"Rage" by Stephen King (writing as Richard Bachman) (1977)

 

This was a solid Stephen King psychological thriller but what is perhaps even more interesting is the story behind it - just as his career was started to getting steam, King was advised to keep his publishing to a minimum, as not to overwhelm the market. Apparently books are selling better if the authors make it looks somewhat more exclusive and rarified - too many titles by the same writer in one year just don't work.

"I was aware, eight years ago, that the production of my fiction was out of control. I'm also aware that publishers are reluctant to publish more than one or two books a year, and I've always been three or four books ahead. I've been feeling the frustration of having this stuff pile up for a long time."

So right after phenomenal success of "Carrie", 'Salem's Lot" and "The Shining", there came "Rage" advertised without much fanfare as written by a brand new writer Richard Bachman. No one suspected, though if you are familiar with King's writing, its very clear that this is exactly his style and his way of psychological manipulation - it took a few more Richard Bachman books until eight years later, the success of latest Bachman novel "Thinner" eventually spurred a ordinary salesperson in a bookshop Steve Brown to check publisher's records at the Library of Congress - Brown was simply blown away with similarities in styles between King and this Bachman guy. Afterwards, King himself contacted Brown and allowed to be interviewed, explaining that his next novel titled "Misery" was originally planned to be published under Bachman name. He even gleefully noted how critics praised "Thinner" and claimed "This is what Stephen King would write like if Stephen King could really write." 

Personally I perfectly understand why Brown made a connection because everything about "Rage" is a typical Stephen King, specially the way the story builds up to show the real danger is hiding under the faces of ordinary everyday people (in this case students in a high school). The story itself was shocking and disturbing back in 1977 - school shooting - in fact, King himself eventually started to dislike the way his novel depicts US social climate and after school shootings became more and more part of news circle in his homeland, he instructed his publishers to pull the novel completely out of print. It still can be found online and in second hand shops, but it is not printed anymore. 

It is also the first Stephen King novel that does not use any supernatural elements - where previously  there was telepathy, vampires and ghosts, in this novel the evil is pure human. The main character is high school student Charlie Decker who turns on his fellow students and teachers because he is filled with rage (in this case towards his father, but basically the whole world) - he keeps the whole class as hostages and things take unexpected turn as hostages became violent towards one of them. Because the novel deals with psychotic and disturbing subject, it is not something I see myself returning again, I simply might prefer King dealing with demons.