In 1939, American fiction magazine imports were undercutting local production. It prompted artists, writers and publishers to lobby for tariffs to stem the tide, and a thriving new market sprang up to slake the public’s voracious thirst for cheap, short fiction.

So as the most adapted author alive today (about 100 projects — not bad considering Shakespeare’s ultimate figure of 500), just what is it about King’s work that directors and screenwriters — King among them — can’t get right?

The American frontier myth of tough, pragmatic action, heroism, sacrifice and accomplishment is all-pervasive thanks to the myriad global media that emerges from the American self-image, and the net result is our adoption of everything from their work ethic to their trade policies.