Who is Joe Hill?

Joe Hill is an American writer who mostly focuses on horror and mystery genres. He wrote numerous novels and stories, and he is one of the most popular horror writers today. Here is everything you should know about him.

Background

Joe Hill, or rather Joseph Hillström King, was born in 1972 in Bangor, Maine, and he is an American writer. There are various titles that earned him this popularity, and some of them have been adapted into movies and TV shows.

He is one of three children of Stephen and Tabitha King. Yes. That Stephen King. The reason why he abbreviated his middle name was to make sure that his novels are sold because of the quality and not because he is the son of one of the most successful writers of all time.

Joe Hill published his first novel in 2007, and it was called Heart-Shaped Box. Needless to say, the book was highly successful. It ranked eighth on the New York Times bestseller list. Hill also won the Bram Stoker award, British Fantasy Award, and numerous others.

Hill starred in the original Creepshow movie when he was nine, and his story By the Silver Waters of Lake Champlain became a part of the reboot series.

Genre of writing

When it comes to the genre, Joe Hill is mostly focusing on dark fantasy, horror, and science fiction. Each of these genres is intertwined in his books, and they can be a thrilling adventure for all horror lovers.

But at the same time, Hill manages to add something a bit different and unique. There is a reason why he is one of the most popular writers today, and his stories are regularly adapted into movies and shows.

Some people describe the genre as speculative fiction, which uses elements of the real world, and only enriches them with endless possibilities and options. So, if you are looking for the best new horror stories, Joe Hill might scratch that itch.

Popular publications

Joe Hill is a writer with an impressive bibliography, and it seems that he loves staying busy. There are four main novels he wrote, and each received positive reviews. These novels are Heart-Shaped Box from 2007, Horns from 2010, NOS4A2 from 2013, and The Firemen from 2016.

Besides these four novels, Hill published countless short story collections. These stories include 20th Century Ghosts from 2005, Strange Weather from 2017 (a collection of four novellas), Abraham’s Boys, Dark Carousel, and Full Throttle from 2019.

Joe Hill also wrote on numerous comic book series like Locke & Key, Tales from the Darkside, which was illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez, Hill House Comics, Dying is Easy, Wraith: Welcome to Christmasland, and Basketful of Heads.

Additionally, Hill wrote graphic novels, poetry, non-fiction, and many others. The story Full Throttle he co-wrote with his father, Stephen King, appeared in the He Is Legend: An Anthology Celebrating Richard Matheson.

Bringing Hill’s stories to life

Another impressive thing worth mentioning is all the attempts to bring Joe Hill’s stories to life. After all, there are so many great adaptations you can check out. The first adaptation came out in 2008, and this short film was directed by Amanda Boyle.

It was based on the short story Pop Art. Of course, if you want something bigger, you can always check out Horns. This movie came out in 2013, was directed by Alexandre Aja and has Daniel Radcliffe in the main role.

Other adaptations include the NOS4A2 (pronounced Nosferatu) TV series that ran on AMC based on Hill’s third novel, the Netflix movie In the Tall Grass based on a story he co-wrote with Stephen King, the Locke & Key show, The Black Phone (starring Ethan Hawke), and many others.

How can I listen to his books?

There are a couple of different ways to listen to Joe Hill’s audiobooks. However, the first thing you will need to do is pick a platform. While many users will opt for Audible or similar platforms, these are far from being the only option.

Your goal should be to find one that’s easy to use, offers a rich library of audiobooks, and has great quality. And fortunately, there is an app that offers just that – Speechify Audiobooks.

Listen to Joe Hill’s Audiobooks on Speechify

If you want to listen to Joe Hill Audiobooks, Speechify Audiobooks is the way to go. This platform offers an exceptional selection of over 70,000 audiobooks, including many Joe Hill favorites such as Heart-Shaped Box, Horns, NOS4A2, 20th Century Ghosts, and In the Tall Grass. Moreover, Speechify even offers some of Joe Hill’s audiobooks in both English and Spanish. For example, you can enjoy Strange Weather or the Spanish version titled Tiempo Extraño. Likewise, you can read Full Throttle or the Spanish version, A Tumba Abierta.

Plus, once you finish all of Joe Hill’s books, you can explore many more audiobooks in the horror, dark fantasy, mystery, and science fiction genres.

Try Speechify Audiobooks and get your first audiobook for free today.

FAQ

​​Is Joe Hill actually Stephen King?

No. Joe Hill is Stephen King’s son. His full name is Joseph Hillström King, and he is also a successful writer. However, he is widely known by his pen name – Joe Hill. If you are interested in pseudonyms, Stephen King did write a couple of novels and stories under the name Richard Bachman.

Why did Joe Hill change his name?

Joe Hill didn’t change his name. His full name is Joseph Hillström King, and he only abbreviated his middle name. He is not to be confused with Swedish-American songwriter Joe Hill (Joel Emmanuel Hägglund).

What is the name of Joe Hill’s son?

Joe Hill had three sons with his first wife, and they are named Ethan, Aiden, and Ryan. He remarried in 2018, and the couple had twins in 2022.