9 Amazing Inspirations Behind Your Favourite Stephen King Books

4. 'Salem's Lot Was Inspired By A Class King Taught At High School

'Salem's Lot tells the story of a writer called Ben Mears, who returns to a town in Maine to find that many of its residents are becoming vampires. Mears hasn't been to the town in twenty-five years, but he begins to notice strange deaths and disappearances, which fuels his investigation and subsequent discovery of the truth. The novel is absolutely one of King's greatest, and one that the author himself is particularly fond of. The inspiration for the book, however, is quite humorous. During his stint as a high school English teacher, one of the classes that King taught was Fantasy and Science Fiction, during which they studied Dracula, eliciting a great response from the students. One night before bed, King asked his wife Tabitha what she thought might happen if Dracula returned in the twentieth century. Tabitha responded that he'd more than likely be hit by a taxi on Park Avenue and killed. This short exchange prompted further consideration from King. Sure, he might be struck and killed by a taxi in bustling New York City, but what if he returned in a small country town? Trying to work out the answer to this question was ultimately what inspired King to write 'Salem's Lot.