Mothers, Mothering, and Motherhood in the King Universe
Over the past fifty years, King’s works have been adapted, discussed, academically investigated, and, of course, read to an extent that few authors have ever been before. However, one aspect of King’s writing has yet to be given scholastic attention – the mothers of Stephen King’s fiction.
From Margaret White’s religious fanaticism in Carrie (1974) and Piper Laurie’s terrifying portrayal of the same character in Brian de Palma’s 1976 adaptation of King’s debut novel, King has obsessively and consistently employed mothers, and the tropes of motherhood, within his novels and short stories. Rachel Creed’s obsessive fear of death, and its realisation in her young son, Gage, is indicative of how generational trauma plays a significant role in Pet Sematary (1983) and in King’s wider representations of motherhood. Donna Trenton’s tragic defence of son, Tad, in Cujo (1981) demonstrates how a mother’s guilt of past betrayals can become horrific karmic punishments, at least to a mother’s mind. Wendy Torrance, and her bond with her son, Danny Torrance, in King’s The Shining (1977) and Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of the same name in 1980, have become synonymous with how King balances gender, motherhood, and the role of wife as a source of horror.
However, King’s writings on mothers and motherhood is not limited to the 20th century. New takes on mothers and mothering abound in his 21st century works. Holly Gibney’s prominence in King’s recent writings, shows King’s understanding of how the role of ‘mother’ has changed in the past twenty years. Mrs Sigsby and Maureen Alvorson of King’s The Institute (2019), too, demonstrate new and competing paradigms in which King’s mothers transcend the binary of being either wholly good or wholly evil (a common criticism of King’s writing), as more dynamic and competing representations of motherhood are shown in his works (patriotism, and mental illness in the case of Sigsby and Alvorson respectively).
This collection seeks to break new ground in our understanding of King’s prolific contributions to literature. In focussing on mothers, motherhood, and the desire to ‘mother’, this collection aims to demonstrate the compelling and deliberate use of gendered ‘nurturing’ tropes within King’s works and how their reinforcement and subversion informs his horror. Suggested topics include, but are in no way limited to:
- Motherhood and Trauma
- Creating horror from the need to ‘mother’ (e.g. Annie Wilkes in Misery)
- Familial relationships/dynamics in King’s fiction (with mothers being included)
- Generational Trauma and its effects on the mothers in King’s works (e.g. Rachel Creed’s fear of death in Pet Sematary)
- Depictions of mothers in King’s adapted works
- Religion and its influence on Mothering Strategies (e.g. Margaret White in Carrie and Mother Abigail in The Stand)
- Pregnancy in King’s Fiction
- The rejection of motherhood in King’s fiction (e.g. Holly Gibney)
- Mental Illness in the mothers of Stephen King
- Navigating gender through motherhood (e.g. Wendy Torrance in The Shining)
- The recuperative function of motherhood
- Resilience and Motherhood (e.g. Annemarie in Salem’s Lot)
- Queer Coding mothers in King’s fiction
- Motherhood, fear and loss (e.g. Donna Trenton in Cujo)
- Defending children in King’s fiction (e.g. the Loser’s Club in IT)
- Villainy and the ‘doubly deviant’ female
- Motherhood and control (e.g. Sonia Kaspbrak from IT)
- Incest, Sexuality and Motherhood (e.g. Deborah Hartsfield in Mr Mercedes)
- Any writing on the mothers in Stephen King’s Fiction
Chapters should be between 2,500 and 4,500 words long (including endnotes and bibliography) and this proposal will be initially submitted to the Genre Fiction and Film Companions at Peter Lang (Oxford).
Please send a proposal of 250 words, together with a brief biography to Conner McAleese via cmcaleese@dundee.ac.uk by the 31st of August, 2025. All decisions will be communicated no later than the 20th of September, 2025.
Full chapters will be due in mid-2026.
If you have any questions, no matter how informal, please do not hesitate to communicate those as early as possible.
About the Editor
Dr Conner McAleese is an early career researcher, currently working at the University of Dundee. He has published works on American Folk Horror, 21st Century American Horror Literature, and 21st Century Horror films. His Ph. D thesis deals with issues of American identity, trauma, and anxiety in horror literature written after 9/11 and the creation of the Homeland Security and PATRIOT Acts.
Last updated May 28, 2025
