"After Caroline Bicks was named the University of Maine's Stephen E. King Chair in Literature, she became the first person given full access to King's archives, a treasure trove of material about the legendary writer's creative process and life, most of it never seen before. Her year of studying the archival materials was guided by one question millions of readers have asked themselves: What makes Stephen King Stephen King? Bicks focuses on five of King's early iconic books--The Shining, Carrie, Pet Sematary, 'Salem's Lot, and Night Shift--to reveal how he manipulates character, language, and story to cast his remarkable, creepy spells. Through close reading of early drafts, interviews with King, and freshly discovered biographical details, as well as her own personal history as a reader and scholar, Bicks shows King's mastery of storytelling and his enduring imprint on American culture. In the process, Bicks faces her own fears and gets to know the man partially responsible for them"-- Provided by publisher.