Telekinesis comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. But its most entertaining version might be in the form of Carrietta White, better known as Carrie, the gawky teenager at the center of Stephen King’s first published novel, which arrived in bookstores on April 5, 1974.
In the four decades since the book’s first printing, for which King received a $2,500 advance, Carrie White has taken on a life all her own, memorably portrayed by Sissy Spacek in Brian De Palma’s 1976 big-screen adaptation (the role earned Spacek her first of six Oscar nominations). And on Oct. 18, Chloë Grace Moretz will step into Carrie’s blood-soaked shoes to offer a new interpretation of King’s original text.
In anticipation of this much buzzed-about reimagining, here are 10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Carrie (But Should).