Obviously a masterpiece, probably the best supernatural novel in a hundred years. Peter Straub on The Shining The most remarkable storyteller in modern American literature. Mark Lawson, Guardian
Stephen King has been described by the Guardian as 'one of the greatest storytellers of our time', by the Mirror as a 'genius' and by The Sunday Times as 'one of the most fertile storytellers of the modern novel'. He has written over 50 books including the seminal masterpiece The Shining about which he writes in his introduction: 'I think in every writer's career - usually early in it - there comes 'a crossroads novel', where the writer is presented with a choice: either doing what you have done before, or try to reach a little higher'. In 2003, King was given the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives with his wife, the novelist Tabitha King, for most of the year in Maine, USA.