Stephen King — famously known as the “King of Horror” — remains one of the most celebrated and influential writers of our time.
Many of his iconic works, such as It, The Long Walk, and The Life of Chuck, have been adapted into major films, while others like The Outsider and Under the Dome have found success on television.
Yet, despite his immense popularity, the 78-year-old author holds an unexpected title — he is the most banned writer in the United States, and he hasn’t stayed silent about it.
According to new data released by the non-profit organization PEN America, there were 6,800 cases of books being temporarily or permanently removed from schools during the 2024–2025 academic year.
The report, titled Banned in the USA, reveals that nearly 80 percent of these bans came from just three states — Florida, Texas, and Tennessee.
Even more concerning, data compiled by the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom shows that book bans have surged dramatically over the past three years.
PEN America reports that Stephen King’s works have been censored an astonishing 206 times, with titles like Carrie and The Stand among the 87 of his books affected, according to NBC.
Newsweek noted that most of these bans have taken place in public school libraries, rather than in general circulation across the country.
It’s believed that many of King’s novels were banned due to their mature themes and content.
Following the release of the findings on Wednesday (October 1), The Shining author took to X to proclaim himself the “most banned author in the United States.”
“May I suggest you pick up one of them and see what all the pissing & moaning is about? Self-righteous book banners don’t always get to have their way. This is still America, dammit,” the Maine native wrote.
This isn’t the first time King has spoken out about censorship of his work.
Last year, after learning that Florida had pulled dozens of titles from school shelves under new laws targeting sexually explicit material, the father of three reacted sharply: “Florida has banned 23 of my books. What the f**k?”
In a statement to Newsweek at the time, he said:
“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — when books are banned from school libraries, head straight to your public library or the nearest bookstore and read what your elders don’t want you to know.”
Kasey Meehan, director of PEN America’s Freedom to Read program and co-author of Wednesday’s report, explained why King’s works have been singled out more than others.
“His books are frequently pulled from shelves when so-called ‘adult’ or ‘sexual content’ titles are targeted,” she told NBC. “These bans often disproportionately impact works featuring LGBTQ+ themes, discussions of race and racism, or stories about people of color — and in the process, they also sweep up books like Stephen King’s.”
“Some school districts — in an effort to be overly cautious or out of fear of repercussions — cast such a wide net that even Stephen King’s books end up being removed,” she added.
Other authors caught up in the latest wave of book bans across the U.S. include fantasy writer Sarah J. Maas, bestselling novelist Jodi Picoult, and author Patricia McCormick.
This latest controversy follows closely on the heels of another backlash against King, after MAGA supporters recently tried to ‘cancel’ him over remarks he made about conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The 31-year-old was tragically shot and killed during a Prove Me Wrong event at a Utah university on September 10.
Following his death, King took to social media and incorrectly claimed that the father of two had “advocated stoning gays to death.”
His post seemed to reference a previous exchange in which Kirk responded to YouTuber Ms Rachel, who had cited a Bible verse encouraging people to “love your neighbor as yourself.”
“By the way, Ms. Rachel, you might want to open your Bible — in a lesser-known passage of Leviticus 18, it says, ‘Thou shalt not lie with another man; those who do shall be stoned to death.’ Just saying… [This chapter] reinforces God’s perfect law regarding sexual conduct.”
Social media users were quick to highlight that King had misquoted Donald Trump’s ally, prompting him to issue an apology online.
King wrote: “I apologize for saying Charlie Kirk advocated stoning gays. What he actually showed was how some people cherry-pick Biblical passages.”
Earlier this summer, King shared how he would depict the end of Trump’s America if he were to write it as a novel.
“I think it would end with impeachment — which, in my view, would be a fitting conclusion,” he told The Guardian.
“I’d love to see him retired, let’s put it that way. The bad ending would be him winning a third term and taking complete control.”
