Which Stephen King novel was his first to be published?

Stephen King’s first published novel was Carrie. Published in 1974, it introduced readers to King’s distinctive blend of psychological tension, supernatural horror, and small-town American settings.

King began writing Carrie after drawing inspiration from two teenage girls he remembered from school and from his familiarity with high-school social dynamics. The story follows Carrie White, an isolated student whose telekinetic powers emerge amid bullying and family conflict.

The novel was initially rejected, and King reportedly discarded his early pages before his wife, Tabitha King, encouraged him to continue. Doubleday accepted the manuscript, making Carrie his publishing debut. Its success allowed King to leave his teaching job and write full time.

Carrie is sometimes confused with King’s later breakthrough novels, especially Salem’s Lot and The Shining. Those books followed soon afterward, but Carrie was the first King novel released in book form. Brian De Palma’s film adaptation arrived in 1976.