Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 500 million copies and have been made into many movies. He is known for novels such as Carrie, The Shining, The Stand, It, Misery, and the seven-novel series The Dark Tower, which King wrote over a period of 27 years. As of 2010, King has written and published 49 novels, including seven under the pen name Richard Bachman, five non-fiction books, and nine collections of short stories such as Night Shift, Skeleton Crew, and Everything's Eventual. Many of his stories are set in his homestate of Maine. He has collaborated with authors Peter Straub and Stewart O'Nan. Some of his novels have been also been turned into comic books, such as The Stand, The Talisman, and The Dark Tower series.

King has received many awards, including several Bram Stoker Awards, Locus Awards, and, in 2003...