Stephen King, a celebrated figure in contemporary literature, experienced a sense of relief when one of his earlier books was removed from the market.
Over the past two decades, it’s likely that any TV show or film you’ve encountered has either been inspired by or directly adapted from King’s work, a testament to his significant influence.
At 78, King has authored over sixty novels, penned countless short stories, and seen many of his works successfully adapted by Hollywood.
Despite his success, King advocated for the removal of one of his early novels, which had gained particular attention.
In 1977, under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, King published “Rage,” a story about a teenager who shoots a teacher and holds classmates hostage.
By the 1980s and 1990s, there was growing concern that the book could be influencing individuals involved in school shootings, as some perpetrators reportedly had copies of the novel.
After a 1997 shooting in Kentucky by a student named Michael Carneal, it was discovered that he possessed a copy of “Rage” in his locker.
During a 1999 library conference in Vermont, King addressed this and stated: “I can’t say for sure that Michael Carneal had read my novel Rage, but news stories following the incident reported that a copy of it had been found in his locker. It seems likely to me that he did.”
“Rage had been mentioned in at least one other school shooting… The Carneal incident was enough for me. I asked my publisher to take the damned thing out of print. They concurred.”
It’s believed the book’s protagonist, who executes a school shooting, might have struck a chord with some individuals who later committed similar acts.
King has contemplated the potential impact of his writing on those who commit violent acts.
He drew a parallel to how serial killer Ted Bundy fed his violent urges by consuming explicit content.
King remarked: “Do I think that Rage may have provoked Carneal, or any other badly adjusted young person, to resort to the gun? It’s an important question… The answer is troubling, but it needs to be faced: in some cases, yes. Probably it does.”
“One cannot divorce the presence of my book in that kid’s locker from what he did.”
“While such stories will always exist and be accessible, whether overtly or covertly, the core issue is that I don’t want to be a part of it.”
“Once I knew what had happened, I pulled the ejection-seat lever on that particular piece of work. I withdrew Rage, and I did it with relief rather than regret.”