According to Fox 13, Stephen King’s 1982 novella collection “Different Seasons” has been added to Utah’s statewide list of books removed from certain public school libraries, prompting the author to deliver a blunt response on social media after learning the news.
Stephen King Calls Out Utah After ‘Different Seasons’ Joins School Book Ban List
King reacted on X after reports confirmed that the collection of novellas had been removed from libraries in multiple Utah school districts under the state’s book ban law. “They banned Different Seasons in Utah,” King wrote. “Contains Stand by Me and The Shawshank Redemption, stories of friendship and courage. Readable by teens, too. What’s wrong with these people?”
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The collection became the latest title added to Utah’s growing list of restricted books after meeting the threshold established under a 2022 state law. The legislation allows books to be removed from public school libraries when three school districts, or a combination of two school districts and five charter schools, determine that they contain what the law defines as objective sensitive material. With King’s work included, the statewide list now totals 36 banned titles.
Published in 1982, “Different Seasons” marked a departure from the supernatural fiction that had made King famous. Instead of horror, it gathered four character-driven novellas: “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption,” “The Body,” “Apt Pupil,” and “The Breathing Method.” Three of those stories were later adapted into feature films, with “The Shawshank Redemption” earning a Best Picture nomination at the Academy Awards and “Stand by Me” receiving a Best Adapted Screenplay nomination.
Alongside King’s collection, titles such as George R.R. Martin’s “A Clash of Kings,” John Green’s “Looking for Alaska,” and Jay Asher’s “Thirteen Reasons Why” have also been removed from school libraries.
