Author Stephen King stunned to learn Florida's banned 23 of his books

It sounds like the law was over-interpreted

Horror master Stephen King was shocked to learn that 23 of his books have been banned in Florida - as his publisher joins a massive lawsuit against the state.

'What the f**k?' the famous author posted on X in response to learning the news.

Hundreds of books have been removed from schools as a result of the Florida law known as the 'Don't Say Gay' bill.

Some of King's novels that have reportedly been taken off the shelves include Carrie, It, The Gunslinger, The Running Man and The Long Walk.

King's publisher, Simon & Schuster, along with five other major publishers launched a lawsuit challenging the Florida law last week.

The other publishers to sign on are Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan Publishers, and Sourcebooks.

Others who have joined the suit include bestselling authors Julia Alvarez, Laurie Halse Anderson, John Green, Jodi Picoult, and Angie Thomas, as well as the Authors Guild, two students and two parents.

The list of banned books includes classics such as Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, according to the publishers.

'As publishers dedicated to protecting freedom of expression and the right to read, the rise in book bans across the country continues to demand our collective action,' the group said in a joint statement.

'Fighting unconstitutional legislation in Florida and across the country is an urgent priority.

'We are unwavering in our support for educators, librarians, students, authors, readers - everyone deserves access to books and stories that show different perspectives and viewpoints.'

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the 'Don't Say Gay' bill in 2022, limiting access to materials containing 'sexual conduct' in classrooms.

Florida's legislature passed an expanded version of the law in May 2023, restricting in-classroom instruction of gender identity and sexual orientation for all public school grad -levels.

Additionally, the law also makes it easier for parents to remove books that they feel are inappropriate from school bookshelves.

Any person can challenge a book for any reason within their county. Once a challenge is levied, the book in question must be pulled from the shelves during the review process, which could take weeks or months.

PEN America tracked 3,135 bans across 11 school districts in Florida from July 1, 2021 to December 23, 2023.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13805523/stephen-king-author-florida-banned-books.html

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