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As the world increasingly leans towards a digital-only media landscape, the once ordinary items of physical media are now becoming treasured collectibles. Whether it’s those old VHS tapes gathering dust in your attic or vintage video games that can sell for over a million dollars, you might just have a goldmine of physical media at home that could fund a cushy retirement. Among these collectibles is Stephen King’s book “Rage,” which could fetch you over $4,000 if you possess the right edition.
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What makes “Rage” so prized, especially when it’s not listed among Stephen King’s top works? The answer lies in its controversial past. King chose to stop its publication after the storyline — involving a disturbed student who holds his school hostage and kills two teachers — began to inspire real-life imitations. As “Rage” became completely out of print, its rarity and value soared. The original 1977 paperback edition is particularly coveted by collectors.
“Rage” also appeared in a compilation titled “The Bachman Books,” a collection of stories King penned under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. Although more copies of this compilation were produced, making it less rare, it still holds significant value for collectors.
Just as some filmmakers distance themselves from certain movies, authors occasionally disown their own works. However, King’s decision to part ways with “Rage” wasn’t driven by vanity or publisher interference. In a 2013 essay titled “Guns,” King explained that a school shooter in 1988 cited “Rage” as inspiration. This incident was followed by a series of similar cases over the next decade, with the perpetrators also referencing the book.
Recognizing the potential danger his book posed, King decided to halt all future publications of “Rage” and let it fade into obscurity. As detailed in “Guns” and reported by SlashFilm, King noted, “Those students found something in my book that spoke to them because they were already broken. Yet I did see ‘Rage’ as a possible accelerant, which is why I pulled it from sale. You don’t leave a can of gasoline where a boy with firebug tendencies can lay hands on it.”
Several real life incidents were directly inspired by Rage
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Just as there are directors who hate their own movies, there are authors that eventually disown their own books. But Stephen King wanting to distance himself from “Rage” isn’t an example of ego or publisher meddling or anything of that sort. As he explained in a 2013 essay entitled “Guns,” a kid brought a gun to school in 1988 and specifically mentioned “Rage” as one of the impetuses for doing so. Over the next 10 years, several more incidents occurred of students taking their schools hostage, all of whom also cited “Rage” as inspiration.
Realizing the potential for harm that his book had manifested, King made the decision to cease all future pressings of “Rage” and letting it go out of print. As he explains in “Guns” (via SlashFilm), “[Those students] found something in my book that spoke to them because they were already broken. Yet I did see ‘Rage’ as a possible accelerant, which is why I pulled it from sale. You don’t leave a can of gasoline where a boy with firebug tendencies can lay hands on it.”
