Stephen King is the author of over 65 novels and novellas, and his work is routinely adapted into movies and television shows. It’s impossible to determine which author is “the best” since that’s subjective, but King has a case and is certainly one of the most beloved and prolific. That may soon come to an end, though. It’s no secret the writer has been at this since the 1970s, and he’s not sure how much more he’s going to write.
Stephen King Has 2 Books Planned and Nothing Beyond
Though many of his more than 65 stories are not connected at all, Stephen King has often stepped into the role of franchise author. The Dark Tower series spans eight books. The Talisman series, which he wrote with Peter Straub, has two books in it. His Holly Gibney series, which began with her as a side character in Mr. Mercedes, has now spanned seven books. His most recent book, Never Flinch, starred Gibney and came out earlier this year. Regrettably, I haven’t gotten around to it yet.
It’s fitting, then, that King plans, according to USA Today, to do two more books to effectively put a bow on those series. The fantasy realm of The Talisman is another world present in The Dark Tower books, so one more book, sadly without Straub, will conclude both of those series. King regrets not getting around to it with his co-author who passed in 2022.
Straub reportedly gave King some ideas, but the book never took shape until now. “I kept putting it off when Peter was alive. Peter had stuff to do, too. I mean, it wasn’t all on me. But I would say, ‘Well, this time, this time. …’ and time ran out for Peter. That made me feel really bad.” Either way, another book is coming.
The other title is a final Holly Gibney novel. He has admitted in the past that he just can’t quit her, and that remains true even after yet another story with her as the protagonist. “I love Holly,” he said. “Right now I am rereading ‘The Outsider’ because I have a way into this last Holly book so I need to refresh myself with that.” For what it’s worth, The Outsider is my favorite book of all time, so this is wonderful news.
Stephen King Wants to Take a Break
Ultimately, Stephen King will probably end up writing more than these two books, but he can’t commit to that. He’s aging every day, and nothing is guaranteed. Those are his own sentiments. “I’m trying to clear my desk as much as I can. At my age, you’re off the warranty. You can’t take anything for granted.” With that in mind, it’s clear that he really wants to conclude the above series before he can no longer write. He will then take a well-deserved break, and the writing may or may not continue after that.
It’s hard to explain just how prolific King really has been. He’s been writing with unmatched frequency since the 1970s. Just being able to publish a book 51 years after his first published novel, Carrie, is wildly impressive, but he’s had a book almost every year since he first got published. The only years that did not have a new King story were 1978, 1985, 1988, 1993, 2000, 2010, 2020, and 2024.
These works are among the most known because whenever King writes something, there’s a good chance it will be adapted for the screen. Just in 2025 alone, four King stories have made it on the silver screen. The Running Man comes out next month, but The Long Walk, The Monkey, and The Life of Chuck have already screened and only The Monkey received less than stellar reviews. The Institute got a TV series this year as well.
There are still plenty that are planned, too. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream, The Stand, The Dark Tower, The Rat, Cujo, The Regulators, The Talisman, and so many others are reportedly in development. Carrie is getting a TV miniseries from The Life of Chuck director Mike Flanagan. It’s the third Carrie project.
Conclusion
Even after Stephen King is done writing, his works will live on. He has some timeless classics, but he’s also an endless source for movies and TV shows. Unadapted works will be adapted, and some previous adaptations will be tried again, which is already happening. The Running Man is on its second attempt, and Carrie is on its third. The Dark Tower is a second attempt as well. So no matter what, King will continue to be a huge part of the culture for a long, long time.
