He was a Maine schoolteacher who worked on novels and short stories in his spare time. Now he is one of the most popular and prolific writers of our time. Biography: Stephen King chronicles the life of the author who, since 1971, has cranked out bestseller after bestseller-with just about all of them having been adapted to film. King's The Green Mile, starring Tom Hanks, was released in December, 1999. He is a master of the macabre. King's horror story masterpieces include The Shining, Christine, Cujo, Firestarter, Carrie, and The Stand. Even his lesser known non-horror works, Misery and Stand By Me, have been the grist for Hollywood's mill.

Biography: Stephen King recounts how their mother, Nellie, raised Stephen and his brother in Maine. The parents separated when Stephen was a toddler. Relatives provided his family with financial support during his early years growing up in the city of Durham. His mother found work in the kitchens of a local facility for the retarded. However, from his earliest years, Stephen King found refuge from the routine of Durham through writing. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper.