Bangor, ME – Long before he became a frequent critic of the political right on social media, Stephen King made a stunning decision about one of his own works: he permanently pulled his 1977 novel Rage from publication after it was repeatedly linked to school shootings.
The book, published under King’s pseudonym Richard Bachman, tells the story of a troubled high school student who kills his teacher and holds his classmates hostage. Written as a first-person psychological thriller, the plot was later mirrored in real-life tragedies.
Copies of Rage were discovered among the belongings of multiple school shooters in the 1980s and 1990s. One of the most notable incidents came in 1997, when 14-year-old Michael Carneal carried out the Heath High School shooting in Kentucky. Investigators found Rage in his locker, a detail that brought renewed scrutiny to King’s early novel.
In response, King directed his publishers to remove the book from circulation. While he has said he does not believe literature causes violence, he acknowledged that certain works could serve as an “accelerant” for already unstable individuals.
The book was quickly eliminated from shelves. Standalone editions went out of print, and later reissues of The Bachman Books collection were released without the controversial story.
Today, surviving copies of Rage are considered collector’s items, often selling for high prices online.
King’s decision to suppress his own work is rare in the publishing world, but controversy around his novels has surfaced in other ways. Several of his books have been challenged or banned in schools, including recent removals in Florida. A Belfast bookstore even announced it would stop selling his titles following backlash to one of King’s social media posts.
Key Points
- Stephen King’s 1977 novel Rage was permanently pulled after it was linked to multiple school shootings.
- The book was found in the locker of Heath High School shooter Michael Carneal in 1997.
- Existing copies are now rare collectors’ items and fetch high prices online.
Even the master of horror knew when to pull the plug.
