Stephen King never cashed out his $5,000 rights check for the Shawshank Redemption. The author’s 1982 novel Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption inspired the film that was released in 1994.

The Shawshank ... than most books from the mid-19th century. On top of being simply an entertaining yarn, the novel has a lot to say about hope, vengeance, and the possibility of redemption.