Carrie published 47 years ago today:

[Martin]

April 5th 1973 saw the release of Stephen Kings first novel. I was only 10 at the time but Kings writing has impacted my life in a great many ways. Here is to many more books!

[Dave1442397]

I was still reading The Hardy Boys and Enid Blyton books in 1973. I didn't discover SK until 1979.

[Martin]

I honestly am not able to recall when I first read King or what the title was. I know I would have either picked it up at the library or an old paperback from a used bookstore, most likely in the early eighties. I do remember that I started buying 1st edition hardbound copies as they were released in 1990 with Four Past Midnight, by then I had read a lot of his work. At this point I have only two I have still never read. The Wind Through the Keyhole and Black House.

[Dave1442397]

I remember it well. I was 14 and home from school with the flu. My mom was going to the library, and I asked her to pick up some books for me. She came home with 'Salem's Lot and The Stand.

I'd never heard of this Stephen King guy, but I read those books in two days. I can't remember which one I read first, but I'd guess 'Salem's Lot, just because it's the shorter of the two.

[Marmaduke Grigsby]

Carrie.jpg

I can't remember the first Stephen King book I read either. I do know that the first book of his that I bought new when it first came out was Cycle of the Werewolf. I bought the hardcover because I was/am a huge Bernie Wrightson fan. I guess that would have been 1983? The next King book that I bought new was It. After that I bought each of his novels as they were released.

[Dave1442397]

I guess the typo on that press release was a promise of things to come. They meant $400,000, not $4,000,000.

[Marmaduke Grigsby]

I guess the typo on that press release was a promise of things to come. They meant $400,000, not $4,000,000.

I must confess that I wasn't sure if they meant $4000.00 or $400,000.

[mhatchett]

My first and favorite Stephen King book is Salem's Lot. I read it when it first came out in paperback, back in those days I didn't have money for hardbacks and first editions. I have fond memories of Carrie, though I'm not a big fan of the back. I found a first edition of Carrie about 20 years ago. A short time later, I found myself in a bit of a financial twist and was able to sell it. Just as Carrie bailed Stephen King out, it bailed me out too. I made enough money to make a mortgage payment and take my wife out on a rare dinner date, that didn't feature buns and french fries LOL!! Better start saving men, those 50th anniversary editions are coming out soon HAHAH!!

[Martin]

I guess the typo on that press release was a promise of things to come. They meant $400,000, not $4,000,000.

I know King has told the story about when he learned of the paperback sale of Carrie and he uses the $400,000 amount. That is a cool article though.

[c marvel]

.

[Brian James Freeman]

I know King has told the story about when he learned of the paperback sale of Carrie and he uses the $400,000 amount. That is a cool article though.

Yep, $400K... split between him and Doubleday, I believe. And if I recall correctly, he wanted to get Tabitha a surprise for when he told her the news... so he went to the corner pharmacy and bought her a new hairdryer.

Brian

[Martin]

Yep, $400K... split between him and Doubleday, I believe. And if I recall correctly, he wanted to get Tabitha a surprise for when he told her the news... so he went to the corner pharmacy and bought her a new hairdryer.

Brian

That's the story I remember!

[Ben Staad]

Weird thing is that I love SK but Carrie and Dead Zone are not books I like.

I think my first book was either The Gunslinger or COTW. I don't remember which.

[Dave1442397]

Weird thing is that I love SK but Carrie and Dead Zone are not books I like.

I think my first book was either The Gunslinger or COTW. I don't remember which.

I like Carrie, but The Dead Zone has always been one of my favorites. I have to go back and read The Dark Tower series again one day.

[Splync]

Weird thing is that I love SK but Carrie and Dead Zone are not books I like.

I think my first book was either The Gunslinger or COTW. I don't remember which.

It took me looking at my Stephen King books to realize what COTW was. I had completely forgotten about Cycle of the Werewolf. The only novel (of any authors) that I could think of with that acronym was Call of the Wild. And now I can't help but to imagine what a Stephen King version of Call of the Wild might be like...