Stephen King, known for his mastery of horror, made an unusual decision regarding one of his own novels. Rage, a book King published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, was withdrawn from circulation at the author’s request following disturbing real-world parallels with violent incidents.
Originally written in 1965 during King’s high school years, Rage was published in 1977. The novel follows Charlie Decker, a troubled high school student who, after a violent outburst, murders a teacher and holds his classmates hostage. While the book explores the psychological turmoil of adolescence, its themes of violence took on a troubling real-world resonance over time.
The novel became controversially linked to several school shootings in the United States, leading to growing concerns about its influence. In 1988, a student named Jeffrey Lyne Cox from San Gabriel High School in California brought a semi-automatic rifle to school and took his classmates hostage. Cox, who had reportedly read Rage multiple times, identified with the protagonist, Charlie Decker.
A year later, in Kentucky, Dustin L. Pierce, a student at Jackson County High School, carried out a similar act. Armed with a shotgun and two handguns, he held a classroom hostage during a nine-hour standoff. Authorities found a copy of Rage among his belongings.
The most significant link occurred in 1997, when Michael Carneal, a 14-year-old student at Heath High School in Kentucky, carried out a shooting, killing three and injuring five others. Authorities discovered a copy of Rage in his locker, further intensifying public concern over the novel’s impact.
In response to these incidents, Stephen King, deeply troubled by the association, expressed regret over the novel’s potential influence on impressionable individuals. The author referred to Rage as “a possible accelerant” for those already inclined toward violent behavior. As a result, King made the unprecedented decision to request the novel’s removal from publication, ensuring it would no longer be available to readers.
While Rage was a part of King’s early career, its controversial legacy has cast a shadow over its place in his extensive bibliography. King’s withdrawal of the book highlights the weight authors sometimes feel for the unintended consequences of their work on society.
