Firestarter

novel by King

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Last updated

July 15, 2026

Quick Summary

Firestarter is a 1980 novel by Stephen King, which was adapted into films in 1984 and 2022. The story centers on a young girl named Charlie McGee who possesses pyrokinesis, the ability to create and control fire with her mind. This extraordinary power is a result of a secret government experiment conducted on her parents. As Charlie grows, her abilities become more potent and dangerous, attracting the attention of a shadowy government agency known as The Shop, which seeks to weaponize her powers. The novel explores themes of control, exploitation, and the consequences of unchecked power, with Charlie ultimately fighting for her survival against those who wish to control her pyrokinesis.

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Stephen King
Other novels
That decade he published Firestarter (1980; films 1984 and 2022); Cujo (1981; film 1983); The Running Man (1982; film 1987); Christine (1983; film 1983); Thinner (1984; film 1996); It (1986; TV miniseries 1990; films 2017 and 2019);
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That decade he published Firestarter (1980; films 1984 and 2022); Cujo (1981; film 1983); The Running Man (1982; film 1987); Christine (1983; film 1983); Thinner (1984; film 1996); It (1986; TV miniseries 1990; films 2017 and 2019);
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Drew Barrymore
Early life and family
…adaptation of the Stephen King novel, and in Irreconcilable Differences, for which she earned a Golden Globe nomination for her supporting role as a child who sues her business-oriented parents for emancipation.
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…adaptation of the Stephen King novel, and in Irreconcilable Differences, for which she earned a Golden Globe nomination for her supporting role as a child who sues her business-oriented parents for emancipation.
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