Stephen King, in full Stephen Edwin King, (born September 21, 1947, Portland, Maine, U.S.), American novelist and short-story writer whose books were credited with reviving the genre of horror fiction in the late 20th century.

King graduated from the University of Maine in 1970 with a bachelor’s degree in English. While writing short stories he supported himself by teaching and working as a janitor, among other jobs. His first published novel, Carrie, about a tormented teenage girl gifted with telekinetic powers, appeared in 1974 (film 1976 and 2013) and was an immediate popular success.