* Collections and anthologies: King often compiles his short stories into collections, and some stories may appear in multiple collections.
* Unpublished stories: He likely has a significant number of unpublished stories that have never been released.
* Early works: King's early work may include stories published under pseudonyms or in obscure magazines, making a complete count difficult.
However, we can give you a general idea:
* Published collections: There are over 20 collections of King's short stories, with each containing numerous stories.
* Individual publications: King has also published many short stories individually in magazines, anthologies, and other publications.
Based on this, it's safe to say that Stephen King has written hundreds of short stories throughout his career.