The mystics Stephen King called “the worst kind of human vultures”
Modern horror maestro Stephen King is no stranger to having his work adapted for the big screen. Few authors have had as much success as King when it comes to Hollywood, with countless of his short stories and novels coming to life over the years, from Carrie and The Shining to The Shawshank Redemption and Stand By Me.
King’s first short story, The Glass Floor, was published in 1967. However, it wasn’t until he wrote Carrie, released in 1974, that he found success. The movie adaptation came two years later, with Brian De Palma in charge of direction. These days, Carrie is considered a horror staple, blending supernatural thrills with coming-of-age trauma.
The book and subsequent movie cemented King’s status as a horror genius, a title he continued to possess as he released books such as ‘Salem’s Lot and The Shining, both of which were also given cinematic treatment. Through the years, King has continued to churn out books preoccupied with the supernatural, killer clowns and even self-operating lawnmowers.
Yet, despite identifying with many superstitions, King is firmly against mediums and seances. In an interview with Playboy, he went as far as to call mediums “the worst kind of human vultures.” King explained, “Precisely because I know a little bit about the subject, that’s the last thing I’d ever do. You couldn’t drag me to one of those things, and the same thing goes for a Ouija board. All that shit—stay away from it!”
He added, “Sure, I know most mediums are fakes and phonies and con artists, the worst kind of human vultures, preying on human suffering and loss and loneliness. But if there are things floating around out there—disembodied entities, spirit demons, call them what you will—then it’s the height of folly to invite them to use you as a channel into this world. Because they might like what they found, man, and they might decide to stay!”
King remains sceptical when it comes to the supernatural, although that doesn’t stop ghosts, ghouls, mysterious entities and forces from entering his work. He revealed, “I don’t walk under ladders; I’m scared shitless I’ll get seven years’ bad luck if I break a mirror; I try to stay home cowering under the covers on Friday the 13th.” The author also claimed, “I have a thing about the number 13 in general; it never fails to trace that old icy finger up and down my spine. When I’m writing, I’ll never stop work if the page number is 13 or a multiple of 13; I’ll just keep on typing till I get to a safe number.”
