Stephen King, known for his prolific output of horror novels and stories, remains actively productive well into his late seventies. Despite publishing over 65 novels and more than 200 short stories throughout his career, several intriguing Stephen King unfinished works reveal a creative process that includes projects left incomplete or abandoned. These fragments and concepts hint at alternate directions King explored but chose not to pursue, leaving fans to wonder what might have been.
From early attempts shaped by social activism to science fiction and family collaborations, King’s unfinished manuscripts expose diverse themes and narrative styles. While some were rejected, others were set aside as King refocused his efforts, with select ideas evolving into major published works. Below is an exploration of eight notable unfinished Stephen King projects that continue to inspire curiosity among his readership.
“Sword of Darkness”: King’s First Major Manuscript Rejected by Publishers
In the late 1960s, Stephen King completed a lengthy manuscript titled Sword of Darkness. The story centered around a man grappling with the suicide of his pregnant sister and the death of his mother from a brain tumor. Intertwined with this personal tragedy was the narrative of a black activist lawyer who, after delivering a provocative speech at a high school, incites riots nationwide. Clocking in at around 150,000 words, the manuscript was finished in April 1970 but faced rejection from more than a dozen publishers.
This project marked King’s first serious attempt at novel writing but featured a nonlinear narrative with opium-influenced dream sequences and multiple flashbacks. The politically charged, activist tone made publishers of the post-Civil Rights era uneasy, which contributed to its dismissal. Years later, King reflected on Sword of Darkness and admitted that, in hindsight, it was unpublishable, expressing no intention to release it.
This early setback, however, did not end King’s literary aspirations. He persevered and soon published his debut novel, Carrie, showcasing the resilience required to succeed in writing.
“But Only Darkness Loves Me”: A Short Story Left Almost Untouched
The short story But Only Darkness Loves Me remains largely incomplete, with only two surviving pages: one typed and one handwritten. Featuring a teenage boy who meets a girl in a bar in Ledge Cove, Maine, the story’s scant details reveal a lighthearted tone mixed with elements of horror and farcical romantic entanglements. The boy leaves the girl in the hotel lobby despite her invitation to follow her to her room.
Interestingly, this piece was intended as a collaborative effort between King and his eldest son, Joseph Hillstrom King (Joe Hill), but the collaboration never materialized. Whether they decided it lacked promise or simply lost interest is unknown, as the scant pages provide little insight on its ultimate direction or whether the plot would have captivated readers.
“The Aftermath”: An Unfinished Post-Apocalyptic Concept
The Aftermath is a 50,000-word unfinished manuscript depicting a world devastated by nuclear war. The apocalyptic event supposedly occurs on August 14, 1967, coinciding with the Cuban Missile Crisis. King began this story around the same time as writing Getting It On, the latter eventually becoming his novel Rage. Ultimately, King prioritized the school shooter narrative over a politically charged tale on international tension.
In his 1981 book Danse Macabre, King explains his preference for simpler stories with relatable characters, reasoning that they tend to resonate more effectively than grand, sweeping plots about global catastrophe. This insight justifies his decision to shelve The Aftermath in favor of exploring horror grounded in everyday people.
“The House on Value Street”: A Fictionalized Take on the Patty Hearst Kidnapping
King’s effort to fictionalize the notorious 1974 kidnapping of Patty Hearst by the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) is represented by his abandoned book The House on Value Street. The real-life event involved Hearst joining her captors in criminal activities following her abduction, in a classic case of Stockholm Syndrome. King toyed with several narrative angles but eventually concluded he could not craft a satisfying story.
While details of the manuscript remain scarce, King hinted that the setting for his version of the SLA’s hideout would have been on “Value Street.” The failure to complete this project led him to conceive the framework for The Stand, another exploration of societal breakdown and human resilience in the face of catastrophe. This connection suggests that abandoning one project helped fertilize the ideas behind one of King’s most acclaimed novels.
“Wimsey”: A Halted Experiment in English Setting and Atmosphere
In the early 1970s, Stephen King ventured away from his familiar American settings with Wimsey, a story based in England. He even moved his family there temporarily, with plans for a year-long stay that lasted only about three months. The fragment shows a character named Wimsey and his driver attending a high-society party in a remote estate, with the narrative ending abruptly after an accident on a dilapidated bridge.
Returning to the United States and settling in Center Lovell, Maine, appears to have revived King’s creative flow, as nearly all later works are set in Maine. His attraction to familiar surroundings seems vital to his writing process, which likely contributed to leaving Wimsey unfinished after moving back from England.
“Charlie”: Early Science Fiction with Dark Undertones
One of King’s earliest known short stories, Charlie, written in 1959, runs roughly 3,900 words across six pages and ends mid-paragraph. The story follows an asteroid miner who discovers a mysterious pink cube emitting a black substance that encroaches on him after he retreats to his hut, implying eventual demise or possession.
Science fiction was immensely popular in the 1950s, influencing both literature and cinema. As a young writer, King was clearly experimenting with the genre, possibly inspired by authors like Philip K. Dick. Although he never completed Charlie, he would revisit science fiction themes throughout his career, blending them with his signature horror style.
“The Cannibals”: The Precursor to Under the Dome
Stephen J. Spignesi’s 1998 book references The Cannibals as a handwritten, incomplete 450-page novel King penned during the production of the horror anthology film Creepshow. The story involved inhabitants trapped inside an apartment building who resort to cannibalism. King himself referred to it as the
“Worst thing I could think of,”
in 1982.
King’s official website indicates that The Cannibals and Under the Dome originated from the same core idea, focusing on how isolated groups react when severed from society. While such themes are not unique in fiction, King’s choice to reshape this concept into Under the Dome culminated in a novel that became a bestseller and earned a television adaptation, confirming the effectiveness of his revised approach.
“The Leprechaun”: A Lost Story Featuring King’s Son
Written in the early 1980s, The Leprechaun places Stephen King’s son Owen King at the center of the narrative. Owen encounters a tiny man when his cat attacks what initially appears to be a small animal in their garden. Unfortunately, the manuscript disappears after being left on the back of King’s motorcycle, leaving only the introductory encounter.
This unfinished tale is notable for featuring a family member in a leading role, a rare choice for King. Some elements found their way into the 1985 anthology film Cat’s Eye, specifically the third segment titled General, directed by Lewis Teague, for which King wrote the screenplay. The lost story hints at a blend of King’s affection for cats and his characteristic horror, leaving readers to wonder how dark or playful the completed narrative might have been.
Stephen King’s unfinished works provide a glimpse into his evolving creative mind, marked by experimentation, societal observation, and occasional detours into different genres or settings. While fans use their imagination to fill these narrative gaps, King continues to shape stories that keep his legacy alive in literature and on screen. These projects illustrate the difficulty of the writing process and highlight the decisions behind focusing on stories that ultimately resonate with readers and viewers worldwide.
