By 1980, the ever-prolific Stephen King already had seven novels under his belt and a growing body of constant readers. His horror stories vividly illustrated child and adolescent life. Think Danny Torrance from The Shining (1977), or Carrie’s eponymous novel (1974).

Firestarter centres on the relationship between a Father and his eight-year old girl who (as you might have guessed) can start fires with her mind. Pyrokinesis. Of course, the government is very interested in such a talent, and they’re not willing to leave Andy and Charlie McGee alone. The question becomes—who is more tenacious, more relentless?

As with stories that are more than just pulp, The fire draws you in, but the love of a Father for his daughter keeps you there (think McCarthy’s The Road). Despite the sensational plot, there’s real heart in this story. Heart that would become a trademark of King’s fiction through the decades that follow.

King, Stephen. Firestarter. 1980. Audiobook, ed., Simon and Schuster Audio, 2016.