Stephen, King of England when he first arrived. Nonetheless Stephen probably reached his own estate on the edge of London by 8 December and over the next week he began to seize power in England. The crowds in London traditionally claimed a right to elect the king of England, and they proclaimed Stephen the new monarch, believing that he would grant the city new rights and privileges in return. Henry of Blois delivered the support of the church to Stephen: Stephen was able to advance to Winchester, where Roger, who was both the Bishop of Salisbury and the Lord Chancellor, instructed the royal treasury
Stephen King called Richard Matheson "the author who influenced me most as a writer." In a current edition of Matheson's "The Shrinking Man", King is quoted: "A horror story if there ever was one...a great adventure story—it is certainly one of that select handful that I have given to people, envying them the experience of the first reading." Ray Bradbury is another influence, with King himself stating "without Ray Bradbury, there is no Stephen King". King refers to H. P. Lovecraft several times in "Danse Macabre". "Gramma", a short story made into a film in the 1980s anthology horror show "The New