I.

Introduction

Stephen King, born in 1947, American author, whose horror and fantasy works enjoy tremendous popular success. King is known for turning ordinary situations—such as peer pressure or marital stress—into terrifying ones. His exciting plots and prolific output helped reestablish horror fiction as a vital literary genre in the late 20th century. King has also led the way in adopting innovative publishing techniques.

Born in Portland, Maine, King wrote his first story at the age of 7 and sold his first piece of writing to a magazine when he was 18 years old. He earned a B.A. degree from the University of Maine at Orono in 1970 and began teaching high school English.