Stephen King is an author known for his work on several timeless horror novels, many of which have been adapted into films which has now become notorious in horror pop culture. Some of his more mainstream work includes IT, Pet Sematary, Carrie, Stand By Me, and The Shining. Almost all of King’s works are known for their grim story lines that are accompanied by a supernatural or malevolent force that creates a sense of danger. Whether it be a creepy killer clown, an ax wielding psycho, or a group of bullies, there is always something written in King’s stories which aims to make the reader feel fear.
While these novel’s contents are full of things to make you look over your shoulder or make you feel uneasy, at the end of the day there’s no way the elements of horror found in Stephen King books should go from fiction to nonfiction. At least, that should’ve been the case until the horrors present in one of King’s novels started to influence real life threats. The novel in question is titled Rage, and would serve as an inspiration for the school shootings of five different campuses whose shooters were found to hold copies of Rage or make mention of it.
Novel Origin
Rage, published on September 13, 1977, was initially released under the pseudonym “Richard Bachman” being the first of seven books King would publish under this title. By this point, King was already established as a bestselling author with his books Carrie, The Shining, and Salem’s lot. Despite his success, King faced two issues: King’s passion for writing was being limited due to his publishers not wanting to over-saturate the market with novels under his name, and his own doubts about the authenticity of his success. To address these concerns and prove his stories could succeed without being attached to himself, King came up with the plan to publish new novels under “Richard Bachman”, beginning with Rage.
“Rage” Summary
Rage follows the story of Charlie Decker, a senior attending Placerville High School in Maine. After striking his chemistry teacher with a wrench two months prior and being called into the principal’s office for expulsion, Decker retrieves a semiautomatic pistol from his locker, sets the locker on fire, and murders his algebra teacher. He then holds his Algebra class hostage, killing another teacher, who attempts to evacuate the students. The story delves into Decker’s psyche, revealing the abuse and the psychological issues that led to his violent actions. As Decker shares stories of his traumatic past, he forces his classmates to share their own secrets, leading to a complex dynamic where some students sympathize with him while others fear him. The novel concludes with Decker’s apprehension by police and his admission to a mental institution, where it is implied he will remain indefinitely.
From Fiction to Nonfiction
On April 26, 1988, ten years after the publication of Rage, an armed eighteen year-old named Jeffrey Lyne Cox invaded a classroom in San Gabriel High School with the intention of taking the class hostage. Cox held a classroom of 70 people hostage for around half an hour before being subdued by a group of students who were able to overwhelm the teen. Cox only managed to fire two shots and no one would be harmed in the incident. Cox was found to be a student of San Gabriel who hadn’t attended in quite some time prior to the event. After the incident Scott French, a former friend of Cox, stated that during the ordeal Cox had said he got his idea from “‘the hijacking of the Kuwaiti airliner and from Stephen King’s book Rage.’” Jeffrey Lyne Cox would end up getting a five year prison sentence in 1990.
This would be the first incident where it would be reported that Rage had served as inspiration for a school shooter. Four more incidents would also be associated with the novel: 1989 – Jackson County High School, 1993 – East Carter High School, 1996 – Frontier Junior High School, and 1997 – Heath High School. The 1997 Heath High School incident would be the final straw for Rage, with Stephen King himself making the decision to cease any future print of the novel after a copy of Rage was found in the shooter’s (Michael Carneal) school locker.
There are several arguments regarding what books should receive censorship or bans. In the case of Stephen King’s Rage, the novel needed to be pulled from shelves. There had been far too many incidents where it was found that this novel had inspired readers to act out horrific scenarios on their own school campuses. In a time where the threat of school shootings is higher than ever in the U.S. most would agree that the ceasing of printing of Rage was the right choice made by King, as it is very likely that decision prevented future tragedies from taking place.
