1. So far Stephen King has been the recipient of several prestigious literary awards, ranging from the Bram Stoker Award (which he has received no less than 15 times), the British Fantasy Award, Hugo Award, Horror Guild, World Fantasy Award, and the list goes on and on. Quite an impressive resume even if you haven't read any of his books so far. 2. A prolific author, so far Mr. King has published 55 novels, about 200 short stories and novellas (most of them put together in eight collections), about five non-fiction titles and doesn't show any sign of slowing down anytime soon. Also, most of his works have become movies or TV series, and some titles will most likely be remade in the near future.
3. Maybe it's all in the family. His wife of more than four decades, Tabitha King, has so far published seven books. His elder son, Joe King, is already a well-respected and popular horror author under the pen name Joe Hill (as he didn't want to enjoy his father's success). And Owen King, his other son, has published a collection of short stories.
4. Stephen King is not only a writer, but also a musician, as he plays guitar for The Rock Bottom Remainders, a group which comprises several other authors, such as Amy Tan or Ridley Pearson. Maybe it's not a reason to quit writing anytime soon, but the group has had several gigs (mostly for charity and good fun) and even tours. And King has proven to be a rather inspired guitar player.
5. What is Stephen King afraid of? Certainly not killer clowns, rabid dogs or vampires. He is actually afraid of number 13. But so much that he never stops reading or writing if he is on the 13th page or a multiple of the number. And not when the numbers ammount to the dreaded 13.
6. Among all of the characters that he created, the one who he feels is mostly an image of himself is still Jack Torrance from The Shining.
7. Stephen King is also a baseball fan (with a soft spot for the Red Sox) a Ramones fan (and over the years he has supported the legendary punk group) and an enthusiastic Twitter presence.
Photo: biography.com
