Collect the King Novels Trivia Quiz

Answer:

First published in 1974 (with "Carrie"), Stephen King would become one of the most accomplished fiction authors of the late 20th and early 21st century, becoming a bestselling writer across dozens and dozens of published works, especially in the horror genre. The correct answers in this quiz span five decades from his early beginnings in works like "The Shining" and "Cujo" to genre-bending later works like "The Outsider" (crime/horror) and "Fairy Tale" (fantasy). The vast majority of his novels have also been adapted for the big and small screens; you might recognize most of these titles from their film and TV versions.

King has also had a number of more diverse media forms under his belt. In addition to screenwriting and stagewriting, he's been exceedingly prolific in other types of written works. The five incorrect options in this quiz are just a handful of key examples.

"Danse Macabre" was King's first non-fiction book. Published in 1981, the work was based on classes that King taught in his earliest days as a published writer and included segments about his personal life, processes, and inspirations. Chronicling horror fiction throughout the years and the techniques employed by past authors, the book would be updated and republished in 2010. This said, his later non-fiction book "On Writing" would be regarded as a more comprehensive take on the craft.

"Night Shift", "Skeleton Crew", and "Just After Sunset" are all short story collections composed of, generally, earlier-published stories featured in smaller publications. King, a vocal supporter of short stories as a vital medium of horror fiction, had a tendency to release these sets at a regular cadence, opening the door for filmmakers to grab his original ideas and bring them to the masses through adaptation. Famously, King has sold the rights to many of his short stories to producers for a dollar (calling them 'Dollar Babies'), aiming to have aspiring creators take on these tales.

"Four Past Midnight", published in 1990, was King's second collection of novellas. Finding the happy medium between short stories and full novels, these collections have also, traditionally, seen release at a regular cadence and have generally been collected under unifying themes or tones. "Four Past Midnight", specifically, dealt with more supernatural themes than later collections like "Hearts in Atlantis" (which connected through recurring characters) and "Full Dark, No Stars" (themed around retribution).