This was the most prolific part of his career.
5. Fans bought the Shawshank Redemption prison for $1.
It was scheduled for demolition, but they grabbed it for a bargain and now make money opening it for tours.
6. He’s cameoed in more than a dozen of his movies.
7. Stephen King ran the first online crowdfunded writing project.
He asked fans to pony up a dollar for each new installment of his The Plant novel, and when not enough of them did, he killed the project.
8. It: Chapter Two got stuck with the lame parts of the book.
And it stumbled over what it had, turning scenes that should have been terrifying into failed comedy.
9. The real Shining hotel dug up a pet cemetery.
They said they needed more room for weddings and corporate retreats and no doubt invited many hauntings in the process.
10. He was in a rock band with The Simpsons’ Matt Groening.
The band lasted 20 years, and Maya Angelou sang a comedy song for their album.
11. He thought his world-destroying populist president became real … when he saw Sarah Palin.
12. King’s works show the perils of shared universes.
There are some stories you just can’t tell with a shared universe, and that’s why writers should feel free to break from theirs.