Stephen Edwin King (b.1947) is a prolific and internationally famous American author of horror fiction. His best-selling novels bring together elements of the traditional gothic stories with those of the modern psychological thriller, detective, and science fiction genres.
Born in Portland, Maine, King began writing short stories at an early age. He struggled for years after graduating from college. He and his writer-wife Tabitha King grappled financially and lived in a trailer home. He worked hard at building a career as a writer and developed ideas for many novels. He sold short stories to men’s magazines and worked small jobs to make a living.
When working as a janitor in a school locker room, King was inspired to write the novel Carrie. Set in a girls’ locker room, Carrie features a schoolgirl who exercises her newly-discovered telekinetic powers to exact revenge on her bullies. Carrie turned into King’s first published novel and lent him his big break.
King is one of the most successful writers of the twentieth century. He has published a book a year, nearly all bestsellers, many of which have been made into movies. His most notable works include Carrie (1974; film 1976,) The Shining (1977; film 1980,) The Green Mile (1996; film 1999,) The Plant (2000,) and Cell (2006.)
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Stephen King
Remember, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.
—Stephen King
Topics: Hope
Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.
—Stephen King
Topics: Talent, Work, Success, Preparation
The rope by which the great blocks of taxes are attached to any citizenry is simple loyalty.
—Stephen King
Topics: Taxes
Because the hardest boss a man can ever have is himself.
—Stephen King
Fault always lies in the same place: with him weak enough to lay blame.
—Stephen King
The most important things are the hardest to say, because words diminish them.
—Stephen King
Topics: Communication, Words
College was for people who didn’t know they were smart.
—Stephen King
The goodbyes we speak and the goodbyes we hear are the good byes that tell us we’re still alive.
—Stephen King
We make up horrors to cope with real ones.
—Stephen King
It didn’t occur to me until later that there’s another truth, very simple: greed in a good cause is still greed.
—Stephen King
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