He’s known as the “King of Horror.”
But one story from Stephen King became so controversial… he made sure it would never be printed again.
And today, it’s one of the most sought-after books on the planet.
The Book He Refused to Republish
The novel is called Rage.
Originally published in 1977 under King’s alias Richard Bachman, the story follows a troubled high school student who brings a gun to school and takes his classmates hostage.
Even by King’s standards, it was dark.
But that’s not why it disappeared.
Why He Pulled It
Over the years, the book became linked—rightly or wrongly—to several real-life school violence incidents.
In multiple cases, attackers were reported to have copies of the novel or referenced it in some way.
That was enough for King.
In a later essay, he explained that removing the book from circulation was simply “the responsible thing to do.”
He didn’t want his work to be associated with real-world harm—even indirectly.
Gone… But Not Forgotten
Although Rage was pulled from publication, it briefly remained available inside The Bachman Books collection before being fully removed.
Now, it’s officially out of print—and likely to stay that way.
But that’s only made it more desirable.
One of the Most Sought-After Books
Because of its rarity and controversial history, copies of the novel now sell for hundreds—even thousands—of dollars online.
It’s consistently ranked among the most valuable out-of-print books in the world.
A Wider Debate Around Books
The story comes amid growing attention on book bans in the U.S.
A recent report found that Stephen King was among the most frequently banned authors in schools, with dozens of his titles challenged or removed.
It raises a bigger question:
Where should the line be drawn between storytelling… and responsibility?
