Stephen King is arguably the most well-known and successful author of the last century, having written numerous classic and critically acclaimed novels, many of which have been adapted into film and television shows that have equally helped shape the public imagination and made an indelible mark on pop culture.

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Stephen King’s novels branch across various genres, and are mostly works of horror, fantasy, crime, and science fiction. King also wrote under the pseudonym Richard Bachman in his early career, in order to overrule the policy that many publishing houses had in the late 20th century where authors could only publish one book per year.

If one thing about Stephen King is clear, it is that his productivity as an author is second to none, as the writer often publishes multiple stories a year. His body of work is so vast and varied that some of his most famous tales, especially their adaptations, are often not well known as Stephen King stories, but simply great stories of incalculable popularity. Many classic films, such as Stand By Me and Creepshow, are dramatizations under different names.

How many novels has Stephen King written?

As of August 2023, Stephen King has written 65 novels and novellas – 58 under his real name, and 7 under the Richard Bachman pen name. His latest novel, Holly, will be released on Sept. 5th.

King has written over 200 short stories, many of which were written early in his career as he tried to make a living as a writer. Many of these short stories are released as collection books that feature multiple short stories. Many Stephen King collections, perhaps most notably Night Shift, are collections that are a mix of pre-published and previously unpublished short stories, typically of one genre –In the case of Night Shift, the book is a collection of short horror stories.

He has also written 5 non-fiction books, including On Writing: A Memoir of The Craft, an autobiography of his life and career as an author. King has written 19 screenplays that have been adapted for film and television. He has co-written anthologies, which are collections of books written by multiple authors. King has collaborated with his son Joseph King, who writes under the pen name of Joe Hill.

If all of that wasn’t enough, King has also published essays such as Guns, a non-fiction essay in which he shares his view on the topic of gun violence. Finally, King wrote the Creepshow graphic novel, with illustrator Bernie Wrightson.