Stephen King, one of the most famous authors in the world, has spoken out after being named the most banned author in the United States. The 78-year-old writer shared his reaction online after new data revealed how often his books are being pulled from school libraries.
According to the non-profit group PEN America, there were more than 6,800 book removals across schools during the 2024 to 2025 school year. The report said that 80 percent of the bans came from Florida, Texas, and Tennessee.
PEN said King’s works have been censored 206 times, including famous titles like Carrie and The Stand. Most of the bans took place in public school libraries because of the mature content in his books.
After the report came out, King posted on social media that he was now “the most banned author in the United States.” He added: “May I suggest you pick up one of them and see what all the pissing & moaning is about? Self-righteous book banners don’t always get to have their way. This is still America, da**it.”
This isn’t the first time King has spoken about bans. Last year he said: “Florida has banned 23 [of] my books. What the f**k?” He also told reporters: “When books are banned from school libraries, run to your public library, or the nearest bookstore, and read what it is your elders don’t want you to know.”
Kasey Meehan, who leads PEN’s Freedom to Read program, explained why King’s works are often targeted. She said: “His books are often removed from shelves when ‘adult’ titles or books with ‘sex content’ are targeted for removal.” She added that some districts go too far and remove King’s books just to avoid trouble.
Other authors affected this year include Sarah J. Maas, Jodi Picoult, and Patricia McCormick. It has become a growing issue in schools around the country.
This new controversy follows a recent backlash against King for comments he made about conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Kirk was shot and killed during an event in Utah on September 10. Afterward, King wrongly claimed that Kirk “advocated stoning gays to death.” He later apologized, saying: “I apologize for saying Charlie Kirk advocated stoning gays. What he actually demonstrated was how some people cherry-pick Biblical passages.”
Earlier this year, King also shared his thoughts on former president Donald Trump. He said: “I think it would be impeachment – which, in my view, would be a good ending. I would love to see him retired. The bad ending would be that he gets a third term and takes things over completely.”
