Joe Hill is the pen name of the horror writer Joseph King, son of the famous author Stephen King. Prior to 2007, Hill did not let his real name appear on his writing because he wanted his work to be read, critiqued, enjoyed, or ignored on its own merits, not because his father is one of the most successful American authors to ever live. In 2007, with the publication of his first novel, Heart-Shaped Box, Hill confirmed his identity.

Although Hill has not been as prolific as his father, their works share many of the same characteristics. Hill has primarily written horror novels and stories, although some of his works could be classified as hybrids of horror and dark fantasy. NOS4A2 is an acclaimed work of horror, but if it had been released as a Stephen King novel, no one would have thought it uncharacteristic of him.

Like his father, Hill has an interest in multiple realities, small towns filled with dark secrets, malicious entities that prey on children, seemingly benign objects that contain sinister forces, and books with vast page counts. He is also a writer who delights in fan service, leaving frequent Easter eggs across his work that reference various products of pop culture, including music, pulp novels, and even creating links between his works and the literary universe created by Stephen King.