The first version of The Stand is published by Doubleday. The “complete and uncut” edition would not appear until 1990.
Stephen King serves as writer-in-residence and instructor at the University of Maine at Orono.
1979
King attends the Fifth World Fantasy Convention in Providence, Rhode Island, as a Guest of Honor.
The Dead Zone is published by Viking Press after a contract dispute with Doubleday; it becomes his first book to rise to the number-one position on the New York Times bestseller list.
’Salem’s Lot, directed by Tobe Hooper, is adapted as a miniseries for network television on CBS.
The second “Richard Bachman” novel, The Long Walk, is released by New American Library without fanfare as a paperback original.
1980
Firestarter is published by Viking Press.
The Shining, directed and adapted by filmmaker Stanley Kubrick, is released by Warner Brothers Studios.
1981
Danse Macabre, a nonfiction study of horror in the mass media, is published by Everest House.
Cujo is published by Viking Press.
Roadwork, the third “Richard Bachman” novel, is published in paperback by New American Library.
Receives Career Alumni Award from the University of Maine.
1982
Different Seasons, a collection of original novellas, is published by Viking Press.
The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger is published in a limited run by Donald M. Grant, Publisher. It becomes an instant collector’s item.
Creepshow, a collection of graphic stories done in the style of the infamous E.C. Comics of the 1950s, is published by New American Library.
The Running Man, the fourth “Richard Bachman” novel, is published by New American Library as a mass market paperback original.
Creepshow is released as a motion picture by Warner Brothers Studios; directed by George A. Romero, it is the first produced screenplay by Stephen King from previously published short stories.
1983
Christine is published by Viking Press.
Pet Sematary is published by Doubleday.
Cycle of the Werewolf is released by Land of Enchantment, a specialty press, in a limited edition.
The Dead Zone, directed by David Cronenberg, is released as a motion picture by Paramount Studios.
Cujo, directed by Lewis Teague, is released as a motion picture by the Taft Entertainment Company.
Christine, directed by John Carpenter, is released as a motion picture by Columbia Pictures.
1984
The Talisman, coauthored with Peter Straub, is published jointly by Viking and G. P. Putnam’s Sons.
The Eyes of the Dragon is self-published by Stephen King’s own Philtrum Press.
Thinner, the fifth “Richard Bachman” novel, is published by New American Library, but this time in an original hardcover edition heavily promoted at the American Booksellers Association convention.
Children of the Corn, directed by Fritz Kiersch and based on the short story of the same name, is released as by New World Pictures. A series of loosely related sequels would follow.
Firestarter, directed by Mark L. Lester, is released as a motion picture by Universal Pictures.
1985
After years of successfully denying it, Stephen King admits in a local newspaper report to using the pseudonym Richard Bachman.
King writes and directs the feature Maximum Overdrive, based on his short story “Trucks,” for Dino De Laurentiis in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Cat’s Eye, directed by Lewis Teague, is released as a motion picture by MGM/UA; it is the second produced screenplay by Stephen King.
Skeleton Crew, his second major collection of short stories, is published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons.
The Bachman Books, an omnibus collection of the first four Richard Bachman titles, is published by New American Library in simultaneous hardcover and trade paperback editions.
Silver Bullet, directed by Daniel Attias and based on the book Cycle of the Werewolf, is released as a motion picture by Columbia-EMI-Warner, for which Stephen King also wrote the screenplay.
1986
It is published by Viking Press.
Maximum Overdrive, the first movie both written and directed by Stephen King, is released by De Laurentiis Entertainment Group.
Stand by Me, directed by Rob Reiner and based on the novella “The Body,” is released as a motion picture by Columbia Pictures.
1987
Misery is published by Viking Press.
The Eyes of the Dragon (revised version) is published by Viking Press.
The Tommyknockers is published by Viking Press.
Creepshow 2, directed by Michael Gornick, with a screenplay by George A. Romero, is released as a motion picture by New World Pictures.
The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three is published by Donald M. Grant, Publisher.
King writes an original teleplay called “Sorry, Right Number” for George A. Romero’s syndicated television series Tales From the Darkside.
The Running Man, directed by Paul Michael Glaser, is released as a motion picture by Taft Entertainment Pictures. Credits read “based on the novel by Richard Bachman.”
1988
Nightmares in the Sky, a collection of photographs by “f-stop fitzgerald” to which Stephen King includes only the introductory text, is published by Viking Press.
Carrie is transformed into a Broadway musical, opening at the Virginia Theater. It closes after only five regular performances.
1989
The Dark Half is published by Viking Press.
Pet Sematary, directed by Mary Lambert, is released as a motion picture by Paramount Pictures, with a screenplay by Stephen King.
1990
The Stand (complete version) is published by Doubleday.
Four Past Midnight, a collection of original novellas, is published by Viking Press.
Misery, directed by Rob Reiner, is released as a motion picture by Castle Rock Entertainment.
Stephen King’s Graveyard Shift, a feature film directed by Ralph S. Singleton, based on the short story of the same name, is released by Columbia Tri-Star.
Stephen King’s It, directed by Tommy Lee Wallace, airs on ABC as a television miniseries.
1991
Needful Things is published by Viking Press.
The Dark Half is released as a motion picture by Orion Pictures, adapted and directed by George A. Romero.
Stephen King’s Golden Years airs on television as a seven-part series on CBS, with most of the episodes written by King.
Sometimes They Come Back, based on the short story of the same name, airs as a made-for-television feature on CBS network, directed by Tom McLoughlin.
The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands is published by Donald M. Grant, Publisher.
1992
Gerald’s Game is published by Viking Press.
Stephen King performs with his celebrity author rock band, the Rock Bottom Remainders, at the American Booksellers Association convention in Anaheim, California.
Stephen King’s Sleepwalkers, with an original screenplay by Stephen King, directed by Mick Garris, is released as a motion picture by Columbia Pictures.
The Lawnmower Man, directed by Brett Leonard, is released as a motion picture by New Line Cinema. It bears so little resemblance to King’s story that the author successfully sues to have his name removed from the title.
1993
Nightmares & Dreamscapes, his third major collection of short stories, is published by Viking Press.
Dolores Claiborne is published by Viking Press.
Needful Things, directed by Fraser Heston, is released as a motion picture by Columbia Pictures.
Stephen King’s The Tommyknockers, directed by John Power, airs as a miniseries for ABC.
1994
Stephen King’s The Stand airs as a miniseries for ABC, with a teleplay by Stephen King, directed by Mick
Garris.
Insomnia is published by Viking Press.
The Shawshank Redemption, directed by Frank Darabont, is released as a motion picture by Columbia Pictures, based on the novella “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption,” which originally appeared in Different Seasons.
1995
Rose Madder is published by Viking Press.
The Mangler, directed by Tobe Hopper and based on the short story of the same name, is released as a motion picture by New Line Cinema.
Dolores Claiborne, directed by Taylor Hackford, is released by Columbia Pictures; it stars Kathy Bates, who had previously won an Academy Award for her performance in Misery.
Stephen King’s The Langoliers, directed by Tom Holland and based on the novella that appeared in Four Past Midnight, airs as a miniseries on ABC.
1996
Desperation is published by Viking Press.
The Regulators (as by “Richard Bachman”) is published simultaneously with Desperation by Dutton.
“The Man in the Black Suit” is given First Prize status in Prize Stories 1996: The O. Henry Awards, edited by William Abrahams. In its original magazine appearance in 1994, it won a World Fantasy Award.
Thinner, directed by Tom Holland, is released as a motion picture by Paramount Pictures.
Pet Sematary 2, directed by Mary Lambert, is released as a motion picture by Paramount Pictures.
1997
The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass is published by Donald M. Grant, Publisher.
Quicksilver Highway, an anthology movie directed by Mick Garris that includes “Chattery Teeth,” is broadcast as an original television feature on Fox.
Six Stories is published in a limited edition by Stephen King’s own Philtrum Press.
Trucks, based on the story of the same name, directed by Chris Thomson, is broadcast as an original television feature on USA Network.
Stephen King’s The Shining, directed by Mick Garris, airs on ABC as a miniseries, with a teleplay by Stephen King.
1998
Stephen King’s The Night Flier, directed by Mark Pavia, which had premiered on HBO, is briefly released as a theatrical motion picture by New Line Cinema.
Storm of the Century, the script for “an original novel for television,” is published by Pocket Books.
Storm of the Century, an original miniseries directed by Craig Baxley, airs on ABC, with a teleplay by Stephen King.
Stephen King writes an original teleplay (subsequently rewritten by Chris Carter) for Fox’s The X-Files.
Apt Pupil, directed by Bryan Singer, based on the novella that originally appeared in Different Seasons, is released as a motion picture by Paramount Pictures.
Bag of Bones is published by Scribner.
1999
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon is published by Scribner.
The Rage: Carrie 2, directed by Katt Shea, is released as a motion picture by United Artists.
Hearts in Atlantis is published by Scribner.
On June 19, King is seriously injured in an automobile accident near Center Lovell, Maine, from which it will take him many months to recover.
Blood and Smoke, a collection of three stories, is published exclusively as an audio book by Scribner.
The Green Mile, directed and adapted by Frank Darabont, is released as a motion picture by Warner Bros. It is nominated for several Academy Awards.
2000
“Riding the Bullet,” a never-before-published tale, is sold by King on the Internet, bypassing the use of “traditional” publishing methods, though in conjunction with a traditional publisher, Simon & Schuster.
The Plant, an epistolary novel in progress, is sold by King on the Internet, one section at a time, while it is being written. This time, King publishes online himself, without the intercession of a traditional publisher.
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, a nonfiction work, is published by Scribner.
2001
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, adapted and directed by George A. Romero, goes into production as a motion picture.
Black House, the sequel to The Talisman, again written in collaboration with Peter Straub, is published by Random House.
2002
The miniseries Rose Red appears on ABC.
The miniseries Firestarter: Rekindled appears on the Sci Fi Channel.
The Dead Zone television series premieres on USA.
The television remake of Carrie premieres on NBC.
From a Buick 8 is published by Scribner.
Everything’s Eventual: 14 Dark Tales is published by Scribner.
2003
The “revised and expanded” edition of The Gunslinger, subtitled The Dark Tower I, is published by Viking.
The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla is published by Donald M. Grant, Publisher.
King begins a semiregular column appearing on the back page of Entertainment Weekly called “The Pop of King.”
2004
The miniseries Kingdom Hospital appears on ABC.
The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah is published by Donald M. Grant, Publisher.
The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower is published by Donald M. Grant, Publisher.
A new television adaptation of ’Salem’s Lot appears on TNT.
The movie version of Riding the Bullet, adapted and directed by Mick Garris, premieres.
A pop-up version of The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, based on the novel by King, with text adaptation by Peter Abrahams, illustrations by Alan Dingman, and paper engineering by Kees Moerbeek, is published by Little Simon, a division of Simon and Schuster.
Faithful: Two Diehard Boston Red Sox Fans Chronicle the Historic 2004 Season, cowritten by Stewart O’Nan and Stephen King, is published by Scribner.
Secret Window, starring Johnny Depp and John Turturro, adapted and directed by David Koepp, premieres. It is based on the short story “Secret Window, Secret Garden.”
2005
Winterfall LLC, creator of the celebrated Hard Case Crime line of pulp-style paperback crime novels, announces in February that a new book by Stephen King called The Colorado Kid will be the lead title of the line’s second year. The book is scheduled to appear in October 2005.
Desperation, a TV miniseries adapted and directed by Mick Garris, is scheduled to appear on ABC in 2006.
APPENDIX A
Recommended Further Reading
At last count, some forty-odd (some very odd) books have been published about Stephen King and/or his work in the United States alone, of which The Stephen King Universe will certainly not be the last word. At the risk of excluding a personal favorite, we have selected several titles that we feel are the most useful to both the casual King fan and the serious King scholar. (They are listed in order of their original publication. Many have since been reprinted in both hardcover and paperback editions by other publishers, often in revised form.)
Although some of the titles are currently out of print, they may be obtained through the usual services handling out-of-print and used books.
We recommend Betts Bookstore in Bangor, Maine, owned by Stuart Tinker, which handles “all things King” right in King’s back yard. (Call 207-947-7052 or e-mail at [email protected].) We also heartily recommend a search of the Overlook Connection, owned by Dave Hinchberger. He has been dealing in all things related to King since 1979, and his online bookstore carries many King rarities and oddities. (Call 770-926-1762 or e-mail at [email protected].)
1. Fear Itself: The Horror Fiction of Stephen King, edited by Chuck Miller and Tim Underwood (Columbia, PA: Underwood-Miller, 1982). The first major collection of essays on King, written by such contemporaries as Fritz Leiber, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, and Douglas E. Winter, with an introduction by Peter Straub and an afterword by George A. Romero. It’s interesting that in the introduction to “Stephen King: A Bibliography,” the compilers boldly observe: “It has been stated that Richard Bachman is a pseudonym of Stephen King. This is not the case. Mr. Bachman lives in Bangor,
Maine, and Stephen King has never used this name as a pseudonym.”
2. Stephen King: The Art of Darkness by Douglas E. Winter (New York: NAL, 1984). The first and only authorized biography/overview/critical examination of Stephen King, written by noted critic and horror authority Douglas E. Winter. The first book one should turn to when wishing to know more about the man and his writings. An expanded and updated edition appeared in 1986, detailing the previously concealed subject of the Richard Bachman pseudonym. A further revised edition is long overdue.
3. The Many Facets of Stephen King by Michael R. Collings (Mercer Island, WA: Starmont, 1985). The first of many critical guides to the novels, short stories, and films of Stephen King by Professor Michael Collings. Although all his studies to date have been issued by academic or specialty publishers, and therefore have not been widely available to the general public, Collings would go on to become the most prolific critical writer on the subject at hand. (He has authored or co-authored more than a half-dozen volumes on Stephen King.) This initial volume is a comprehensive overview of the author, his work, and his critics.
4. The Annotated Guide to Stephen King by Michael R. Collings (Mercer Island, WA: Starmont, 1986). The first comprehensive bibliographic study. The author later expanded and updated the volume for Borgo Press as The Work of Stephen King: An Annotated Bibliography & Guide.
5. Reign of Fear: The Fiction and Films of Stephen King edited by Don Herron (Columbia, PA: Underwood-Miller, 1988). The third collection of original essays compiled by critic Herron for editors/publishers Underwood and Miller, who had previously released a second volume of essays entitled Kingdom of Fear: The World of Stephen King in 1986. This third volume is notable mostly for its tone in that although most of the essays look upon the work of King quite charitably and favorably, the editor himself does not.
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