In sales and awards, Stephen King is perhaps the most successful horror author in history, buteven without all those superlatives, this biography would be an absorbing read. Author Lisa Rogak displays a keen awareness of King's obsessive interest in expressing primal fears. She plots his impoverished childhood in rural Maine; his early interest in writing; his intense participation in Burton Hatlen's writing workshop; his sudden success with Carrie; and much more. Rogak doesn't avoid problems or controversies: She discusses King's chemical addictions, his outspoken comments on numerous topics, critical attacks on his writings, and his 1999 car accident, which has attained almost mythical status among his fans. A life worth reliving.
