King, Stephen

King, Stephen

▪ American novelist
in full  Stephen Edwin King  
born Sept. 21, 1947, Portland, Maine, U.S.

      American novelist and short-story writer whose books were credited with reviving the genre of horror fiction in the late 20th century.

      King graduated from the University of Maine in 1970 with a bachelor's degree in English. While writing short stories he supported himself by teaching and working as a janitor, among other jobs. His first published novel, Carrie (filmed 1976), about a tormented teenage girl gifted with telekinetic powers, appeared in 1974 and was an immediate popular success. Carrie was the first of many novels in which King blended horror, the macabre, fantasy, and science fiction. Among such works were Salem's Lot (1975), The Shining (1977; filmed 1980), The Stand (1978), The Dead Zone (1979; filmed 1983), Firestarter (1980; filmed 1984), Cujo (1981), Christine (1983; filmed 1983), It (1986), Misery (1987; filmed 1990), The Tommyknockers (1987), and The Dark Half (1989).

      In his books King explored almost every terror-producing theme imaginable, from vampires, rabid dogs, deranged killers, and a pyromaniac to ghosts, extrasensory perception and telekinesis, biological warfare, and even a malevolent automobile. Though his work was disparaged as undisciplined and inelegant, King was a talented storyteller whose books gain their effect from realistic detail, forceful plotting, and the author's undoubted ability to involve and scare the reader.

      By the early 1990s King's books had sold more than 100 million copies worldwide, and his name had become synonymous with the genre of horror fiction. King also wrote the short stories collected in Night Shift (1978), as well as several novellas and motion-picture screenplays. Some of his novels were successfully adapted for the screen by such directors as Brian De Palma, Stanley Kubrick, and Rob Reiner.

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  • King, Stephen (Edwin) — born Sept. 21, 1947, Portland, Maine, U.S. U.S. writer. Educated at the University of Maine, he wrote a number of enormously popular books, which made him one of the world s best selling writers. His books blend horror, the macabre, fantasy, and… …   Universalium

  • Stephen Edwin King — Stephen King (Februar 2007) Stephen Edwin King (* 21. September 1947 in Portland, Maine) ist ein US amerikanischer Schriftsteller. Er schrieb auch unter Pseudonymen, 1972 als John Swithen und zwischen 1977 und 1985 als Richard Bachman. Er ist vor …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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  • Stephen King — en la Comic Con de Nueva York (2007). Nacimiento 21 de septiembre de 1947 (64 años) …   Wikipedia Español

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