Fandom Blog - Stephen King

Steven King    

    Stephen King, one of the most popular authors around. He is known for his large collection of horror books, that have all become a major success. Most people know him for his writings of "It", "Pet Cemetery", and "The Shining." His books tend to become movies as there is such a fan base and lots of the books turn into best sellers. Due to Stephen King's popularity, his fan base has come together to form quite the fandom. 

Stephen King's Background

Steven King
    Growing up in Portland, Maine, King lived with both parents and brother. When he was only a few years old him and his brother moved with his mother, as his parents split. King attended grammar school and graduated in 1966. He went on to study English at college. Attending the University of Maine Orono, he started writing for the school paper. Writing articles and short stories for the paper he made a name for himself. Soon he started writing short stories for local papers and was getting more published. In 1967 he made his first professional short story sale "The Glass Floor"and in 1974 he published his first novel, "Carrie." Soon following he released "The Shining" and "The stand," starting the large following of fans. "The Shining" was one of King's most successful horror novels, leading to the making of a movie. King continued to write horror novels, all becoming a great success. 

King's Fan Base

Fans gather together dressed as King's
fictional characters
    As more of King's novel were released fan started to create a fandom about his novels. Many fans get together on Reddit, Facebook or a multitude of other websites to discuss, recreate, and argue about certain aspects of his stories. Lots of fans like to create new endings or connect stories together using their own creativity. The popular novel "IT" tends to be a go to for Stephen King fans. Lots of them tend to rewrite the ending to that novel to add their own twist. Another way that fans show their liking towards King's novels is by visiting places that are relevant in the stories or places where King wrote them. Jeff Tuttle was discussing places fans could visit and stated "Thousands upon thousands of King fans visit Bangor every year, and it seems all of them go to his house on West Broadway [...], Bangor, Maine is the inspiration for the fictional town of Derry, which provides the backdrop for several of King's novels and short stories." Bangor, Maine is the setting for a lot of King's novels, making it a main tourist attraction. Lots of people specifically visit Mount Hope cemetery, the place where "Pet Cemetery" was based off of, and the Paul Bunyan statue which came to life in the story and movie "IT". Fans also will dress up as Steven King's fictional characters for fun, to take pictures or make videos. 

Stephen King Meet and Greet
Stephen King on Stage a Book Reading
    Stephen King hosts book readings and signings frequently when a new book is released and it is extremely popular among his readers. At these events, fans can either buy general admission tickets or "VIP" where they can attend the reception before the reading. It is extremely difficult and rare to get a ticket to the reception, but lots of fans do everything they can to be that lucky person. At readings, fans are able to listen to King read a section of his story aloud and ask questions at the end of the segment. Aimee Tucker discusses a former book reading and talks about how King responds to fans questions. She states "His answers were thoughtful, honest, and funny[...]". Lots of fans like to ask questions and discuss topics that are brought up throughout King's novels and it is a pleasant reminder that King is a normal person when he answers questions as a "regular" person. 

My Personal Experience

The Stanley Hotel
I have always enjoyed reading and when I was 12 my parents got me into Steven King's books. They have always been avid fans and have made my brother and I fans as well. I have visited a couple of Steven King tourist spots too. The first place I saw was the hotel in Colorado where the "The Shining" was set. It is called "The Stanley Hotel" located in Estes Park. The hotel itself has an eerie vibe to it right when you see it from a distance. It is on top of a hill and over looks everything but is seems as if it should be dark and mystic. People are allowed to book rooms and stay at the hotel while being offered historic tours that discuss "The Shining". Another place I was able to visit was Steven King's house in Bangor, Maine. The house is no longer where he lives, but he wrote multiple novels in it including "It" and "Pet Cemetery." The house is beautiful but also gives off a different vibe. It stands out from the other houses on the street and is extremely large. Fans can rent out the house or a room or two, and it is very common for aspiring writers to rent it and write in the exact spot Steven King wrote his stories. 
Steven King's House in Bangor, Maine 
    Overall, Stephen King has a unique fan base but it is a large one. His fans take time out of their days to read his work and devote more time creating their own story lines. The dedication fans have by planning trips to visit places associated with his novels shows how well-liked King is. I am continued to be impressed by King's mind to create such captivating novels. I would love to attend a reading or book signings at some point in my life. 

Works Cited

Braun, Kelly. “‘The View’ Hosts Celebrate Halloween By Dressing Up as Stephen King’s Most Horrifying Characters.” Closer Weekly, 1 Nov. 2019, www.closerweekly.com/posts/the-view-halloween-costumes-cast-tributes-author-stephen-king.

“Historic Stanley Estes Park Hotel.” The Stanley Hotel, www.stanleyhotel.com. Accessed 29 Nov. 2021.

King, Tabitha, and Marsha DeFilipo. “Stephen King | The Author.” Stephen King, stephenking.com/the-author. Accessed 29 Nov. 2021.

Riedel, Michael. “Check into the Real-Life Hotel of Horrors That Inspired ‘The Shining.’” New York Post, 31 Oct. 2017, nypost.com/2017/10/30/check-into-the-real-life-hotel-of-horrors-that-inspired-the-shining.

Romano, Aja. “The Essential Stephen King: A Guide to the Best of the Horror Master.” Vox, 2 Apr. 2019, www.vox.com/culture/2017/9/8/16084260/stephen-king-best-the-shining-it-pet-sematary.

“Stephen King’s Cult Fan Base.” Reddit, 8 Dec. 2020, www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/k9cg40/stephen_kings_cult_fan_base.

Thomason, John. “Fresh Stephen King, a Post-9/11 World, and More New Book Picks.” Boca Magazine, 11 Aug. 2021, www.bocamag.com/fresh-stephen-king-a-post-9-11-world-and-more-new-book-picks.

Tucker, A. (2017, November 9). How to Meet Stephen King. New England Today. https://newengland.com/today/living/new-england-environment/how-to-meet-stephen-king/

Tuttle, Jeff. “10 Places Every Stephen King Fan Must Stop While in Bangor.” Z107.3, 20 July 2021, z1073.com/10-places-every-stephen-king-fan-must-stop-while-in-bangor.

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