Stephen King, the master of horror, is a name most everyone knows. His chilling tales have kept us awake at night for decades. But beyond the bestsellers and nail-biting adaptations, there’s a trove of fascinating details about the man himself. While many fans know about his battle with addiction or how Carrie was saved from the trash, we’re digging deeper. Get ready to explore 10 lesser-known facts about Stephen King that might just surprise even his most Constant Readers.
10. He Directed the Film Adaptation of One of His Own Stories
Many of Stephen King’s novels and short stories have become movies or TV shows. King himself has written some screenplays and even appeared in cameo roles. But he only stepped behind the camera as director once, for the 1986 film Maximum Overdrive. This movie is based on his short story “Trucks” (1973), where machines come alive and start attacking people. Critics didn’t like the film much, but King admits his inexperience wasn’t the only issue.
“The problem with that film is that I was coked out of my mind all through its production, and I really didn’t know what I was doing,” King shared. He added, “I learned a lot from the experience, however, and would like to try directing again sometime.” So far, Maximum Overdrive is his only directing credit.
9. King Was Part of the Band The Rock Bottom Remainders
The Rock Bottom Remainders was an amateur rock band made up of famous writers. Stephen King was a member, along with Amy Tan, Dave Barry, and Matt Groening, plus others over time. King sang and played guitar in the band, which is now retired. Their name comes from “remaindered book,” a term for leftover books sold cheaply. Kathi Kamen Goldmark formed the band, saying, “I decided to form a band of authors!”
The group even played with professional musicians. They performed “Gloria” by Them with Bruce Springsteen. They also played songs with Warren Zevon, like his “Werewolves of London.” King remembers Zevon telling him to “‘play like Keith [Richards]!’ And he gets down in this crouch. So I get down in a crouch, too, and we played like Keith.”
8. He Is the Most Adapted Living Author
Stephen King holds a Guinness World Record: he’s the living author with the most movie adaptations of his work. So, if it seems like there’s always a new Stephen King adaptation, it’s because there pretty much is! Of course, beating the most adapted author ever, William Shakespeare (who had 1,121 adaptations by February 2016), is a tall order.
Still, King’s official website lists 74 film and TV adaptations up to 2022, with more always in development, like a new version of Salem’s Lot. His stories have also been turned into comic books, stage plays, and even musicals. In 2013, his novel Dolores Claiborne (1992) was adapted into an opera.
7. King Has Written the Stories for Two Original Musicals
Speaking of musicals, Stephen King has penned the stories for two of them. The first was Michael Jackson’s 39-minute musical short film Ghosts (1996). King agreed to write it because, as he said, “I’m always interested in trying something new, and for me, writing a minimusical would be new.”
He also wrote the story for Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, with music and lyrics by John Mellencamp. King mentioned that “the songs become the character development,” so he focused on the plot. The musical is about two brothers in a haunted cabin, a classic King setting. Mellencamp described it as “very beautiful, more like ‘The Green Mile’” than a mix of his music and King’s horror. The show premiered in Atlanta in 2012 and then toured America.
6. He Owns Three Rock Music Radio Stations
Stephen King and his wife, Tabitha, own the Zone Radio Corporation. This company runs three radio stations in their hometown of Bangor, Maine. The biggest is WKIT/100.3, known as “Stephen King’s Rock ‘N’ Roll Station.” They also own WZON/620, which plays classic hits from the ’60s and ’70s, and WZLO/103.1, which features a mix of old and new rock music.
WKIT even gets a mention in King’s novel 11/22/63 (2011), as many of his stories are set in Maine. The Kings also use their radio stations for good causes. In 2011, they held a fundraiser to help Bangor families pay their heating bills during winter. The Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation matched donations up to $70,000.
5. Carrie Was His First Published Novel, but Not the First One He Wrote
Many people know Carrie (1974) as Stephen King’s first published novel. However, it wasn’t the first novel he actually wrote. He had completed three other novels before Carrie: Rage (1977), The Long Walk (1979), and Blaze (2007). These were later released under his pseudonym, Richard Bachman. King explained this was because “back in the early days of my career, there was a feeling in the publishing business that one book a year was all the public would accept.”
But there’s more. King finished his very first novel, The Aftermath, in 1963 when he was only 16. It’s about a post-nuclear war world, and he never plans to publish it. In 1970, he completed another unpublished novel, Sword in the Darkness. He also started The Gunslinger (1982), the first Dark Tower book, that same year. And he wrote The Running Man (1982), another Bachman book, in just one week in 1972.
4. He Bought the Minivan That Nearly Killed Him
In the summer of 1999, Stephen King was struck by a minivan while out for a walk. The driver, Bryan Smith, was distracted by his dog and veered off the road. King survived but suffered severe injuries, including a shattered hip, broken ribs, and a punctured lung. What’s less known is that King later bought the 1985 Dodge Caravan that hit him for $1,500.
He joked about it, saying, “I’m going to take a sledgehammer and beat it!” The van was eventually crushed at a junkyard. In a strange twist, like something from one of his novels, Bryan Smith passed away on King’s 53rd birthday, September 21, 2000, just over a year after the accident.
3. King Wrote a Children’s Book Under a Pseudonym
With his tales of killer clowns and haunted hotels, Stephen King isn’t usually linked with children’s books. Yet, in 2016, he published a picture book for kids called Charlie the Choo-Choo. It was written under the name Beryl Evans, a fictional author from his book The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands (1991). King decided to bring this fictional book to life, with illustrations by Ned Dameron. Don’t expect Thomas the Tank Engine; Charlie’s smile is quite creepy, but the story itself is child-friendly. The book was revealed at San Diego Comic-Con, with an actress signing copies as Beryl Evans.
The cover even features a quote from Stephen King: “If I were ever to write a children’s book, it would be just like this!” This isn’t King’s only venture into children’s publishing. In 2004, he released a pop-up book version of The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (1999).
2. There Are a Few Books He’ll (Probably) Never Publish
Besides The Aftermath and Sword in the Darkness, King has other unfinished stories that remain unpublished. For example, in 1974, he worked for six weeks on a novel based on Patty Hearst’s kidnapping, titled The House on Value Street. He couldn’t make it work and never returned to it. He also wrote an unfinished novella in 1987 called Phil and Sundance, which remains unpublished.
Many of King’s unpublished manuscripts are kept in an archive at his home in Bangor. This archive was previously at the University of Maine’s Raymond H. Fogler Library. However, it’s only open to researchers and scholars who get King’s permission, so most fans will likely never read these works.
1. King Lets Novice Filmmakers Adapt Select Stories for Just $1
On Stephen King’s official website, you’ll find a page about his “dollar babies.” These are short stories he allows new filmmakers to adapt for the small price of just one dollar. He started this program in 1977, even though his accountant worried about legal issues. The program still runs today. There are a few conditions: the films can’t be shown commercially without his approval, and a copy must be sent to King.
Only a handful of these dollar baby films have received commercial distribution. The most famous is Frank Darabont’s adaptation of “The Woman in the Room” (1983) from King’s collection Night Shift (1978). It was Darabont’s first directed film and was good enough to make the Oscar semi-finalist list. It also convinced King to let Darabont adapt more of his work. Darabont went on to direct highly praised adaptations like The Shawshank Redemption (1994), The Green Mile (1999), and The Mist (2007).
Stephen King is more than just a prolific horror writer; he’s a man of many talents and surprising experiences. From musical ventures to acts of generosity and unique encounters with fate, these lesser-known facts paint an even richer picture of an iconic author. His journey is as captivating as any of his stories.
What’s your favorite surprising Stephen King fact? Did any on this list shock you? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
