The Writing Family of Stephen King

This work examines Stephen King’s position in popular literary circles and then considers the contributions of his family to the landscape of contemporary fiction. Though they have to a degree been eclipsed by Stephen King’s popularity, his wife, Tabitha King, and sons, Owen King and Joe Hill, have found varying levels of success in their own right. The three have traveled their own writing paths, from supernatural fiction to contemporary literary fiction. This is the first extended exploration of the works of three authors who have too long been overshadowed by their proximity to “the King of Horror.”

Patrick McAleer co-chairs the Stephen King Area of the Popular Culture Association. He has published many articles on King and teaches English at Inver Hills Community College in the Twin Cities, Minnesota.

Patrick McAleer

Foreword by Matthew Holman

Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 207
Bibliographic Info: notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2011
pISBN: 978-0-7864-4850-0
eISBN: 978-0-7864-8518-5
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      vii
Foreword (by Matthew Holman)      1
Preface      5

1. What’s in a Name? Intersections and Collaborations Among the (Horror) Fiction of the King Family      9
2. Like Father, Like Son(s)? The Art of the Short Story, or, What About Mom?      22
3. In the Footsteps of Fame, or, Starting with the Youngest: The Fiction of Owen King      42
4. More Than a Matriarch: Tabitha King’s Canon      72
5. Emerging from the Shadows: Joseph Hillstrom King Becomes Joe Hill      127

Conclusion      181
Works Cited      187
Index      193