The Stephen King Companion

"A sprightly collection of artifacts, interviews, speeches, trivia, opinions, and pictures about [the] man and his books." —Booklist
The Stephen King Companion is an authoritative look at Stephen King's personal life and professional career, from Carrie to The Bazaar of Bad Dreams.


King expert George Beahm, who has published extensively about Maine's world-famous author, is your seasoned guide to the imaginative world of Stephen King, covering his varied and prodigious output: juvenalia, short fiction, limited edition books, bestselling novels, and film adaptations. The book is also profusely illustrated with nearly 200 photos, color illustrations by celebrated "Dark Tower" artist Michael Whelan, and black-and-white drawings by Maine artist Glenn Chadbourne.


Supplemented with interviews with friends, colleagues, and mentors who knew King well, this book looks at his formative years in Durham, when he began writing fiction as a young teen, his college years in the turbulent sixties, his struggles with early poverty, working full-time as an English teacher while writing part-time, the long road to the publication of his first novel, Carrie, and the dozens of bestselling books and major screen adaptations that followed.


For Stephen King fans old and new, The Stephen King Companion is a comprehensive look at the #1 New York Times–bestselling author and King of Horror.


"This is for the Cujo-level rabid fan." —Booklist

"Extremely absorbing." —Library Journal, starred review


"A sure winner with King fans or those curious about the man behind the legend." —School Library Journal

"The Companion doesn't assume that everything King touches is perfect. This gives the whole effort credibility, which books of this type often don't have." —The Washington Post