Even Stephen King Gets Scared: His Biggest Fears and the Books That Terrified Him

Stephen King has rightfully earned the nickname "Master of Horror," known for unnerving titles like It, The Shining, and Pet Sematary, all equally as entertaining as they are terrifying. 

One might not expect someone so familiar and seemingly comfortable with horror to experience the same common fears and phobias as the rest of us, but he does, and he's not afraid to admit it.

Imagine not only being scared of something, but also writing entire novels about it, day in and day out, coming up with new ideas about the exact things that frighten you. Even after immersing himself in these subjects, Stephen King still gets scared.

Here are some of the acclaimed author's biggest fears, and the books he's written that terrify even him.

WHICH STEPHEN KING STORIES SCARE STEPHEN KING?

In 1986, King told CBC that writing out his fears was actually cathartic, and a great alternative to therapy.

"Somebody who's got problems and fears and phobias, they go to a psychiatrist, and it costs them maybe $150 for an hour, and they don't even get a full hour; they only get 50 minutes. I do it; people pay me. It's great!"

King has written stories so unsettling that he’s had to step away from his own writing process. One specific scene in The Shining is so disturbing that King actually scared himself. Similarly, sections of Pet Sematary left him feeling unexplainably uncomfortable.

"There was a bathtub scene in The Shining where I scared myself, and in Pet Sematary, for long periods of time I just felt very, very wired, and very uncomfortable with what I was writing about."

THE MASTER OF HORROR'S FEARS AND PHOBIAS

The novelist also has his fair share of fears and phobias, many of which are surprisingly rational for someone who spends his days imagining (and then promptly writing down) the worst. In fact, the things that scare him most typically make their way into his work.

"I am afraid of trucks and cars," he said, pointing to Maximum Overdrive and Christine, "because as a child they seemed so large and I seemed so small. I had the same imagination then that I do now."

In an interview with People, he described spiders as something that "freaks him out the most and always will." He’s also mentioned that elevators rattle him and send his imagination running wild.

"Elevators...every time I get into one. The trouble is your imagination is a two-edged sword. It pays the bills, but on the other hand you get into an elevator and think: 'There's a hole under there!' So, it can be scary."

Whether you’ve read a few of King’s novels, watched the film adaptations, or are simply too frightened to, it’s strangely reassuring to know that even the Master of Horror gets scared like the rest of us.

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