Full Name | Stephenie Meyer |
---|---|
Age | 49 |
Birthday | December 24, 1973 |
Birth Place | Hartford, Connecticut, United States |
Spouse | Christian Meyer (m. 1994) |
Net Worth | $125 million |
Social Media | Twitter, Facebook |
As a dedicated fan who has followed Stephenie Meyer‘s career since first picking up her breakout novel Twilight in the late 2000s, I‘m thrilled to provide this in-depth introduction to the author who created one of the most influential book and film franchises of our time!
Stephenie Meyer is a world-famous American novelist best known for authoring the internationally popular Twilight vampire romance series. With over 100 million copies sold worldwide, Meyer has cemented herself as one of the most successful authors of the 21st century. But her path to becoming a publishing sensation wasn‘t always clear…
Early Life and Education
Born on December 24, 1973 in Hartford, Connecticut as Stephenie Morgan, Meyer grew up with five siblings in Phoenix, Arizona. Meyer was an avid reader from a young age, citing authors like Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, and Margaret Atwood as early influences. She attended Brigham Young University, where she majored in English Literature and initially envisioned a career as an English teacher.
The Twilight Phenomenon
After graduating college in 1997, Meyer married her husband Christian and became a stay-at-home mother. It was in 2003 that Meyer had the idea for Twilight after having an inspired dream about a girl and a sparkling vampire sitting in a meadow. She quickly got to work and completed the first Twilight novel which was published in 2005 by Little, Brown and Company.
The response was astounding. The young adult novel topped bestseller lists, won numerous awards like the British Book Award for Children‘s Book of the Year, and got picked up by Summit Entertainment for a big screen adaptation. Her subsequent books – New Moon (2006), Eclipse (2007), and Breaking Dawn (2008) – all became #1 international blockbusters. The series has been translated into over 50 languages and sold over 120 million copies globally.
Film Adaptations
With the books flying off shelves, it was no surprise that the film rights sold quickly. Meyer was heavily involved in the movie adaptations, acting as a producer on the first two films. The five films together grossed over $3.3 billion worldwide, cementing Twilight as one of the most commercially successful film franchises in history. Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson also became household names for playing the lead roles of Bella and Edward.
Other Notable Works
Outside of Twilight, Meyer has also written two other bestselling novels – The Host (2008) and The Chemist (2016). The Host, a science-fiction story about a parasitic alien race, was also adapted into a 2013 film starring Saoirse Ronan. She has also published Twilight-related spin-off titles like Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined and the gender-swapped novel New Moon: The Graphic Novel.
Personal Life
Despite her massive success, Meyer has said she considers herself a hometown girl at heart. She continues to reside in Arizona with her husband Christian and their three sons. When she isn‘t writing, some of her hobbies include reading, hosting movie nights for her kids, attending concerts, and just relaxing at home with family.
"I‘m just a mom who wrote a book that blew up. I still think of myself as a hometown girl." – Stephenie Meyer
Legacy and Cultural Impact
It‘s hard to overstate the cultural impact of Twilight in the 2000s. The series turned vampires into worldwide heartthrobs, spurred trends like abstinence rings, and got millions of teens reading. Meyer is often credited with pioneering the current era of hugely successful YA franchises led by female authors like Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games) and Veronica Roth (Divergent). The devoted fandom surrounding Twilight also presaged the social media-fueled fan cultures that emerged in the 2010s.
As a devoted fan myself, I know Stephenie Meyer‘s imaginary world of vampires, werewolves, and human teens will forever live on in the hearts of readers across generations. Her Twilight saga is truly an iconic body of work that inspired a generation.