign books if they were mailed to him for that reason, but to help ease his workload as he enters semi-retirement, Stephen will now only sign autographs at book-signings. []
  • Though he does not have an annual salary per se, it was estimated in 1999 that Stephen's annual income was approximately $40 million. []
  • Height: 6'4" []
  • On June 19, 1999, King was taking a walk on a road near his home in Bangor, Maine when he was hit from behind by a Dodge van. The driver of the van, Bryan Smith, had been drinking and was distracted from the road by his dog, who was trying to steal some meat from a cooler behind the passenger seat. Smith had been arrested and cited several times before for driving under the influence and for reckless driving.

    King was thrown 14 feet off the road into a small depression, where he was later found. He suffered a broken hip, a split knee, and four broken ribs. His leg was broken in at least nine places, and his spine was badly chipped but not broken.

    King used the accident as an inspiration for his ABC series Kingdom Hospital. []
  • In 1999 Stephen revealed that he suffers from a condition called Macular Degeneration. This is an eye disease in which the light-sensitive cells in the back of the eye malfunction and eventually stop working, causing blindness. The condition is currently incurable, though it might be treatable in its early stages through the use of a retinal prothesis which is currently being designed. []
  • Published Works:

    (Year of Release, Title, Publisher)

    1974, Carrie, Doubleday

    1975, Salem's Lot, Doubleday

    1977, The Shining, Doubleday

    1977, Rage [as Richard Bachman], Signet

    1978, The Stand, Doubleday

    1978, Night Shift, Doubleday

    1979, The Dead Zone, Viking

    1979, The Long Walk [as Richard Bachman], Signet

    1980, Firestarter, Viking

    1981, Danse Macabre, Everest House

    1981, Cujo, Viking

    1981, Roadwork [as Richard Bachman], Signet

    1982, The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger, Donald M. Grant

    1982, The Running Man [as Richard Bachman], Signet

    1982, Creepshow, Plume

    1982, Different Seasons, Viking

    1983, Christine, Viking

    1983, Pet Sematary, Doubleday

    1983, Cycle of the Werewolf, Land of Enchantment

    1983, The Plant, Self-published

    1984, The Talisman (with Peter Straub), Viking

    1984, Thinner [as Richard Bachman], NAL Books

    1985, Skeleton Crew, Putnam

    1985, The Bachman Books, Plume

    1986, It, Viking

    1987, The Eyes of the Dragon, Viking

    1987, Misery, Viking

    1987, The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of Three, Grant

    1987, Tommyknockers, Putnam

    1988, My Pretty Pony, Library Fellows of the Whitney Museum of American Art

    1988, Nightmares in the Sky, Viking

    1989, The Dark Half, Viking

    1989, Dolan's Cadillac, Lord John Press

    1990, The Stand: The Complete and Uncut Edition, Doubleday

    1990, Four Past Midnight, Viking

    1991, The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands, Grant

    1991, Needful Things, Viking

    1992, Gerald's Game, Viking

    1992, Dolores Claiborne, Viking

    1993, Nightmares and Dreamscapes, Viking

    1994, Insomnia, Viking

    1995, Rose Madder, Viking

    1995, Desperation, Viking

    1996, The Regulators [as Richard Bachman], Dutton

    1996, The Green Mile: The Two Dead Girls, Signet (March)

    1996, The Green Mile: The Mouse on the Mile, Signet (April)

    1996, The Green Mile: Coffey's Hands, Signet (May)

    1996, The Green Mile: The Bad Death of Eduard Delacroix, Signet (June)

    1996, The Green Mile: Night Journey, Signet (July)

    1996, The Green Mile: Coffey on the Mile, Signet (August)

    1997, The Dark Tower IV: Wizard & Glass, Donald M. Grant

    1997, Six Stories, Philtrum Press

    1998, Bag of Bones, Scribner

    1999, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, Scribner

    1999, Storm of the Century, Pocket Books

    1999, Hearts in Atlantis, Scribner

    2000, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, Scribner

    2000, Secret Windows, Book of the Month Club

    2000-2001, The Plant [serial novel], eBook (www.StephenKing.com)

    2001, Dreamcatcher, Scribner

    2001, Black House (with Peter Straub), Random House

    2002, Everything's Eventual, Scribner

    2002, From a Buick 8, Scribner

    2003, The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla

    2004, The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah

    2004, The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower

    2004, Faithful: Two Diehard Boston Red Sox Fans Chronicle the Historic 2004 Season (with Stewart O'Nan), Scribner

    2005, The Colorado Kid, Hard Case Crime

    2006, Cell, Scribner

    2006, The Secretary of Dreams, Cemetery Dance Publications
    2006, Lisey's Story, Scribner
    []

Quotes

  • Stephen King: Rob Reiner, who made Stand By Me, is one of the bravest, smartest filmmakers I have ever met, and I'm proud of my association with him. I am also amused to note that the company Mr. Reiner formed following the success of Stand By Me is Castle Rock Productions... a name with which many of my long time readers will be familiar. []
  • Stephen: In small towns people scent the wind with noses of uncommon keenness. []
  • Stephen King: If you don't have the time to read, you don't have the time or the tools to write. []
  • Stephen King: I recognize terror as the finest emotion and so I will try to terrorize the reader. But if I find that I cannot terrify, I will try to horrify, and if I find that I cannot horrify, I'll go for the gross-out. I'm not proud. []
  • Stephen King: I'm a salami writer. I try to write good salami, but salami is salami. []
  • Stephen King: Thirty-five years ago I wrote a novel called "The Running Man", in which viewers watched fugitives run until they were executed on national television. I never expected to see anything remotely like it for real, but I never imagined Nancy Grace... and I've got a pretty nasty imagination. []
  • Stephen King: (discussing the possibility of his retirement) I've killed enough of the world's trees. []
  • Stephen King: The beauty of religious mania is that it has the power to explain everything. Once God (or Satan) is accepted as the first cause of everything which happens in the mortal world, nothing is left to chance... logic can be happily tossed out the window. []
  • Stephen King: People think that I must be a very strange person. This is not correct. I have the heart of a small boy. It is in a glass jar on my desk. []
  • Stephen King: Only enemies speak the truth; friends and lovers lie endlessly, caught in the web of duty. []
  • Stephen King: It's better to be good than evil, but one achieves goodness at a terrific cost. []
  • Stephen King: I think that marijuana should not only be legal, I think it should be a cottage industry. It would be wonderful for the state of Maine. There's some pretty good homegrown dope. I'm sure it would be even better if you could grow it with fertilizers and have greenhouses. []
  • Stephen King: People want to know why I do this, why I write such gross stuff. I like to tell them I have the heart of a small boy... and I keep it in a jar on my desk. []
  • Stephen King: I am the literary equivalent of a Big Mac and fries. []
  • Stephen King: When asked, "How do you write?" I invariably answer, "one word at a time." []
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