Who is Stephen King? Why are Stephen King first editions important?
With a career spanning over fifty years, Stephen King is one of the most prolific writers of horror, supernatural, and fantasy fiction there is. The American author has written 64 novels in that time, some under various pseudonyms, and many short stories as well. His first novel, Carrie, published in 1973 sparked the beginnings of his success as a horror writer, and since then many of his novels and stories have become ingrained in popular culture, including IT, The Shining, The Green Mile, and Misery. King’s acclaim has led many of his books to be adapted into films, radio dramas, or television shows, and his massive popularity means that he has an enduring fanbase for his work. Many of his works have won literature awards, including the Bram Stoker Award for horror fiction, the British Fantasy Award, and a Hugo Award. This collection features many rare Stephen King books, among which are some of his most popular and more niche works, as well as several signed editions.
Stephen King First Editions
Among the Stephen King first editions in the collection, we have a collectors edition of King’s most recent novel, Fairy Tale, a dark fantasy novel which topped bestseller lists after its initial release in September 2022. This edition has an exclusive cover and an engraved spine.
Another of the Stephen King first editions for sale is a first print of the Scribner reissue of The Gunslinger, the first instalment in King’s The Dark Tower series. This eight-book series is a dark fantasy which takes inspiration from both The Lord of the Rings and the Western genre, and is referred to as King’s ‘magnus opus’ on his website.
The collection also includes some of the best known first edition Stephen King books, and some of his most revered work. One such example is the first US hardcover edition of The Green Mile, his magical realism novel about a man on death row gifted with healing abilities. This story is well known for its film adaptation starring Tom Hanks. The book was originally released in six serial volumes in 1996, but was later collated into a single volume.
One of the most spectacular additions to the collection of Stephen King’s first edition books is The Devil’s Wine, which features poetry by King, among other writers. It is leather-bound and kept in a slipcase, with an art portfolio included. This book is one of thirty copies, making it an especially rare find for a literature lover and particularly important among the collection of first editions.
As well as this we have a slipcase limited edition of King’s dark fantasy duology The Talisman and Black House, co-authored with Peter Straub. The novels follow Jack Sawyer, and his ability to flip between the United States and their alternate version in a parallel universe, using the multiverse which is seen in some of King’s other well-known works.
