Stephen King is the author of more than seventy books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His recent work includes the Sunday Times No. 1 bestsellers Never Flinch, Holly, Fairy Tale and The Dark Tower novels . Many King titles are also the basis for major motion pictures, TV series and streamed events, including IT, The Long Walk and The Shawshank Redemption , which is IMDb's top-rated movie of all time. King is the recipient of The Sunday Times Award for Literary Excellence 2022, the 2020 Audio Publishers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2018 PEN America Literary Service Award, the 2014 National Medal of Arts, and the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Maine, with his wife, novelist Tabitha King. Peter Straub authored numerous bestselling novels, including Ghost Story, A Dark Matter, Floating Dragon and Koko - as well as The Talisman and Black House which he co-authored with Stephen King. He also published short fiction, poetry and a graphic novel.

For the Library of America, he edited the volume H.P. Lovecraft: Tales and the anthology American Fantastic Tales. A prolific Grand Master of Horror, he received numerous literary honours including the British Fantasy Award; the Bram Stoker Award; the World Fantasy Award, and the International Horror Guild Award. He was also the recipient of several lifetime achievement awards. He passed away in 2022 .