10 Unfinished Stephen King Novels (That He Should Definitely Finish)
3. Steel Machine
Very much a part of The Dark Half, sections of Steel Machine are found within the novel of a writer whose alter ego comes to life - and goes on a murderous rampage, taking revenge on those he feels responsible for killing him off. Under the George Stark byline, these bits and pieces make up part of the tale of Alexis Machine, a vicious killer who writer Thad Beaumont cooked up and published as Stark.
If you've noticed a similarity to King's own life (minus the alter ego materializing out of thin air), you're right. Much of the Dark Half is autobiographical: the central character, author (and recovering alcoholic) Beaumont, is King; George Stark is King's own alter-ego, Richard Bachman.
The thing is, there's enough of the fictional novel Steel Machine throughout The Dark Half that many expected King to eventually finish a full-length Steel Machine and publish it as well. This was actually mentioned in George Beahm's Stephen King: From A to Z. Even King's publisher felt it was a good idea, and King spoke about the concept a handful of times, but it has yet to come to fruition - and probably won't, unfortunately. It is absolutely something King should consider, however.