“In 2017, I moved from Boston to become the inaugural Stephen E. King Chair in Literature at the University of Maine in Orono. The Harold Alfond Foundation had endowed the position, naming it in honor of the English department’s most famous alum. I as hired for my expertise as a Shakespeare scholar, but I was thrilled to be associated with one of my favorite writers–even if I wasn’t going to be meeting him.” (p. 3)
“The Kings agreed to let me spend my sabbatical expiring their personal archives. Thanks to their generosity and trust, I was the first person outside their family and Foundation to be granted this kind of extended access to these newly collected materials.” (p. 15)
“King ended up paying Kubrick $1.5 million for the screen rights so that he could write his own adaptation [of The Shining] which came out as a TV miniseries in 1997. According to the director, Mick Garris, King also had to sign away the right to publicize his negative opinions of Kubrick’s film for a period of time.” (p. 67)
“…New American Library had purchased the paperback rights [for Carrie] for $400,000. The hardcover came out in April 1974, followed by the NAL/Signet edition a year later, which sold over a million copies. When De Palma’s film came out, that under jumped to four million, and King became a household name. As he [King] says, ‘the movie made he book and the book made me.'” (p. 205)
If you are a Stephen King fan, you’ll love Monsters in the Archives (2026). Caroline Bicks shares her research into the early Stephen King books by providing examples of King’s early drafts. For example, Bicks points out that Carrie is one of the most banned books in the United States. The violence and Carrie’s mother’s religious beliefs trigger groups to have Carrie removed from libraries. Carrie almost didn’t happen. King, frustrated by his problems with Carrie tossed the manuscript into the trash can. King’s wife, Tabitha, rescued it and assured her husband that she would help him with writing about a teen-age girl. The rest is history!
Bicks’s analysis of Night Shift‘s 20 stories reveals plenty of development in King’s writing style. ‘Salem’s Lot was initially titled Jerusalem’s Lot but since the editor’s thought that Jerusalem’s Lot sounded too religious, the title got changed to ‘Salem’s Lot.
There’s a wealth of information about the early Stephen King books in Monsters in the Archives. Are you a Stephen King fam? GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
ILLUSTRATIONS — ix
INTRODUCTION: No Place Like Home — 3
Chapter One: Pet Seminary — 19
Chapter Two: The Shining — 61
Chapter Three: Night Shift — 104
Chapter Five: Carrie — 201
EPILOGUE: Home Again — 247
ACKNOWLEGEMENTS — 253
NOTES — 259
Sometimes typos (in this case, WordPress “corrections”), can be very entertaining and evocative. “Pet Seminary” is a winner. I’d read that book.
There’s a reason priests’ neckwear is called a “dog collar”, lol.
Jeff, MONSTERS IN THE ARCHIVES provides plenty of insights into King’s early books and how he refined his craft.
As I’ve said many a time, I love King’s essays and nonfiction—and have enjoyed some of his short stories—but I’ve never been able to get into any of his longer works of fiction, and, at this late date, I guess I never will.
Deb, it’s been a long time since I’ve read one of King’s mammoth novels. I’ve read several of King’s “short story” (which are longer than normal) collections and enjoyed them.
Big King fan here. I’ve read all his books, except for his Red Sox book, FAITHFUL — which I will probably get to this year. Even at his worst, he’s pretty darned good.
Jerry, I’ve read all of King’s early books. But CUJO pissed me off and I took a decade-long break from King.
What annoyed you, George? For me, some of King’s short stories seemed like piss-takes, and that put me off…the initial Gunslinger stories in F&SF struck me as awful.
Todd, I’m sure Jeff Meyerson and I hated the ending of CUJO. I didn’t read another King book for a decade! But, I think King’s non-fiction is insightful and occasionally dazzling!
What annoyed you, George? For me, some of King’s short stories seemed like piss-takes, and that put me off…the initial Gunslinger stories in F&SF struck me as awful.
Todd, I read a few of THE GUNSLINGER novels and abandoned the series.
He’s not a stupid man, but at times is one of those writers, as they used to say, with more word-production engine than well-thought out steering wheel. Going for the Gross-Out has diminishing returns.
Todd, in some of the interviews with STEPHEN KING, he’s admitted he is “addicted” to writing.
Dunno how my question was posted twice. Perhaps the MRI this afternoon is partly to blame.
I read “Salem’s Lot” in high school and thought it was mediocre. I read “Night Shift” in college and thought that was better. I’ve skipped his novels because none of them sounded remotely appealing. Last winter I read “The Langoliers” last winter and it was so appallingly bad, particularly the prose, I’ll never touch one of his books again. I really don’t get the guy’s appeal.
“The Shining” story is interesting (and so Kubrick) but ironic considering how lame and unmemorable King’s miniseries version with the guy from “Wings” was (for the record I think the Kubrick film is just silly and hugely overrated).
To each their own.
Byron, there are plenty of fans and detractors for THE SHINING. Kubrick created some iconic scenes–“Here’s Johnny!”–the line wasn’t originally in Stephen King’s novel or the script. It was improvised by Nicholson on set as a direct parody of Ed McMahon’s famous introduction for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show.
I agree about CUJO (also IT), but yes, I’m a big fan. I’ve read the non-fiction like Deb, but also have read ALL the short stories and novellas. Plus, a lot ( but not nearly all) of the novels. Not The Gunslinger series. I’ve read THE STAND twice – the original edition and the expanded reprint, some of which I would have cut.
Still most impressed that Jeff Smith read UNDER THE DOME in one night!
Jeff, I’m also in awe of Jeff Smith reading UNDER THE DOME in one night! Incredible!
I think he did it by skilling the vowels.
Jerry, vowels may have been in play in that marathon reading of UNDER THE DOME!
I’m not sure if maybe I had read the beginning the night before or not, but if I didn’t read it all in one night I certainly read most of it in one night. It was a Saturday night, and I remember looking at the number of pages left and figuring if I just kept going, I’d be finished by the time football started.
I read one of his non-genre books years ago and enjoyed it, but he puts me off and I have no plans to read anything else by him!
Bob, the owner of a used bookstore in North Tonawanda told me 33% of his book sales are Stephen King books!