Stephen King has admitted that he’s ‘unsure’ about his future as a writer due to his old age.
The famed author, 78, made the confession this week following a string of recent controversies, which included an ill-timed tweet about late conservative influencer Charlie Kirk.
Discussing a potential retirement with USA Today, King said, ‘I’m trying to clear my desk as much as I can. At my age, you’re off the warranty. You can’t take anything for granted.’
The prolific author, who is currently in the winter of his life, admits that he wants to take some time off ‘while I’m still healthy.’
He has two more novels on his to-do list, and will then begin a much needed break.
‘You can’t guarantee anything once you get past the age of 75, 76. So you’ve got to be a little bit careful,’ he confessed.
‘Anything can happen to anybody. I got hit by a car while I was in my prime, so to speak. I might have another 10, 15 years, but you can’t count on it, that’s all.’
His announcement comes as Hollywood has been mining much of King’s bibliography for material to adapt.
Stephen King has admitted that he’s ‘unsure’ about his future as a writer due to his old age
This year alone saw studios strike box office gold with The Monkey and The Long Walk, two theatrical films that not only wowed critics but also made millions.
On the small screen, MGM+ has had success with its Stephen King series The Institute, which was just renewed for a second season.
Then there’s HBO’s highly-anticipated It – Welcome to Derry, which will premiere on October 26.
It comes after King apologized for making critical comments and ‘false claims’ about Charlie Kirk in September.
The Misery writer faced backlash for making a comment on X, formerly Twitter, and suggesting that the late right-wing star had ‘advocated stoning gays to death.’
Many social media users were outraged at the King of Horror’s post, calling it ‘evil’ and a ‘horrific take’.
Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas was among the many who fired back in outrage: ‘You are a horrible, evil, twisted liar. No, he did not.’
In response, King deleted his initial post and apologized for ‘reading something on Twitter without fact checking.’
It comes after King apologized for making critical comments and ‘false claims’ about Charlie Kirk in September
‘I apologize for saying Charlie Kirk advocated stoning gays,’ King tweeted in response to the backlash before going on to add: ‘What he actually demonstrated was how some people cherry-pick Biblical passages.’
In July, King sparked backlash from his followers on X after sharing a condescending post about convicted sex offender Epstein.
‘The Epstein client list is real. So is the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus,’ he posted on Tuesday.
Later that day, he followed it up with, ‘Boy, I hit a nerve with that Epstein post. The “list” is like UFOs: Everyone knows someone who’s seen one.’
The second post also contained two crying-laughing emojis.
King recently admitted that he’s scared of developing dementia.
Speaking to The Times, the bestselling American novelist, often dubbed ‘The King of Horror’, added: ‘Every time that I can’t remember a word or something, I think, “This is the start.”‘
His fears come more than 10 years after the tragic death of British fantasy author Terry Pratchett, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2007.
Mr Pratchett, who passed away aged 66 having sold more than 85million books worldwide, was best known for the Discworld series of 41 comic fantasy novels.
Following his diagnosis with posterior cortical atrophy (PCA), a rare form of Alzheimer’s, he was forced to rely on technology to assist him with his writing, with the disease often forcing him to ‘fight for the right word.’