Stephen King Hints at Slowing Down: “At My Age, I’m Off the Warranty”

Stephen King, one of the world’s most famous authors, is thinking about slowing down. At 78, the writer says he’s working hard to finish what’s already on his list but isn’t sure what comes next after that.

In an interview with USA TODAY, King shared that he’s trying to wrap things up while he still can. “I’m trying to clear my desk as much as I can,” he said. “At my age, you’re off the warranty. You can’t take anything for granted.”

King has two big projects ahead of him. One is another story featuring his well-known detective character, Holly Gibney. Fans last saw her in his recent novel Never Flinch, and King says he plans to write one final book for her this winter. “I love Holly,” he said. “Right now I am rereading ‘The Outsider’ because I have a way into this last Holly book so I need to refresh myself with that.”

Before writing Holly’s last case, King is focusing on another long-awaited project — a third book in the fantasy series he started with the late Peter Straub. The first two novels, The Talisman and Black House, were released years apart, and King says the next one will tie both of those stories to his Dark Tower universe. He mentioned that it’s time to “button up” both series with this final chapter.

Even while he considers stepping back from writing, King’s work continues to live on through new films and shows. Several of his stories have been adapted this year, including The Monkey, The Life of Chuck, and The Long Walk, with The Running Man also on the way. TV fans can look forward to The Institute and It: Welcome to Derry, which expands on the world of his famous clown horror.

King has been telling stories for over five decades, creating some of the most well-known books and characters in modern fiction. Whether or not he decides to retire soon, his work still reaches millions of readers and viewers around the world.