Read more
A thrilling visual companion curated for young adults voraciously reading their way through Stephen King’s colossal corpus of creepy books.
*2025 CBC Young Adult Favorites Winner*
*2025 CBC Teacher Favorites Winner*
*2025 CBC Librarian Favorites Winner*For many young readers, when the last page of
Goosebumps is turned, the first chapter of
Pet Sematary begins, and a world of terror crafted by Stephen King is revealed. His novels are as fascinating as his life, and in this ultimate illustrated guidebook, young readers explore the cultural phenomenon and legacy of the King of Horror.
From scare-seeking child to impoverished university student to struggling schoolteacher to one of the best-selling—and most recognizable—authors of all time, this engrossing book reveals the evolution and influences of Stephen King’s body of work over his nearly 50-year career, and how the themes of his writing reflect the changing times and events within his life.
With tons of photos, approachable bite-size sections, and gripping details to captivate young readers, the book features:
- An extensive look into Stephen King’s books, short stories, writings, movies, series, and other adaptations ideal for the young reader to review.
- Exclusive memorabilia from Stephen King, including personal and professional correspondences, handwritten manuscript pages, book covers, movie stills, and a never-before-seen excerpts from his poems.
- Personal insights and observations such as real-life settings that inspired King’s writing, the editor who discovered him, his life as a Boston Red Sox fan, and the many awards and honors he has received.
- Motivating quotes from King from interviews over the decades.
“My childhood was pretty ordinary, except from a very early age I wanted to be scared…there was a radio program at the time called Dimension X, and my mother didn’t want me to listen to that because she felt it was too scary for me, so I would creep out of bed and go to the bedroom door and crack it open. And she loved it, so apparently, I got it from her, but I would listen at the door and then when the program was over, I’d go back to bed and quake.” —Stephen King
Young adults will covet this comprehensive yet accessible reference to their favorite horror author.
List of contents
FOREWORD
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1
THE FUTURE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN (1950–1969)
CHAPTER 2
THE DOUBLEDAY YEARS (1970s)
INTERLUDE: STEPHEN KING AS RICHARD BACHMAN ·
INTERLUDE: WELCOME TO CASTLE ROCK
CHAPTER 3
MIDAS TOUCH (1980s)
INTERLUDE: THE DARK TOWER
INTERLUDE: UNSEEN KING
INTERLUDE: WELCOME TO DERRY
CHAPTER 4
EXPERIMENTATION AND CHANGE (1990s)
INTERLUDE: THE ACCIDENT
CHAPTER 5
AFTER THE ACCIDENT (2000s)
INTERLUDE: THE STEPHEN KING UNIVERSE
CHAPTER 6
KING OF CRIME (2010 AND BEYOND)
INTERLUDE: COLLABORATIONS
Conclusion
THE TEST OF TIME
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
APPENDIX I: BOOKS BY STEPHEN KING
APPENDIX II: ADAPTATIONS
ENDNOTES
IMAGE CREDITS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
About the author
Bev Vincent is the author of several non-fiction books, including
The Road to the Dark Tower and
Stephen King: A Complete Exploration of His Work, Life, and Influences. In 2018, he co-edited the anthology
Flight or Fright with King and has published over 130 stories, with appearances in
Ellery Queen’s,
Alfred Hitchcock’s and
Black Cat Mystery magazines. His work has been published in over twenty languages and nominated for the Stoker (twice), Edgar, Locus, Ignotus, Rondo Hatton Classic Horror and ITW Thriller Awards. To learn more, visit bevvincent.com
Sarah-Jane Smith has been teaching high school English in New Brunswick, Canada for over 15 years. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Information and Communication Studies, and a Bachelor of Education and a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction. She is passionate about developing the love of literacy with her students and can often be found in her classroom at Kennebecasis Valley High School discussing books and stories with her students. She lives in New Brunswick, Canada with her husband, daughter, hockey billet son(s), and dog. When she isn't reading, Sarah-Jane loves to bake, knit, cross-stitch, go golfing with her family, and attend hockey games.
Summary
Stephen King: His Life, Work, and Influences offers young Stephen King fans a thrilling journey through the writer’s personal story and its impact on his work.
