If you ask most horror literature fans and scholars to name the most influential book in the genre’s history, most would agree that it is Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. And that’s a very fair answer for many reasons, including its blending of Gothic horror elements with sci-fi. But, if you look at the modern era of horror novels from the last few decades, Stephen King’s 1974 novel Carrie takes the crown in that arena. Carrie’s influence in horror, both written and on screen, is undeniable and it birthed King’s prolific career that continues to inspire horror auteurs to this day.
Prior to Carrie’s initial publication in April 1974, King was living in a rather modest life in Maine with his wife Tabitha and their two children. He was working as an English teacher at Hampden Academy; however, King’s heart was in creative writing. Several of his early short stories appeared in men’s magazines, like Cavalier, which was where he intended to submit a piece about an outcast girl with telekinesis. After writing just three pages, he threw his story in the trash but his wife found the pages and assured him that this was a story worth telling. And we all owe her much gratitude because we got the gift of Carrie.
It shifted horror literature’s predominate lens from ghosts, monsters, and other Gothic themes towards the real villains in most stories: human beings. And, notably during prom night, Carrie packed a feminist punch during the women’s liberation movement of the 1970s when women were fighting for equality in the workplace and autonomy over their lives and bodies.
Until then, King had written novels but never published any of them. Carrie found solid commercial and critical success and put $200K in King’s pocket following a mass publishing deal. This gave King the boost he needed to pursue writing full-time, and laid the foundation for a litany of iconic stories like The Shining, The Stand, and more. And, just two years after its initial publication, Carrie was the first King novel to get an adaptation in the classic 1976 film starring Sissy Spacek.
During this era, horror films were stirring up controversy and finding success in theaters. The Exorcist (1973) almost single-handedly made the Ouija board a beacon of evil, while The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) delivered a gritty and frantic romp that laid the blueprint for the slasher subgenre. Carrie offered something unlike what horror fans had seen before, focusing on human cruelty, religious zealotry, trauma and isolation, and a protagonist who committed unthinkable acts yet still draws sympathy from viewers.
Making over $33 million on a budget that was less than $2 million, Carrie proved that King’s stories could translate to box office gold. Since then, his work has been adapted many dozens of times over into shows and films that became beloved and iconic in their own right, from The Shawshank Redemption to The Long Walk. And, we are still seeing King’s works on our screens to this very day, with IT: Welcome to Derry and, of course, Mike Flanagan’s Carrie series.
Stephen King is undoubtedly still the King of Horror, and his throne is made from the Carrie novel. There are countless creatives, now legendary in their own right, whose works are influenced by King, like J.J. Abrams, Clive Barker, Jordan Peele, and Oz Perkins, to name a few. It is quite hard to imagine what the genre would’ve become without King’s influence as a prolific writer, which he was able to do at the fullest extent thanks to Carrie.
In fact, the Carrie novel itself is quite influential, with three film adaptations, a musical, and Prime Video’s aforementioned show that will bring a reimagined version of this story to a new generation 50 years after the original film. It pushed horror literature into the mainstream, opening doors for other horror writers like R.L. Stine and James Smythe to find inspiration and commercial success. Several films take notes from Carrie’s storyline, including The Craft (1996), which features a witchy group of girls who take action against their peers, and Jennifer’s Body (2009), which focuses on a girl who gains supernatural abilities and uses them on abusers.
Locker room bullying drama is a part of many of horror and teen film and show, and the classic bloody prom scene has been heavily referenced across pop culture in The Simpsons and Heathers. Stranger Things’ beloved Eleven certainly shares some DNA with Carrie as a socially isolated kid with telekinetic powers who, by circumstances beyond her control, finds herself thrust into an environment where she’s socially inept. They both make some morally dubious choices (to put it lightly) in the name of self-preservation and vengeance, yet we don’t view them as villains in any way. And it is hard not to think about Carrie when you see final girlies like Sidney Prescott covered in blood.
Carrie White felt exceptionally special to many horror fans who felt othered in some way, whether it was because of their sexuality, nerdiness, shyness, or lack of conventional attractiveness. (Honestly, the live-action Carries could be less pretty, but that’s another article…) Her pain and vulnerability sadly spoke to the lived experience of many school aged kids across America.
Stephen King’s Carrie novel has threaded its way into pop culture history in immeasurable ways. And, over five decades later, there’s no signs that Carrie White will fade away any time soon. Long live our powerful queen who simply wanted to be treated with kindness.
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