Inhaltsangabe |
For the past forty years, one name has dominated the world of horror fiction: Stephen King. King has produced fiction at a lightening speed since the publication of his first book, Carrie, in 1973. Throughout his tenure as one of the greatest American horror writers, he has published forty-nine novels, nine collections of short stories, and eleven screenplays. King's works have also served as the inspiration for numerous Hollywood films. Though many people think King's corpus of literature belongs solely to the horror category, several of his works are actually fantasy and psychological thrillers. King largely bases his books in small-town America. In an interview with the Paris Review entitled "Stephen King, The Art of Fiction," King said, "If you go back over the books from Carrie on up, what you see is an observation of ordinary middle-class American life as it's lived at the time that particular book was written." King's mastery of relating how ordinary people deal with difficult, sometimes even supernatural situations, has earned him a loyal following over the years. Though King's career has been successful and prolific, his life has not been without hardship. Indeed, King has been quite candid about his battles with alcohol, marijuana and cocaine. In 1999, King was struck by van and endured a long, painful journey to recovery. Now in his sixties, King is able to reflect on his life and career with honesty, and, at times, amusement. |