When it comes to literary tropes, Stephen must surely be King. King has written so much material that tropes would likely manifest themselves in his work even if they weren't intended. But many of King's tropes are intended. Over the years (and across more than fifty novels and more than ten short story collections) King has masterfully cultivated his themes, motifs, settings and characters, blending each of these elements into one massive, cohesive world. When it comes to horror fiction, there are certain things that readers have come to expect. Many of these were popularised by King, and even today he continues to perfect and subvert expectations. But while we often recognise (and are quite frankly comforted by) King's repeated tropes, it's easy to enjoy them without really stopping to consider what they mean. After all, one of the great things about literature is that it can hide its meaning sub-textually beneath the surface. And that's one of the things that Stephen King does best.
