Stephen King Has Just Two Books Left on His To-Do List — What Comes Next?

Stephen King has been the closest thing to a sure bet in publishing since Carrie hit shelves in 1974. Nearly every year, there has been a new King book, and on the years he skipped, he often compensated with a monster-sized novel or multiple releases. Now he is hinting that the faucet may finally slow to a drip: in a new chat with USA Today, King says he has two books on his to-do list and is not making promises beyond that.

"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... You can't guarantee anything once you get past the age of 75, 76. 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."

King is 78, and the thinking here is pretty simple: while he feels good, he wants to be careful, maybe even take a breather, and make sure that if he keeps going, the work still surprises people instead of repeating the same tricks. He is not announcing a retirement. He calls himself a busy guy. He just does not want to keep publishing out of habit.

So what is left on the immediate slate? Two projects fans have been waiting on, each with some intriguing implications for his larger universe:

• The Talisman 3 — the third entry in the series King launched with Peter Straub. He confirmed earlier this year that he is writing it, and he now says this one is intended to button up not just The Talisman saga but threads that connect to The Dark Tower. For readers who track the webs between King worlds, that is a big swing.
• Another Holly Gibney novel — King is revisiting The Outsider to prep for it and plans to start writing this winter. Holly has already headlined or appeared in Mr. Mercedes, Finders Keepers, End of Watch, The Outsider, If It Bleeds, Holly, and Never Flinch. Yes, those are a lot of reps for one character, which is partly why he is emphasizing that he wants to keep things fresh.

He also gave a peek at how he has stayed so productive for so long: he is a predawn writer. Picture him at his desk at about a quarter to 6 in the morning, the house quiet, his wife in another room with her first coffee, and he gets three or four uninterrupted hours to go play in a made-up world. That, more than anything, is what still gets him in the chair.

Could King wrap this era with The Talisman 3 and one more Holly book, then actually step back? Maybe. He is leaving the door open either way. For now, two big pieces are on deck — one that could close the loop on a decades-spanning fantasy epic and another that continues the saga of his most persistent modern hero. If that is the pause point, it is a pretty King way to do it.