Stephen King is an American author known for his talent in bringing out the horror of everyday life. Love him or hate him, his work is everywhere in the media from his books to the movies based on his work. His career first began with his novel Carrie, a coming of age story of a young girl who is angry and misunderstood transforms into a vengeful and dangerous women. Themes like loss of innocence, abuse, and the battle of good and evil are prevalent in his writing and are often depicted in everyday settings or characters. In his book The Shining, King shares the story of a dysfunctional family damaged by both emotional and physical abuse along with the anger and neglect that comes with an alcoholic parent. King manages to discuss these themes while disguising the plot as a haunted house story. Most of King’s stories are ones that reflect ordinary lives that have subjects of the supernatural or horror in the plot line while still holding key themes experienced in everyday life. King understands the fears of his readers and uses this to create a deeper connection with his audience. This relatability established in many of Stephen King’s stories along with his thrilling plot lines and well established characters is what makes his stories deeply engrossing and popular throughout many demographics.

“Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win.”

― Stephen King

 

As mentioned previously, one of the best known works by Stephen King is his novel The Shining. This piece of work greatly exemplifies King’s true talent for writing by showcasing his writing style, character development, and expertise in creating a plot line and setting. Inspired by his visit to the Stanley Hotel in Colorado, this story depicts a family’s experience staying at a haunted hotel. King’s knack for creating a truly sinister setting through descriptions and character experience’s carries the story through and gives the reader a true sense of terror. Themes such as family, alcoholism, violence, the supernatural, reality, and so on also help to get the reader hooked and connected to the story. This novel later went on to become a movie that was greatly admired by people which only shows Kings craft for drawing people into the stories he creates.

 

While King has long been credited as “the” author for horror books, he has been proven to add other elements to his stories other than just horror, such as mysteries, time travel, western stories, science fiction, etc; this has lead to better depth in plot lines and more reader engagement. Stephen King has truly become one of the best writers of this generation- his inspiration stemming from other well-known authors such as Edgar Allen Poe and H.P Lovecraft . King has been able to rise up and become an inspiration himself for many new writers.

 

“Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well. It’s about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy, okay? Getting happy.”

― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft