1408

“1408,” written by American horror writer Stephen King, is a short story that uses Gothic elements and setting to explore themes of Belief and Superstition, Idealism Versus Cynicism, and Fear of the Unknown. The story first appeared in King’s 1999 audio compilation of stories entitled Blood and Smoke before its inclusion in his 2002 short story collection entitled Everything’s Eventual: 14 Dark Tales.

Due to his prolific body of work, King is often described as a modern master of horror. Although he describes “1408” as his attempt at writing the “Ghostly Room at the Inn” story, it is not the first time he has approached this premise in his work. His 1977 novel The Shining tackles a similar idea, following a family that becomes acquainted with the ghostly presences of the Overlook Hotel during its off-season. Much like The Shining, “1408” was eventually adapted to film; the 2007 movie, which Mikael Håfström directed, starred John Cusack as Mike Enslin and Samuel L. Jackson as Mr. Olin. Other works by King include Finders Keepers,

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