Stephen King novel will never be printed again after being removed from shelves

The novel by Stephen King, spanning a writing career of nearly 50 years, will never see the printing press again after being pulled from shelves.

Renowned for his bestsellers like Carrie, Misery, The Shining, and Salem's Lot, King also penned a lesser-known work, Rage, under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. Originally written in 1965 during King's high school years, Rage remained unpublished until 1977. The story would later appear again in 1985 as part of a collection called The Bachman Books.

Rage tells the story of a troubled high school student who commits a heinous act, leading King to address the book in a 2013 essay called 'On Guns.' Reflecting on the work, King noted the vastly different societal context of 1965 compared to today.

Despite its initial publication, Rage has vanished from bookstore shelves at King's request. This disappearance follows its association with four real-life school shootings. Instances in California, Kentucky, Washington, and Kentucky again were linked to the novel, prompting King to request its removal from circulation. The book's unsettling ties to these tragic events led to its withdrawal from public access, illustrating King's decision to distance himself from the unsettling impact of his own creation.