A Stephen King novel has been withdrawn from circulation and is unlikely to see the printing press again.

King, aged 75, is one of the world's most renowned authors, known for crafting some of the most iconic horror tales, including 'The Shining' and 'IT,' both of which have been adapted into films.

However, one of King's books has gained notoriety not for its immense popularity and acclaim, but rather for its rarity and difficulty to obtain since it was removed from circulation.

'Rage' was among King's early works, penned while he was still in high school in 1965, but it didn't see publication until 1977 under his pseudonym, Robert Bachman. In 1985, he included it in a collection of short novels titled 'The Bachman Books.'

The storyline of 'Rage' centers on a troubled high school student who brings a firearm to school, commits violence against faculty members, and holds his algebra class hostage.

King himself addressed the sensitive subject matter of the novel in a 2013 essay titled 'Guns,' acknowledging that he wrote the story in a different world compared to the one we inhabit today.

"I suppose if it had been written today, and some high school English teacher had seen it, he would have rushed the manuscript to the guidance counsellor and I would have found myself in therapy posthaste," King wrote.

"But 1965 was a different world, one where you didn't have to take off your shoes before boarding a plane and there were no metal detectors at the entrances to high schools."

After King's novel 'Rage' was directly linked to four real-life school shootings, he began urging publishers to remove it from store shelves.

The first incident occurred in April 1988 when a California student held his high school humanities class hostage, citing the novel as the inspiration for his actions.

In September 1989, a 17-year-old from Kentucky held his classmates hostage for 9 hours, seemingly attempting to emulate the events of 'Rage.'

Another tragic incident unfolded in February 1996 when a 14-year-old boy in Washington state shot and killed his algebra teacher and two classmates, claiming to be inspired by King's story.

Then, in December 1997, a 14-year-old from Kentucky opened fire on a prayer group at his school, resulting in the deaths of three people. It is believed he had a copy of 'Rage' in his locker.

As a result of these incidents, 'Rage' was permanently removed from the collection of four novels, reducing it to three.

In 2013, 'Rage' ranked second on BookFinder.com's list of the 100 most sought-after out-of-print books, with Madonna's 'S**' taking the top spot.

While King does not believe his novel was the sole influence behind these four violent school shootings, he acknowledges it may have acted as a 'possible accelerant,' potentially impacting individuals from troubled backgrounds with psychological issues.

Used copies of 'Rage' are available online, but they come with a steep price tag, ranging from $700 to over $2,000.