Stephen King, renowned for his gripping tales of horror such as The Shining and IT, has made the rare decision to pull one of his novels from publication permanently. This move has sparked curiosity, as the book in question has become one of the most sought-after titles in King’s entire collection, not for its popularity, but for its controversial nature.
The Novel: Rage by Richard Bachman
The book in question is Rage, originally published in 1977 under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. It was part of a collection titled The Bachman Books, released in 1985. The psychological thriller centers around a troubled high school student who, in a fit of rage, brings a gun to school, kills one of his teachers, and holds his class hostage. Written from the shooter’s perspective, the book explores uncomfortable themes of violence and alienation.
Though Rage was never as widely recognized as King’s other works, it did gain attention over the years for the disturbing subject matter. King himself has explained that he wrote the novel during his teenage years, drawing on his own frustrations and experiences to shape the character of the protagonist.
Stephen King’s novel is one of the most sought-after books ever. Credit: Alamy
King’s Decision to Pull the Novel
In 1999, King made the controversial decision to allow Rage to go out of print. This was not due to waning interest or declining sales but because of the unsettling associations the book had developed. King had become aware that Rage was being linked to a series of violent events, despite being written years before these incidents took place.
The book was tied to multiple tragedies involving school shootings. In 1988, a student held his high school humanities class hostage and cited Rage as an influence. Another tragic event occurred in 1996 when a 14-year-old used a gun to kill two students and a teacher, and it was reported that a copy of Rage was found on his nightstand. A year later, another school shooting took place, and the shooter was believed to have had a copy of the book in his locker. These chilling connections led King to reconsider the book’s place in the public sphere.
Stephen King’s controversial book has been inextricably tied to several disturbing events. Credit: Alamy
King’s Reflection on the Past
In a 2013 essay titled Guns, King reflected on how different the world was when he wrote Rage. He noted that, in 1965, when the book was conceived, society had not yet seen the kind of tragedies that would later shape the way we view violence in schools today. He acknowledged that, had the book been written in a more recent era, it would likely have faced intense scrutiny, and he himself might have been required to undergo therapy.
Rage in Popular Culture
Despite being pulled from publication, Rage has not faded into obscurity. It has become a collector’s item, and in 2013, BookFinder.com ranked it as the second most sought-after out-of-print book, trailing only Madonna’s controversial book Sex. Used copies of Rage can be found online, with prices ranging from $700 to over $2,000.
King’s decision to remove the book from publication was a deliberate one, driven by the disturbing associations it had garnered over the years. While Rage may never be printed again, it remains an interesting, if controversial, part of King’s literary legacy.
Stephen King’s novel ‘Rage’ has gone out of print. Credit: Signet Books
Conclusion
Stephen King’s Rage serves as a haunting reminder of the unpredictable ways in which art and real-world events can intersect. Though King wrote the novel with personal frustrations in mind, it ultimately became tied to tragic, real-world consequences. In pulling it from the shelves, King made a conscious decision to distance himself from a book that, while reflective of a different time, had become too dangerous to remain in print.
