Which film adaptation of one of his stories does King famously hate?
Despite the fact that The Shining is considered a classic of cinema, King absolutely hated it. When asked about the film’s massive following, he simply replied: “I don’t get it.”
What does King say is the best word processor in the world?
I guess you could call him old-fashioned.
Which of King’s novels is his favorite?
As he put in a 1987 interview, “In a way it is my favorite story, mostly because of what it says about small towns. They are kind of a dying organism right now. The story seems sort of down home to me. I have a special cold spot in my heart for it!"
What does King say is the most important thing for aspiring writers to do?
In his words: “There's no way around these two things that I'm aware of, no shortcut.” So get crackin’!
What was the name of the column that King wrote for the University of Maine’s student newspaper?
I’d have gone with Dear Stevie, but that’s just me…
King and his wife own a radio station called Zone Radio. What kind of music does it play?
King’s love of rock music led him to buy the radio station, so what other kind of music would it play?
What horrifying event did King witness when he was a young child?
King doesn't actually have any memory of the event—he only knows what his mother told him about it.
How much does King charge aspiring filmmakers for the rights to his short stories?
King has a list of these stories, which he calls “Dollar Babies,” on his website, which he offers up to any film students that might want to adapt them.
King is in a musical supergroup consisting of all published writers. What is it called?
The group's members also include Amy Tan, Mitch Albom, and Barbara Kingsolver.
How many books are in King’s personal library?
King claims to have read every single one of them.
Which novel by King’s son was adapted into a film in 2013?
King’s son Joe wanted to become a horror writer, but he wanted to earn it on his own merits, so he publishes his books under the pen name Joe Hill.
What terrifying event happened to King in 1999?
Not long after the collision, King actually purchased the van that hit him. It was rumored that he bought it so that he could personally smash it to pieces, but in reality, his lawyers made the purchase so that the van wouldn’t wind up on eBay.
Which of the following books was on the New York Times Best Sellers List in 1995?
These three books by King, along with a fourth called The Bachman Books, were all simultaneously on the Best Sellers list, the most ever by a single author.
How does King frequently travel from event to event while on book tours?
King is still uncomfortable flying, and he’s an avid motorcyclist, so this one seems like a no brainer.
What is King’s net worth?
King has luxury cars, a private jet, and a waterfront vacation home in Florida. Not too shabby, Steve.
What state is most associated with Stephen King?
Gotta start with an easy one! King has become inextricably linked to his home state, as many of his most famous works are set there.
What famous author did King play poker with in the 80s?
Martin and King became friends after bumping into each other so frequently at Science Fiction conventions.
Stephen King donated money to build the Mansfield Baseball Stadium in his hometown of Bangor, Maine. What’s the stadium’s nickname?
There’s nothing particularly spooky about the field, but when you’ve got a nickname that good, it sticks.
Which baseball team is King a lifelong fan of?
It should be no surprise that a New Englander like King roots for the Sox. He even appeared as himself, as a Red Sox fan, in the movie Fever Pitch.
What kind of music does King listen to while he’s writing?
King is a huge fan of rock music. Two of his favorite bands are AC/DC and The Ramones.
How long did it take King to write his book The Running Man?
King has always been an extremely fast writer, but his blistering pace on The Running Man is nothing short of remarkable.
What’s the name of King’s popular memoir?
Roger Ebert once wrote that On Writing was the most insightful book for aspiring writers since The Elements of Style.
Which of the following is one of King’s pen names?
I guess if you write as much as King, you’ve got to mix it up every now and again.
What excuse did King’s father give before he left the family forever?
After his father, Donald, “went out for cigarettes” when King was just two years old, King never saw him again.
After leaving Maine when he was very young, why did King’s family return to the state?
King lived in Wisconsin, Indiana, and Connecticut as a young boy before the family moved back to his home state.
What’s significant about King’s story “The Glass Floor”?
King started submitting his stories to publications when he was 16. He had countless submissions rejected before “The Glass Floor” was finally accepted, when he was 19.
Carrie was almost never finished—who convinced King to complete it?
King grew so frustrated while writing Carrie that he threw his entire manuscript in the trash at one point. His wife Tabitha found it in the trashcan and pulled it out. She convinced King to keep at it, and the horror classic was saved.
What was King’s first published novel?
That first novel would go on to become one of King’s most popular books.
What did a young King find in his attic which inspired him to become a horror writer?
Discovering Lovecraft’s The Thing from the Tomb in a box of his father’s old belongings was the first step on King’s path to becoming a horror icon.
Why did King have to repeat the first grade?
King was never a great student, but I’d say he eventually learned to read and write pretty darn well.
Your Results
Misery
King has written countless stories and had dozens of movies and TV shows made. Have you not seen a single one of them?
Student of Horror
You’ve clearly read one or two of King’s books, or at least seen one of his movies, but you’ve got some work to do yet if you truly want to become an expert on the Master of Horror.
Master of Horror
You’re a Stephen King fanatic! You’re clearly a connoisseur of the creepy, a fanatic of the frightening, a… really big fan of… scary things. Either way, congratulations—you’ve mastered our quiz on the Master of Horror!
Happy With Your Test Score? This video can help you do better on any quiz... even if you know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about the topic.
Quiz
Stephen King is one of the most prolific writers of the last 100 years. He’s written dozens of novels and hundreds of short stories, many of which have become popular movies or TV shows. Very few writers can claim to be as popular as Stephen King, but how much do you really know about the Master of Horror? If you’re a true fan of the macabre, then you’ll have no trouble with our quiz on this twisted mastermind.
More from Factinate
Featured Article
My mom never told me how her best friend died. Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery.
Nothing stays hidden forever—and these dark family secrets are proof that when the truth comes out, it can range from devastating to utterly chilling.
Featured Article
Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark history—or the chilling secret shared by her and Louis.
Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark history—or the chilling secret shared by her and Louis.
More from Factinate
Featured Article
I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. I knew that she was going to take it badly, but I had no idea about the insane lengths she would go to just to get revenge and mess with my life.
When someone really pushes our buttons, we'd like to think that we'd hold our head high and turn the other cheek, but revenge is so, so sweet.
Featured Article
Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIII’s rejected queen—but few people know her even darker history.
Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIII’s rejected queen—but very few people know her even darker history.
Dear reader,
Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? We’re always looking for your input! Please reach out to us to let us know what you’re interested in reading. Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from “Life” to “Compact Cars and Trucks” to “A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius.” We’ll get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics you’re interested in. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. Thanks for your time!
Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? At Factinate, we’re dedicated to getting things right. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. We want our readers to trust us. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. Please let us know if a fact we’ve published is inaccurate (or even if you just suspect it’s inaccurate) by reaching out to us at contribute@factinate.com. Thanks for your help!
Warmest regards,
The Factinate team
