Japanese Literary Awards

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Stephen King

スティーヴン・エドウィン・キング

Sutīvun Kingu

Pen Names: Richard Bachman（Used as a pseudonym to publish additional works and as a sales experiment）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1947-09-21 （Portland, Maine, United States）
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Portland, Maine (birthplace / childhood) → Hampden, Maine (teaching period) → Boulder, Colorado (residence while writing) → Bangor / Lewiston, Maine etc. (later residences / creative base)

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Screenwriter, Columnist
Active Years
1967-
Influenced By
Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Richard Matheson, Ray Bradbury, H. P. Lovecraft
Influenced
Lauren Groff, Junot Díaz, Colson Whitehead, Haruki Murakami, Miyuki Miyabe, Fuyumi Ono, Hirohiko Araki

Education

University of Maine
Education (teacher training) / Department of English
Degree: Bachelor of Arts
Period: 1966-1970
Year of Graduation: 1970
Country: United States
Attended to obtain a teaching certificate; wrote a weekly column for the campus paper.

Awards

World Fantasy Award
1982
Organization: World Fantasy Awards Committee
Result: 受賞
Hugo Award
1982
Organization: World Science Fiction Society
Result: 受賞
O. Henry Award
1996
Organization: O. Henry Awards Committee
Result: 受賞
Bram Stoker Award
1988
Organization: Horror Writers Association
Result: 受賞
Bram Stoker Award
1996
Organization: Horror Writers Association
Result: 受賞
Bram Stoker Award
1997
Organization: Horror Writers Association
Result: 受賞
Bram Stoker Award
1999
Organization: Horror Writers Association
Result: 受賞
Bram Stoker Award
2007
Organization: Horror Writers Association
Result: 受賞
Bram Stoker Award
2009
Organization: Horror Writers Association
Result: 受賞
World Fantasy Award
1995
Organization: World Fantasy Awards Committee
Result: 受賞
World Fantasy Award
2004
Organization: World Fantasy Awards Committee
Result: 受賞
Japan Mystery Writers Association Prize
2025
Work: Billy Summers (Japanese translation)
Organization: Mystery Writers of Japan
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Carrie

1974 Horror 199 pages

The story of Carrie, a telekinetic girl, and the revenge that follows bullying; King's breakthrough novel.

supernaturalbullyingrevenge
Adaptations
  • [Film] Carrie / Brian De Palma (1976)
  • [Film] Carrie (2013) / Kimberly Peirce (2013)
Translations
  • Carrie

The Shining

1977 Horror 447 pages

A family isolated in an off-season hotel where supernatural forces and madness intertwine.

isolationmadnesssupernatural
Adaptations
  • [Film] The Shining / Stanley Kubrick (1980)
  • [TV miniseries] The Shining (1997 TV) / Mick Garris (1997)
Translations
  • The Shining

The Stand

1978 Post-apocalyptic / Horror 823 pages

A pandemic wipes out most of humanity and survivors gather into a struggle between good and evil.

pandemicgood vs evilcommunity
Adaptations
  • [TV miniseries] The Stand (1994) / Mick Garris (1994)
  • [TV series] The Stand (2020) / 複数 (2020)
Translations
  • The Stand

It

1986 Horror 1138 pages

Set in the town of Derry, a group of children confront a malevolent entity known as 'It'.

memoryfriendshipmonster/fear
Adaptations
  • [TV miniseries] It (1990) / Tommy Lee Wallace (1990)
  • [Film] It (2017) / Andy Muschietti (2017)
Translations
  • It

Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption

1982 Novella (Drama) 112 pages

The story of a man imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit and his path toward hope and freedom; basis for the film The Shawshank Redemption.

hopeprison lifefriendship
Adaptations
  • [Film] The Shawshank Redemption / Frank Darabont (1994)
Translations
  • Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption

The Green Mile

1996 Fantasy / Drama 400 pages

A prison drama with supernatural elements set on death row, originally serialized.

empathymiraclejudgment
Adaptations
  • [Film] The Green Mile / Frank Darabont (1999)
Translations
  • The Green Mile

Bibliography

  • Carrie (1974)
  • The Shining (1977)
  • The Stand (1978)
  • It (1986)
  • Doctor Sleep (2013)

Adaptations

  • Numerous film and TV adaptations (e.g. Carrie, The Shining, The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile)

Translations of Works

  • Carrie (Japanese translation) → Carrie (original English)
  • The Shining (Japanese translation) → The Shining

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Modern horror grounded in detailed depictions of everyday American lifeRealistic, character-driven prose with psychological depth
Recurring Motifs
small-town America (often Maine)childhood and memorysupernatural intrusionisolation and madness

Health

  • Alcohol and drug addiction (1980s)
    1980s
    Affected his life and work; he sought treatment and recovered. Themes of addiction and recovery appear in his work.
  • Serious injuries from a traffic accident (1999)
    1999
    Resulted in lasting leg injuries; he continued to write.

Legacy

One of contemporary America's most prominent authors. As a pioneer of modern horror he fused everyday small-town settings with supernatural terror, influencing literature and popular culture through numerous film and TV adaptations.

Archives

  • University of Maine Special Collections (Stephen King materials)

In Popular Culture

  • Became widely known through numerous film and TV adaptations, influencing global popular culture.

Quotes

  • Books are a uniquely portable magic.
    Source: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (2000)

Trivia

  • Sells some short story film rights to students and young filmmakers for $1 under the 'Dollar Baby' program.
  • An avid Boston Red Sox fan; references to the team appear in his works and adaptations.
  • Experienced alcohol and drug addiction in the 1980s and underwent treatment to recover.