Stephen Edwin King is an American author renowned for his works in horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science fiction, and fantasy novels. He was born on September 21, 1947, and his prolific career has seen his books sell over 350 million copies. Many of his works have been adapted into films, television series, miniseries, and comic books. King has published 63 novels, including seven under the pen name Richard Bachman, and five non-fiction books. He has also penned approximately 200 short stories, most of which have been published in book collections.

The literary world has recognized King with numerous awards, including the Bram Stoker Awards, World Fantasy Awards, and British Fantasy Society Awards. In 2003, the National Book Foundation honored him with the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. His entire bibliography has earned him high praise, including the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement in 2004 and the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America in 2007. In 2015, he received the National Medal of Arts from the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts for his substantial contributions to literature. Often referred to as the "King of Horror", his influence on pop culture is profound.

King's debut novel, Carrie (1974), established him in the horror genre, while works like Different Seasons (1982) showed his range beyond horror. His collaborations include works with authors like Peter Straub and his sons, Joe Hill and Owen King. His non-fiction works, including Danse Macabre (1981) and On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (2000), have been critically acclaimed.

His fiction has been adapted into successful films, with notable titles like Carrie (1976), The Shining (1980), The Shawshank Redemption (1994), The Green Mile (1999), The Mist (2007), and It (2017). Beyond writing, King has dabbled in acting, screenwriting, and directing, notably with his direction of Maximum Overdrive.