list books stephen king

The Complete List of Stephen King Books in Order

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If you’re a bookaholic, then you must’ve come across Stephen King’s name at least once or twice. Even if you’re not a fan of the horror genre, it’s almost impossible not to know such a great writer.

So, you prefer movies over books? A lot of well-known movies are based on novels and stories by Stephen King, such as; It, The Shawshank Redemption, Carrie, Dreamcatcher, and the list goes on.

We’ll go through the complete list of Stephen king’s books in order, but first, let’s see who’s Stephen King.

Carrie (1974)

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This is the Master of Horror’s debut novel that kicked off a career like no other. It follows the story of a tortured teenage outcast who uses her supernatural abilities to enact murderous revenge on her cruel classmates.

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Table of Contents

Who is Stephen King?

Stephen King is an American author, born on September 21, 1947. He is among the most famous horror writers. Before writing, he used to work as an English Teacher.

A lot of his novels take place in his hometown, Maine, such as; ‘Salem’s Lot, Pet Sematary, and Carrie. He describes places that he knows, creating a parallel universe of them, which makes the plot interesting.

His first official short story was “The Glass Floor.” It was sold to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Our author married Tabitha Spruce, the famous writer of One on One, in 1971.

What Did Stephen King Write?

Stephen King wrote a total of 63 novels. He also wrote around 120 short stories and 20 novellas. He has 5 published non-fiction books.

7 of his books were published under a pen name, Richard Bachman. The reason for that is that he didn’t want to publish more than one book under the same name. Later, he collected all 7 novels in The Bachman Books.

We’ll see his most popular books first and then we’ll get to the chronological list of his books.

The Chronological List of His Published Books  

• Carrie, novel, (1974)
• ‘Salem’s Lot, novel, (1975)
• The Shining, novel, (1977)
• Rage, novel, (1977)
• The Stand, novel, (1978)
• Night Shift, story collection, (1977)
• The Long Walk, novel, (1979)
• The Dead Zone, novel, (1979)
• The Mist, novella, (1979)
• Firestarter, novel, (1980)
• Roadwork, novel, (1981)
• Danse Macabre, non-fiction, (1981)
• Cujo, novel, (1981)
• The Running Man, novel, (1982)
• The Dark Tower, novel series, (1982 – 2012)
• Different Seasons, story collection, (1982)
• Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, novella, (1982)
• The Body, novella, (1982)
• Apt Pupil, novella, (1982)
• The Breathing Method, novella, (1982)
• Pet Sematary, novel, (1982)
• Christine, novel, (1983)
• The Talisman, novel, (1984)
• Cycle of the Werewolf, novel, (1985)
• Thinner, novel, (1984)
• Skeleton Crew, story collection, (1985)
• The Bachman Books, novel collection, (1985)
• It, novel, (1986)
• The Eyes of the Dragon, novel, (1987)
• Misery, novel, (1987)
• The Tommyknockers, novel, (1987)
• Nightmares in The Sky, non-fiction, (1987)
• The Dark Half, novel, (1989)
• The Stand: The Complete & Uncut Edition, novel, (1990)
• Four Past Midnight, story collection, (1990)
• The Sun Dog, novella, (1990)
• Secret Window, Secret Garden, novella, (1990)
• The Library Policeman, novella, (1990)
• The Langoliers, novella, (1990)
• Needful Things, novel, (1991)
• Gerald’s Game, novel, (1992)
• Dolores Claiborne, novel, (1992)
• Nightmares & Dreamscapes, story collection, (1993)
• Insomnia, novel, (1994)
• Blind Willie, novella, (1994)
• Rose Madder, novel, (1995)
• The Green Mile, novel series, (1996)
• Desperation, novel, (1996)
• The Regulators, novel, (1996)
• Bag of Bones, novel, (1998)
• The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, novel, (1999)
• Hearts in Atlantis, story collection, (1999)
• Why We’re in Vietnam, novella, (1999)
• Low Men in Yellow Coats, novella, (1999)
• Hearts in Atlantis, novella, (1999)
• Stephen King’s N, novella, (1999)
• Secret Windows: Essays and Fiction on the Craft of Writing, non-fiction, (1999)
• Elevation, novella, (1999)
• On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, non-fiction, (1999)
• Gwendy’s Button Box, novella, (1999)
• Dreamcatcher, novel, (2001)
• Black House, novel, (2001)
• Everything’s Eventual, story collection, (2001)
• From a Buick 8, novel, (2001)
• Faithful, non-fiction, (2004)
• The Colorado Kid, novel, (2005)
• ‘Salem’s Lot Illustrated Edition, novel, (2005)
• The Secretary of Dreams: Volume One, novel, (2005)
• Cell, novel, (2006)
• Lisey’s Story, novel, (2006)
• Blaze, novel, (2007)
• Duma Key, novel, (2008)
• Just After Sunset, story collection, (2008)
• Stephen King Goes to the Movies, story collection, (2009)
• Under the Dome, novel, (2009)
• The Secretary of Dreams: Volume 2, novel, (2010)
• Full Dark, No Stars, story collection, (2010)
• 11/22/63, novel, (2011)
• GUNS, non-fiction, (2013)
• Joyland, novel, (2013)
• Doctor Sleep, novel, (2013)
• Mr. Mercedes, novel, (2014)
• Revival, novel, (2014)
• Finders Keepers, novel, (2015)
• Joyland Illustrated Edition, novel, (2015)
• The Bazaar of Bad Dreams, story collection, (2015)
• Blockade Billy, novella, (2015)
• UR, novella, (2015)
• End of Watch, novel, (2016)
• Charlie the Choo-Choo, children’s book, (2016)
• Sleeping Beauties, novel, (2017)
• The Outsider, novel, (2018)
• The Institute, novel, (2019)
• If It Bleeds, story collection, (2020)

What Are the Most Popular Stephen King’s Books?

Stephen King has many great writings, but some of them really out-stand. 

1. Carrie (1974)

Carrie is the first novel that introduced King to the world as a published writer, it was even transformed into a movie. The actions take place in the future, in 1979 in a fictional town.

The novel talks about Carrie, a teenager who has telekinetic powers. Her schoolmates bully her and she’s oppressed by a dominant mother. Will she be able to fit in? Or her powers will help her get revenge?

2. ‘Salem’s Lot (1975)

This horror novel talks about Ben Mears, a writer who returns to Jerusalem’s Lot, his hometown, after 25 years of being away. He starts writing a story about Marsten House, an abandoned mansion that’s purchased by an Austrian immigrant, Kurt Barlow.

Suddenly, a little boy in the town dies and his brother becomes a vampire and starts infecting people. A battle starts between the vampires and others, including Ben.

Also Read:- A Full List of Books by Author Bob Goff and Their Reading Order

3. The Shining (1977)

The story takes place in the Overlook Hotel, where Jack Torrence lives with his wife and son Danny. Jack tries to write a play while overcoming his rage issues and alcohol addiction.

The word “Shining” refers to some psychic powers that Danny has. Meanwhile, in the same hotel, there are evil forces trying to possess Danny, when they fail, they possess Jack instead.

How will the evil forces affect Jack’s plan?

The novel was adapted to a movie in 1980.

4. The Stand (1978)

The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic time. After a plague kills most of the population, people split into 2 groups. A battle starts between them, the battle between the good and the bad.

The story goes on. There have been many adaptations of the novel. The most recent one is a mini-series of the same name. It was being filmed in September 2019 by CBS, but it all stopped due to Covid-19.

5. The Long Walk (1979)

Published under his pseudonym, the plot of this book is in the future. It talks about a dystopian America, ruled by a dictator.

The protagonist is Raymond, a 16-year old who has to participate in “The Walk.” It’s a competition held between 100 teenage boys who have to keep walking at a certain speed, the winner is whoever stays alive.

Along “The Walk” we keep discovering more about this society, and the lives of the participants.

6. The Dead Zone (1979)

The book talks about John Smith in 2 different phases. As a kid, he had a skating accident that transferred him to the dead zone. Then as a young man, he goes into a coma for 5 years and wakes up with psychic powers.

He wakes up with some troubles as some of his memories are in a dead zone in his mind. He can now tell some things from the past, and others from the future.

Ever since then, everything starts going downhill for Johnny.

Also Read:- List of Famous Enid Blyton Books for Children

7. Cujo (1981)

Ever heard of a monstrous dog? The protagonist of this story is the dog Cujo. He’s a friendly family dog. Cujo gets bitten by a bat and turns into a killer.

Cujo belongs to the family of Joe Camber, but he doesn’t start attacking before Joe’s wife and their son leave.

Later, out of bad luck, Donna Trenton’s car breaks down, so she takes her son Tad and goes to Joe Camber’s repair shop to fix it, only to find themselves trapped in the car, with Cujo trying to attack.

8. The Running Man (1982)

The story takes place in 2025. It’s published under King’s pseudonym, Richard Bachman. The story takes place in a fictional dystopian America. The protagonist, Ben Richards, is broke and he needs money to treat his ill daughter.

He participates in a game show called “The Running Man” where participants have to keep running from the police for a month They earn money for each surviving hour, and they earn money for killing officers who chase them.

The only problem is that he’s being watched by everyone around the planet, and they might turn him in to win. Is Ben going to win?

9. The Dark Tower Series (1982 – 2012)

The Dark Tower tower series consists of 8 books. The series takes place in a parallel universe, where the Dark Tower connects all the universes. Roland Deschain is the last gunslinger, and he’s on a quest to find the Dark Tower.

Throughout his journey, he meets different people, friends, and enemies. What makes this series stand out is that in a way it connects most of King’s novels. You can find references and elements mentioned from some of his stories like; ‘Salem’s Lot, The Stand, The Talisman, The Eyes of the Dragon, and It.

10. Pet Sematary (1983)

If you have the chance to bring your beloved dead ones back to life, will you take it, regardless of what comes next? Apparently, our protagonist, Louis, will.

The story takes place in Maine, where Louis moves with his wife Rachel, his kids Gage and Ellie, and their cat Church. They meet their neighbor Jud, who takes them on a trip to a pet cemetery.

This trip reveals a lot about Rachel and Louis’s past. Later, when Church dies, Jud takes Louis to a cemetery, behind the pet’s one. Louis follows Jud’s instructions and buries Church, only to find it home alive on the very next day.

The same thing happens when Gage dies, and when Rachel dies too. However, that resurrection has its own consequences, and things will never be the same.

Also Read:- Harry Potter Books In Order: Complete List & Reviews

11. It (1986)

The famous horror movie from 2017 and 2019 is originally a novel by Stephen King, written in 1986. The novel narrates the story of seven kids in a fictional town; they’re followed by “It,” some sort of a monster that has the ability to disguise and change his look.

We see the protagonists as kids, then we see them three decades later as adults, with all the childhood trauma they have from being chased by “It.”

The adults reunite when they find out that innocents are being killed. They think that “It” might be responsible for that. The story depicts their fight against “It,” with some flashbacks of their childhood with him.

12. Misery (1987)

Misery is the name of the heroine of a series of novels, written by the protagonist of this story, Paul Sheldon. He writes about her for years and finally, he kills her in the last book to start a new series, Fast Cars.

Killing Misery will bring Paul some misery of his own, as later, he gets involved in a car accident, and he’s rescued by Annie, a mentally unstable nurse who’s at the same time his number one fan.

Annie is angry at Paul for killing Misery, and she tortures him. She even makes him burn the manuscript of Fast Cars to bring Misery back to life. Will he do as she tells, or will he suffer the consequences?

13. The Green Mile (1996)

The Story takes place in Georgia, in 1932. It narrates the story of John Coffey, a prisoner who’s in jail for killing two young girls. John Coffey has healing powers; he can heal people and even transfer the diseases to others.

Paul, the captain of the prison guards discovers John’s healing powers when he heals a rat. He even heals Paul himself. Later, we find out that John is innocent.

What happens to those who were healed by John’s powers? Will they die? Live for ages? Or have some powers too? That’s what you’ll discover in the story.

Frequently Asked Questions

A: The Stand is the Stephen King’s longest novel. It has 1152 pages in total.

A: Stephen King has written more than 60 books and over 200 short stories. He has also published 5 nonfiction books.  Apart from these, King has published children’s books, graphic novels, and essays. He also writes screenplays.

A: Lisey’s Story is Stephen King’s favorite novel of his own. Other than this, books such as IT, Misery, 11/22/63, The Stand, and Survivor Type are also some of his favorites.

With over 100 published books, we can fairly say that among Stephen King’s books, you’ll find the breathtaking horror stories you’re looking for.

He cultivated genres like; supernatural fiction, gothic drama, dark fantasy, and psychological horror.

What’s your favorite book off the list? And what do you plan on reading next?

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Stephen King Revisited

Essays, memories, and even a little history…, stephen king books in chronological order.

Here is the list of Stephen King’s books we’re reading as part of Stephen King Revisited, along with links to the essays and other content we have posted for each book.

Carrie (1974) Historical Essay * Richard’s Thoughts * Guest Essay by Ray Garton * Richard’s follow-up ‘Salem’s Lot (1975) Historical Essay  *  Richard’s Thoughts  * Guest Essay by Christopher Golden The Shining (1977) Historical Essay  * Richard’s Thoughts *  Guest Essay by Michael Koryta Rage (1977) Historical Essay * Richard’s Thoughts  * Guest Essay by Norman Prentiss Night Shift (1978) Historical Essay * Richard’s Thoughts  * Guest Essay by Brian Keene The Stand (1978) Historical Essay * Richard’s Thoughts * Guest Essay by Josh Boone The Long Walk (1979) [by Richard Bachman] Historical Essay * Richard’s Thoughts * Guest Essay by Ed Gorman The Dead Zone (1979) Historical Essay * Richard’s Thoughts  * Guest Essay by Chet Williamson Firestarter (1980) Historical Essay * Richard’s Thoughts  * Guest Essay by Ian Rogers Roadwork (1981) [by Richard Bachman] Historical Essay * Richard’s Thoughts * Guest Essay by JD Barker Danse Macabre (1981) Historical Essay * Richard’s Thoughts  * Guest Essay by Hank Wagner Cujo (1981) Historical Essay * Richard’s Thoughts  * Guest Essay by Kealan Patrick Burke The Running Man (1982) [by Richard Bachman] Historical Essay  * Richard’s Thoughts The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger (1982) Historical Essay * Richard’s Thoughts * Guest Essay by Bev Vincent Different Seasons (1982) Historical Essay * Richard’s Thoughts Christine (1983) Historical Essay * Richard’s Thoughts * Guest Essay by James Newman Cycle of the Werewolf (1983) Historical Essay * Richard’s Thoughts Pet Sematary (1983) Historical Essay * Richard’s Thoughts  * Guest Essay by Stewart O’Nan The Eyes of the Dragon (1984) Historical Essay * Richard’s Thoughts * Guest Essay by Joseph Madden The Talisman (1984) with Peter Straub Historical Essay * Richard’s Thoughts Thinner (1984) [by Richard Bachman] Skeleton Crew (1985) IT (1986) The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three (1987) Misery (1987) The Tommyknockers (1987) The Dark Half (1989) The Stand: The Complete & Uncut Edition (1990) Four Past Midnight (1990) The Dark Tower: The Waste Lands (1991) Needful Things (1991) Gerald’s Game (1992) Dolores Claiborne (1992) Nightmares & Dreamscapes (1993) Insomnia (1994) Rose Madder (1995) The Green Mile (1996) Desperation (1996) The Regulators (1996) [by Richard Bachman] The Dark Tower: Wizard and Glass (1997) Bag of Bones (1998) The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (1999) Hearts in Atlantis (1999) Storm of the Century (1999) On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (2000) Dreamcatcher (2001) Black House (2001) with Peter Straub Everything’s Eventual (2002) From a Buick 8 (2002) The Dark Tower: Wolves of the Calla (2003) The Dark Tower: Song of Susannah (2004) The Dark Tower: The Dark Tower (2004) Faithful (2004) with Stewart O’Nan The Colorado Kid (2005) Cell (2006) Lisey’s Story (2006) The Secretary of Dreams: Volume One (2006) Blaze (2007) [by Richard Bachman] Duma Key (2008) Just After Sunset (2008) Under the Dome (2009) Blockade Billy (2010) The Secretary of Dreams: Volume 2 (2010) Full Dark, No Stars (2010) 11/22/63 (2011) The Dark Tower: The Wind Through the Keyhole (2012) Joyland (2013) The Dark Man (2013) Doctor Sleep (2013) Mr. Mercedes (2014) Revival (2014) Finders Keepers (2015) The Bazaar of Bad Dreams (2015) End of Watch (2016) Charlie the Choo-Choo (2016) [by Beryl Evans] Six Scary Stories selected by Stephen King (2016) Gwendy’s Button Box (2017) with Richard Chizmar Sleeping Beauties (2017) with Owen King The Outsider (2018) Flight or Fright (2018) coedited with Bev Vincent Elevation (2018) The Institute (2019) If It Bleeds (2020) Later (2021) Billy Summers (2021) Gwendy’s Final Task (2022) with Richard Chizmar Fairy Tale (2022) Holly (2023) You Like it Darker (2024)

** Other Posts of Interest: Richard’s SK Top Ten Novels List (as of the beginning of this re-reading process)

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92 comments

Thanks for the list. I might have to read ahead. I have recently read “Carrie”, “Salem’s Lot” and the “The Shining” but I’ve never read “Rage” so I might start there.

Because of the content of Rage (school shooting), it was taken out of publication and I had a hard time finding it. Finally lucked out when the library had an old edition of the Bachman Books compilation which included it. Just a heads up.

I found that there was an audiobook on YouTube that hadn’t been taken down. It might still be there. The narrator was damn good, but the audio was quiet so I’d recommend wearing earbuds or downloading it and raising the volume using a video editing software.

Rage is not what I expected when hearing it was about a school shooting. Overall it’s one of my favorite books though. Definitely worth the hunt!

Damn impressive list of books.

Thanks for the list. But I thought Eyes of the Dragon was published in 1987, no?

It was first published as a limited edition in 1984 via King’s own Philtrum Press — the Viking trade was Feb ’87.

Yep, we went with the date of the Limited Edition for that one and The Gunslinger since they were published a few years before any trade editions.

Whew! I’m not missing any of his fiction works. I counted The Bachman Books as one and not four novels. I am missing some non-fiction. So, I need to buy those STAT.

Ok, I’m set! I counted the Bachman Books as one, also. I do keep searching the tag and yard sales for those original paperbacks, tho 😉

I read CARRIE on Halloween… I don’t think I had ever read it… What a wonderful book… Beautiful writing… Sue Snell- a name that will haunt the edges of my subconscious for awhile… I can’t say how happy I am to be pushed to revisit all these books in order… apparently making a few new book friends as I go… Time to go through the list you just posted and see what books I’m missing… Thank you for the list!

Check, check, and check. Got em all, including the individual original paperbacks of Bachman. Still waiting for my 1st signature though.

Thanks for the list! Tried to keep up on the Works By SK list from his website, only need to find The Secretary of Dreams Vol.1. May order ebooks for the ease of reading. Looking forward to the upcoming DC Revival book tour trip. Even if I don’t acquire a signed book, I enjoy listening to SK. My husband is more into reading software code, but does appreciate Stephen’s wit and humor. Happy reading!

I did this re-read a couple of years ago; I stopped at The Colorado Kid (that and the rest next year, maybe.) It is/was/will be an amazing journey.

I started reading Stephen King from the beginning. I had to wait for the paperback to come out because I couldn’t afford the hardback. What a long wait each time! Now I have all of them in hardback and my hubby buys me each new book the day it comes out. I still have the old paperback and you can tell they have been read & re-read over and over. My favorite is The Stand. I have both the original release and the extended release. I’m now trying to collect all his movies on DVD. Just love Stephen King!

Jan, I have many Stephen King movies and no longer wish to keep dvd’s. If there are any you need, please contact me and I’ll see if I have them. I would want them to go to someone who will really cherish them. 🙂

Mary [email protected]

I’ll try to get a list together if you want to send me a private message thru email to see if I have anything you need.

Loving the title The Bazaar of Bad Dreams!

Interesting. Both versions of The Stand, but only one version of The Gunslinger (presumably the original)?

We hadn’t yet discussed reading the revised version of The Gunslinger, but it might be added to the list!

Cool. I’ve read the revised version four times, but never read the original. Worth the read, or will it just confuse me? (I think I already know the answer..) 😛

I don’t think the original will confuse you at all. The revised version mostly added some foreshadowing and fixed some cultural references that didn’t work for the series as it developed, if I recall correctly!

my question is, if both versions of the STAND are on the list, does that mean both versions will be read? as Richard is reading THE STAND right now, and from the picture posted, it would be the first edition paperback. This means he is reading the shorter version. when he gets to the publication date of THE STAND uncut, will he be reading that entire version as well?

Haven’t heard of the last two. Finders Keepers and Bazaar of Bad Dreams. Where can I find out out those?

Finders Keepers is the follow-up to Mr. Mercedes and will be published in June 2015. The Bazaar of Bad Dreams is a new short story collection and will be published in the fall of 2015. I believe King has said it collects 20 of his stories, so it should be a pretty big book.

I have a question regarding 2 books I don’t find in this list, 1 that maybe should be and 1 that I’m not sure about. The first is ‘Secret Windows: Essays and Fiction on the Craft of Writing’. This was published in 2000 and says Biok-Of-The-Month-Club at the bottom of the title page so I’m not sure if it belongs here or not. The other is ‘The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer’. This was published in 2001 and was also a made for TV movie. It says nothing about King on it but I had always been led to believe he had something to do with either the book or the movie. Can any one clear that up for me? Thanks. -Lyn

Thanks for asking!

As of right now, Rich isn’t including Secret Windows because it was a Book of the Month Club only title, but that could change if enough readers disagree and think it should be included.

The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer was actually written by Ridley Pearson.

Did King have anything to do with either the Diary book or the movie? I remember watching it because somewhere there was an ad stating he was involved. Of course that was a few years ago so maybe I’m just remembering it incorrectly. Thanks for the reply!- Lyn

Other than it being based on Rose Red, I don’t recall him really being involved, but I’m sure someone else will correct me if I’m wrong!

King was only involved insofar as Rose Red was his story and it was his suggestion that fellow Rock Bottom Remainder Ridley Pearson write the tie-in novel when ABC suggested it. Pearson was heavily involved in the movie that was made from the diary, but King had nothing to do with it.

He WAS the pizza delivery guy in Rose Red though…lol

By any chance, will Secretary of Dreams, vols 1 and 2 be rereleased by Cemetery Dance so those of us following along can read them too? 🙂

I’d second that.

However, I don’t think the books belong on this list. They didn’t contain any new stories by King, so essentially you’d just be reviewing the artwork. Which would be interesting — but surely that would then mean that the project ought to include comics, movies, and other adaptations as well, right?

I, too, would like to be able to buy Secretary of Dreams, vols I and II through Cemetery Dance. My husband and I recently retired, and I have a very full plate for the next few months until we sell the house in the Frozen North and finish moving to sunny Florida. I do plan, however, to start reading along and catch up with Richard and the other Constant Readers as soon as I can!

You know,those of us who have read Mr. King’s short story collections have never been disappointed, so it’s strange that perhaps he hasn’t been recognized enough in this venue. However, when you look at the number of movies that have been made from his short stories, you know his talent is obvious. I LOOK FORWARD to the publication of his The Bazaar of Bad Dreams!!!

No “The Plant”?

The Plant is unfinished.

Yet nevertheless it was published (albeit only online). If King had not yet managed to finish “The Dark Tower” (which, to some degree, he admits he hasn’t), would those books be left off?

I’m definitely willing to listen to the argument for re-reading the eBook of The Plant, even if it was only “Part One” and never finished beyond that point. I shall mention it to Richard during our next meeting. At the very least, it’s an interesting piece of Stephen King history…

To me, it feels like too substantial a work to skip. Plus, it’s pretty good! I keep hoping he’ll turn his eye back toward it one of these days.

While I’m at it, I might as well also make a case for “Silver Bullet.” It’s just a screenplay, sure, but (like “Storm of the Century,” which is on the list) it WAS published as a book.

Read my first Stephen King this year – at age 64! It was 11/233/63. I was 13 at the time. Since then I graduated (?) to the Dome then the Stand, lastly the entire Dark Tower series. Bought each movie after I read the book. All but The Dome were really good. Buying a book then seeing the movie or vice versa, remembering I’ve read A LOT of books up until now, is a quirk I am proud of. I can do this as I am disabled, both social security and veterans, so I have the time to indulge. If anyone would care to comment, I am unsure about collaboration books. I don’t know how that works; how an author does this type writing.

Read the Green Mile, then watch the movie. Almost word for word. I even have a copy of the screenplay awesome adaptation

I’m a constant reader who not only loves Stephen’s stories but his Afterword. I also love his use of music throughout his stories. Stephen writes his beginnings with mounting urge to read more and doesn’t disappoint as the story progresses to its crescendo. I enjoyed the first three of the Dark Tower series. One of my favorites is “Dolores Claiborne.” I also enjoy your short stories and noticed a similarity to some of the Classic Horror stories by Robert Louis Stevenson and Edgar Allan Poe. You outdid your writing with the Green Mile and Shawshank Redemption. One of my favorites is “The Girl who loved Tom Gordon.” One of my favorites was “On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft.” Will be a Constant Reader for as long as you write. You write as if you are talking directly to me….very private and personal. Thank you for surviving unsurmountable pain and healing to continue your works. See you in the words….Paula Baskette

I, too, have noticed Mr. King’s love for music. I look for literary allusions and outright authors’ names and titles. For me, Mr. King’s books ‘read themselves’. I’ve read authors in this and other genres who take a LONG time, if ever, developing my interest as the way Mr. King does. I have also been to Maine. It was 1970. Maybe not the same as staying in a Motel 6, but close.

is the “The Dark Tower: The Wind thru the keyhole” 2012, the Dark Tower 8?

You might call it that. SK sometimes refers to it as The Dark Tower 4.5, since the contemporary storyline sites between Wizard & Glass and Wolves of the Calla .

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I bought Secretary of Dreams, Vols II — but somehow miss Vol. I. I am quite a hard time finding that volume published by Cemetary Dance. ????? Bummer. Any suggestions? Linda

Save up a couple of thousand dollars and then go to eBay. It’s hella out of print.

found one at a used book store for 30 bucks!!

I think this is an amazing this to do! Being unemployed with health issues right now and having to help my family make it through the holidays, I can’t afford to go out and buy a bunch of SK books. At only 23, my collection right now is kind of small and i would love to take that journey with you. King is one of the reasons i was inspired to self-publish four books and continue to write through my struggles now. But since I can’t read a long, i’ll read and enjoy these posts! It should be an awesome ride.

Hello! I was curious why some novellas and short stories didn’t make the Revisited list? I’m referring to UR, Throttle, Mile 81, In the Tall Grass, and especially A Face in the Crowd. Thank you for your time!

Hi Tara! We’re only covering short stories and novellas that have been collected in King’s collections or published as standalone editions like Blockade Billy. The collaborations with Joe Hill won’t be in the next collection due out in 2015, but some of the others you mention almost certainly will be, so they’ll be covered then. Thanks for asking!

Wasn’t My pretty pony published as a standalone? it is not included. Also I think for sure, Riding the Bullet and the plant need to be added. They were landmark ideas at the time. Displaying King’s foresight of the future of publishing. The revised editions of the Gunslinger and Salem’s Lot need to be included. If storm of the century is included then silver bullet has to be as it was published in book format. It may be hard to find, but so is Rage (as King pulled it from print). Secret Windows needs to be included as well, it is listed in the front of King works. I am assuming we are not including six stories, because it is impossible to get a copy for less than $750. Bottom line we should avoid cutting as many corners as possible.

Also to be considered: American Vampire Vol 1, Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, and Stephen King Goes to the Movies. An arguement can be made for each.

Thanks for the feedback, Gary!

you can count CYCLE OF THE WEREWOLF as SILVER BULLET, as that is the book the film came from, RAGE is not that hard to find at all, millions of copies of THE BACHMAN BOOKS in its collected form are still easy to find at a used book price ( any more than $20 and you are getting robbed) both STEPHEN KING GOES TO THE MOVIES and SIX STORIES publish previously published material , same to all those who request SECRETARY OF DREAMS 1 and 2. .and RIDING THE BULLET is also in EVERYTHING IS EVENTUAL.

with blockade billy being listed as included in The Bazaar of Bad Dreams, is it going to be dropped from the list?

Might Richard consider recording his readings into audio books?

I kind of love this idea! I’ll pass it along. Thanks!

I love this “Stephen King Revisited” Re-Read Along.These are my guesses: you might not have read “Cycle of the Werewolf” and “Storm of the Century”. I didn’t even try guessing “The Plant”. As it seems, I am also, awaiting, a complete, affordable hardcover. I am loving the revisit of “the darkly frightening “RAGE”;ever more terrifying because of its seemingly; psychic, precognition; of our present exponentially increasing social situations. All The Best Mr. Chizmar, Regards, Ronald Scott Sippel.

Where’s “Thinner” (written as Richard Bachman)?

Hiding in the mid-1980s, between The Talisman and Skeleton Crew.

I have already purchased Finder Keepers and look forward to its release. Is Cemetery Dance handling “The Bazaar of Bad Dreams” too? I want to pre-order that book also. Stephen King Rules!!!!! Many Thanks!

Why was My Pretty Pony not addressed in one of the earlier posts? I have the oversized book and it is really good and should be on the list.

It’s collected in Nightmares and Dreamscapes and will be discussed there.

Is the e-book publication of Riding the Bullet that was published in 2000 different from the version of that story that was in Everything’s Eventual in 2002?

I was at a book signing for ‘Revival” and the guy in line in front of me was chatting everyone up. He turned to me and said, “So which Stephen King books have you read?” Me: “All of them.” What other answer could there be?

I have read all of the Stephen King books in the list except the illustrated ones – The Dark Man and Secretary of Dreams I and II (which are illustrations of existing short stories) – and Faithful (just could never get into it. I have read most of his books more than once. I have also read My Pretty Pony, which is not in the list.

How is Blockade Billy affected now that is it being included in The Bazaar of Bad Dreams? We have not included other books that are included into collections

That’s a good question. The other novellas like My Pretty Pony and Dolan’s Cadillac didn’t have trade editions for the mass market from SK’s New York publisher like Blockade Billy, so it is a little different in that sense, but it is also now in a collection. We’ll probably make a decision when we get closer!

new king book announced The Suicide Prince !

The title is now End of Watch

Please check the link to “Richard’s Thoughts” for Firestarter – it is incorrectly pointing to instead of [www.stephenkinrevisited.com]

Fixed! Thank you!

What happened to Creepshow?

Richard decided to skip it since he doesn’t consider it to be a real SK book.

I have been reading Stephen King’s books since I was 12. Have not missed one of his books !! Would never tell my age, but has been a long journey and have loved everyone !! He has a fantastic mind.

Wow! I love Stephen King and when i bought my first kindle in 2011, i decided to re-read all his books by order! Glad to see others doing and blogging about it! 4 years passed, and i’m still not done 😀

What about the collections in Different Seasons and Four Past Midnight.

They’re on the list. We’ve already covered Different Seasons.

I’ve been loving this. Thanks for all the work you’ve put in here.

Was any thought given to including Nightmares in the Sky? Might be a bit insubstantial, but could make a good inclusion if for no other reason than to highlight the book for people who don’t know about it.

I started a re-read of all his books this past Summer. I am reading The Library Policeman from Four Past Midnight now. I cheated and read some Bazaar of Bad Dreams but who can blame me lol. I read Mr. Mercedes but have resisted Finders Keepers thus far. That will likely change when End of Watch is released as I am going to go see him for the reading, Q&A session in Dayton this Summer. Hoping to be one of the 400 picked for a signed copy. I have an early edition of Pet Sematary I would LOVE to have signed, the first book I read of his and by far my favorite every since. Trying to gather all his DVD’S now. I have Rose Red, IT, The Mist, Children of the Corn, Shawshank Redemption, the Green Mile, Creepshow & Dreamcatcher. Still have a ways to go lol. I have all his paperbacks and about 37 hardcover so that collection is coming on nicely :). Thanks for the comprehensive list and awesome site. Love that others love his work as much as I do to reread them all over again! I’ve read all his works at least once and my favorites at least a dozen times lol. Reading them chronologically makes it feel like a journey though. And like Roland I will probably restart the same journey over and over again for all my days…

The first Stephen King book I read was “Salem’s Lot” in 1975. We were living in Topsham, ME then. As I sat in the house it the evening reading the book I was scared out of my wits as I could picture all those ME sights. From then on, I was hooked. Thanks for all the joy you’ve brought to my reading life, Mr. King.

I am one of your biggest fan I have ever book you have written even the ones under Bachman I have a hard copy and paper back I love all your books that’s all I own I will only read your books thank you for the wonderful books

I have a suggestion for Stephen King.Thinner in reverse entitle it Fatter make it about a gypsy curse making a thin guy fat and have it end with him dying from a heart attack.

I never knew that there was a last book in the dark tower series the wind through the keyhole Wow!!

When are you going to put up more reviews and comments of the books? They are the next best thing to reading King

What about Secret Windows: Essays and fiction on the craft of writing from 2000? Not the usual… I think he did it exclusively for his book club members.

Is there anywhere to see a list in the order books were written, including the Bachman ones, and not the order that they were published? Thanks!

Bev Vincent compiled this list for the early stuff, through 1984. After that, we think it can be assumed things were pretty much in sequence:

1965-1966 Unpublished: The Aftermath 1966-1967 The Long Walk 1968 Unpublished: Sword in the Darkness 1966-1971 Rage 1970-1981 The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger 1972 The Running Man 1973 Carrie 1973 Blaze 1973 ‘Salem’s Lot 1973-1974 Roadwork 1974 The Shining 1975-1976 The Stand 1976 Two incomplete novels: Welcome to Clearwater and The Corner 1977 The Dead Zone 1977 Firestarter September 1977 – March 1981 Cujo February 1979 – December 1982 Pet Sematary 1979 Christine 1979 Danse Macabre September 9th, 1981 -December 28th, 1985 It 1982-1986: The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three 1982-1983 The Talisman 1982 Incomplete: The Cannibals August 19th, 1982 – May 19th, 1987 The Tommyknockers 1983 The Eyes of the Dragon September 23rd 1984 – October 7th 1986: Misery 1984 Thinner

Gwendy’s Magic Feather is missing. Still holding out hope this site will come back, even if it’s picked up by someone else.

Thanks as well to SK for recommending works by John D. McDonald, John Sandford, Elmore Leonard , Robert Parker ,Michael Connelly and C. J. Box over the years. I managed to read all their works with pleasure as well as Stephen’s. I have read many others but these are the outstanding few that make the cut…..Paul.

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All 80+ Stephen King Books in Order | Ultimate Guide

Whether you’re new to Stephen King or have been a dedicated fan for years, these lists offer a definitive guide on how to read the Stephen King books in order.

Stephen King has become synonymous with writing and has an impressive oeuvre to match his fame.

Even if you haven’t read a book by him, or watched one of the many adaptions of his novels, it is nearly impossible not to recognize the name and for very good reason.

Who is Stephen King?

Stephen King was born in Portland, Maine and he currently lives between Maine and Florida with his wife Tabitha. Before he became a bestselling author he was an English teacher.

During the last five decades, King has accumulated a dedicated base of fans . As well, many of his popular books have been adapted for the screen, both films and TV shows.

To the delight of fans King has appeared on screen in several adaptions of his works. For example, King’s latest cameo appearance is in the 2019 adaption of his classic novel IT.

His latest cameo role is widely regarded as his best by fans. In the film, King appears as the proprietor of a pawn shop with a tongue-in-cheek quip about not liking the ending to the protagonist’s latest bestselling book.

Stephen King Books in Order

Stephen King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947. He has published dozens of books and more than a hundred short stories, dominating the horror genre. In addition to penning incredibly popular novels, King’s writing also veers into the genres of supernatural fiction; gothic drama; dark fantasy; and, of course, psychological horror.

His first novel, Carrie , captivated audiences and subsequently launched King to fame. His publication frequency is inspiring with a new work published almost every year since his writing career began more than 45 years ago.

King has also published 7 books under the alias Richard Bachman .

Collectively, his books have sold more than 350 million copies and dominated bestseller lists.

Complete List of Stephen King Books in Order of Publication

Stephen King has an impressive collection of works to read, and all in quick succession of one another. But with dozens and dozens of titles it can easily be overwhelming.

Below are all of the novels and novellas King has published since the beginning of his career as an author in the mid-1970s.

If you’re just starting your King reading journey, reading the Stephen King books in order of publication will introduce you to some of his most famous titles.

In the above list, all titles marked with an asterisk are published under Stephen King’s alias of Richard Bachman. Further detail on this moniker is below.

• Carrie (1974)
• ‘Salem’s Lot (1975)
• Rage (1976) *
• The Shining (1977)
• The Stand (1978)
• The Long Walk (1978) *
• Night Shift (1978) (Short Story Collection)
• The Dead Zone (1979)
• Firestarter (1980)
• Roadwork (1980) *
• Cujo (1981)
• The Running Man (1981) *
• The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger (1982)
• Apt Pupil (1982)
• The Breathing Method (1982)
• Different Seasons (1982) (Short Story Collection)
• Christine (1983)
• Pet Sematary (1983)
• Cycle of the Werewolf (1983)
• The Talisman (1984)
• Thinner (1984) *
• Skeleton Crew (1985) (Short Story Collection)
• The Eyes of the Dragon (1987)
• The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three (1987)
• Misery (1987)
• The Tommyknockers (1987)
• The Dark Half (1989)
• Four Past Midnight (1990) (Short Story Collection)
• The Dark Tower: The Waste Lands (1991)
• Needful Things (1991)
• Gerald’s Game (1992)
• Dolores Claiborne (1993)
• Nightmares and Dreamscapes (1993) (Short Story Collection)
• Insomnia (1994)
• Rose Madder (1995)
• The Regulators (1995) *
• The Green Mile (1996)
• Desperation (1996)
• The Dark Tower: Wizard and Glass (1997)
• Bag of Bones (1998)
• Storm of the Century (1999) (Original Screenplay)
• The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (1999)
• Hearts in Atlantis (1999) (Short Story Collection)
• Dreamcatcher (2001)
• Black House (2001)
• From A Buick 8 (2002)
• Everything’s Eventual: 14 Dark Tales (2002) (Short Story Collection)
• The Dark Tower: Wolves of the Calla (2003)
• The Dark Tower: Song of Susannah (2004)
• The Dark Tower VII (2004)
• The Colorado Kid (2005)
• Cell (2006)
• Lisey’s Story (2006)
• Blaze (2006) *
• The Secretary of Dreams, Vol. 1 (2006) (Short Story Collection)
• Duma Key (2008)
• Just After Sunset (2008) (Short Story Collection)
• Under the Dome (2009)
• Stephen King Goes to the Movies (2009) (Short Story Collection)
• Blockade Billy (2010)
• Full Dark, No Stars (2010) (Short Story Collection)
• The Secretary of Dreams, Vol. 2 (2010)
• 11/22/63 (2011)
• The Dark Tower: The Wind Through the Keyhole (2012)
• Joyland (2013)
• Doctor Sleep (2013)
• Mr. Mercedes (2014)
• Revival (2014)
• Finders Keepers (2015)
• The Bazaar of Bad Dreams (2015) (Short Story Collection)
• End of Watch (2016)
• Sleeping Beauties (2017)
• Gwendy’s Button Box (2017) (Novella)
• The Outsider (2018)
• Elevation (2018)
• The Institute (2019)
• Gwendy’s Magic Feather (2020)
• If It Bleeds (2020) (Short Story Collection)
• Later (2021)
• Billy Summers (2021)
• Gwendy’s Final Task (2022)
• Fairy Tale (2022)
• Holly (2023)
• You Like It Darker (Expected: May 21, 2024) (Short Story Collection)

Stephen King Books as Richard Bachman

Stephen King used the alias of Richard Bachman primarily at the outset of his writing career, although he has used it within the last few decades as well.

He has explained that he chose to publish under a different name in order to avoid oversaturating the market with his works while maintaining his impressive publication pace.

All of King’s works published under the Richard Bachman alias are standalones.

• Rage (1976)
• The Long Walk (1978)
• Roadwork (1980)
• The Running Man (1981)
• Thinner (1984)
• The Regulators (1995)
• Blaze (2006)

Stephen King Standalone Books in Order

While Stephen King has multiple popular series, his standalones are arguably the titles he is most known for.

Below the Stephen King books in order are organized by publication. While the books can be read in any order, reading the standalone books in order of publication can provide insight into King’s progression as an author and how he came to dominate the horror genre.

In other words, if you’ve already read a handful of books by Stephen King and are looking for a new way to experience his writing, reading his standalone books in order of publication will offer insight into the nuances of his career growth.

• ‘Salem’s Lot (1975)
• The Mist (1980)
• Dolores Claiborne (1992)

Stephen King Books in Order of Series

As mentioned, in addition to his bestselling standalones Stephen King has also written numerous bestselling series.

Below the series are organized by the order in which King began writing the first book to the series.

However, the series can be read in whichever order most intrigues you, as the variety of King’s writing is well-demonstrated through his series.

For example, while The Shining series is a horror thriller, the Dark Tower books venture into the fantasy genre, and The Green Mile series is a riveting exploration of psychological horror.

The Shining Books

Dark tower books.

• The Gunslinger (1982)
• The Drawing of the Three (1987)
• The Waste Lands (1991)
• Wizard and Glass (1997)
• Wolves of the Calla (2003)
• Song of Susannah (2004)
• The Dark Tower (2004)
• The Wind Through the Keyhole (2012)

For an alternative way to read, check out my list of The Dark Tower books in order .

Talisman Books

Bill hodges books, gwendy’s button box, stephen king books in order: non-fiction.

In addition to his popular horror books, Stephen King has also written non-fiction. For instance, King has become incredibly well-known within the writing community for his advice surrounding the craft, as noted in his very popular 2002 book: On Writing.

• Danse Macabre (1981)
• Nightmares in the Sky (1988)
• Mid-Life Confidential (1994)
• On Writing (2000)
• Faithful (2004)
• Hard Listening: The Greatest Rock Band Ever (of Authors) Tells All (2013)
• Hearts in Suspension (2016)

Stephen King’s Other Written Works

If you’re looking for something a bit shorter to sink your teeth into, but still captivating and gripping, Stephen King’s short stories are a great option. King has written more than 100 short stories, published short story collections, and written graphic novels. The below lists will offer you a glimpse into King’s writing style, but at a length that will allow you to speed through his works.

Short Stories in Publication Order

• Battleground (1977)
• The Boogeyman (1977)
• Children of the Corn (1977)
• Graveyard shift (1977)
• Grey Matter (1977)
• I Am the Doorway (1977)
• I Know What You Need (1977)
• Jerusalem’s Lot (1977)
• The Last Rung on the Ladder (1977)
• The Lawnmower Man (1977)
• The Ledge (1977)
• The Man Who Loved Flowers (1977)
• The Mangler (1977)
• Night Surf (1977)
• One for the Road (1977)
• Quitters Inc. (1977)
• Sometimes They Come Back (1977)
• Strawberry Spring (1977)
• Trucks (1977)
• The Woman in the Room (1977)
• The Night of the Tiger (1978)
• The Crate (1980)
• The Ballad of the Flexible Bullet (1985)
• Beachworld (1985)
• Big Wheels: A Tale of the Laundry Game (Milkman #2) (1985)
• Cain Rose Up (1985)
• Gramma (1985)
• Here There Be Tygers (1985)
• The Jaunt (1985)
• The Man Who Would Not Shake Hands (1985)
• The Monkey (1985)
• Morning Deliveries (Milkman #1) (1985)
• Mrs. Todd’s Shortcut (1985)
• Nona (1985)
• The Raft (1985)
• The Reach (1985)
• The Reaper’s Image (1985)
• Survivor Type (1985)
• Uncle Otto’s Truck (1985)
• The Wedding Gig (1985)
• Word Processor of the Gods (1985)
• The Reploids (1987)
• The Revelations of ‘Becka Paulson (1990)
• Chattery Teeth (1993)
• Crouch End (1993)
• Dedication (1993)
• The Doctor’s Case (1993)
• Dolan’s Cadillac (1993)
• The End of the Whole Mess (1993)
• The Fifth Quarter (1993)
• Home Delivery (1993)
• The House on Maple Street (1993)
• It Grows on You (1993)
• The Moving Finger (1993)
• My Pretty Pony (1993)
• The Night Flier (1993)
• Popsy (1993)
• Rainy Season (1993)
• Sneakers (1993)
• Suffer the Little Children (1993)
• The Ten O’Clock People (1993)
• Umney’s Last Case (1993)
• You Know They Got a Hell of a Band (1993)
• Rush Call (1999)
• 1402 (2002)
• All That You Love Will Be Carried Away (2002)
• Autopsy Room Four (2002)
• The Death of Jack Hamilton (2002)
• Everything’s Eventual (2002)
• In the Deathroom (2002)
• L.T.’s Theory of Pets (2002)
• The Little Sisters of Eluria (2002)
• Luckey Quarter (2002)
• Lunch at the Gotham Café (2002)
• The Man in the Black Suit (2002)
• Riding the Bullet (2002)
• The Road Virus Heads North (2002)
• That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is in French (2002)
• The Tale of Gray Dick (2003)
• Ayana (2008)
• The Cat from Hell (2008)
• The Gingerbread Girl (2008)
• Graduation Afternoon (2008)
• Harvey’s Dream (2008)
• Mute (2008)
• The New York Times at Special Bargain Rates (2008)
• Rest Stop (2008)
• Stationary Bike (2008)
• The Things They Left Behind (2008)
• Willa (2008)
• Throttle (2009)
• 1922 (2010)
• A Good Marriage (2010)
• Big Driver (2010)
• Fair Extension (2010)
• Weeds (2014)
• Bad Little Kid (2015)
• Batman and Robin Have an Altercation (2015)
• Drunken Fireworks (2015)
• The Dune (2015)
• Herman Wouk is Still Alive (2015)
• Little Green God of Agony (2015)
• Mile 81 (2015)
• Mister Yummy (2015)
• Morality (2015)
• Obits (2015)
• Premium Harmony (2015)
• Summer Thunder (2015)
• Under the Weather (2015)
• The Music Room (2016)
• The Blue Air Compressor (2018)
• The Turbulence (2018)

Short Story Collections in Publication Order

• Night Shift (1978)
• Different Seasons (1982)
• Skeleton Crew (1985)
• Four Past Midnight (1990)
• Nightmares and Dreamscapes (1993)
• Hearts in Atlantis (1999)
• Everything’s Eventual: 14 Dark Tales (2002)
• The Secretary of Dreams, Vol. 1 (2006)
• Just After Sunset (2008)
• Stephen King Goes to the Movies (2009)
• Full Dark, No Stars (2010)
• The Bazaar of Bad Dreams (2015)
• If It Bleeds (2020)
• You Like It Darker (Expected: May 21, 2024)

Stephen King’s Screen Adaptions

If you’ve never picked up one of Stephen King’s books or pieces of writing, the chances are still high that you’ve at least seen the hype surrounding some of his screen adaptions. Many King books have been adapted for movie and television screens during the last several decades.

Some of King’s most popular adaptions have attracted recognizable Hollywood names, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Running Man, which premiered in 1987. Likewise, Misery premiered in 1980 and stars Kathy Bates. The Shining adaption also premiered in 1980. While King has said he is not a fan of the adaption, it stars Jack Nicholson and is produced by Stanley Kubrick.

Most recently James McAvoy starred in the 2019 adaption of IT: Chapter Two, in which King has his memorable and lengthy cameo as a pawn shop owner.

The Best Stephen King Books

Listing the best books by any author will always be subjective to the individual reader. So if you’re a dedicated fan, it’s likely that you might have your own top ten Stephen King books. Moreover, that list might look different to the one included here.

In addition to being subjective, the precise number of books sold isn’t available. However, the below list of books in order of publication have inarguably made an impact on both King’s writing career and the respective genres.

Many of these titles have also been adapted into movies or TV shows which gives a nod to their popularity within society.

Stephen King’s debut novel Carrie cemented his voice in the horror genre. The book is about the misunderstood high school student Carrie White, who is bullied relentlessly. Subsequently, when Carrie discovers she has telekinetic powers, she proceeds to go on a violent rampage of revenge against those who tormented her. As a result, this modern classic remains one of the most barrier-breaking and shocking novels of King’s career.

2. ‘Salem’s Lot

In this popular novel, the horror of ‘Salem’s Lot permeates even thousands of miles away. Firstly we are introduced to a man and a boy, both terrified of the small town of ‘Salem’s Lot. While they are miles away they share their secrets of the tree-lined streets that still haunt them. However, they soon realize they must return to ‘Salem’s Lot for a final confrontation with the unspeakable evil that lives on in the town.

3. The Shining

The chance to become an off-season caretaker at an atmospheric old hotel seems like the perfect new job for Jack Torrance in The Shining. At first it seems to be his chance at a fresh start. He imagines he will have plenty of time to reconnect with his family and also work on his writing. But as winter settles in with its harsh weather, the idyllic location grows more remote and sinister as the days pass. It is only Jack’s gifted five-year-old who notices the strange and terrible forces that are gathering around this old hotel.

4. The Stand

The Stand begins with a man escaping from a biological testing facility and spreading a mutated strain of the flu that will wipe out 99 per cent of humanity within a few weeks. After that horrible sequence of events, those who survive are scared and in desperate need of a leader. Then, two forces emerge. One is Mother Abagail, who is a benevolent 108-year-old woman who urges all to build a peaceful community in Boulder, Colorado. But the other is Randall Flagg, who delights in chaos and violence. He is also ominously known as the nefarious “Dark Man.” As the two gather power and supporters, who the survivors choose to follow in this post-apocalyptic world will decide the fate of humanity.

In this horror fantasy novel Paul Sheldon is a bestselling novelist who finally meets his biggest fan. Annie Wilkes is a rabid reader of his works, but she is also Paul’s nurse and captor. She tends to his shattered body after a car accident, while keeping him prisoner in her isolated house.

A modern horror classic, IT begins in Derry, Maine. It is a town that feels hauntingly familiar, but the hauntings in this town are real. Years ago, seven teenagers first stumbled across the horror, but they thought they had grown up and moved on since then. However, none of them can withstand the inexplicable force that is driving them back to Derry. Once they are back within town lines they must once again face the nightmare without an end, and the evil without a name.

7. Pet Sematary

Pet Sematary introduces the Creeds as the perfect idyllic family. As they move into a beautiful old house in rural Maine, their picture-perfect image seems to be complete. The father is a physician, the wife is beautiful, the daughter is charming, and the newborn son is adorable. But the nearby woods are hiding a blood-chilling truth that is more terrifying and powerful than death itself. Terror lurks around the corner of their perfect home, and the Creeds will soon learn that sometimes dead is better.

8. The Gunslinger

The first book in The Dark Tower series introduces readers to Roland of Gilead: The Last Gunslinger. Referred to as one of Stephen King’s most enigmatic heroes, Roland is a haunting figure on a spellbinding journey of good and evil. In a world that frighteningly mirrors our own, Roland pursues The Man in Black. Along his journey he also encounters an alluring woman named Alice and begins a friendship with the Kid from Earth called Jake. This fantasy horror novel is both grippingly realistic and eerily dreamlike.

9. The Green Mile

The first novel in The Green Mile books introduces readers to Cold Mountain Penitentiary. The men of E Block are all convicted killers waiting their turn to walk the Green Mile. There they will meet with Cold Mountain’s electric chair: “Old Sparky.” Prison guard Paul Edgecombe has seen his share of oddities while working the Mile, but he’s never seen anyone like John Coffey. This man with the body of a giant and the mind of a child was condemned for a shockingly violent crime. Edgecombe will soon discover a terrible, wondrous truth about Coffey that will challenge his most cherished beliefs.

10. 11/22/63

In 11/22/63 Stephen King creates an alternate reality history surrounding the assassination of JFK. In this novel Jake Epping is a high school English teacher in Lisbon Falls, Maine. While marking papers he finds something shockingly eerie and quickly discovers that his friend’s local diner contains an incredible secret. The storeroom is a portal to 1958. Epping then creates a new identity and embarks on an insane mission to travel back in time to prevent the Kennedy assassination. King’s novel is evocative in its world-building of a bygone era as Epping’s new life transgresses all the normal rules of time in the attempt to stop the assassination of the President.

Looking for more books in order?

Check out this list of Karin Slaughter books in order .

13 thoughts on “ All 80+ Stephen King Books in Order | Ultimate Guide ”

What about the body by stephen king what nuber is it?

That story is a part of the Different Seasons collection which is on the list.

There is quite a few that were left out.. the langoliers.. Sorry Right number.. the lonesome death of Jordi Verrill

One of my dreams is to get a signed hardcover of every SK book in my collection. lol I’ll bet no one in the world has that, not even Steven King himself…lol

Are there any updates to the list? i.e. After Gwendy’s Final Task? I have it and Fairy Tale. BTW, best list of Stephen’s I’ve ever seen. Thanks for the hard work. I’m going back through all of my Stephen King books and taking inventory starting with my original Carrie and two Salem Lots versions.

I check pretty regularly. As soon as I see a new book available for preorder I’ll add it here. Glad my list was helpful!

This is a really well-researched list! I’m wondering about Storm of the Century (1999), his original screenplay, and the illustrated and graphic adaptations of his short stories in The Secretary of Dreams Vol. 1 & 2. Do these need their own category?

Thank you for this. I added all three of these to the list. I simply marked them to identify the type of “book” it is.

This list is extremely helpful, but I noticed you’re missing Ur and Charlie the Choo Choo (Written as Beryl Evans). Other than that the list is perfect

Love Stephen King have almost all of his books. Got hooked in 1978 when The Stand came out. Been reading them ever since. Still have a few to get and read to get caught up but I know he has one coming out soon.Thank you for this list I went through all mine to make sure what I need and put them in dated order.

I watched a movie by Stephen King called Rose Red or Red Rose a long time ago and I have been trying to find the movie again but no luck. I did have it on VHS and I wish I didn’t get rid of it. There were 2 tapes that were 2 hours each. I did not seen this one on the list of movies that he has done. Why is that and where can I get it?

Rose Madder- the second one I read!

I KNOW exactly what movie you are talking about!! I can’t remember which is first either name wise. Unfortunately, I don’t know where my VHS versions are either!! That was such a scary movie!!!

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Complete Stephen King Books List in Order

If you’re a fan of Stephen King’s works and want to explore his complete collection, it can be hard to know where to start. With more than 60 novels and countless short stories to his name, Stephen King’s literary universe is vast and varied.

In this section, we’ve compiled a comprehensive Stephen King books list in order, featuring all of his novels, short story collections, non-fiction works, and collaborations, along with their chronological order. This printable list will help you navigate through King’s vast collection and explore his captivating storytelling.

Whether you’re a seasoned Stephen King reader or just starting, this list is the perfect resource for discovering new favorites, revisiting beloved stories, and immersing yourself in the world of the “King of Horror.”

Key Takeaways

• This section provides a comprehensive Stephen King books list in order, with all of his novels, short story collections, non-fiction works, and collaborations, along with their chronological order.
• This printable list is a valuable resource for any Stephen King fan, whether you’re a seasoned reader or just starting.
• Explore King’s captivating storytelling and discover new favorites with this comprehensive list of his works.
• Immerse yourself in the world of the “King of Horror” with this guide to his complete collection of works.
• Use this list to navigate through King’s vast collection and find your next thrilling read.

Early Novels by Stephen King

Stephen King’s early novels set the foundation for his reputation as a master of horror. These first books established King’s talent for crafting gripping and suspenseful stories that captivated readers.

One of King’s earliest novels is Carrie , published in 1974. This story follows a young girl with telekinetic abilities who is bullied by her classmates and tormented by her religiously fanatical mother. Another early work is ‘Salem’s Lot , released in 1975, which tells the story of a New England town overrun by vampires. Both of these novels were commercial and critical successes, and helped launch King’s career.

Other early novels by Stephen King include The Shining (1977), which features a haunted hotel and a telepathic boy, and The Stand (1978), a post-apocalyptic novel about a deadly virus that wipes out most of the world’s population. These books sealed King’s reputation as a master of horror and suspense, and established his enduring popularity with readers.

“I have seen the future of horror, and his name is Stephen King.” – Clive Barker

The Dark Tower Series in Chronological Order

Stephen King’s “The Dark Tower” series is an epic adventure that has captured the hearts of readers worldwide. The series follows the journey of Roland Deschain and his quest to reach the eponymous Dark Tower. The story intertwines elements from various genres, including western, fantasy, and horror.

The series consists of eight books, written over the course of three decades. Below is the chronological order of “The Dark Tower” books:

“The Wind Through the Keyhole” is a standalone book that takes place between “Wizard and Glass” and “Wolves of the Calla.” Although it was published later, it is recommended to read it between the mentioned books to preserve the continuity of the story.

If you want to experience the epic journey of Roland Deschain and his ka-tet, make sure to read “The Dark Tower” books in the order provided above.

Standalone Novels by Stephen King

Stephen King has written several standalone novels throughout his career. These books have gained popularity among his fans and have been praised for their unique themes and engaging plots. Here is a list of Stephen King’s standalone novels in chronological order:

Stephen King’s Short Stories Collections

If you appreciate the art of short story writing, you’ll find Stephen King’s collections a treasure trove. His short stories are a testament to his talent as a master storyteller; they’re disturbing, thought-provoking, and often deeply moving. Below is a list of his short story collections that every Stephen King fan should have on their bookshelf.

Stephen King’s short stories showcase his trademark storytelling style, immersing you in a world of fear, uncertainty, and terror. Whether you’re new to his writing or a longtime fan, these collections are a must-read.

Stephen King’s Collaborations

Despite being known for his solo work, Stephen King has also collaborated with many other writers over the years. These collaborations have resulted in some captivating stories that are certainly worth exploring. Here are some of the books written in collaboration with other writers that Stephen King fans should check out:

In addition to these collaborations, Stephen King has also written several books under the pen name Richard Bachman.

Stephen King’s Non-Fiction Works

Aside from his famous horror novels, Stephen King has authored several non-fiction works that provide insight into his life, his craft, and the genre of horror itself. One of his most notable non-fiction works is his memoir titled On Writing, where he shares his personal experiences and advice on writing.

In addition to On Writing, Stephen King has also written several literary essays and articles, such as Danse Macabre and Faithful: Two Diehard Boston Red Sox Fans Chronicle the Historic 2004 Season, co-authored with Stewart O’Nan.

“Books are uniquely portable magic.”

The Table Below Lists Stephen King’s Non-Fiction Works in Chronological Order:

Stephen King’s non-fiction works offer readers a glimpse into the mind of one of the most celebrated authors of our time. Whether you are looking to improve your writing skills or simply want to learn more about the man behind the horror, his non-fiction works are worth exploring.

Stephen King’s Novels Adapted to Film

Many of Stephen King’s novels have been adapted into films, making him one of the most adapted authors in history. Hollywood has produced over 75 film and television projects based on Stephen King’s books. From horror classics like “Carrie” and “The Shining” to dramas like “The Shawshank Redemption” and “Stand by Me,” Stephen King’s adaptations have captivated audiences worldwide.

Here is a table that showcases some of the most popular Stephen King adaptations to date:

Stephen King’s adaptations have become a significant part of popular culture, with audiences always eager to see how Hollywood translates his work onto the big screen.

Stephen King’s Most Popular Books

Stephen King’s ability to deliver spine-tingling horror has captivated readers for decades. Over the years, he has authored several bestsellers that have become household names. Below is a list of some of Stephen King’s most popular novels:

These novels have been adapted into movies and TV series, which have only added to their popularity. Stephen King’s ability to keep readers hooked till the end is what makes them perfect page-turners.

Stephen King Continuations and Sequels

If you’re a Stephen King fan, you might already know that several of his books are interconnected and set in the same universe. This has given rise to a number of continuations and sequels, allowing readers to explore the stories and characters they know and love in greater depth. Below, we’ve listed some of these continuations and sequels, along with the original works they are connected to:

It’s worth noting that some of these books can be read as standalone works, and you don’t necessarily need to have read the original work to understand and enjoy the continuation or sequel. However, reading the connected books in order can enhance your understanding and appreciation of the interconnected universe Stephen King has created.

In conclusion, Stephen King is a legendary writer who has captivated readers with his horror and suspense novels for decades. With this comprehensive list of his works, you can explore his literary genius from start to finish. Whether you prefer his early novels or his popular standalone books or short stories, there is something for everyone.

Stephen King’s ability to craft compelling characters and intricate plots is what sets him apart from other writers in the horror genre. His influence on popular culture is evident in the countless movie and TV adaptations of his works, as well as the numerous authors who have been inspired by his writing.

Whether you are a longtime fan or new to Stephen King’s writing, this complete list of his books will guide you through his twisted and macabre storytelling. With his unique voice and style, King has created a literary world that will continue to captivate readers for generations to come.

Are the Stephen King books listed in chronological order?

Yes, the list provided in this article is in chronological order, allowing you to explore Stephen King’s books in the order they were published.

Can I find a printable version of the Stephen King books in order?

Yes, we have provided a printable list of Stephen King’s books in chronological order for your convenience. You can easily download and print it for reference.

Which were Stephen King’s early novels?

Stephen King’s early novels include “Carrie,” “‘Salem’s Lot,” and “The Shining,” which gained him recognition as a talented horror writer.

What is the chronological order of the Dark Tower series?

The Dark Tower series by Stephen King follows a specific chronological order. The books in the series are “The Gunslinger,” “The Drawing of the Three,” “The Waste Lands,” “Wizard and Glass,” “The Wind Through the Keyhole,” “Wolves of the Calla,” “Song of Susannah,” and “The Dark Tower.”

How can I find the standalone novels by Stephen King?

You can find a comprehensive list of Stephen King’s standalone novels in this section. The list is presented in chronological order for easy reference.

What are some of Stephen King’s notable short story collections?

Some notable short story collections by Stephen King include “Night Shift,” “Skeleton Crew,” and “Just After Sunset.” These collections feature a range of gripping and chilling short stories.

Has Stephen King collaborated with other authors?

Yes, Stephen King has collaborated with other authors on several books. Some notable collaborations include “The Talisman” with Peter Straub and “Black House” with Peter Straub and Stewart O’Nan.

Has Stephen King written any non-fiction books?

Yes, Stephen King has written non-fiction books, including his memoir “On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft.” This section will provide you with a list of his non-fiction works.

Which Stephen King novels have been adapted into films?

Many of Stephen King’s novels have been adapted into films, including “The Shining,” “It,” “Misery,” and “The Green Mile.” This section will provide you with a comprehensive list of his books that have made their way onto the silver screen.

What are some of Stephen King’s most popular books?

Stephen King has had numerous bestsellers throughout his career. Some of his most popular books include “The Stand,” “It,” “The Shining,” and “Misery.” This section will highlight some of his most beloved and widely read works.

Are there continuations or sequels to Stephen King’s previously published works?

Yes, Stephen King has written continuations and sequels to some of his previously published works. This section will list those books, allowing you to delve deeper into his interconnected universe.

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Stephen King

Author information.

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Master of suspense, Stephen King was educated in Maine. While attending the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote for the school newspaper. He was also active in the anti-war movement of the 1960s. While in college, he met his wife, Tabitha and they married in 1971. Although King was licensed to teach high school English, no teaching jobs were immediately available. In order to provide an income, King worked in an industrial laundry and sold the occasional short story to men’s magazines. King found a teaching position at Hampden Academy in 1971. He wrote at night and on weekends, creating short stories and novels. “Carrie” was bought by Doubleday & Co. in 1973. The book resulted in a major paperback sale that enabled King to write full-time. Since then, King has gone on to produce bestselling novels of suspense and terror. The Kings remain married and living in Maine and Florida. They have three children and four grandchildren.

Full Series List in Order

• Bill Hodges
• Dan Torrance
• The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three
• The Green Mile
• Stephen King's The Dark Tower: Beginnings
• Stephen King's The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger

Book List in Order: 156 titles

• Date (oldest)
• Date (newest)

An unpopular teenage girl whose mother is a religious fanatic is tormented and teased to the breaking point by her more popular schoolmates and uses her hidden telekinetic powers to inflict a terrifying revenge....

A TOWN POSSESSED BY UNSPEAKABLE EVIL... The town knew darkness...but no one dared talk about the high, sweet, evil laughter of a child...and the sucking sounds......

Jack Torrance sees his stint as winter caretaker of a Colorado hotel as a way back from failure, his wife sees it as a chance to preserve their family, and their five-year-old son sees the evil waiting just for them...

In places where fear dwells and blood runs cold, sinister forces and unspeakable things are working the NIGHT SHIFT From the depths of darkness where hideous rats defend their empire, to dizzying heights where a beautiful girl hangs by a hair abov...

This is the way the world ends: with a nanosecond of computer error in a Defense Department laboratory and a million casual contacts that form the links in a chain letter of death. And here is the bleak new world of the day after: a world stripped ...

Johnny, the small boy who skated at breakneck speed into an accident that for one horrifying moment plunged him into The Dead Zone Johnny Smith, the small-town schoolteacher who spun the wheel of fortune and won a four-and-a-half-year trip into The ...

You are about to meet the sweetest, most irresistible little girl you've ever known-8-year-old Charlie McGee. She's everything that a proud father like Andy McGee could want -- and all that he can fear. For Charlie was born with the most destructive ...

THE ULTIMATE BEAST IS LOOSE -- AND STEPHEN KING IS SENDING HIM YOUR WAY! A big, friendly dog chases a rabbit into a hidden underground cave -- and stirs a sleeping evil crueler than death itself. A terrified four-year-old boy sees his bedroom clos...

Before he gave us the “one of a kind classic” (The Wall Street Journal) memoir On Writing, Stephen King wrote a nonfiction masterpiece in Danse Macabre, “one of the best books on American popular culture” (Philadelphia Inquirer).From the auth...

#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephen King’s timeless coming-of-age novella, Apt Pupil -- published in his 1982 story collection Different Seasons and made into a 1998 Tristar movie starring Ian McKellan and Brad Renfro -- now available for ...

• / General Fiction

In The Shawshank Redemption, a man convicted of bloody murder lives in a prison brutally ruled by a sadistic warden and secretly run by a con who knows all the ropes and pulls all the strings. He has more brains than anyone else in this sinister slam...

An unjustly imprisoned convict seeks a strange and startling revenge... a teenager becomes both the puppet and the puppet master of evil...four rambunctious young boys plunge through the facade of a small town and come face-to-face with life, death, ...

This heroic fantasy is set in a world of ominous landscape and macabre menace that is a dark mirror of our own. A spellbinding tale of good versus evil, it features one of Stephen King's most powerful creations--The Gunslinger, a haunting figure who ...

Christine is no lady, but 17-year-old Arnie Cunningham loves her enough to do anything to possess hell. Arnie's best friend Dennis distrusts her at first sight. Arnie's teen-queen girlfriend Leigh fears her the moment she senses her power. Arnie'...

The Creeds. An ideal family. Physician father, beautiful wife, charming little daughter, adorable infant son. Close, loving, wonderfully alive. When they found the old house and enchanting grounds in rural Maine, it seemed too good to be true. It was...

The classic masterpiece by #1 New York Times bestselling author Stephen King—illustrated by the legendary artist Bernie Wrightson!Terror began in January—by the light of the full moon... The first scream came from the snowbound railwayman...

Billy Halleck, good husband, loving father, is both beneficiary and victim of the American Good Life: he has an expensive home, a nice family, and a rewarding career as a lawyer...but he is also fifty pounds overweight and, as his doctor keeps remind...

Welcome to the world of terror! Let the one and only Stephen King take you into a world where a macabre mist traps humanity in its swirling horror...where a beautiful young girl offers satanic seduction...where a child's toy becomes the ultimate inst...

Ahora en español, nos llega esta escalofriante historia de Stephen King, clásico bestseller #1 del New York Times, "un punto de referencia en la literatura estadounidense" según el Chicago Sun-Times -- sobre siete adultos que vuelven a su ciudad n...

The Vampire Archives is the scariest, hungriest, undeadliest collection of vampire stories ever assembled. Dark, stormy, and delicious, once you're in its clutches there's no escape. From the first to last bite, it's a bloody good read. Featuring:...

Once Upon A Time, There was Terror ... A tale of archetypal heroes and sweeping adventures, of dragons and princes and evil wizards, here is epic fantasy as only Stephen King could envision it. A kingdom is in turmoil as the old King Roland die...

In 1978, Stephen King introduced the world to the last gunslinger, Roland of Gilead.  Nothing has been the same since. More than twenty years later, the quest for the Dark Tower continues to take readers on a wildly epic ride. Through parallel world...

Paul Sheldon, author of a series of historical romances, wakes up in a secluded farmhouse in Colorado with broken legs and Annie Wilkes, a disappointed fan, hovering over him with drugs, ax, and blowtorch and demanding he bring his heroine back to li...

Late Last Night and the Night Before ... ... Tommyknockers, tommyknockers, knocking at the door. Something was happening in Bobbi Anderson's idyllic small town of Haven, Maine. Something that gave every man, woman, and child in town powers far ...

This stunning collection of novellas and short stories by masters of the macabre brings to fans and newcomers an unrelenting spell of horror and suspense. These are tales that strike beyond sheer terror, as their disturbing visions capture the dark r...

My Pretty Pony first appeared in 1988 as a deluxe limited edition in the Whitney Museum's Artists and Writers Series. This trade edition reproduces the original lithographs. 13.5x9", unpaginated (64 pp)....

Thad Beaumont would like to say he is innocent. He'd like to say he has nothing to do with the series of monstrous murders that keep coming closer to his home. He'd like to say he has nothing to do with the twisted imagination that produced his best...

Includes the story “The Sun Dog” -- set in the fictional town of Castle Rock, MaineThe Bram Stoker Prize-winner for Best Fiction Collection -- four chilling novellas from Stephen King that will “grab you and not let go” (The Washington Post)....

A different kind of bedtime story from Stephen King, as a game of seduction between a husband and wife ends in death. But the nightmare has only just begun... In his most compelling book ever, Stephen King has written a psychological masterpiece t...

Roland, the last gunslinger, moves ever closer to the Dark Tower of his dreams and nightmares as he travels through city and country in Mid-World--a macabre world that is a twisted image of our own. With him are those he has drawn to this world: stre...

A wonderful new store has opened in the little town of Castle Rock, Maine. Whatever your heart's secret desire -- sexual pleasure, wealth, power or even more precious things -- it's for sale. And even though every item has a nerve-shattering price, t...

"Everything I did, I did for love..." For thirty years, folks on Little Tall Island have been waiting to find out just what happened on the eerie dark day Dolores Claiborne's husband died--the day of the total eclipse. Now, the police want to know...

New to Pocket Books’ Stephen King backlist -- the short story collection containing the story "Dolan’s Cadillac," soon to be released as a feature film starring Christian Slater and Wes Bentley.With numerous unforgettable movies based on his sho...

RALPH ROBERTS IS SEEING SOME STRANGE HAPPENINGS IN DERRY, MAINE. He sees auras around human beings that show him the horror threatening them. He sees a nice young research chemist like Ed Deepneau turn into a savage wife beater. He sees Charlie Pi...

Stephen King’s unforgettable novella -- first included in his 1990, award-winning collection Four Past Midnight and made into a highly acclaimed miniseries -- about a terrifying plane ride into a most unfriendly sky.On a cross-country, redeye fligh...

Rose Daniels saw the single drop of blood on the bed sheet -- and knew she must escape from her macabre marriage before it was too late. But escape was not as easy as fleeing to a new city, picking a new name, finding a new job, lucking out with a n...

The Green Mile tells the story of two men, a prison guard and his new death row inmate, and their suddenly intertwined lives. What would it be like to walk those last 40 yards to the electric chair, knowing you were going to die there? What would it ...

A NOVEL IN SIX PARTS: THE MOUSE ON THE MILE Cold Mountain Penitentiary has been home to many troubled souls. E Block, where the electric chair waits for those who must pay the ultimate price, has been home to the most troubled of all. And here, not a...

A NOVEL IN SIX PARTS: COFFEY’S HANDS Welcome back to E Block, the deadliest place this side of the electric chair, where assaults are a daily grind and miracles are about to happen. Paul Edgecombe has become increasingly curious about John Coffey, ...

A NOVEL IN SIX PARTS: THE BAD DEATH OF EDUARD DELACROIX Time has run out for one of the inmates at Cold Mountain penitentiary. Eduard Delacroix is set to take that final walk down the Green Mile. But first he must say good-bye -- to the guards, to hi...

A NOVEL IN SIX PARTS: NIGHT JOURNEY Truth time is approaching at Cold Mountain Penitentiary. Paul Edgecombe is taking a huge gamble, one where the stakes are high and the consequences deadly. He and his fellow guards take convicted killer John Coffey...

A NOVEL IN SIX PARTS: COFFEY ON THE MILE Cold Mountain penitentiary has seen its share of death through the years. Now it's John Coffey's turn to take that final walk down the Green Mile. Yet prison guard Paul Edgecombe has uncovered a devastating tr...

Welcome to Cold Mountain Penitentiary, home to the Depression-worn men of E Block. Convicted killers all, each awaits his turn to walk the Green Mile, keeping a date with "Old Sparky," Cold Mountain's electric chair. Prison guard Paul Edgecombe has...

There's a place along Interstate 50 that some call the loneliest place on Earth. It's known as Desperation, Nevada. It's not a very nice place to live. It's an even worse place to die. Let the battle against evil begin. Welcome to...Desperation ...

Roland, The Last Gunslinger, and his band of followers have narrowly escaped one world and slipped into the next--there Roland tells them a tale of long-ago love and adventure involving a beautiful and quixotic woman named Susan Delgado. And there th...

A tale of grief and lost love's enduring bonds, of haunting secrets of the past, and of an innocent child caught in a terrible crossfire. Four years after the sudden death of his wife, forty-year-old bestselling novelist Mike Noonan is still griev...

They're calling it the Storm of the Century, and it's coming hard. The residents of Little Tall Island have seen their share of nasty Maine Nor'easters, but this one is different. Not only is it packing hurricane-force winds and up to five feet of sn...

A collection of tales and self-contained episodes from works which inspired landmark SF films, from 'It Came From Outer Space' and 'Star Trek' to 'The Lawnmower Man' and 'Total Recall'. Including stories by Stephen King, Clive Barker, Ray Bradbury an...

On a six-mile hike on the Maine -- New Hampshire branch of the Appalachian Trail, nine-year-old Trisha McFarland quickly tires of the constant bickering between her older brother, Pete, and her recently divorced mother. But when she wanders off by he...

• / Science Fiction

Photographs of more than one hundred gargoyles that decorate America's cities are accompanied by the popular novelist's commentary on the horrific world of awe and terror these grotesques inspire and represent...

Only Stephen King, writing as Richard Bachman, can imagine the horror of a good and angry man who fights back against bureaucracy when it threatens to destroy his vitality, home, and memories. “Under any name King mesmerizes the reader” (Chicago ...

Although it is difficult to believe, the Sixties are not fictional: they actually happened. No matter the format, Stephen King's work is spellbinding because the author himself is spellbound. The first hugely popular writer of the TV generation, K...

From international bestseller Stephen King the first ebook ever published -- a novella about a young man who hitches a ride with a driver from the other side.Riding the Bullet is “a ghost story in the grand manner” from the bestselling author of ...

Once upon a time, in the haunted city of Derry, four boys stood together and did a brave thing. It was something that changed them in ways they could never begin to understand. Twenty-five years after saving a Down's-syndrome kid from bullies, Beav...

WANT TO GO FOR A RIDE...? In a secret shed behind the barracks of the Pennsylvania State Police, Troop D, there's a cherry Buick Roadmaster no one has touched in years--because there's more power under the hood than anyone can handle.......

International bestselling author Stephen King is in terrifying top form with his first collection of short stories in almost a decade. In this spine-chilling compilation, King takes readers down a road less traveled (for good reason) in the blockbust...

Now a major motion picture starring Matthew McConaughey and Idris Elba Wolves of the Calla is the highly anticipated fifth book in Stephen King’s Dark Tower series -- a unique bestselling epic fantasy quest inspired many years ago by The Lord of t...

Susannah Dean is possessed, her body a living vessel for the demon-mother Mia. Something is growing inside Susannah's belly, something terrible, and soon she will give birth to Mia's "chap." But three unlikely allies are following them from New York ...

Roland Deschain and his ka-tet have journeyed together and apart, scattered far and wide across multilayered worlds of wheres and whens. The destinies of Roland, Susannah, Jake, Father Callahan, Oy, and Eddie are bound in the Dark Tower itself, which...

The editors of the acclaimed Borderlands anthology series deliver a new collection of 25 all-original tales of terror by today's acclaimed masters, including Bentley Little, John Farris, and Tom Piccirilli, along with "Stationary Bike," a new novella...

On an island off the coast of Maine, a man is found dead. There's no identification on the body. Only the dogged work of a pair of local newspapermen and a graduate student in forensics turns up any clues, and it's more than a year before the man is ...

THERE'S A REASON CELL RHYMES WITH HELL. On October 1, God is in His heaven, the stock market stands at 10,140, most of the planes are on time, and Clayton Riddell, an artist from Maine, is almost bouncing up Boylston Street in Boston. He's just...

Haunted by the results of his physical, commercial artist Richard Sifkitz purchases a stationary bike that he plans to use to get back into shape, but when he paints a picturesque mural on the wall opposite his bike, he discovers that the mural is no...

Every marriage has two hearts, one light and one dark... Lisey Landon shared a profound and sometimes frightening intimacy with her husband, Scott, a celebrated bestselling novelist -- and a man with many secrets. One was the place where his gifts...

In the wake of a summer storm, terror descends... #1 New York Times bestselling author Stephen King suspends a small town in a haze of terror -- as humanity makes its last stand against unholy destruction…...

Enter once more the world of Roland Deschain -- and the world of the Dark Tower...now presented in a stunning graphic novel form that will unlock the doorways to terrifying secrets and bold storytelling as part of the dark fantasy masterwork and magn...

On Duma Key, a man who should be dead finds healing in the solitude of painting . . . but Edgar Freemantle is far from alone. After a terrible construction site accident severed his right arm, scrambled his mind, and imploded his marriage, the wea...

• Ideal for fans of iZombie, Colin Morgan, The Walking Dead, iZombie comics, Resident Evil anthology, Evil Dead anthology, and the Joe Hill graphic novel collection
• A compilation of the best zombie literature of the past 30 years

It's the return of the best-selling comic book series, inspired by Stephen King's epic The Dark Tower! Gunslinger Roland Deschain has seen the death of his lover Susan Delgado. And the Big Coffin Hunters who burned her at the stake are now in pursuit...

Stephen King-who has written more than fifty books, dozens of number one New York Times bestsellers, and many unforgettable movies-delivers an astonishing collection of short stories, his first since Everything's Eventual six years ago. As guest edit...

USING THEMES FROM STORIES AND NOVELS BY RICHARD MATHESON AUTHORS WRITE THEIR OWN TRIBUTE STORY TO RICHARD MATHESON. FEATURING THE FIRST COLLABORATION BETWEEN FATHER AND SON STEPHEN KING AND JOE HILL PLUS JOE LANSDALE, F. PAUL WILSON, WILLIAM F. NOLAN...

The ka-tet of Roland, Alain, and Cuthbert have returned safely to their home in Gilead. But all is not well. Roland has kept the evil Maerlyn's Grapefruit and has become obsessed with peering into its pinkish depths despite the deadly toll it's taken...

From Dracula to Buffy the Vampire Slayer; from Castlevania to Tru Blood, the romance between popular culture and vampires hearkens back to humanity's darkest, deepest fears, flowing through our very blood, fears of death, and life, and insatiable hun...

On an entirely normal, beautiful fall day in Chester's Mill, Maine, the town is inexplicably and suddenly sealed off from the rest of the world by an invisible force field. Planes crash into it and fall from the sky in flaming wreckage, a gardener's ...

From New York Times bestselling author Stephen King comes the haunting story of Blockade Billy, the greatest Major League baseball player to be erased from the game. Even the most die-hard baseball fans don't know the true story of William “Blocka...

The spellbinding saga of The Talisman is now a stunning graphic novel, vividly illustrated by artist Tony Shasteen. Here’s a bold new look at the classic tale of treachery and betrayal that could only have sprung from the imaginations of master sto...

The world has moved on. Nine years gone since the gunslingers protected the land. Nine years gone since the fall of Gilead, when the Good Man's dark army brutally took the ancient city from those same gunslingers and pushed them into the wilderness b...

"I believe there is another man inside every man, a stranger . . ." writes Wilfred Leland James in the early pages of the riveting confession that makes up "1922," the first in this pitch-black quartet of mesmerizing tales from Stephen King. For Jame...

Enter once more the world of Roland Deschain -- and the world of the Dark Tower...presented in a stunning graphic novel form that will unlock the doorways to terrifying secrets and bold storytelling as part of the dark fantasy masterwork and magnum o...

"Mile 81" is "Stand by Me" meets "Christine"--the story of an insatiable car and a heroic kid. At Mile 81 on the Maine Turnpike is a boarded-up rest stop, a place where high school kids drink and get into the kind of trouble high school kids have...

On November 22, 1963, three shots rang out in Dallas, President Kennedy died, and the world changed. What if you could change it back? Stephen King's heart-stoppingly dramatic new novel is about a man who travels back in time to prevent the JFK assas...

• / Science Fiction / Fantasy

Lightspeed: Year One compiles all the fiction published by the online science fiction magazine Lightspeed in its first year. Originally published stories include Nebula Award finalists Vylar Kaftan's "I'm Alive, I Love You, I'll See You in Reno" and ...

Acclaimed novelist / Eisner-winning graphic novelist Joe Hill collaborated with his father, Stephen King, in Throttle, for the first time on a tale that paid tribute to Richard Matheson’s classic tale, Duel. Now, IDW is proud to present comic-book ...

In The Wind Through the Keyhole, Stephen King returns to the rich landscape of Mid-World, the spectacular territory of the Dark Tower fantasy saga that stands as his most beguiling achievement. Roland Deschain and his ka-tet -- Jake, Susannah, Edd...

Enter once more the world of Roland Deschain -- and the world of the Dark Tower -- presented in a stunning graphic novel form unlocking the doorways to terrifying secrets and bold storytelling as part of the dark fantasy masterwork and magnum opus fr...

A STUNNING  NEW NOVEL FROM ONE OF THE BEST-SELLING AUTHORS OF ALL TIME! The #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! Set in a small-town North Carolina amusement park in 1973, Joyland tells the story of the summer in which college student Devin J...

Stephen King first wrote about the Dark Man in college after he envisioned a faceless man in cowboy boots and jeans and a denim jacket forever walking the roads. Later this dark man would come to be known around the world as one of King's greatest vi...

Stephen King returns to the characters and territory of one of his most popular novels ever, "The Shining," in this instantly riveting novel about the now middle-aged Dan Torrance (the boy protagonist of "The Shining") and the very special twelve-yea...

Enter once more the world of Roland Deschain -- and the world of the Dark Tower…presented in a stunning graphic novel form that will unlock the doorways to terrifying secrets and bold storytelling as part of the dark fantasy masterwork and magnum o...

In a mega-stakes, high-suspense race against time, three of the most unlikely and winning heroes Stephen King has ever created try to stop a lone killer from blowing up thousands. In the frigid pre-dawn hours, in a distressed Midwestern city, hund...

A mutant baby goes on a rampage through Central Park. An immigrant reveals secrets in the folds of a perfect gift. Lucky Cats extend their virtual paws to salute a generous revolution. The Internet invades a third-world village. The premier speculati...

Now a Lifetime original movie, Stephen King's haunting story about an author of a series of mystery novels who tries to reconcile her old life with her life after a horrific attack and the one thing that can save her: Revenge.Tess Thorne, a famous my...

Soon to be a major motion picture starring Kristen Connelly, Joan Allen, and Anthony La Paglia, Stephen King’s short story, “A Good Marriage” from Full Dark, No Stars is now available as a stand-alone audio edition! Bob Anderson, Darcy’s h...

A dark and electrifying novel about addiction, fanaticism, and what might exist on the other side of life. In a small New England town, over half a century ago, a shadow falls over a small boy playing with his toy soldiers. Jamie Morton looks up t...

A masterful, intensely suspenseful novel about a reader whose obsession with a reclusive writer goes far too far -- a book about the power of storytelling, starring the same trio of unlikely and winning heroes King introduced in Mr. Mercedes. “W...

A master storyteller at his best -- the O. Henry Prize winner Stephen King delivers a generous collection of stories, several of them brand-new, featuring revelatory autobiographical comments on when, why, and how he came to write (or rewrite) each s...

The third act in the critically-acclaimed series by Written Backwards, is a symmetrically-structured anthology of psychological horror by Bram Stoker Award nominated editor Michael Bailey, whose previous anthologies include The Library of the Dead, Q...

I had a childhood just like anyone else, it was when I was 20 that my life changed. That was when he joined me, he doesn't have a name. He showed me my true purpose in life, to save the world from destruction. It has been planned from the dawn of cre...

From the unrivaled master of horror and the supernatural, Stephen King •  “Children of the Corn,” first collected in the extraordinary collection Night Shift in 1973 and then adapted into a horror film franchise of the same name, is a...

The spectacular finale to the New York Times bestselling trilogy that began with Mr. Mercedes (winner of the Edgar Award) and Finders Keepers -- In End of Watch, the diabolical “Mercedes Killer” drives his enemies to suicide, and if Bill Hodges a...

• / Action Adventure

One: In the frigid pre-dawn hours, in a distressed Midwestern city, hundreds of desperate unemployed folks are lined up for a spot at a job fair. Without warning, a lone driver plows through the crowd in a stolen Mercedes, running over the innocent, ...

Bram Stoker Award winning editor Michael Bailey brings sci-fi back to Dark Regions Press with heart in this genre-bending anthology of dark science fiction and poetry: You, Human. With fiction illustrated beautifully throughout by world-renowned arti...

The graphic novel adaptation of the classic horror anthology film written by Stephen King, with art by Bernie Wrightson!The graphic novel adaptation of Stephen King’s Creepshow, based on the 1982 horror anthology and cult classic film directed by G...

In this spectacular father/son collaboration, Stephen King and Owen King tell the highest of high-stakes stories: what might happen if women disappeared from the world of men? In a future so real and near it might be now, something happens when wo...

An unspeakable crime. A confounding investigation. At a time when the King brand has never been stronger, he has delivered one of his most unsettling and compulsively readable stories. An eleven-year-old boy’s violated corpse is found in a town ...

Set in the fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine #1 New York Times bestselling author Stephen King’s timeless novella “The Body” -- originally published in his 1982 short story collection DIFFERENT SEASONS, and adapted into the 1986 film clas...

#1 New York Times bestselling author and master of horror Stephen King teams up with Bev Vincent of Cemetery Dance to present a terrifying collection of sixteen short stories (and one poem) that tap into one of King’s greatest fears -- air travel -...

Set in the fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine The latest from legendary master storyteller Stephen King, a riveting, extraordinarily eerie, and moving story about a man whose mysterious affliction brings a small town together -- a timely, upbeat...

#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephen King’s novella THE SUN DOG, published in his award-winning 1990 story collection FOUR PAST MIDNIGHT, now available for the first time as a standalone publication. The dog is loose again. It is not sle...

Shift your fear into top gear. Set your pulse racing with this collection of automotive horror that fires on all cylinders. This bad boy comes fully-optioned with fifteen tales of classic cars and motorcycles behaving badly, and the star-studded line...

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Stephen King, the most riveting and unforgettable story of kids confronting evil since It. In the middle of the night, in a house on a quiet street in suburban Minneapolis, intruders silently murder Luke E...

The chilling novella featured in Stephen King’s New York Times bestselling collection Full Dark, No Stars, 1922 is about a man who succumbs to the violence within -- setting in motion a grisly train of murder and madness. Wilfred James owns eigh...

From #1 New York Times bestselling author, legendary storyteller, and master of short fiction Stephen King comes an extraordinary collection of four new and compelling novellas -- Mr. Harrigan’s Phone, The Life of Chuck, Rat, and the title story If...

Enter once more the world of Roland Deschain -- and the world of the Dark Tower…presented in this stunning third graphic novel of The Drawing of the Three series that will unlock the doorways to terrifying secrets and bold storytelling as part of t...

Enter once more the world of Roland Deschain -- and the world of the Dark Tower…presented in this stunning fourth graphic novel of The Drawing of the Three story arc that will unlock the doorways to terrifying secrets and bold storytelling as part ...

A LOVING HUSBAND AND A DEVOTED FATHERA DEDICATED BOOK REVIEWER AND HORROR FANA KIND AND CARING FRIEND * * * * The horror community lost Frank Michaels Errington and his absence has been so thoroughly felt by all who were lucky enough to interact with...

“Part detective tale, part thriller…touching and genuine.” -- The New York Times #1 bestselling author Stephen King returns with a brand-new novel about the secrets we keep buried and the cost of unearthing them. #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSEL...

• / Graphic Novel

This graphic novel adaptation based on the horror novel by Stephen King and Owen King provides a visually stunning interpretation of the bestselling book. A bizarre sleeping sickness, known as Aurora, has fallen over the world, and strangest o...

From legendary storyteller Stephen King comes a thrilling new novel about a good guy in a bad job. Billy Summers is a man in a room with a gun. He’s a killer for hire and the best in the business. But he’ll do the job only if the target is a t...

The official graphic novel adaptation of the horror novel by Stephen King and Owen King concludes in this haunting interpretation of the chilling, timely bestseller. The mysterious plague known as Aurora has blanketed the world, and, to the men, all ...

Legendary storyteller Stephen King goes into the deepest well of his imagination in this spellbinding novel about a seventeen-year-old boy who inherits the keys to a parallel world where good and evil are at war, and the stakes could not be higher --...

Bram Stoker Award-winning editor Michael Bailey brings you the fifth and final installment of the Chiral Mad series, featuring a diverse writers from around the world. Includes fiction and poetry by the likes of Stephen King, Josh Malerman, Zoje Stag...

#1 New York Times Bestseller * New York Times Notable Book * NPR Best Book of the Year Holly Gibney, one of Stephen King’s most compelling and resourceful characters, returns in this chilling novel to solve the gruesome truth behind multiple di...

From legendary storyteller and master of short fiction Stephen King comes an extraordinary new collection of twelve short stories, many never-before-published, and some of his best EVER.“You like it darker? Fine, so do I,” writes Stephen King in ...

The complete omnibus collection of the New York Times bestselling trilogy from Stephen King and Richard Chizmar!In Gwendy’s Button Box, twelve-year-old Gwendy Peterson’s life is forever changed when she is given a mysterious wooden box by a stran...

This revised and updated second edition of Best New Horror showcases some of the very best short stories and novellas published in 1990, the year when the horror boom finally went bust. In this vilifying volume you will rediscover terrifyin...

Available only on audio, this collection of three unabridged short stories featuring two never before publishedincludes "1408," where a bestselling ghost story writer must spend the night in New York City's most haunted hotel roomand live to tell abo...

The Breathing Method, from Stephen King's bestselling collecton Different Seasons, takes place in an exclusive gentlemen's club in New York, where no one pays any dues. Membership is based upon a telling of tales, and one nightmarish tale about a dis...

BUILDING BRIDGES Stephen King Live at the National Book Awards Each Autumn, in conjunction with the conferring of The National Book Awards in Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Young People's Literature, the Board of Directors of t...

In the emotional aftermath of her baby's sudden death, Em starts running. Soon she runs from her husband, to the airport, down to the Florida Gulf and out to the loneliest stretch of Vermillion Key, where her father has offered the use of a conch sha...

THE MAN IN THE BLACK SUIT FOUR UNABRIDGED DARK TALES FROM STEPHEN KING The Man in the Black Suit Read by John Cullum "...the face of the man in the black suit grows ever ...

The first of a four-part audio series from Stephen King's best-selling book, Four Past Midnight. On a redeye flight from Los Angeles to Boston, only 11 passengers survive -- but landing in a dead world makes them wish they hadn't....

This is the third gripping tale in the four-part audio series from Stephen King’s best-selling book Four Past Midnight. Set in Junction City, Iowa, The Library Policeman is the story of Sam Peebles, a middle-aged businessman who happens to have...

FOUR BLOCKBUSTER AUTHORS CAPTURED LIVE AT NEW YORK'S TOWN HALL On February 2, 2002, Stephen King, Pat Conroy, John Grisham and Peter Straub gathered at New York's Town Hall for a very special evening. These four bestse...

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The best stephen king books, ranked and in order.

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Stephen King at the National Medal of Arts ceremony at The White House on September 10, 2015.

Stephen King’s Top 10 Books, Ranked

Stephen king books in order, upcoming stephen king books.

The entire oeuvre of Stephen King, which runs across five decades and is arguably the most eclectic body of work ever written by a single author: several dozen novels, published in less than half that time, have testified to his undisputed crown as a format king of horror fiction . That is one core aspect of the work that makes King’s psyche the perfect canvas for movie producers and directors, and therefore makes him not only the most frequent author to have ever been converted into movie material, but also the most lucrative one of modern times.

Although he started writing young, it was his first novel, Carrie (1974), published at the age of 26, that would be adapted for the big screen and finally garner critical recognition by being the first of many films adapted from King’s work. The Master of Horror has since dabbled in fantasy ( The Dark Tower series), science fiction ( The Running Man ) and even crime thrillers ( Mr Mercey’s Ghost ), but his comfort zone remains horror, suspense and supernatural fiction. As a prolific author of standalone novels, King also penned several long-running series, including The Dark Tower series (1982-2012) and The Bill Hodges Trilogy , which have served as landmarks of his storytelling range. “I just write about what scares me,” King told The Wall Street Journal in 2011. “My mother used to say when I was a kid: ‘Think of the worst thing that you can, and if you say it out loud then it won’t come true.’ And that’s probably been the basis of my career.” With more than 350 million book copies sold in 40 different languages all over the world, and a net worth of $500 million, King is a literary giant — but he’s also a cultural phenomenon.

With a bibliography with 57 years worth of prose, which has produced over 60 books and 200 short stories , King has created haunting stories that have left his imprint in the literary universe. However, the question of which of King’s written works stands out is quite challenging to answer. While all of his work is outstanding, this list of 10 books stands out in the pantheon of horror fiction. From spine-tingling classics to modern masterpieces, here are 10 of King’s best works based on public perception, critical acclaim and commercial success.

10. Doctor Sleep (2013)

Many of King’s books conceptually revolve around characters who are somehow related to situations or other characters in his previous books. That way, King can link the storylines and themes in his books in a way that is familiar to die-hard fans. In Doctor Sleep , King follows the life of doubly haunted little boy Dan Torrance, whose story started in The Shining (1977). Danny has now grown up into an alcoholic and troubled adult living somewhat on the wrong side of the law, buried in anger, and hounded by his troubling past. Only the calming influence of “the shining” — his own supernatural psychic powers — can balance his life when he finally settles down in New Hampshire and uses his psychic powers to help the dying in a hospice center. But his life is now thrown out of balance again when he meets a little girl named Abra Stone who has even more potent psychic powers than his own, and together the two of them must stop a band of flesh-eating psychic vampires from killing and torturing children with psychic powers. Doctor Sleep became a New York Times NYT bestseller about two months after publication was also made into a movie released in 2019. It is a perfect book for fans of horror and is available for purchase on Simon & Schuster .

Copies of American author Stephen King's book "Doctor Sleep," the sequel to his 1977 novel "The ... [+] Shining," are displayed in Paris.

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Originally penned under King’s pseudonym Richard Bachman, Thinner follows the life of Billy Halleck, a morbidly obese and self-centered lawyer whose life takes a sinister turn after a fatal accident involving a Romani woman. Despite being responsible for her death, Billy gets away with it because of his high-powered connections, however, the deceased woman’s 106-year-old father, harboring a deep-seated grudge, curses Halleck with a chilling affliction: “Thinner.” At first, the rapid weight loss seems like a welcome change, but soon it becomes clear that his drastic transformation is anything but benign—it's becoming deadly. Terrified, Billy watches in horror as the weight he once struggled to shed melts away alarmingly fast. Billy becomes determined to find the man responsible for this, hoping to persuade him to revoke the curse. This leads him to come to the sudden realization that he must not only confront his inner demons, but he must take accountability for his past and the selfish decisions he made. This book is available on Simon & Schuster and is a perfect read for anyone who is fascinated by the concepts of justice and horror.

8. 11/22/63 ( 2011)

In the book 11/22/63 , King uses investigative research, historical fiction, suspense and his vivid imagination to create a compelling fantastical saga of time travel and moral decisions. Positioned in past and present times, 11/22/63 i s a book that is complete with intricate plotting and moral scrutiny. The protagonist, Jake Epping, is a high-school teacher who discovers a magic black diner portal that transports him back in time to 1958. Tasked with a mission to prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963, Jake sets out on a life-altering mission to alter moral dilemmas and by doing so, alter history as the world knows it. Readers who enjoy intricately plotted stories and historical fiction will be drawn to King’s rich storytelling in this book, which it is available on Simon & Schuster . Although he had the idea for 11/22/63 before he published his first novel, Carrie , he did not publish it until 2011.

Stephen King at the W Hotel in Los Angeles in 2003.

7. The Gunslinger (1970)

King’s The Dark Tower series has been an active part of his journey as a writer for more than four decades. The writing that literary critics — and King himself — have deemed his magnum opus combines several genres, including fantasy, science fiction, horror and westerns, to create one of the top book series of all time . The first novel in King’s The Dark Tower series, The Gunslinger , is one of the more popular and praised books because of its character evolution and beautiful writing. At the center of The Gunslinger is Roland Deschain, the last gunslinger, who sets out on a quest to reach the Dark Tower, the remnants of a higher realm. Straddling the American Old West and feudal medieval society, the book recounts the gunslinger’s lone journey through desolate nations and unravelling mysteries. This is a perfect read for mystery and fiction readers who like books that have a little bit of everything. Find The Gunslinger at Simon & Schuster .

6. Carrie (1974)

King’s iconic debut novel, Carrie , is about Carrie White, a tortured high-school outcast who is viciously bullied by her peers and physically abused by her fanatically religious mother Margaret. As Carrie goes through the ebbs and flows of adolescence she discovers her latent powers and eventually wields them in a string of bloody disasters as a way to exact revenge on her tormentors. After a cruel prank at prom pushes Carrie to her breaking point, her suppressed telekinetic rage is fully unleashed, and this results in a blood-bathed disaster that leaves the town of Chamberlain reeling. Readers who are fascinated by stories that explore themes of isolation, trauma and revenge will be drawn to King’s haunting portrayal of Carrie’s electrifying descent into vengeful madness. The book is available for purchase at Penguin Random House .

5. Salem’s Lot ( 1975)

King’s Salem’s Lot is a frightening book that transports readers to the eerie little town of Jerusalem’s Lot, where everyone is just a little bit off. Life in Jerusalem’s Lot isn’t quite as innocent as it seems. After years away, protagonist Ben Mears moves back to Salem’s Lot, the small town in Maine where Ben spent his formative years. Returning for the first time in several decades, Ben’s memories of his childhood are cropping up in the form of constant thoughts and feelings of childlike longing, and he finds himself haunted by the illusion of a strange whimpering sound coming from Marsten House, which sits high above the center of town. Ben learns that the whimpering sound is something far worse than his father’s drunken exploits of his youth – it’s the sound of the undead, who are essentially vampires themselves. These creatures are under the control of a mysterious figure named Kurt Barlow, who chooses his prey based on whatever most appeals to him. From the older woman who runs the library to the youthful Mark Petrie, who asks mores questions than the town services are equipped to answer, the denizens of Sal his friends as a ragtag group of heroes — including Mark Petrie – Ben Mears fights for everything that’s right before the town is overrun with evil. This books is for horror fans who enjoy a creeping feeling of dread and terror combined with edgy, unsettling suspense. Salem’s Lot is available at Penguin Random House .

4. Misery (1987)

Misery introduces readers to the claustrophobic world of acclaimed author Paul Sheldon, who finds himself at the mercy of his self-proclaimed number-one fan, Annie Wilkes, after a car accident. Trapped in Annie’s secluded home, Paul is subjected to Annie’s sadistic measures, all while she demands that he resurrect her most beloved fictional character, Misery Chastain. Annie, who is a former nurse, uses her knowledge as a former medical professional to carry out this sadism. The pulsating struggle between captor and prisoner forms the core of the story and is a riveting read for people who like to be on the edge of their seats. In the 1987 psychological horror thriller, King underscores the dark underbelly of fame and the potential obsession that can often ensue because of it. Misery is available for purchase on Simon & Schuster .

3. Pet Sematary (1989)

King’s Pet Sematary is set against the backdrop of the idyllic town of Ludlow, Maine, where sinister secrets seem to find their home. Shortly after Dr. Louis Creed and his family move to Ludlow for his new job, they find out that their new home shares a border with a pet cemetery that has a misspelled sign that reads, “Pet Sematary.” While this seems like an innocent discovery at first, little do they know that beyond the location lies an ancient burial ground with a sinister power that brings the dead back to life. This graveyard has seen generations of children bury their pets there and when tragedy strikes and the Creed family suffers a devastating loss, Louis is faced with a challenging choice: to go against the laws of nature and resurrect his loved ones, or to let them rest in peace. Readers who are fascinated by suspense, the afterlife and visceral terror will appreciate this book. Pet Sematary is available on Simon & Schuster .

Stephen King speaks at Book Expo America in New York City, 2017.

2. IT (1986)

King’s hit novel IT is a fantastic depiction of trauma and fear in childhood, brought to life through a demonic entity known simply as IT. IT primarily appears as Pennywise the Dancing Clown, and the novel takes place over two time periods: the ‘50s and ‘80s, when a group of children are being terrorized by this otherworldly monster as part of a 27-year cycle in Derry, Maine. The children, banded together by Pennywise as individuals who prefer “to live alone,” call themselves the Losers’ Club and fight back against this creature, which assumes different forms in order to play on their individual fears. Once these kids grow up and forget about IT, the creature resurfaces 27 years later, and the now-adult Losers are called back to Derry to fulfill a childhood oath sworn to kill IT if it ever returned. IT is as much a coming-of-age as a horror novel as it takes readers through the friends’ experiences and fears in Derry while exploring the power of memory in survivors of trauma and the need to return to those horrible circumstances in order to emerge as adults who are no longer cowed by their nightmares. IT is a classic novel that is a perfect read for fans of classic horror and hair-rising terror brought to life through pages. The book is available on Simon & Schuster .

Stephen King attends a special screening of "IT" at Bangor Mall Cinemas 10 on September 6, 2017 in ... [+] Bangor, Maine.

1. The Shining (1977)

Literary critics and fans often say that The Shining is one of King’s most important novels, and with good reason. The story follows Jack Torrance, his wife, Wendy, and his son, Danny, to the ominous and haunted Overlook Hotel, located quietly along the edge of secluded mountains in Colorado. Jack is a recovering alcoholic and writer who takes a job at the mountain resort as a winter caretaker, hoping to earn some money while finding some inspiration for his writing. Danny has “the shining,” which are psychic premonitions that give him insight into the sinister history of the hotel. The hotel’s dark aura begins to weigh heavily on Jack’s psyche causing him to lash out in dangerous violent frenzies that threaten his wife and son. The Shining is a good read for fans who enjoy psychological thrillers that merge with horror. The book is available on Penguin Random House .

Below is a comprehensive list of Stephen King books in order of release.

• Carrie - Novel, 1974
• Salem's Lot , 1975
• Rage , 1976
• The Shining , 1977
• The Stand , 1978
• T he Long Walk , 1978
• The Dead Zone , 1979
• Firestarter , 1980
• Roadwork , 1980
• Cujo , 1981
• The Running Man , 1981
• The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger , 1982
• The Body , 1982
• Apt Pupil, 1982
• The Breathing Method , 1982
• Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption , 1982
• Christine , 1983
• Pet Sematary , 1983
• The Talisman , 1984
• Thinner, 1984
• Cycle of the Werewolf , 1985
• The Bachman Books , 1985
• The Eyes of the Dragon , 1987
• Misery, 1987
• The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three , 1987
• The Tommyknockers , 1987
• The Dark Half , 1989
• T he Stand: The Complete & Uncut Edition , 1990
• Secret Window, Secret Garden , 1990
• The Langoliers , 1990
• The Library Policeman , 1990
• The Sun Dog Dog , 1990
• The Dark Tower: The Waste Lands , 1991
• Needful Things , 1991
• Gerald's Game , 1992
• Dolores Claiborne , 1993
• Insomnia , 1994
• Blind Willie , 1994
• Rose Madder , 1995
• The Regulators , 1995
• The Green Mile: The Two Dead Girls , 1996
• The Green Mile: The Mouse on the Mil e, 1996
• The Green Mile: Coffey's Hands , 1996
• The Green Mile: The Bad Death of Eduard Delacroix , 1996
• The Green Mile: Night Journey , July 1996
• The Green Mile: Coffey on the Mile , 1996
• Desperation , 1996
• The Dark Tower: Wizard and Glass , 1997
• Bag of Bones , 1998
• The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon , 1999
• Hearts in Atlantis , 1999
• Heavenly Shades of Night Are Falling , 1999
• Low Men in Yellow Coats , 1999
• Why We’re in Vietnam , 1999
• The Green Mile: The Complete Serial Novel , 2000
• Black House , 2001
• Dreamcatcher , 2001
• From A Buick 8 , 2002
• The Dark Tower: Wolves of the Calla , 2003
• The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger (Revised), 2003
• The Dark Tower: Song of Susannah , 2004
• The Dark Tower , 2004
• The Colorado Kid , 2005
• Salem’s Lot Illustrated Edition, 2005
• Lisey’s Story , 2006
• Blaze , 2006
• A Very Tight Place , 2008
• Duma Key , 2008
• Under the Dome , 2009
• Blockade Billy , 2010
• 11/22/63 , 2011
• The Dark Tower: The Wind Through the Keyhole , 2012
• Joyland , 2013
• Doctor Sleep , 2013
• Mr. Mercedes , 2014
• Revival , 2014
• Joyland Illustrated Edition, 2015
• Finders Keepers , 2015
• End of Watch , 2016
• Gwendy's Button Box , 2017
• Sleeping Beauties , 2017
• Elevation , 2018
• The Outsider, 2018
• The Institute, 2019
• If It Bleeds , 2020
• Mr. Harrigan’s Phone , 2020
• The Life of Chuck , 2020
• Later , 2021
• Billy Summers , 2021
• Gwendy’s Final Task , 2022
• Fairy Tale , 2022
• Holly , 2023

Because King's pen is always on the move, the horror master has an upcoming book called You Like It Darker , which will be a compilation of 12 stories within one book. The book will explore the underbelly and nuanced nature of life in a way that is true to form for King, yet excitingly new. The book will be available on Simon & Schuster .

Bottom Line

Stephen King has proven that he is not only a literary giant, but a cultural shaper whose pen has created some of the most horrifyingly heart-pounding and suspenseful fictional works of our time. His uncanny ability to get into the human imagination and capture the reader’s imagination is unparalleled. From the iconic horrors of Carrie and The Shining to the gripping plots of 11/22/63 and Misery , King has repeatedly shown that he has earned the global honor of being the Master of Horror.

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50 Must-Read Books Recommended by Stephen King (Plus a Few Extra Recommendations From Me)

Katie McLain

Katie's parents never told her "no" when she asked for a book, which was the start of most of her problems. She has a BA in Creative Writing from Lake Forest College and is working towards a master's degree in library science at U of I. She works full time at a public library reference desk in northern IL, specializing in readers’ advisory and general book enthusiasm, and she has a deep-rooted love of all things disturbing, twisted, and terrifying. (She takes enormous pleasure in creeping out her coworkers.) When she's not spending every waking hour at the library, she's at home watching Cubs baseball with her cats and her cardigan collection, and when she's not at home, she's spending too much money on concert tickets. Her hobbies include debating the finer points of Harry Potter canon, hitting people upside the head who haven’t read The Martian, and convincing her boyfriend that she can, in fact, fit more books onto her shelves. Twitter: @kt_librarylady

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Stephen King is one of the most prolific authors of the modern age whose last name isn’t “Patterson.” He’s written 60+ books in his career, and doesn’t appear to be slowing down any time soon. Dozens of his stories have been adapted for film & TV, and even that number has been increasing over the last couple years. And even with all of these obligations, Stephen King is also an avid reader ( he reads about 80 books per year ), and as he famously says in his memoir  On Writing , “ If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”

Someone who reads this much must have a few reading recommendations floating around, and thankfully, the King of Horror is exceptionally generous with his book suggestions. Here are 50 must-read books recommended by Stephen King over the years, and if you scroll all the way down to the bottom of the list, I’ve made a few of my own book suggestions for the King as well.

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

“Born in the dark heart of India, Balram gets a break when he is hired as a driver for his village’s wealthiest man, two house Pomeranians (Puddles and Cuddles), and the rich man’s (very unlucky) son. From behind the wheel of their Honda City car, Balram’s new world is a revelation. While his peers flip through the pages of Murder Weekly (“Love — Rape — Revenge!”), barter for girls, drink liquor (Thunderbolt), and perpetuate the Great Rooster Coop of Indian society, Balram watches his employers bribe foreign ministers for tax breaks, barter for girls, drink liquor (single-malt whiskey), and play their own role in the Rooster Coop. Balram learns how to siphon gas, deal with corrupt mechanics, and refill and resell Johnnie Walker Black Label bottles (all but one). He also finds a way out of the Coop that no one else inside it can perceive.”

**Included in Stephen King’s updated reading list for On Writing .

The Blind Man’s Garden by Nadeem Aslam

“Jeo and Mikal are foster brothers from a small town in Pakistan. Though they were inseparable as children, their adult lives have diverged: Jeo is a dedicated medical student, married a year; Mikal has been a vagabond since he was fifteen, in love with a woman he can’t have. But when Jeo decides to sneak across the border into Afghanistan—not to fight with the Taliban against the Americans, rather to help care for wounded civilians—Mikal determines to go with him, to protect him. Yet Jeo’s and Mikal’s good intentions cannot keep them out of harm’s way. As the narrative takes us from the wilds of Afghanistan to the heart of the family left behind, we see all of these lives upended by the turmoil of war.”

**Stephen King says: “An eye-opening, heartbreaking novel of the war in Afghanistan. Reminded me of Conrad’s  Nostromo .”

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

“Snowman, known as Jimmy before mankind was overwhelmed by a plague, is struggling to survive in a world where he may be the last human, and mourning the loss of his best friend, Crake, and the beautiful and elusive Oryx whom they both loved. In search of answers, Snowman embarks on a journey–with the help of the green-eyed Children of Crake–through the lush wilderness that was so recently a great city, until powerful corporations took mankind on an uncontrolled genetic engineering ride.”

The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes

“Harper Curtis is a killer who stepped out of the past. Kirby Mazrachi is the girl who was never meant to have a future. Kirby is the last shining girl, one of the bright young women, burning with potential, whose lives Harper is destined to snuff out after he stumbles on a House in Depression-era Chicago that opens on to other times. At the urging of the House, Harper inserts himself into the lives of the shining girls, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. He’s the ultimate hunter, vanishing into another time after each murder, untraceable-until one of his victims survives.

Determined to bring her would-be killer to justice, Kirby joins the Chicago Sun-Times to work with the ex-homicide reporter, Dan Velasquez, who covered her case. Soon Kirby finds herself closing in on the impossible truth.”

**Stephen King says: “No, not the twins from the Kubrick movie, but the targets of a serial killer who finds a time portal in Chicago during the Depression and jackrabbits his way through recent American history, killing women and taking trophies. Until, that is, he encounters a tuff girl who’s not so easy to do away with. It’s the black-hole version of The Time Traveler’s Wife .”

2666 by Robert BolaÑo

“Composed in the last two years of Bolaño’s life, 2666 has been greeted as his greatest achievement, surpassing even his previous work in its strangeness, beauty, and scope. Its throng of unforgettable characters include academics and convicts, an American sportswriter, an elusive German novelist, and a teenage student caring for her widowed, mentally unstable father. Their lives intersect in the desert sprawl of Santa Teresa–a fictional Juárez–on the US-Mexico border, where hundreds of young factory workers, in the novel as in life, have disappeared.”

**Stephen King says, “This surreal novel can’t be described; it has to be experienced in all its crazed glory.”

A Walk in the Woods   by Bill Bryson

“The Appalachian Trail stretches from Georgia to Maine and covers some of the most breathtaking terrain in America–majestic mountains, silent forests, sparking lakes. If you’re going to take a hike, it’s probably the place to go. And Bill Bryson is surely the most entertaining guide you’ll find. He introduces us to the history and ecology of the trail and to some of the other hardy (or just foolhardy) folks he meets along the way–and a couple of bears.”

**Included in SK’s reading list for On Writing .

The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon

“For sixty years, Jewish refugees and their descendants have prospered in the Federal District of Sitka, a “temporary” safe haven created in the wake of revelations of the Holocaust and the shocking 1948 collapse of the fledgling state of Israel. Proud, grateful, and longing to be American, the Jews of the Sitka District have created their own little world in the Alaskan panhandle, a vibrant, gritty, soulful, and complex frontier city that moves to the music of Yiddish. Now the District is set to revert to Alaskan control, and their dream is coming to an end: once again the tides of history threaten to sweep them up and carry them off into the unknown. But homicide detective Meyer Landsman of the District Police has enough problems without worrying about the upcoming Reversion. And in a cheap hotel, someone has just committed a murder—right under Landsman’s nose.”

**Included in SK’s updated reading list for On Writing .

The Troop by Nick Cutter

“Once a year, scoutmaster Tim Riggs leads a troop of boys into the Canadian wilderness for a three-day camping trip—a tradition as comforting and reliable as a good ghost story and a roaring bonfire. But when an unexpected intruder—shockingly thin, disturbingly pale, and voraciously hungry—stumbles upon their campsite, Tim and the boys are exposed to something far more frightening than any tale of terror. The human carrier of a bioengineered nightmare. An inexplicable horror that spreads faster than fear. A harrowing struggle for survival that will pit the troop against the elements, the infected…and one another.”

**Stephen King says, “ The Troop scared the hell out of me, and I couldn’t put it down. This is old-school horror at its best.”

My SOul to Keep by Tananarive Due

“When Jessica marries David, he is everything she wants in a family man: brilliant, attentive, ever youthful. Yet she still feels something about him is just out of reach. Soon, as people close to Jessica begin to meet violent, mysterious deaths, David makes an unimaginable confession: More than 400 years ago, he and other members of an Ethiopian sect traded their humanity so they would never die, a secret he must protect at any cost. Now, his immortal brethren have decided David must return and leave his family in Miami. Instead, David vows to invoke a forbidden ritual to keep Jessica and his daughter with him forever.”

**Stephen King says, “Ms. Due accomplishes the hardest thing of all with deceptive ease, creating characters we care about on their most human level.”

Sharp Objects   byGillian Flynn

“Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, reporter Camille Preaker faces a troubling assignment: she must return to her tiny hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls. For years, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed in her old bedroom in her family’s Victorian mansion, Camille finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. Dogged by her own demons, she must unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past if she wants to get the story—and survive this homecoming.”

**Stephen King says, “I found myself dreading the last thirty pages or so but was helpless to stop turning them. Then, after the lights were out, the story just stayed there in my head, coiled and hissing, like a snake in a cave. An admirably nasty piece of work, elevated by sharp writing and sharper insights.”

The Secret Place   by Tana French

“A year ago a boy was found murdered at a girlsʼ boarding school, and the case was never solved. Detective Stephen Moran has been waiting for his chance to join Dublin’s Murder Squad when sixteen-year-old Holly Mackey arrives in his office with a photo of the boy with the caption: “I KNOW WHO KILLED HIM.” Stephen joins with Detective Antoinette Conway to reopen the case—beneath the watchful eye of Holly’s father, fellow detective Frank Mackey. With the clues leading back to Holly’s close-knit group of friends, to their rival clique, and to the tangle of relationships that bound them all to the murdered boy, the private underworld of teenage girls turns out to be more mysterious and more dangerous than the detectives imagined.”

**Stephen King says, “Read The Secret Place , by Tana French, when it comes out. You’ll understand then. Great book.”

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

“Days before his release from prison, Shadow’s wife, Laura, dies in a mysterious car crash. Numbly, he makes his way back home. On the plane, he encounters the enigmatic Mr Wednesday, who claims to be a refugee from a distant war, a former god and the king of America. Together they embark on a profoundly strange journey across the heart of the USA, whilst all around them a storm of preternatural and epic proportions threatens to break.”

**Included in SK’s updated reading list for On Writing.

Deception on His Mind by Elizabeth George

“Balford-le-Nez is a dying seatown on the coast of Essex. But when a member of the town’s small but growing Asian community, a Pakistani named Haytham Querashi, is found dead near its beach, his neck broken, sleepy Balford-le-Nez ignites. And working solo, without her long-time partner Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley, Sergeant Barbara Havers must probe not only the mind of a murderer and a case very close to her own heart, but the terrible price people pay for deceiving others…and themselves.”

**Included in SK’s reading list for On Writing.

Gravity by Tess Gerritsen

“An experiment on micro-organisms conducted in space goes wrong. The cells begin to infect the crew with deadly results. Emma Watson struggles to contain the deadly microbe while her husband and NASA try to retrieve her from space, before it’s too late.”

**Stephen King says, “She is better than Palmer, better than Cook…yes, even better than Crichton.”

The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder by Charles Graeber

“After his December 2003 arrest, registered nurse Charlie Cullen was quickly dubbed ‘The Angel of Death’ by the media. But Cullen was no mercy killer, nor was he a simple monster. He was a favorite son, husband, beloved father, best friend, and celebrated caregiver. Implicated in the deaths of as many as 300 patients, he was also perhaps the most prolific serial killer in American history.”

**Stephen King says, “You think Annie Wilkes was bad? Check out this chilling nonfiction account of Charlie Cullen, a friendly nurse who may have killed several hundred patients before he was caught. Now, there’s a real cockadoodie brat.”

Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen

“When Jacob Jankowski, recently orphaned and suddenly adrift, jumps onto a passing train, he enters a world of freaks, drifters, and misfits, a second-rate circus struggling to survive during the Great Depression, making one-night stands in town after endless town. A veterinary student who almost earned his degree, Jacob is put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It is there that he meets Marlena, the beautiful young star of the equestrian act, who is married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. He also meets Rosie, an elephant who seems untrainable until he discovers a way to reach her.”

**Stephen King says, “For pure story, this colorful, headlong tale of a Depression-era circus simply can’t be beat. Heroes, villains, romance, a wild-animal stampede! Big fun from page 1.”

Hex   by Thomas Olde Heuvelt

“Welcome to Black Spring, the seemingly picturesque Hudson Valley town haunted by the Black Rock Witch, a 17th century woman whose eyes and mouth are sewn shut. Muzzled, she walks the streets and enters your homes at will. She stands next to your bed for nights on end. Everybody knows that her eyes may never be opened. The elders of Black Spring have virtually quarantined the town by using high-tech surveillance to prevent their curse from spreading. Frustrated with being kept in lockdown, the town’s teenagers decide to break their strict regulations and go viral with the haunting, but in so doing send the town spiraling into the dark, medieval practices of the past.”

**Stephen King says, “A wicked witch holds an upstate New York town prisoner. This is totally, brilliantly original.”

Paul Simon: The Life by Robert Hilburn

“For more than fifty years, Paul Simon has spoken to us in songs about alienation, doubt, resilience, and empathy in ways that have established him as one of the most beloved artists in American pop music history. Songs like “The Sound of Silence,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Still Crazy After All These Years,” and “Graceland” have moved beyond the sales charts and into our cultural consciousness. But Simon is a deeply private person who has resisted speaking to us outside of his music. He has said he will not write an autobiography or memoir, and he has refused to talk to previous biographers. Finally, Simon has opened up—for more than one hundred hours of interviews—to Robert Hilburn, whose biography of Johnny Cash was named by Michiko Kakutani of the New York Times as one of her ten favorite books of 2013. The result is a landmark book that will take its place as the defining biography of one of America’s greatest artists.”

**Stephen King says, “Every now and then—rarely!—a book casts a little light on the creative development of a gifted artist. Paul Simon: The Life  is one of those few. Read it if you like Simon; read it if you want to discover how talent unfolds itself.”

The Nix   by Nathan Hill

“Meet Samuel Andresen-Anderson: stalled writer, bored teacher at a local college, obsessive player of an online video game. He hasn’t seen his mother, Faye, since she walked out when he was a child. But then one day there she is, all over the news, throwing rocks at a presidential candidate. The media paints Faye as a militant radical with a sordid past, but as far as Samuel knows, his mother never left her small Iowa town. Which version of his mother is the true one? Determined to solve the puzzle–and finally have something to deliver to his publisher–Samuel decides to capitalize on his mother’s new fame by writing a tell-all biography, a book that will savage her intimately, publicly. But first, he has to locate her.”

**Stephen King says, “I’m reading The Nix by Nathan Hill. Just started, but so far it’s got me laughing hysterically. First 50 pages are worth the price.”

Magpie Murders   by Anthony Horowitz

“When editor Susan Ryeland is given the manuscript of Alan Conway’s latest novel, she has no reason to think it will be much different from any of his others. After working with the bestselling crime writer for years, she’s intimately familiar with his detective, Atticus Pünd, who solves mysteries disturbing sleepy English villages. An homage to queens of classic British crime such as Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers, Alan’s traditional formula has proved hugely successful. So successful that Susan must continue to put up with his troubling behavior if she wants to keep her job. Conway’s latest tale has Atticus Pünd investigating a murder at Pye Hall, a local manor house. Yes, there are dead bodies and a host of intriguing suspects, but the more Susan reads, the more she’s convinced that there is another story hidden in the pages of the manuscript: one of real-life jealousy, greed, ruthless ambition, and murder.”

**Stephen King says, “Want to read a great whodunnit? Anthony Horowitz has one for you: Magpie Murders . It’s as good as an Agatha Christie. Better, in some ways. Cleverer.”

Natchez Burning   by Greg Iles

“Growing up in the rural Southern hamlet of Natchez, Mississippi, Penn Cage learned everything he knows about honor and duty from his father, Tom Cage. But now the beloved family doctor is accused of murdering Viola Turner, the beautiful nurse with whom he worked in the early 1960s. A fighter who has always stood for justice, Penn is determined to save his father. The quest for answers sends Penn deep into the past—into the heart of a conspiracy of greed and murder involving the Double Eagles, a vicious KKK crew headed by one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in the state. Now Penn must follow a bloody trail that stretches back forty years, to one undeniable fact: no one—black or white, young or old, brave or not—is ever truly safe.”

**Stephen King says, “Grab all 3 volumes of Greg Iles’s Natchez Burning trilogy. Pure suspense, pure backroads Americana.”

The Liars Club   by Mary Karr

“When it was published in 1995, Mary Karr’s The Liars Club took the world by storm and raised the art of the memoir to an entirely new level, as well as bringing about a dramatic revival of the form. Karr’s comic childhood in an east Texas oil town brings us characters as darkly hilarious as any of J. D. Salinger’s—a hard-drinking daddy, a sister who can talk down the sheriff at twelve, and an oft-married mother whose accumulated secrets threaten to destroy them all.”

**Stephen King says, “This is what the memoir is supposed to be.”

The Hunger   by Alma Katsu

“Tamsen Donner must be a witch. That is the only way to explain the series of misfortunes that have plagued the wagon train known as the Donner Party. Depleted rations, bitter quarrels, and the mysterious death of a little boy have driven the pioneers to the brink of madness. They cannot escape the feeling that someone–or something–is stalking them. Whether it was a curse from the beautiful Tamsen, the choice to follow a disastrous experimental route West, or just plain bad luck–the 90 men, women, and children of the Donner Party are at the brink of one of the deadliest and most disastrous western adventures in American history. While the ill-fated group struggles to survive in the treacherous mountain conditions–searing heat that turns the sand into bubbling stew; snows that freeze the oxen where they stand–evil begins to grow around them, and within them. As members of the party begin to disappear, they must ask themselves ‘What if there is something waiting in the mountains? Something disturbing and diseased…and very hungry?'”

**Stephen King says, “Deeply, deeply disturbing, hard to put down, not recommended reading after dark.”

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

“Set in South Carolina in 1964, The Secret Life of Bees tells the story of Lily Owens, whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed. When Lily’s fierce-hearted black “stand-in mother,” Rosaleen, insults three of the deepest racists in town, Lily decides to spring them both free. They escape to Tiburon, South Carolina–a town that holds the secret to her mother’s past. Taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters, Lily is introduced to their mesmerizing world of bees and honey, and the Black Madonna. This is a remarkable novel about divine female power, a story women will share and pass on to their daughters for years to come.”

The Poisonwood Bible   by BARBARA KINGSOLVER

“ The Poisonwood Bible is a story told by the wife and four daughters of Nathan Price, a fierce, evangelical Baptist who takes his family and mission to the Belgian Congo in 1959. They carry with them everything they believe they will need from home, but soon find that all of it — from garden seeds to Scripture — is calamitously transformed on African soil. What follows is a suspenseful epic of one family’s tragic undoing and remarkable reconstruction over the course of three decades in postcolonial Africa.”

THE MARS ROOM by RACHEL KUSHNER

“It’s 2003 and Romy Hall is at the start of two consecutive life sentences at Stanville Women’s Correctional Facility, deep in California’s Central Valley. Outside is the world from which she has been severed: the San Francisco of her youth and her young son, Jackson. Inside is a new reality: thousands of women hustling for the bare essentials needed to survive; the bluffing and pageantry and casual acts of violence by guards and prisoners alike; and the deadpan absurdities of institutional living, which Kushner evokes with great humor and precision.”

**Stephen King says, “Most literary fiction doesn’t last very long. This is going to be around. It’s the real deal. Jarring, horrible, compassionate, funny. BTW, Kushner reads the audio, and knocks it out of the park.”

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

“One of the most cherished stories of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird has been translated into more than forty languages, sold more than forty million copies worldwide, served as the basis for an enormously popular motion picture, and was voted one of the best novels of the twentieth century by librarians across the country. A gripping, heart-wrenching, and wholly remarkable tale of coming-of-age in a South poisoned by virulent prejudice, it views a world of great beauty and savage inequities through the eyes of a young girl, as her father—a crusading local lawyer—risks everything to defend a black man unjustly accused of a terrible crime.”

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin

“A groundbreaking work of science fiction, The Left Hand of Darkness tells the story of a lone human emissary to Winter, an alien world whose inhabitants can choose -and change – their gender. His goal is to facilitate Winter’s inclusion in a growing intergalactic civilization. But to do so he must bridge the gulf between his own views and those of the completely dissimilar culture that he encounters.”

* *Stephen King says, “Ursula K. Le Guin, one of the greats, has passed. Not just a science fiction writer; a literary icon. Godspeed into the galaxy.”

Sunburn by Laura Lippman

“They meet at a local tavern in the small town of Belleville, Delaware. Polly is set on heading west. Adam says he’s also passing through. Yet she stays and he stays—drawn to this mysterious redhead whose quiet stillness both unnerves and excites him. Over the course of a punishing summer, Polly and Adam abandon themselves to a steamy, inexorable affair. Still, each holds something back from the other—dangerous, even lethal, secrets that begin to accumulate as autumn approaches, feeding the growing doubts they conceal. Then someone dies. Was it an accident, or part of a plan? By now, Adam and Polly are so ensnared in each other’s lives and lies that neither one knows how to get away—or even if they want to. Is their love strong enough to withstand the truth, or will it ultimately destroy them?”

**Stephen King says, “Suspenseful as hell, and [Lippman] writes like a dream…Lippman’s always good, but this is a cut above.”

One Hundred Years of Solitude   by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

“The brilliant, bestselling, landmark novel that tells the story of the Buendia family, and chronicles the irreconcilable conflict between the desire for solitude and the need for love—in rich, imaginative prose that has come to define an entire genre known as magical realism.”

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara

“For more than ten years, a mysterious and violent predator committed fifty sexual assaults in Northern California before moving south, where he perpetrated ten sadistic murders. Then he disappeared, eluding capture by multiple police forces and some of the best detectives in the area. Three decades later, Michelle McNamara, a true crime journalist who created the popular website TrueCrimeDiary.com, was determined to find the violent psychopath she called “the Golden State Killer.” Michelle pored over police reports, interviewed victims, and embedded herself in the online communities that were as obsessed with the case as she was. I’ll Be Gone in the Dark —the masterpiece McNamara was writing at the time of her sudden death—offers an atmospheric snapshot of a moment in American history and a chilling account of a criminal mastermind and the wreckage he left behind.”

**Stephen King says, “It appears police have caught the Golden State Killer. Go get Michelle McNamara’s excellent book about the case, I’ll Be Gone in the Dark.”

Slade House by David Mitchell

“Down the road from a working-class British pub, along the brick wall of a narrow alley, if the conditions are exactly right, you’ll find the entrance to Slade House. A stranger will greet you by name and invite you inside. At first, you won’t want to leave. Later, you’ll find that you can’t. Every nine years, the house’s residents — an odd brother and sister — extend a unique invitation to someone who’s different or lonely: a precocious teenager, a recently divorced policeman, a shy college student. But what really goes on inside Slade House? For those who find out, it’s already too late…”

**Stephen King says, “Hard to imagine a more finely wrought and chilling tale of the supernatural. One of the rare great ones.”

Darktown by Thomas Mullen

“Responding from pressure on high, the Atlanta police department is forced to hire its first black officers in 1948. The newly minted policemen are met with deep hostility by their white peers and their authority is limited: They can’t arrest white suspects; they can’t drive a squad car; they can’t even use the police headquarters and must instead operate out of the basement of a gym. When a black woman who was last seen in a car driven by a white man turns up fatally beaten, no one seems to care except for Boggs and Smith, two black cops from vastly different backgrounds. Pressured from all sides, they will risk their jobs, the trust the community has put in them, and even their own safety to investigate her death. Their efforts bring them up against an old-school cop, Dunlow, who has long run the neighborhood like his own, and Dunlow’s young partner, Rakestraw, a young progressive who may or may not be willing to make allies across color lines”

**Stephen King says, “A brilliant blending of crime, mystery, and American history (Atlanta, just after WWII). Terrific entertainment.”

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

“When Elspeth Noblin dies of cancer, she leaves her London apartment to her twin nieces, Julia and Valentina. These two American girls never met their English aunt, only knew that their mother, too, was a twin, and Elspeth her sister. Julia and Valentina are semi-normal American teenagers–with seemingly little interest in college, finding jobs, or anything outside their cozy home in the suburbs of Chicago, and with an abnormally intense attachment to one another. The girls move to Elspeth’s flat, which borders Highgate Cemetery in London. They come to know the building’s other residents. There is Martin, a brilliant and charming crossword puzzle setter suffering from crippling Obsessive Compulsive Disorder; Marjike, Martin’s devoted but trapped wife; and Robert, Elspeth’s elusive lover, a scholar of the cemetery. As the girls become embroiled in the fraying lives of their aunt’s neighbors, they also discover that much is still alive in Highgate, including–perhaps–their aunt, who can’t seem to leave her old apartment and life behind.”

Doing Harm  by Kelly Parsons

“Steve Mitchell, happily married with a wife and two kids, is in line for a coveted position at Boston’s University Hospital when his world goes awry. His over-reaching ambition causes him to botch a major surgery, and another of his patients mysteriously dies. Steve’s nightmare goes from bad to worse when he learns that the mysterious death was no accident but the act of a sociopath. A sociopath he knows and who has information that could destroy Steve’s career and marriage. A sociopath for whom killing is more than a means to an end: it’s a game. Because he is under a cloud of suspicion and has no evidence, he knows that any accusations he makes won’t be believed. So he must struggle to turn the tables, even as the killer skillfully blocks his every move.”

**Stephen King says, “ Doing Harm , by Kelly Parsons: best damn medical thriller I’ve read in 25 years. Terrifying OR scenes, characters with real texture.”

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

“As Dr. Marina Singh embarks upon an uncertain odyssey into the insect-infested Amazon, she will be forced to surrender herself to the lush but forbidding world that awaits within the jungle. Charged with finding her former mentor Dr. Annick Swenson, a researcher who has disappeared while working on a valuable new drug, she will have to confront her own memories of tragedy and sacrifice as she journeys into the unforgiving heart of darkness.”

**Stephen King says, “ State of Wonder , by Ann Patchett: took me awhile to get around to it, but boy, was it worth it. Highest recommendation.”

Red Moon by Benjamin Percy

“When government agents kick down Claire Forrester’s front door and murder her parents, Claire realizes just how different she is. Patrick Gamble was nothing special until the day he got on a plane and hours later stepped off it, the only passenger left alive, a hero. Chase Williams has sworn to protect the people of the United States from the menace in their midst, but he is becoming the very thing he has promised to destroy. So far, the threat has been controlled by laws and violence and drugs. But the night of the red moon is coming, when an unrecognizable world will emerge…and the battle for humanity will begin.”

**Stephen King says, “Finished Red Moon , by Benjamin Percy. A werewolf epic. Can’t stop thinking about it.”

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

“Sterling is a small, ordinary New Hampshire town where nothing ever happens — until the day its complacency is shattered by a shocking act of violence. In the aftermath, the town’s residents must not only seek justice in order to begin healing but also come to terms with the role they played in the tragedy. For them, the lines between truth and fiction, right and wrong, insider and outsider have been obscured forever. Josie Cormier, the teenage daughter of the judge sitting on the case, could be the state’s best witness, but she can’t remember what happened in front of her own eyes. And as the trial progresses, fault lines between the high school and the adult community begin to show, destroying the closest of friendships and families.”

Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough

“Louise is a single mom, a secretary, stuck in a modern-day rut. On a rare night out, she meets a man in a bar and sparks fly. Though he leaves after they kiss, she’s thrilled she finally connected with someone. When Louise arrives at work on Monday, she meets her new boss, David. The man from the bar. The very married man from the bar…who says the kiss was a terrible mistake but who still can’t keep his eyes off Louise. And then Louise bumps into Adele, who’s new to town and in need of a friend, but she also just happens to be married to David. David and Adele look like the picture-perfect husband and wife, but then why is David so controlling, and why is Adele so scared of him? As Louise is drawn into David and Adele’s orbit, she uncovers more puzzling questions than answers. The only thing that is crystal clear is that something in this marriage is very, very wrong, but Louise can’t guess how wrong―and how far a person might go to protect their marriage’s secrets.”

**Stephen King says, “Spent most of the day reading the second half of Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough. What the Brits call ‘a thumping good read.’ Bravo!”

A Sight for Sore Eyes by Ruth Rendell

“ A Sight for Sore Eyes tells three stories, and for the longest time, the reader has no inkling of how they will come together. The first is a story of a little girl who has been scolded and sent to her room when her mother is brutally murdered; as Francine grows up, she is haunted by the experience, and it is years before she even speaks. Secondly, we become privy to the life of a young man, Teddy, born of unthinking young parents, who grows up almost completely ignored. Free of societal mores, he becomes a sociopath, who eventually discovers that killing can be an effective way to get what he wants. Thirdly, we meet Harriet, who from an early age has learned to use her beauty to make her way in the world. Bored by marriage to a wealthy, much older man, she scans the local newspapers for handymen to perform odd jobs around the house, including services in the bedroom. When these three plots strands finally converge, the result is harrowing and unforgettable.”

Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie

“Saleem Sinai was born at midnight, the midnight of India’s independence, and found himself mysteriously “handcuffed to history” by the coincidence. He is one of 1,001 children born at the midnight hour, each of them endowed with an extraordinary talent – and whose privilege and curse it is to be both master and victims of their times. Through Saleem’s gifts – inner ear and wildly sensitive sense of smell – we are drawn into a fascinating family saga set against the vast, colourful background of the India of the 20th century.”

**Stephen King says, “1,001 children are born in India at midnight on Aug. 15, 1947; this epic social comedy follows one of them through a lifetime of adventures worthy of Dickens.”

Final Girls by  Riley Sager

“Ten years ago, college student Quincy Carpenter went on vacation with five friends and came back alone, the only survivor of a horror movie–scale massacre. In an instant, she became a member of a club no one wants to belong to—a group of similar survivors known in the press as the Final Girls. Lisa, who lost nine sorority sisters to a college dropout’s knife; Sam, who went up against the Sack Man during her shift at the Nightlight Inn; and now Quincy, who ran bleeding through the woods to escape Pine Cottage and the man she refers to only as Him. Despite the media’s attempts, they never meet. Now, Quincy is doing well. She has a caring almost-fiancé, Jeff; a popular baking blog; a beautiful apartment; and a therapeutic presence in Coop, the police officer who saved her life all those years ago. Her memory won’t even allow her to recall the events of that night…That is, until Lisa, the first Final Girl, is found dead in her bathtub, wrists slit, and Sam, the second, appears on Quincy’s doorstep. Blowing through Quincy’s life like a whirlwind, Sam seems intent on making Quincy relive the past, with increasingly dire consequences, all of which makes Quincy question why Sam is really seeking her out. And when new details about Lisa’s death come to light, Quincy’s life becomes a race against time as she tries to unravel Sam’s truths from her lies, evade the police and hungry reporters, and, most crucially, remember what really happened at Pine Cottage, before what was started ten years ago is finished.”

**Stephen King says, “The first great thriller of 2017 is almost here: Final Girls by Riley Sager. If you liked Gone Girl , you’ll like this.”

A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth

“Lata and her mother, Mrs. Rupa Mehra, are both trying to find—through love or through exacting maternal appraisal—a suitable boy for Lata to marry. Set in the early 1950s, in an India newly independent and struggling through a time of crisis, A Suitable Boy takes us into the richly imagined world of four large extended families and spins a compulsively readable tale of their lives and loves.”

The Terror by Dan Simmons

“The men on board HMS Terror have every expectation of triumph. As part of the 1845 Franklin Expedition, the first steam-powered vessels ever to search for the legendary Northwest Passage, they are as scientifically supported an enterprise as has ever set forth. As they enter a second summer in the Arctic Circle without a thaw, though, they are stranded in a nightmarish landscape of encroaching ice and darkness. Endlessly cold, with diminishing rations, 126 men fight to survive with poisonous food, a dwindling supply of coal, and ships buckling in the grip of crushing ice. But their real enemy is far more terrifying. There is something out there in the frigid darkness: an unseen predator stalking their ship, a monstrous terror constantly clawing to get in.When the expedition’s leader, Sir John Franklin, meets a terrible death, Captain Francis Crozier takes command and leads his surviving crewmen on a last, desperate attempt to flee south across the ice. With them travels an Inuit woman who cannot speak and who may be the key to survival, or the harbinger of their deaths. But as another winter approaches, as scurvy and starvation grow more terrible, and as the terror on the ice stalks them southward, Crozier and his men begin to fear that there is no escape.”

**Stephen King says, “A brilliant, massive combination of history and supernatural horror.”

Battle Royale by Koushun Takami

“Koushun Takami’s notorious high-octane thriller is based on an irresistible premise: a class of junior high school students is taken to a deserted island where, as part of a ruthless authoritarian program, they are provided arms and forced to kill one another until only one survivor is left standing. Criticized as violent exploitation when first published in Japan – where it then proceeded to become a runaway bestseller – Battle Royale is a Lord of the Flies for the 21st century, a potent allegory of what it means to be young and (barely) alive in a dog-eat-dog world.”

**Stephen King says, “An insanely entertaining pulp riff that combines Survivor with World Wrestling Entertainment. Or maybe Royale is just insane.”

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

“It begins with a boy. Theo Decker, a thirteen-year-old New Yorker, miraculously survives an accident that kills his mother. Abandoned by his father, Theo is taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. Bewildered by his strange new home on Park Avenue, disturbed by schoolmates who don’t know how to talk to him, and tormented above all by his unbearable longing for his mother, he clings to one thing that reminds him of her: a small, mysteriously captivating painting that ultimately draws Theo into the underworld of art. As an adult, Theo moves silkily between the drawing rooms of the rich and the dusty labyrinth of an antiques store where he works. He is alienated and in love-and at the center of a narrowing, ever more dangerous circle.”

**Stephen King says, “Tartt proves that the Dickensian novel—expansive and bursting with incident—is alive and well.”

Southern Reach Trilogy by Jeff VanderMeer

“Area X—a remote and lush terrain—has been cut off from the rest of the continent for decades. Nature has reclaimed the last vestiges of human civilization. The first expedition returned with reports of a pristine, Edenic landscape; all the members of the second expedition committed suicide; the third expedition died in a hail of gunfire as its members turned on one another; the members of the eleventh expedition returned as shadows of their former selves, and within months of their return, all had died of aggressive cancer. This is the twelfth expedition.”

**Stephen King says, “I’m loving The Southern Reach Trilogy, by Jeff Vandermeer. Recommended by an indie bookseller. Creepy and fascinating.”

The End of the World Running Club by Adrian J. Walker

“When the world ends and you find yourself forsaken, every second counts. No one knows this more than Edgar Hill. Stranded on the other side of the country from his wife and children, Ed must push himself across a devastated wasteland to get back to them. With the clock ticking and hundreds of miles between them, his best hope is to run — or risk losing what he loves forever.”

**Stephen King says, “This one’s a real find.”

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

“One postwar summer in his home of rural Warwickshire, Dr. Faraday, the son of a maid who has built a life of quiet respectability as a country physician, is called to a patient at lonely Hundreds Hall. Home to the Ayres family for over two centuries, the Georgian house, once impressive and handsome, is now in decline, its masonry crumbling, its gardens choked with weeds, the clock in its stable yard permanently fixed at twenty to nine. Its owners—mother, son, and daughter—are struggling to keep pace with a changing society, as well as with conflicts of their own. But are the Ayreses haunted by something more sinister than a dying way of life? Little does Dr. Faraday know how closely, and how terrifyingly, their story is about to become intimately entwined with his.”

**Stephen King says, “This is a terrifying, engrossing ghost story set in the English countryside not long after World War II, but it’s so much more…Although told in straightforward prose, this is a deeply textured and thoughtful piece of work. Several sleepless nights are guaranteed.”

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

“Cora is a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia. Life is hellish for all the slaves but especially bad for Cora; an outcast even among her fellow Africans, she is coming into womanhood—where even greater pain awaits. When Caesar, a recent arrival from Virginia, tells her about the Underground Railroad, they decide to take a terrifying risk and escape. Matters do not go as planned and, though they manage to find a station and head north, they are being hunted. In Whitehead’s ingenious conception, the Underground Railroad is no mere metaphor—engineers and conductors operate a secret network of tracks and tunnels beneath the Southern soil. Cora and Caesar’s first stop is South Carolina, in a city that initially seems like a haven—but the city’s placid surface masks an insidious scheme designed for its black denizens. Even worse: Ridgeway, the relentless slave catcher, is close on their heels. Forced to flee again, Cora embarks on a harrowing flight, state by state, seeking true freedom.”

**Stephen King says, “Terrific novel of escape, sacrifice, and redemption.”

Now, when I was putting this list together, I had a harder time finding authors of color than I expected. Stephen King is a big fan of “good stories,” so naturally I had to wonder a little about what constitutes a “good story,” for him, and what types of stories most frequently end up on his bookshelf. Since reading books written by authors from different races, ethnicities, and cultures is one of the best ways to enhance your reading experience, I wanted to pass along a few suggestions of my own that I thought the King might appreciate, so Stephen, if you happen to have your eyeballs on this post, here are a few titles you might enjoy, from one Constant Reader to another!

My Sister, the Serial Killer   by Oyinkan Braithwaite

“When Korede’s dinner is interrupted one night by a distress call from her sister, Ayoola, she knows what’s expected of her: bleach, rubber gloves, nerves of steel and a strong stomach. This’ll be the third boyfriend Ayoola’s dispatched in “self-defence” and the third mess that her lethal little sibling has left Korede to clear away. She should probably go to the police for the good of the menfolk of Nigeria, but she loves her sister and, as they say, family always comes first. Until, that is, Ayoola starts dating a doctor at the hospital where Korede works as a nurse. Korede’s long been in love with him, and isn’t prepared to see him wind up with a knife in his back: but to save one would mean sacrificing the other…”

**Katie says, “A blistering, multi-layered satirical gut punch of a novel that is both darkly humorous and deeply disturbing.”

IQ  by Joe Ide

“East Long Beach. The LAPD is barely keeping up with the neighborhood’s high crime rate. Murders go unsolved, lost children unrecovered. But someone from the neighborhood has taken it upon himself to help solve the cases the police can’t or won’t touch. They call him IQ. He’s a loner and a high school dropout, his unassuming nature disguising a relentless determination and a fierce intelligence. He charges his clients whatever they can afford, which might be a set of tires or a homemade casserole. To get by, he’s forced to take on clients that can pay. This time, it’s a rap mogul whose life is in danger. As Isaiah investigates, he encounters a vengeful ex-wife, a crew of notorious cutthroats, a monstrous attack dog, and a hit man who even other hit men say is a lunatic. The deeper Isaiah digs, the more far reaching and dangerous the case becomes.”

**Katie says, “A gritty crime series that’s like if Sherlock Holmes grew up in the projects.”

Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke

“When it comes to law and order, East Texas plays by its own rules–a fact that Darren Mathews, a black Texas Ranger, knows all too well. Deeply ambivalent about growing up black in the lone star state, he was the first in his family to get as far away from Texas as he could. Until duty called him home. When his allegiance to his roots puts his job in jeopardy, he travels up Highway 59 to the small town of Lark, where two murders–a black lawyer from Chicago and a local white woman–have stirred up a hornet’s nest of resentment. Darren must solve the crimes–and save himself in the process–before Lark’s long-simmering racial fault lines erupt. ”

**Katie says, “Attica Locke’s writing completely transports you to this tiny, dusty Texas town, where racial relations have been simmering menacingly for decades. It’s a complicated mystery, with an even more complicated story behind, and it’s absolutely brilliant.”

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

“ Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet.  So begins this exquisite novel about a Chinese American family living in 1970s small-town Ohio. Lydia is the favorite child of Marilyn and James Lee, and her parents are determined that she will fulfill the dreams they were unable to pursue. But when Lydia’s body is found in the local lake, the delicate balancing act that has been keeping the Lee family together is destroyed, tumbling them into chaos.”

**Katie says, “This book is a beautiful look at family, cultural expectations, fitting in, and what happens when the family dynamic is shattered forever. The writing is lyrical, yet razor sharp, and it’s incredible on audio.”

There There by Tommy Orange

“ There There  is a relentlessly paced multigenerational story about violence and recovery, memory and identity, and the beauty and despair woven into the history of a nation and its people. It tells the story of twelve characters, each of whom have private reasons for traveling to the Big Oakland Powwow. Jacquie Red Feather is newly sober and trying to make it back to the family she left behind in shame. Dene Oxendene is pulling his life back together after his uncle’s death and has come to work at the powwow to honor his uncle’s memory. Opal Viola Victoria Bear Shield has come to watch her nephew Orvil, who has taught himself traditional Indian dance through YouTube videos and has come to the powwow to dance in public for the very first time. There will be glorious communion, and a spectacle of sacred tradition and pageantry. And there will be sacrifice, and heroism, and unspeakable loss.”

**Katie says, “An unflinching look at urban Native American life and the way that heritage and memory get passed down through the generations. It’s a book that deserves to be read multiple times.”

Want more Stephen King? Check out some of these other books he’s recommended over the years , or bask in the wisdom he’s shared with 70 Stephen King quotes to commemorate his 70th birthday.

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Stephen King Books In Order

Publication order of bill hodges trilogy books.

Publication Order of The Button Box Books

Publication Order of The Dark Tower Books

Publication Order of The Dark Tower: Beginnings Books

Publication Order of The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three Books

Publication Order of The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Books

Publication Order of Green Mile Books

Publication Order of The Outsider Books

Publication Order of Secretary of Dreams Books

Publication Order of The Shining Books

Publication Order of Talisman Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

Publication Order of Short Story Collections

Publication Order of Graphic Novels

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Transgressions Books

Publication Order of Plays

Publication Order of The Stand: Graphic Novels Books

Publication Order of Beryl Evans Picture Books

Publication Order of Legends Books

Publication Order of American Vampire Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Stephen King Biography:

Stephen King is a prolific American author who is known for his suspense and fantasy novels. King has written several novels since his first short story sale in 1967 that have become pop cultural signposts. Every Stephen King reader has a favorite tale or series, from Christine to Cujo.

His works have sold more than 350 million copies. Many of these have been adapted into movies or series for television. He has written many books, including non-fiction and over 200 short stories. King also has an alias named Richard Bachman. Stephen King was born September 21, 1947 in Portland, Maine. He has an older brother, David. His parents Donald and Nellie Ruth divorced when he was young.

When he was eleven they moved from Indiana to Durham, Maine. King went to elementary school in Durham and graduated in 1966 from Lisbon Falls High School. He attended the University of Maine at Orono where he wrote for the school’s newspaper.

He also was active in Student Senate and supported the anti-war movement at UMO. He graduated in 1970 with a Bachelor of the Arts in English. His daughter Naomi Rose was born the same year. Following graduation, King failed a draft board examination for service and was not drafted to participate in the War. He married Tabitha King in 1971.

He had met Tabitha when they were students in the library stacks where they both worked. King worked as an industrial laundry laborer as a result of not being able to find a teaching position right away. He sold several short stories to magazines and finally found a job teaching English at Hampden Academy in the fall of 1971. He continued to write in his spare time while teaching.

Stephen King’s first novel Carrie was accepted for publication in 1973 by Doubleday & Co. In between the Kings moved to southern Maine due to the poor health of Stephen’s mother. King wrote what would become Salem’s Lot while the family stayed at the summer cottage.

His mother died the same year from cancer at the age of 59. Carrie was published in the spring of 1974. The Kings moved to Colorado for what would ultimately be a year, during which time Stephen King wrote The Shining, which is set in the same state.

Carrie was made in to a feature film starring Sissy Spacek as an outcast high school girl who discovers she has mental powers. It is being made into a 2013 revision starring Chloe Moretz. The Shining was made into a full-length movie in 1980 starring Jack Nicholson and directed by Stanley Kubrick. Jack Nicholson won an Oscar for Best Actor for the role.

The Kings bought a home in western Maine near the lakes and returned there to live for some time. During this period, King wrote The Stand, set in Colorado, and The Dead Zone. The Shining was published in 1977 and The Stand was published the next year.

After spending some time in England, the Kings returned to Maine and bought a house in Center Lovell. They then moved closer to Bangor for a position Stephen had been offered at the University of Maine Orono teaching Creative Writing. In 1979 they returned to Center Lovell, then bought a home in Bangor. King wrote a number of additional novels from 1977 to 1980 as well.

He finished Rage, Night Shift, a collection of stories, The Long Walk, and Firestarter. Cujo was published in 1981. The book would be made into a feature-length film the same year that gave hundreds of children nightmares about a terrifying, crazed rabid dog.

King has little to no memory of writing it. It was during this time period that King’s family staged an intervention for his drug and alcohol addiction. Confronted with the numerous substances he abused, King quit all drugs and alcohol in the late 1980s. He debuted as a director with an adaptation of his short story “Trucks”, called “Maximum Overdrive”.

King published the first of his Dark Tower series in 1982. The novel was called The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger. It would be followed by six more books through the years and is King’s own stated magnum opus. The story spans two worlds that are strangely connected and may be in more ways than one. Roland is The Gunslinger, a courageous man of honor with a storied past.

He is pursuing the mysterious Man In Black, and meets a child named Jake who hails from Manhattan. Part John Wayne, part archetype, the series is inspired by a number of things dear to King, including spaghetti western movies and Kurosawa’s “The Seven Samurai”.

The second story in the Dark Tower series is called The Drawing of the Three”. It was published in 1987. Roland is in a bind once again, waking up on a beach filled with hungry carnivorous lobsters. Three doors appear to him that are linked to different worlds.

They take him to meet different people. These include a dangerous sociopath named Jack Mort, a woman with multiple personalities named Odetta, and Eddie Dean, who is desperately addicted to heroin. Roland must navigate his way through the various timelines and worlds on Earth while just maybe being able to act in them to save a life.

Multiple Stephen King novels have been adapted for television or made into movies over the years. Along the way, they’ve become pop culture icons. Christine, a movie about a car come to life, was made in 1983. The Dead Zone, starring Christopher Walken, also came out that year about a man developing the power to see the future after waking from a coma.

Children of the Corn debuted in 1984 and led to an impressive seven sequels. Firestarter also became a feature film starring Drew Barrymore in 1984 and later became a tv series. Stand By Me was made into a movie in 1986 and enjoyed wide critical success.

King’s Running Man was made into a 1987 film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as a contestant in a dystopian television game show where the winners regain their freedom. Other notable movies include Pet Sematary, a spooky thriller about dead pets come to life, and 1990’s Misery, which Kathy Bates won an Oscar for as the kidnapper of a famous author.

Shawshank Redemption earned rave reviews and The Green Mile grossed over $135 million at the box office alone featuring Michael Clarke Douglas as a doomed inmate with special abilities.

9 Responses to “Stephen King”

I had no idea you had this many publications!

I’m keeping this list as there are many titles I had no idea you had written!!

Please keep writing – your novels are always spectacular!!!

Shannon Dixon Lake City, MN

I have two comments, one general, and one specific. I’m using Your Stephen King section as an example. When you list anthologies for an author, does that mean that all of them have a story in them by the author? If so, are these stories also listed separately or did Stephen King acually write something for an anthology that was never published separatly. I’m asking this because my local library facility is not big on buying anthologies for some reason. A specific question. You have a book listed for Patricia Cornwell called “Chasing the Ripper” with a date of 2014. I can find this book nowhere, and my local library says there is no such book. When you look at the list of an author’s books in one of her efforts, you never see this book listed. Can you give me any information on this effort of hers.

Thanking you for all you do for us readers.

For sure – happy to answer 🙂

In regards to anthologies – right now they’re a bit of a mess. Whether they edited it or wrote a story in it – they’re all added to that section. Occasionally, we may list the short story separately and link to the anthology but that is usually only if the short story won or was nominated for an award.

At one point I would love to organize that section better, list if they are an editor, or list the short story title within the anthology. It’s on my “wishlist”. Sadly, it seems most people just don’t care about anthologies ha, so it’s really low on the priority list.

Chasing the Ripper is available on Amazon. I just checked and see it on there. It’s an ebook only.

Thanks for the feedback much appreciated.

Was there a book written for Maximum Overdrive, if so, is it under another title.

Yep it was based off Trucks which is a short story inside Night Shift .

Can’t get enough love to pieces other than the short story in one of your collection books is there an actual book for 1408

Where’s ‘Cycle of the Werewolf’?

Under the dome parts 1 and 2 are two more of his books that can be added to the list

Hi Tiffany,

Under the Dome is just one novel, which is already on the list under the standalones. I know that some stores list both Part 1 & 2 – what the publishers did is take the original novel, and then split it into 2 later on for additional sales. However it was originally published as one big novel.

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Stephen King Bibliography

The master list of works by the Master of Horror

Warner Bros / Getty Images

• B.A. in English, Duke University

Stephen King is one of the most prolific authors alive, known for writing horror, fantasy, and psychological thrillers. His books have sold more than 350 million copies. Here's some background on the Maine-based writer and a bibliography , featuring details about some of his most notable works.

From 'Carrie' to 'Misery' (1960–1985)

King graduated from the University of Maine in 1970 but did not sell his first novel, "Carrie," until 1974. Here's a look at his work both before and during college.

• 1960: "People, Places, And Things" (limited edition collection of short stories, published with Chris Chelsey)
• 1964: "The Star Invaders" (limited edition)
• 1967 via Startling Stories Magazine: "The Glass Floor"
• 1974: " Carrie ." This was the book that put King on the map; the story of a telekinetic girl and her abusive mother, Carrie goes berserk, killing her classmates after a cruel prank at the prom.
• 1975: "Salem's Lot"
• 1977: "The Shining" This book was made into an iconic 1980 film by Stanley Kubrick, which King reportedly didn't like.
• 1978: "Night Shift" (collection of short stories)
• 1978: " The Stand "
• 1979: "The Dead Zone"
• 1980: "Firestarter"
• 1981: "Cujo"
• 1981: "Danse Macabre" (nonfiction book about horror)
• 1982: " Creepshow " (comic book, illustrated by Bernie Wrightson)
• 1982: "The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger"
• 1982: "Different Seasons" (collection of novellas)
• 1983: "Christine"
• 1983: "Pet Sematary"
• 1983: "Cycle of the Werewolf"
• 1984: "The Talisman" (written with Peter Straub)
• 1985: "Skeleton Crew" (collection of short stories, poems, and a novella titled "The Mist" )
• 1985: "The Bachman Books" (collection of short novels)
• 1986: " It "
• 1987: "The Eyes of the Dragon"

From 'Misery' to 'The Green Mile' (1987–1995)

• 1987: "Misery" is the story of a homicidal nurse who takes an injured writer hostage, was turned into a critically acclaimed movie. Kathy Bates, who played Annie Wilkes, won the 1990 Oscar for Best Actress.
• 1987: "The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three"
• 1987: "The Tommyknockers"
• 1988: "Nightmares in the Sky" (photo book with text by King)
• 1989: "Dark Visions" (collection of short stories)
• 1989: "The Dark Half"
• 1989: "Dolan's Cadillac" (novella originally published in monthly installments in King's official newsletter)
• 1989: "My Pretty Pony" (short story)
• 1990: "The Stand" ("Complete & Uncut" edition)
• 1990: "Four Past Midnight" (collection of novellas)
• 1991: "Needful Things"
• 1991: "The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands"
• 1992: "Gerald's Game"
• 1992: "Dolores Claiborne"
• 1993: "Nightmares & Dreamscapes" (collection of short stories )
• 1994: " Insomnia "
• 1995: " Rose Madder "
• 1995: "Umney's Last Case" (short story)

From 'The Green Mile' and Beyond

• 1996: " The Green Mile " was originally published as a monthly serial consisting of six parts: "The Two Dead Girls , " "The Mouse on the Mile , " "Coffey's Hands , " "The Bad Death of Eduard Delacroix , " "Night Journey , " and "Coffey on the Mile . " In 2000, "The Green Mile" was adapted into a film starring Tom Hanks and Michael Clarke Duncan. The film was nominated for Best Picture, and Duncan was nominated Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of doomed but gentle psychic John Coffey.
• 1996: "Desperation"
• 1997: "Six Stories" (collection of stories)
• 1997: "The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass"
• 1998: "Bag of Bones"
• 1999: "Storm of the Century" (television miniseries written by King)
• 1999: "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon"
• 1999: "The New Lieutenant's Rap" (limited edition short story)
• 1999: "Hearts in Atlantis" (collection of novellas and short stories)
• 1999: "Blood and Smoke" (audiobook of three short stories narrated by King)
• 2000: "On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft" (memoir)
• 2001: "Dreamcatcher"
• 2001: "Black House" (written with Peter Straub)
• 2002: "From a Buick 8"
• 2002: "Everything's Eventual: 14 Dark Tales" (collection of short stories)
• 2003: "The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger" (revised edition)
• 2003: "The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla"
• 2004: "The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah"
• 2004: "The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower"
• 2004: "Faithful." King and co-author Stewart O'Nan began writing their book with no inkling that the long-suffering Red Sox would finally win the World Series after an 86-year drought. It changed the ending they had originally planned.
• 2005: "The Colorado Kid"
• 2006: "The Secretary of Dreams" (series of graphic short story collections authored by King)
• 2006: "Cell"
• 2006: "Lisey's Story"
• 2007: "The Mist" (republished)
• 2008: "Duma Key"
• 2009: "Stephen King Goes to the Movies" (collection of short stories)
• 2009: The Little Sisters of Eluria (limited edition in connection with "The Dark Tower" series)
• 2009: "Graduation Afternoon" (short story published in the magazine "PostScripts")
• 2009: "Throttle" (novella written with King's son, Joe Hill)
• 2009: "Under the Dome." A television show based on the book ran from 2013–2015.
• 2010: Full Dark, No Stars (collection of novellas including "1922," "Big Driver," "Fair Extension," and "A Good Marriage." )
• 2011: "The Dune" (short story published in the magazine "Granta")
• 2011: "11/22/63"
• 2012: " The Dark Tower VIII: The Wind Through the Keyhole"
• 2013: "Hard Listening: The Greatest Rock Band Ever (of Authors) Tells All" (co-written with other authors in King's "author rock band")
• 2013: "Joyland"
• 2013: " The Dark Man" (poem)
• 2013: "Doctor Sleep"
• 2014:  "Revival"
• 2014:  "Mr. Mercedes"
• 2015:  "The Bazaar of Bad Dreams" (collection of short stories)
• 2015:  "Finders Keepers"
• 2016: "End of Watch"
• 2017: "Sleeping Beauties" (co-written with King's son, Owen King)
• 2018: "The Outsider"
• 2018: "Elevation" (novella)
• 2019: "The Institute"

More of King's Short Stories, Essays, Online Publications, and Novellas

• 2000: "Riding the Bullet" (electronically published novella)
• 2000: "The Plant" (unfinished serial novel published electronically)
• 2009: "UR" (novella available only on Amazon's Kindle)
• 2011: "Mile 81" (novella published electronically)
• 2012: "In the Tall Grass" (e-novella written with King's son, Joe Hill)
• 2012: "A Face in the Crowd" (novella published electronically, written with Stewart O'Nan)
• 2013: " Guns" (essay available on Kindle)
• 2015 short stories: " The Dune," "That Bus Is Another World," "Bad Little Kid," "A Death," "Afterlife," "Batman and Robin Have An Altercation," "Summer Thunder," "Drunken Fireworks," "Obits," "Premium Harmony," "Under the Weather," "Morality," "Mister Yummy," "Herman Wouk is Still Alive," "Mile 81."
• 2015 novellas: "Blockade Billy," "UR"
• 2015 poems: "The Bone Church," "Tommy"
• 2015 television: "11/22/63"
• 2016 anthologies: "Hearts in Suspension," "In Sunlight or in Shadow: Stories Inspired by the Paintings of Edward Hopper," "Killer Crimes"
• 2016 short stories: "Man with a Belly," "The Music Room"
• 2016 essay: "Five to One, One in Five"
• 2017 film and television: "My Pretty Pony," "The Mist," "The Dark Tower," "Mr. Mercedes," "IT - Part 1: The Loser's Club," "Gerald's Game," "1922."
• 2018 short stories: "The Blue Air Compressor," "The Turbulence Expert."
• 2019 film: "Pet Sematary," "IT: Chapter Two," "Doctor Sleep."

Richard Bachman's Published Books

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, King wanted to write more than one book per year, but his publishers were concerned about over-saturating the market. He also wanted to know if his books were successful only because he had achieved some level of fame; that is, were they best-sellers because they were high-quality books or only because people wanted to read the latest "Stephen King?"

So King invented the alter-ego of Richard Bachman and released four works under that pseudonym: "Rage" (1977), "The Long Walk" (1979), "Roadwork" (1981), and "The Running Man" (1982) before he was discovered. He wrote several additional works as Bachman though, including "Thinner" (1984), "The Regulators" (1996), and "Blaze" (2007).

Stephen King's Unpublished Books and Stories

• 1959: "Charlie" (short story)
• 1963: "The Aftermath" (novella)
• 1970: "Sword in the Darkness" (novel)
• 1974: "The House on Value Street" (unfinished)
• 1976: "Welcome to Clearwater" (unfinished)
• 1976: "The Corner" (unfinished)
• 1977: "Wimsey" (unfinished)
• 1983: "The Leprechaun" (unfinished)
• 1983: "The Cannibals" (eventually developed into King's "Under the Dome" [2009])
• 1984: "Keyholes" (unfinished)
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• A Timeline of the History of Hollywood Horror Movies
• Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF): History and Winners
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• A Brief History of 3-D Horror Movies

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Stephen King

Stephen King is the author of more than sixty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His recent work includes Holly , Fairy Tale , Billy Summers , If It Bleeds , The Institute , Elevation , The Outsider , Sleeping Beauties (cowritten with his son Owen King ), and the Bill Hodges trilogy : End of Watch , Finders Keepers , and Mr. Mercedes (an Edgar Award winner for Best Novel and a television series streaming on Peacock). His novel 11/22/63 was named a top ten book of 2011 by The New York Times Book Review and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller. His epic works The Dark Tower , It , Pet Sematary , Doctor Sleep , and Firestarter are the basis for major motion pictures, with It now the highest-grossing horror film of all time . He is the recipient of the 2020 Audio Publishers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2018 PEN America Literary Service Award, the 2014 National Medal of Arts, and the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist Tabitha King .

• Books By Stephen King

#1 in Horror

#2 in Literature & Fiction

#3 in Thrillers

#3 in Suspense

#4 in Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

The Gunslinger

The Shining

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

• Bill Hodges Trilogy
• F. Paul Wilson
• Thomas Harris
• Clive Barker
• Peter Straub
• Richard Laymon
• Bentley Little
• David Morrell
• Richard Matheson
• Richard Bachman
• H.P. Lovecraft
• Joe R. Lansdale
• Shirley Jackson
• Steve Rasnic Tem
• Ramsey Campbell
• Nancy A. Collins
• Michael Marshall Smith

Books by Stephen King

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'Salem's Lot

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The Outsider

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The Drawing of the Three

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Doctor Sleep

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Pet Sematary

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The Institute

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The Waste Lands

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Mr. Mercedes

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Under the Dome

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Wizard and Glass

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The Talisman

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Needful Things

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The Green Mile

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Different Seasons

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Wolves of the Calla

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Desperation

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Eyes of the Dragon

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Song of Susannah

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Finders Keepers

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Stephen King books in order

August 5, 2016

Master thriller writer Stephen King has penned over 50 novels , selling 350 million copies in a career that spans over 40 years.

“If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” Stephen King

Famous for his terrifying prose, King writes horror, supernatural, science fiction, fantasy and, more recently, crime novels. When asked why he writes, King responds: “The answer to that is fairly simple — there was nothing else I was made to do. I was made to write stories and I love to write stories. That’s why I do it. I really can’t imagine doing anything else and I can’t imagine not doing what I do.”

Having penned over 200 short stories – many set in his home town of Maine and the most famous arguably being his novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption , the basis for the movie The Shawshank Redemption – it was no surprise when he was awarded a National Medal of Arts from the United States National Endowment for the Arts for his contributions to literature in 2015.

Did you know…

1. King credits The Lurker of the Threshold , a short story collection by HP Lovecraft as the catalyst to him becoming a writer.

2. More Stephen King books have been adapted into films than any other living author.

3. Stephen King also writes under two pen names: Richard Bachman and John Swithen.

4. Carrie was originally planned as a short story but King threw out the first draft. It was rescued by his wife Tabitha.

5. Mr Mercedes , King’s first ‘hard-boiled detective book’, was first published in 2014 and featured retired detective Bill Hodges. It won an Edgar Award and, as the first in a trilogy, was followed by Finders and Keepers and End of Watch .

Read on for a list of Stephen King books in order – or find out how his writing has inspired other writers here .

Stephen King bibliography:

Love Stephen King? You’ll love these…

The Chalk Man by C J Tudor

Eeny Meeny by M J Arlidge

The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen

Dark Corners by Ruth Rendell

The Scent of Death by Simon Beckett

The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris

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87 Comments

I’m only missing 4 of the 60 Novels but I also have many more books written by Stephen Kings’. (The small books with his stories in them in the beginning of his career.) He is the greatest of all authors or storytellers. I also have books about him. I’m hoping one day to visit his hometown just to see the gates outside his home.

In the fall of 1980 I went to a drivein movie double feature with a group of friends. The shining and Friday the 13th were playing. Friday the 13th gave us all the expected scares BUT The Shining gave me the psychological scares. I’ve been in love with Stephen King books and movies since. I’ve read almost all of his books. My friends still tease me about reading “It” while pregnant with my son.

My best books has to be pets cemetery Carrie and Christine he Is the best male author of horror

Stephen King knows how to entertain people and he is the master of horror

Pet Cemetery- my all-time favorite! Desperation second. Started reading Pet Cemetery in middle school and my teachers were “shocked” my parents let me read that “type of book” at that age. Unfortunately, I’d experienced more stuff in my life than most at that point, it was an enjoyable read and I don’t regret it!

I’m surprised how many people overlook the Dark Tower books. They are literary perfection and my all time favorite story.

Stephen King is the best! My first book was Salem’s Lot…needless to say, it’s fantastic. I love his frightening stories best, but I must say when he writes about women, ie: Dolores Claiborne and Gerald’s Game, he is very insightful. An amazing writer, I’ve read everything he’s published. He really is the KING!

What better barometer of an author’s impact than to be revisited by their characters and plot lines at random moments each day? Stephen King’s works live deep within me, bubbling up into conscious thought with incredible frequency. His mastery of the written word is a constant inspiration for my own writing these days.

Salems Lot was the first Stephen King book I read. That was shortly after it was published. I was around 19 and became so completely engrossed, I had to sleep with my light on after reading at night. Salems Lot reawakened my childhood fear of vampires for a couple of weeks…and I loved it. I’ve been a fan ever since.

I loved Salem’s lot but I really loved the mini series I was like 8 or 9 years old .first movie to scare me.i also loved Rose Red . I Enjoyed reading Bag of bones but not the actors in the TV version ,pierce Bronson no good.Tommy knocked ,mist,langoliers and the cell ,dream catchers and in the tall green grass I really could not get into.i loved when he wrote stuff like Shawshank,hearts of atlantis ,misery,apt pupil ,rear window(loved the book and jonny depp)

I found this while looking for King books I might not have read. I loved Billy Summers and the Mr. Mercedes trilogy. My first Stephen King book was The Stand. It was likely shortly after the paperback was released. I was a struggling young actor in NYC at the time. I’ve enjoyed every King book I’ve read so far. Finished Fairy Tale a few days ago. I wrote short stories in High School and was encouraged by my teacher, Miss Nyhart. Went to college thinking I’d be a novelist. I switched track pursue theater. I had a book of poetry published, In Mercurial Days, and from January of 2021 until February of 2022 I wrote 34 flash fiction stories. At the age of 73, I find I can’t act as well as Anthony Hopkins or write as well as Stephen King. I have tried. Attempted imitation is the highest form of flattery. I think King has gotten better over the years. Thank you and keep writing, sir.

I have to say that Mr. King is an amazing author and I consider him to be the BEST of ALL TIME. My mother started reading and collecting his books when they first came out and continued getting every book as soon as it was released until she passed away in 2012. She allowed me to read each book only AFTER she finished with it. When she passed, I continued collecting his works not only to honor my mother but because I love how I get totally lost in the worlds of his imagination (and my own). My oldest sister fell in love with his writing and now I have 3 others in my family that have begun collecting his works as well. I really wish I had the words to express just how much my entire family has enjoyed his wonderful way of entertainment and cannot say THANK YOU enough for sharing.

To whoever said Cell and Bag of Bones are his best I assume you’re making a joke. The Stand is my favorite novel ever, not just SK Of the newer ones: Under the Dome, the Hodges trilogy, and 11/24/63.

I read The shining when I was 13 years old. Been hooked on King ever since. I have read 90 % of his books. Still have it all in my book collection. No other author there although I do read others, but I keep King near to reread it. Can’t say I have a favorite because I love them all.

Cell and Bag of Bones are his best.

I loved his books Carrie, It, Firestarter and the Shining. Not in that particular order; nevertheless, I still loved them. Steven King is a master mind when it comes to horror writing

In his writing Stephen King describes the surrounding world in the same fashion as I perceive it which makes me love reading his books. The small details he pays attention to are similar to what I pay attention to. It is like I am being transported to the time and place the story takes place. Read almost all his books. My two favourites are probably Needful Things and Everything is Eventual.

Stephen King is one of the greatest wordsmiths in the history of literature. He paints pictures you can’t possibly imagine. Movies and TV cannot do him justice although the Salem’s Lot TV mini-series was good. One of his latest, Billy Summers, is an excellent read in a different genre.

I started reading King in 1975, the same year I met my wife ( on a blind date, attending a screening of “The Exorcist”). My first book was “Salems Lot”, still one on my favorites. Movie versions did not do justice. I felt “Duma Key” was very underrated, and I loved it. People think his masterpiece (including my wife) is “The Stand”. But for me, his best book ever was “11/22/63”. I had trouble putting it down. I am now reading “Fairy Tale”, and it is definitely in the running to be my all time favorite. My wish would one day to actually meet Mr. King, and simply say “Thank you”. He has given me 47 years of happiness. Besides my wife of 46 years, no one has given me more pleasure in my life, year after year.

I started reading Stephen King in middle school and haven’t stopped! I’m like a kid in a candy store when a new book releases. Both my daughters now have the same passion for Stephen king and have read all of his books and have started their search for Bachman books

Like several other people have mentioned, my first book was The Shining when I was in my early teens. And like them I was HOOKED!! I read them in order as well as the Bachman books which I also strongly suspected were King’s. My all time favorite is The Stand. I and my best friend read it together when I was 16! The same copy mind you! I was flabbergasted that it was not listed in the top 20 Goodread books. I can’t say I have only a couple favorites bcuz he’s written so many wonderful books. I love becoming completely immersed in the story. Opening a new book to the first page and feeling myself sink quickly into King’s world! My second fave horror writer is Koontz and I also became a fan after reading Watchers. But I have to say I cannot NOT read a Stephen King book. While, eh, I don’t mind so much with Koontz. Forever a SK fan!

I would love to see The Talisman as a Peter Jackson movie. Great author and a great director collaboration.

The Stand is the best story EVER. Read at least 20 times. Seen miniseries probably as much. Thought about Tz Billy Mumy “that’s a good thing “

I’m about the same age as Mr King (74 May 24) and can’t say how many times his books saved me…especially from depressive thoughts… I have read The Long Walk so many times I’ve had to replace it twice. There is one other book, not by my fav, King, but by Ira Levin, This Perfect Day. Try it while waiting for Mr King to publish again. Thank you SK! I love your work and have answered my daughter who wanted to know what I want for my birthday… Stephen King’s cds!!!

I’ve been reading Stephen King novels since High School, beginning with Carrie. I’ve reread most of them. My favorite is The Stand. The characters he creates makes you feel like part of the story. A quiet observer. You either love the characters or dislike them. You feel invested to continue reading to the end and hope the good guys prevail. I love his new detective novels too. The man can write anything. Pure genius.

I’ve been reading Stephen King novels since The Shining came out in 1977. I was hooked! I started re-reading all of his books a few years ago and they’re just as good as when they were first published. Thank you Mr. King for all the hours of pure enjoyment you’ve given me for the last 45 years!

His books transport you to the time and place they are set. They have such familiarity to me. The places and people could be your next door neighbours. Have every book and like many here The Stand is my favourite. Read it five times so far. Simply the best writer.

I’ve read all of Stephen King books more than once. He’s a world treasure. Hope he keeps on writing for a long long time.

King is our Poe–An American Treasure. I’ve read 98 percent of his total work and forgive me but I may be his biggest fan. Ha. Beginning with The Shining and then backing up for Carrie and Salem’s Lot and then forever waiting, waiting for the next one! He’s brilliant and more than enriches my life. Thank you Mr. King.

I own every hardback and some paperbacks since Carrie. His 2010 book Full Dark , No Stars. Contains stories that are fully demented. I still haven’t read every story in that book. But love Stephen King for every other book.

Just started his books about a week ago. Read the shining and it had me hooked, now I want to read more of his works

I was a high school girl when Carrie came out so naturally I was hooked read every single one got a book signed at the Harold Washington Library in Chicago he didn’t rat me out for having a used book instead of purchasing one there looked at me and nodded what a great guy

Just finished Billy Summers and loved it

I’ve read a lot of Stephen King novels, but have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed 11/22/63. A twist of history and a whole lot of Stephen King at his best.

Love this author he is the best at what he does

This man as been in my life through his books for years and everyone from start to finnish you cannot put down.I have to carry them around with me all the time

Best author ever his books when you start reading you cannot put down till its finnished

I read Carrie when it first came out in 1974, I was 14 years old and I was afraid my mom would find out that the book I was reading she wouldn’t approve of, but I kept reading. I have been a fan of Stephen King ever since, collecting every book as they come out. I even collect the movies, and TV series. I enjoy them all. I wish I could meet Stephen King and just sit down and chat, not act like a crazy fan… but rather get to be a friend to someone who has given me hours of enjoyment to escape to another world.

Too many great books but The Dark Tower series are by far the greatest. Please hurry with another one in this series. For any new reader start at the first then continue to the last with no gaps..It took me almost 20 years to get them all.

I read The Shining when I was a teenager. It terrified me so much I would throw it on the floor, wait a couple of days and then pick it up again but I was completely hooked. My favourite author

I wasn’t much of a reader. Then I picked up cujo now I’m a constant reader of all kings books. Green mile had me in tears. Then the film came out so true to the book. Yep tears again. Great writer. I scan bookshops for any of hes books have a big collection now but not all. I hope I complete my collection one day. A big thank you Mr king.

Started with “The Stand” in the ‘70s. Couldn’t put it down! Reading Stephen King’s writing feels like he is sitting beside you telling you a story. Just finished “If It Bleeds”. My fav Christmas / birthday gift… Stephen King books!!! They are the best!

I have been a fervent reader all my live. I read from 15 to 40 books a year depending on my schedule. I have five favorate writers, but read many others. My favorite author has always been King. Why, because he can make me believe things I know that aren’t true, I guess? That is a very unique talent for a writer to be able to accomplish. We should all be happy we found this writer.

I’ve been a Stephen King fan since I first read Carrie & Firestarter way back in high school. I love all his books & have read everything written by him! I am currently reading his new release LATER. My favorites of his are the Mr. Mercedes trilogy followed closely by Misery & The Shining!

The ONLY author I collect is Stephen King, and I’ve got every one of his books. I’ve seen all of the movies that were made, some good, some not so. But the one movie that is an exception is The Green Mile. Lord, I’ve seen that movie 25 times or more and cry like a baby every time! That movie and The Shawshank Redemption are the two best.

Stephen king is incredible. I will never understand how such a deep well of creativity and brilliance can all spring from just one person. He makes you believe the unbelievable. I will never forget reading The Stand as a teenager.. I would start reading around 10 pm and, once, I was horrified when my alarm went off at 6 am…and I was still up reading. I had to call in to work. LOL. Ive also read The Long Walk 3 times….that story hits me in the bone marrow like nothing else ever has. Would love to meet the man just one time, and say thank you. Thank you for the thousands of hours of engrossing entertainment that have helped me escape reality and brought so much enjoyment to my life.

Just started reading again and Stephen king was the right choice to come back to. Finished Christine just now and have decided to read all his books in order now excluding a couple I’ve read. Just picked up Carrie from the library 🙂

my favorite…REVIVAL

I love the Dark Towers. Opens another dimension.

I have read every one of Stephen King’s books, not in order, and I just finished Joyland which was the last one I had to read. Now I will wait for the next book… I hope it comes out soon! I bought the stand at a yard sale for $0.25 30 years ago haven’t been able to put him down since then!

i love IT, i love chapter 1 and 2

Stephen King has been my favorite since high school 25 years ago. I always tell people that is the man I lay down with in bed,that’s my relaxing time to enjoy and really read and feel like I’m in the story

I absolutely love Stephen king and all of his books . I first read Carrie in 1974 and have been a fan ever since . As soon as his book club started I joined . I was a member until I moved to Idaho and I only received a couple books and a calendar and then they stopped coming . I was saddened. But have since been able to buy the remaining books that were missing from my book collection. I’m reading revival now and just ordered Joyland to finish up what I didn’t own . Will be keeping a better eye out for new books . Stephen king has me hooked . Dean koontz hooked me as well with Watchers .,and I’m hooked on true crime .

Love Mr. King. My favourite is Cujo

The one gift I will Always love

In my opinion Michael Hovey is talking a load of rubbish. Youre not a Stephen King fan if you believe the list of books he gave are uninteresting. I’ve yet to read one of the geniuses books that I’m not hooked on immediately.

I have every book on this list except 2. I have to say that a few of my favourites are definitely Desperation and Needful Things. Stephen king IS the master of horror.. Long time fan and slways will be!

My favorite is Shawshank redemption

I have many Stephen King books in my bookcase. I have read them all more than once. Every year for Christmas my husband gets me another Stephen King book because he knows that is the one gift that I will not return. LOL I have yet to find one that does not hold my attention. Love his work.

A friend of mine gave me Pet Cemetery to read in my early 20’s, I’m 60 now and still can’t get enough Stephen King in my life, still reading and collecting everything he writes, it’s like he’s a friend that when you need to forget what’s going on around you, you can always grab one of his books and immediately relax and escape for a while

The first King book I read was Misery. My favourite is Tommyknockers. So rich with twinges of self-indulgent humour. How he must giggle to himself by times.

My first book that I got into was Christine

I starter with Salem Lot and have been hooked for years. The Dark Tower Series was the best series of books I’ve ever read. I hate to complain about Mr Kings later books..I thought that the rushed feel of them was not fair to his long time fans.

My first King book, like many others, was Carrie and then continued on until it hit some repetition. It is very difficult to come up with all those different angles, different characters, different plots and not reference on some other places, peoples, or things in plots or subplots. The Stand is, by far, my favorite, and I went on reading up until Geralds Game, including his novella books. There are many great authors, and without any doubts, King is among them.

In my opinion some of his stuff like salem’s lot the shining IT the stand liseys story revival and duma key just aren’t very good or interesting enough to read all the way through, but the vast majority of his books are well worth reading. For me the complete eight book series of the dark tower is the greatest work of fiction there ever will be, only being surpassed by the complete works of Shakespeare and the original version of the pilgrim’s progress. Other stories of his that I absolutely adore are Carrie the dead zone firestarter cujo creepshow cycle of the werewolf needful things insomnia rose madder hearts in Atlantis everything’s eventual four past midnight if it bleeds elevation the institute misery the eyes of the dragon different seasons and the vastly underrated ghost brothers of darkland county. All in all Stephen King is easily my favorite author besides Shakespeare and God himself.

I love stephen king. My first read was pet sematary and have been a fan ever since. I’ve got over half of all his books and I’m working on getting the rest of the collection. There will never be another writer like him.

I adore Stephen King’s novels. Started as a teenager with Carrie and continued reading his books until I got to Desperation. That book scared me so bad I vowed never to read another King book again – and I didn’t for years. But you can’t keep great writing from pulling at one’s heart strings and so I finally started reading King novels again. I read other types of books as well. But reading King books is like eating dessert. When I want sheer pleasure I picked one up and let the story touch my palette in a way no other writer can. My personal favorites (for their unique writing format and intricacy of story structure) are Lisey’s Story and Song Of Susannah. But just about everything he’s written has blown me away.

I’ve been hooked since I was about 12. I think my 1st book was Carrie. I remember getting in trouble with my mom for taking her copy of IT to school. I couldn’t find a stopping point so it got confiscated by the teacher. There are quite a few titles not on the list. My goal is to read them all!

Stephen King is the reason I started reading scary novels. The first novel I had ever read was Cujo. I am a animal lover and for him to make the St. Bernard a vicious animal was the most best thing. Ever since I have loved his writing. I love collecting his novels. Thank u for being a great Author and please don’t stop writing. Thank u.

I have long been a reader of Stephen King. The first Stephen King book I ever read was Christine when I was around 11 or 12. I was always fond of the old Chevy cars. To imagine one that could not only repair itself but “solve” your problems for you was fantastic. I have since read almost every book he has written, except for a few that I could not find in the shops. I have two daughters now that are reading all my King books. I still have most of them, some have been misplaced through many moves around the country. I recommend Stephen King to anybody who enjoys a book you can’t put down.

Oh gosh, started with Carrie and Salem’s lot. In my teens I think. Still requesting a new Stephen King Hardback every year for Christmas. FAVORITE AUTHOR ever.

One of my all time favorite authors. Thos list is missing a couple of titles Different Seasons which was a collection of 4 different novellas which included the The Body which was retitled Stand By Me in the movie version. Also missing is Night Shift which was a collection of some of the scariest short stories ever written. I think there may a few other collection of short stories missing as well . Amazing career this man has had.

There is no other author in my life but Stephen King. He is very talented and a great writer. When ‘Thinner’ was released, I recognized early on that the author was Stephen King and got into a heated argument with my sister, who insisted that I read this book by Richard Bachman. When I am reading Stephen King writings, I feel that I know each character as being real people. That is how involved I get with his characters. Would love to see my name as a character in one of his future writings…just dreaming.

My first book was Misery. I can’t put one book as my favorite because there are too many to choose from! Which is a good thing. When I want a break from reality I think of The Green Mile and Pet Sematary because I have lost several family members, it would be nice for them to have been healed of their illness or brought back to spend more time with them. For this I thank you Stephen King and I would enjoy a chance to meet you one day.

Found Stephen King only a few months ago. If there’s one problem I’ve had with King it is simply that I haven’t been able to put him down. Constantly finding new times to read.

I first read The Shining when I was 15, that was 40 years ago and King is still my favourite author. My all time favourites are Talisman and the Tommyknockers.

I started reading King when I was about 12/13, read Carrie, Christine, Salems Lot, Cujo, The Stand, The Shining, Pet Cemetery, Thinner and The Dead Zone. Great memories reading them in my teens along with James Herbert and Koontz, was really hooked on horror novels. At the age of 16/17 I started reading It and realised I found them childish, don’t shoot me! But that’s how I feel about King, great for a certain period in your life but I found it short lived and moved away from horror on to other genres as well as biographies and history books. If you’ve found him continually entertaining for your whole life that’s great, but for me it was part of my childhood.

I was introduced to Mr King at the age of 11 when I found a copy of Pet Sematary, and have been hooked ever since

I’ve been a Constant Reader since Carrie. I look forward to every new book that comes out – I begin each one with anticipation and finish it with sadness because it means I have to wait for the next one. Christine is and I think always will be my favorite- I have read it at least 5 times. There is just something about that story. For my own selfish pleasure I want Mr. King to live forever! If he doesn’t, well I hope someone buries him in the Pet Sematary.

I love his work I didn’t read them in order but I love them. sometimes I would have to take a break because it was so gruesome and in detail but I’ve learned to love it. If you haven’t read at least one of his books then let me ask

WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR LIFE?!

Yes, I too am a true Stephen King fan! Started with Carrie and never stopped dancing. Regardless of the content, I struggled with a couple but they were so well written that there was never a question of not finishing. Even as the absolutely unbelievable became believable in my head! The Dark Tower and The Stand remain my absolute favorites.

Been a fan since 1975 when I found a copy of Carrie in a garbage dumpster. There was a book mark on page 26. I remember thinking that 26 pages wasn’t much of a chance, so I snagged it and thought it was awesome.

A great writer, and as we new Englanders say, a hell of a good guy.

I’ve read them all.. starting with carrie. I love his character development. I feel like I’m part of the story. I’m not always happy how it ends but then again tha try s life. It never turns out how you predicted, does it?

I’ve read everything that King has written, including his nonfiction works. Not exactly all of them. The few newer ones, the ones after End of Watch, I haven’t had the pleasure. Yet. For the most part, I’ve loved every one of his books. Of course, there are always exceptions to every rule. So, there a couple that aren’t on the top of my list, but no matter what, I always finish what I’m reading. Whether I’m enjoying it or not. Anyway, I’m REALLY looking forward to getting my hands on the ones that I haven’t read.

I’ve grown up with Stephen King and even had my photo taken outside his giant house, in the days when stalking was legal. From the terrifying early novels of Carrie and Salems Lot right up to End of Watch. Obviously there has been highs and lows but each book holds its own joys and memories. He sells his books in ridiculous quantities and it’s only right that he’s been honoured. In fifty years from now, they’ll be teaching Stephen King in English classrooms the way they do with Shakespeare and Steinbeck.

Under the Dome (2009)

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All 77 Stephen King Books, Ranked

We’ve sorted through the exhilarating highs, the bewildering lows, and many unexpected diversions.

Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. We may earn a commission from these links.

There will probably never be another author like Stephen King. I’m not sure there ever could be.

Since the publication of his first novel, Carrie , fifty years ago, King has held dominion over the landscape of horror. He arrived during a resurgent interest in all things frightening–following the success of Ira Levin’s Rosemary’s Baby (1967) and William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist (1971)—and quickly set about reshaping the genre in his own image. King has regularly published two or three books per year, a stream of words flowing incessantly west toward Hollywood. Almost everything he has ever written has been optioned or adapted for the screen, in some cases several times.

Such prolificacy has often led to sniffing criticism from those who consider him “merely” a horror writer (as if horror is anything “mere”). But for millions of readers and writers, he is our North Star, our Southern Cross. We navigate by him. I have interviewed hundreds of horror writers from all across the genre’s wide spectrum, and when asked for their inspirations and their gateways to fearful fiction, so many leap immediately to King. Nat Cassidy, author of 2022’s Mary: An Awakening of Terror , put it best, describing King as his “mother tongue.” He is not just a writer; he is an industry, an aesthetic, a genre of one.

Of course, in so long and varied a career, there are exhilarating highs, a few bewildering lows, and many unexpected diversions. The following list is an attempt to rank King’s published work in all its darkness, weatherworn beauty, and surprising weirdness. The man has written seventy-seven books, so some nod to brevity is required. Any published stories compiled within a larger collection will not be ranked singularly. That still leaves sixty-plus novels and more than a dozen collections of tales. Together, they form a dark constellation of stories that generations have traced, in wonder and fear and hope.

Below, I’ve ranked King's books in order from worst to best. Let’s get started.

That Faithful has made this list at all is a sign of my obsessive completionism. This chronicle of the Boston Red Sox’s 2004 season is almost unreadable to anyone who isn’t an aficionado of baseball. Early passages in which King and fellow über-fan O’Nan head to off-season training in Florida do capture something of the enthusiasm and nostalgia for the Great American Pastime. Beyond that, Faithful is a series of stats and fixtures as obscure as King’s most convoluted mythologies. A book for baseball fans only.

Hard Case Crime The Colorado Kid

King’s first venture with the Hard Case Crime imprint is the most minor of novellas. The Colorado Kid is a half-baked tale of small-town journalism and an unsolved crime. For two hundred pages King teases us with the ingenuity of the mystery—seemingly inspired by the case of the Somerton Man—before…simply leaving it unresolved. Though the point is that some things can never be adequately explained, such a philosophy feels like a breach in the contract between reader and mystery writer.

Scribner Sleeping Beauties

Around the world a sleeping sickness plunges women into a strange, cocooned state. If awakened, they turn homicidal. King and his son screw this global story down to a small town and its prison, where the plague is revealed to be something far odder and more mystical. It’s a bold attempt to tell a large-scale, female-focused story, but the politics, the metaphysics, and the characters never feel fully developed. It has all the hallmarks of classic King, but it’s his most unengaging novel.

The early-to-mid noughties saw the zombie shamble back to the forefront of the horror scene. At the same time, nineties technophobia got a new burst of digital energy. Cell brings the two together, with a malicious cell-phone signal turning the populace into the very-next-thing-to-undead. Despite its barnstorming first chapter and a moving, uncharacteristically ambiguous ending, Cell is often considered the “worst” Stephen King novel. It’s hard to argue. Characters are flatter than usual, King has done the dream-invading antagonist far better elsewhere, and rather ironically for a story structured around a single-minded road trip, the book never feels like it has any particular destination in mind.

Dreamcatcher

This oh-so-weird tale of “shit weasels” and aliens made of cancer is the other candidate for King’s least-loved novel. In this case, it’s an opinion that the author largely shares. There is some justification here; King wrote the book while recovering from his life-threatening car accident, and he confesses that the book was written under the influence of OxyContin. It shows. A superbly graphic opening (I repeat: SHIT WEASELS) is stretched too far and too thin. The final third is a confusion of italicized fragments as the heroes fight the alien foe on a psychological battlefield. Kudos for taking us back to Derry, where it is hinted that a great villain still slumbers, but it’s not enough to save this scatological misfire.

Scribner If It Bleeds

Roughly once a decade, King releases a collection of novellas that show his gift for building character and worlds on a smaller scale. His most recent offering is the weakest, relying too often on rehashed themes. The title story is an entirely unnecessary sequel to The Outsider (2017), led by a character King loves but who leaves me cold. Mr. Harrigan’s Phone is a campfire tale of friendship between a teenage boy and an old man, featuring King’s patented Haunted Technology™. Rat is a Poe-esque story of madness and creative isolation that he’s already done so much more effectively several times before. Only The Life of Chuck swings for greatness. An elegiac experiment about the difference a single life can make, it’s genuinely lovely, but it doesn’t save the collection from feeling a little disposable.

Gallery 13 Cycle of the Werewolf

Cycle of the Werewolf began as an idea for a spooky calendar before King expanded it into an illustrated novella, organized around the monthly lycanthropic attacks on the town of Tarker’s Mills. As the bodies mount up, Marty Coslaw, a ten-year-old in a wheelchair, investigates which of the townsfolk howl with the moon. Cycle is King’s slightest book; despite the pulpy gorgeousness of Bernie Wrightson’s illustrations, the format is unavoidably superficial. Perhaps the greatest shame is that it means we never got a full-blooded werewolf novel from King.

Hard Case Crime Later

If King occasionally repeats himself, well, it’s partly due to his obsession with certain themes, and partly because…c’mon…after fifty years and seventy-seven books, how could there not be retrodden ground? It’s exceedingly rare that King fails to bring something new to the mix, however, and Later does offer a particularly malicious ghost and a thrilling link to one of the author’s truly great novels. But otherwise it’s a strangely enervated trip to his school of supernaturally gifted children. Like The Colorado Kid , it’s published under the Hard Case Crime imprint, but whereas that book had a damp squib of an ending, Later closes with one of the most astonishingly batshit answers to a question that no one was really asking.

Gallery Books Finders Keepers

Though he’s written more than fifty stand-alone novels, several loose sequels, and a whole multiverse connecting his fictional worlds, it took King forty years to try his hand at straightforward series fiction. The Bill Hodges Trilogy follows a middle-aged detective and his neurodivergent sidekick as they solve crimes. This, the middle volume, is easily the least engaging. As a crime story, Finders Keepers is…fine, one of King’s many explorations of the twisted relationship between writer and reader. In this case, though, he has nothing particularly new to say on the subject.

Gallery Books Gwendy’s Button Box

Gwendy’s Button Box is a belated return to Castle Rock, the fictional Maine town that we shall visit many times in later entries. It also features a villain with the initials R.F. For the initiated, this anchors the story firmly in King’s wider mythology. For everyone else, it’s a simple Faustian bargain between the darkly becloaked fellow and twelve-year-old Gwendy, for whom the titular box brings both personal reward and broader tragedy. I asked Richard Chizmar what it was like to collaborate with King. His answer: “Sheer terror and a wonderful experience.” Though the terror doesn’t manifest on the page, some of the wonder does, resulting in a book that’s closer to Ray Bradbury’s idyllic American fables than horror. It’s a lightweight start to a trilogy that grows in grandeur.

Scribner The Wind Through the Keyhole

Nearly a decade after the conclusion of the epic Dark Tower series, King returned to Mid-World for this inessential yet enjoyable addendum to the story. It falls somewhere in the middle of the overall saga as Roland and his Ka-Tet (this will all make sense later, I promise) weather a brutal storm telling stories. What follows is a pair of nested tales featuring dragons, wizards, and the fearsome Skin-Man. The Wind Through the Keyhole is only a minor extension of the vast world-spanning series that preceded it, but it does add flesh to the skeleton in Roland’s oedipal closet.

Scribner The Institute

I was so excited when news of The Institute broke. Gifted children, a creepy facility deep in the Maine woods, a massive page count, and early comparisons to It : The stars seemed aligned for a return to the classic King of the paperback racks. In reality, The Institute is a solid novel, though only in its gasping escape sequence does it ever become more than that. It suffers a little from similarity to Stranger Things , and the orphaned Luke doesn’t quite capture the heart like other King children. But no one else writes adult fare from a child’s perspective so well, or so terrifyingly, and there are moments when the cold apathy of the Institute’s staff is more disturbing than any kiddie-devouring entity could hope to be.

Gallery Books Black House: A Novel

Black House is King’s first direct sequel, continuing the story he and Peter Straub began in The Talisman . Jack Sawyer, the boy hero, has grown up to become a police officer in pursuit of the child-killing “Fisherman.” It’s only fair, one supposes, that after setting the first book in King’s New England, the sequel should relocate to Straub’s Wisconsin. That’s seemingly as far as Straub’s influence goes, however, as Black House essentially serves as a satellite text to King’s increasingly engulfing Dark Tower mythos. Black House is a fun read with a memorably awful villain, whose unmentionable crimes are based on those of real-life killer Albert Fish. However, I wonder if, in forcing the book to serve the beam, it doesn’t squander some of the unique magic that King and Straub bottled the first time around.

Scribner The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah

It’s almost impossible to convey the complexity of the Dark Tower series, even if you proceed in book order. So what chance is there when starting with the sixth book of seven? Especially when that book is a metafictional experiment connecting not only our world and the world of the Tower but also all the worlds created by Stephen King. Oh, and King…he’s a character in this one—a sort of literary MacGuffin whose survival is key to saving existence. It’s a testament to his character that he somehow pulls this off with humility and self-deprecation. Song of Susannah is not a bad book, just one that’s forced to do a lot of heavy metaphysical lifting in a series already weighted with mad ambition. By this point, though, you’re already in all the way.

Gallery Books Christine

The first of King’s big eighties bestsellers on this list, Christine is beloved by many. To me, it’s the King book that comes closest to hubris (and yes, that includes the previous entry, in which King himself is a nexus of all realities). This story of a possessed 1958 Plymouth Fury and the twisted love triangle involving the car, the boy, and his girl has plenty of rockabilly B-movie appeal yet not enough to warrant nearly six hundred pages. It’s clearly a labor of love, as the effort of obtaining rights to a long list of fifties lyrics shows, but it’s the least successful book of King’s early prime.

Scribner Elevation, by Stephen King

Another recent novella set in Castle Rock, Elevation is at once a tragicomic fairy tale and a critique of the petty prejudice of small New England communities. Scott Carey is losing weight by the day, though his mass and appearance remain unchanged. At the same time, he comes into the orbit of a beleaguered lesbian couple. Frustratingly, Scott’s condition is never explained, nor does that speculative aspect of the plot entwine satisfactorily with King’s well-meaning but naive take on LGBTQ+ issues. Nonetheless, the climax is a small moment of bittersweet joy, most reminiscent of my favorite short story, “Pop Art,” written by King’s son Joe Hill.

Pocket Books End of Watch

The concluding chapter of the Bill Hodges Trilogy is better than the second and slightly inferior to the first. There is a sense that King has either lost confidence in the gritty crime aspect of the series or is just bored. Either way, he can’t resist injecting some supernatural shenanigans into the mix. The concept of a bed-bound villain with the ability to drive his victims to suicide is potentially chilling, but when King introduces a mesmeric mobile-phone app, things take a turn for the silly. End of Watch refines the central pairing of Bill and Holly to great emotional effect. Though it more than earns the pathos of its ending, I was glad to move on from the series. King seemed to feel the same, but he’s since returned to Ms. Gibney in three further stories, with a fourth to come.

Gallery Books The Tommyknockers

What is it about being high that gets King thinking about aliens? Dreamcatcher was written on painkillers and The Tommyknockers was created with King’s “heart running at one hundred and thirty beats a minute and cotton swabs stuck up my nose to stem the coke-induced bleeding.” This story of extra-terrestrial ghosts and their weird technological influence is often considered to be the nadir of King’s fiction, so readers may be annoyed to find it ranked above Christine . However, despite the ridiculousness of the premise and an anticlimactic ending, the book has an endearing, freewheeling whimsy. And an early section, in which the alcoholic James Gardener drunkenly navigates the cocktail party from hell, is a great example of how sometimes King’s character-building diversions can be the real treasures buried in the story.

Gallery Books The Regulators

By 1996, Stephen King seemed to grow tired of the standard approach to novel writing. Not only did he opt to write The Green Mile in Dickensian installments, but he also wrote Desperation and The Regulators as a pair of “sister” novels with the same characters, though in very different universes. The former was credited to King, while The Regulators, the more off-kilter of the two, was posed as a posthumous release by Richard Bachman (King’s pseudonym). In The Regulators , the demonic Tak possesses an autistic child and leverages the boy’s obsession with TV shows to transform a suburban street into a lurid pastiche of the Old West. It’s a bizarre, often nasty variation on the community spirit that is so often the warm heart of King’s fiction.

Gallery Books Thinner

Thinner was the last novel published under the Bachman alias before King’s alter ego died of “cancer of the pseudonym” in 1985. It’s a simple morality tale about a man cursed to lose weight regardless of how much he eats, with all the Bachman hallmarks: a streamlined narrative, amoral characterization, and an ending that is pure, cruel comedy. Thinner is one of a series of morsels served between the grand feasts of The Talisman and It , but it leaves a delightfully nasty taste.

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The Complete List of Stephen King Books In Order

Stephen King is a household name, a legendary American author with more than 50 novels and 200 short stories to his name.

He isn’t new either, he’s been publishing books since1974. His stories are what you read if you are looking for a scare ton of chapters. They’re full of chilling horror, suspense, crime, magical realism, and happenings of the supernatural nature.

It’s no surprise then that his books have sold more than 350 million copies, and most of his literary works have been adapted into television series and films.

And… in 2015, Stephen King was awarded a National Medal of Arts from the United States National Endowment for the Arts, thanking him for all he’s done for literature.

I just had to write a post on this phenomenal writer! So, I compiled a complete list of Stephen King’s Books.

I have added some fun facts and some FAQs, so read on to know about the world’s best horror writer.

Our Top 3 Stephen King Books at a Glance:

• Carrie (1974)
• The Shining (1977)

Who is Stephen King?

Stephen Edwin King is an American author who has written horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. He was born on September 21, 1947, and has been publishing bestsellers for over 45 years.

Before his successful writing career, he was an English Teacher, which—presumably—formed strong foundations for his mastery of writing.

He’s used in his hometown, Maine, as the setting for a lot of stories including Pet Sematary and Carrie. He also advises upcoming writers to use things and settings they know to create a relatable world and experience.

His works have earned him a lot of awards and general recognition. He has been awarded World Fantasy Awards, British Fantasy Society Awards, and Bram Stoker Awards. He has also been awarded the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters by the National Book Foundation and a National Medal of Arts from the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts. I cannot list all the prizes and honors, but I know his trophy cabinet is full.

Stephen King married Tabitha Spruce—a novelist too—on January 2, 1971, and the couple has three children, a daughter and two sons, and four grandchildren.

What Did Stephen King Write?

Stephen King wrote both fiction and non-fiction books, 7 of which were published under a pen name , Richard Bachman. He used a pen name because he didn’t want to publish more than one book under the same name.

In total, he wrote 63 novels, 20 novellas, around 120 short stories, and there have been 5 published non-fiction books in his name.

The Chronological List of Stephen King’s Published Books

• Salem’s Lot (1975)
• Rage (1977)
• The Stand (1978)
• Night Shift (1977)
• The Long Walk (1979)
• The Dead Zone (1979)
• The Mist (1979)
• Firestarter (1980)
• Roadwork (1981)
• Danse Macabre, non-fiction, (1981)
• Cujo (1981)
• The Running Man (1982)
• The Dark Tower, novel series, (1982 – 2012)
• Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption (1982)
• The Body (1982)
• Apt Pupil (1982)
• The Breathing Method (1982)
• Pet Sematary (1982)
• Christine (1983)
• The Talisman (1984)
• Cycle of the Werewolf (1985)
• Thinner (1984)
• Skeleton Crew (1985)
• The Bachman Books, novel collection, (1985)
• The Eyes of the Dragon (1987)
• Misery (1987)
• The Tommyknockers (1987)
• Nightmares in The Sky, non-fiction, (1987)
• The Dark Half (1989)
• The Stand: The Complete & Uncut Edition (1990)
• Four Past Midnight (1990)
• The Sun Dog (1990)
• Secret Window, Secret Garden (1990)
• The Library Policeman (1990)
• The Langoliers (1990)
• Needful Things (1991)
• Gerald’s Game (1992)
• Dolores Claiborne (1992)
• Nightmares & Dreamscapes (1993)
• Insomnia (1994)
• Blind Willie (1994)
• Rose Madder (1995)
• The Green Mile, novel series, (1996)
• Desperation (1996)
• The Regulators (1996)
• Bag of Bones (1998)
• The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (1999)
• Hearts in Atlantis (1999)
• Secret Windows: Essays and Fiction on the Craft of Writing, non-fiction, (1999)
• Elevation (1999)
• On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, non-fiction, (1999)
• Gwendy’s Button Box (1999)
• Dreamcatcher (2001)
• Black House (2001)
• Everything’s Eventual (2001)
• From a Buick 8 (2001)
• Faithful, non-fiction, (2004)
• The Colorado Kid (2005)
• Salem’s Lot Illustrated Edition (2005)
• The Secretary of Dreams: Volume One (2005)
• Cell (2006)
• Lisey’s Story (2006)
• Blaze (2007)
• Duma Key (2008)
• Just After Sunset (2008)
• Stephen King Goes to the Movies (2009)
• Under the Dome (2009)
• The Secretary of Dreams: Volume 2 (2010)
• Full Dark, No Stars (2010)
• 11/22/63 (2011)
• GUNS (2013)
• Joyland (2013)
• Doctor Sleep (2013)
• Mr. Mercedes (2014)
• Revival (2014)
• Finders Keepers (2015)
• Joyland Illustrated Edition (2015)
• The Bazaar of Bad Dreams (2015)
• Blockade Billy (2015)
• End of Watch (2016)
• Charlie the Choo-Choo (2016)
• Sleeping Beauties (2017)
• The Outsider (2018)
• The Institute (2019)
• If It Bleeds (2020)

10 Most Popular Stephen King’s Books?

1. carrie (1974).

This is the very first novel that Stephen King published in 1974. The story is set in the year 1979—which, in 1974 is a future timeline—and follows a telekinetic teenager named Carrie White.

Carrie has had to deal with abuse from high-school bullies and an abusive religious household and decides to use her newly discovered telekinetic powers to take revenge on her tormentors. But, in the process of exacting revenge on her sadistic classmates and Margaret (Carrie’s own mother), she destroys the fictional town of Chamberlain, Maine.

King’s portrayal of violence, underage sex, and inclusion of cursing and negative view of religion made the book one of the most frequently banned books in US schools during the 1990s.

2. It (1986)

The story is set in 1958 and 1985 in the fictional town of Derry, Maine, and follows seven kids who are followed by a monster, which often takes the form of Pennywise the Clown and is called “It.”

3. The Shining (1977)

This Novel made the list effortlessly because it’s also Stephen King’s first-ever bestseller: This horror novel was published in 1977 and was adapted into a movie, which also has a sequel. This paranormal story is about Jack Torrance, a new caretaker of the Overlook Hotel, who is looking forward to spending quality time with his family while focusing on his writing. A winter storm holds Jack hostage at the hotel and hell starts to break loose when evil forces which tried and failed to possess his son, Danny, possess Jack instead.

4. The Stand (1978)

This story is a tale filled with supernatural and fantasy fabrics and sewn into an apocalyptic timeline.

It begins after a plague kills most of the population, and the people split into 2 groups. Then a battle between the two groups ensues, and it’s a battle between the good and the bad.

5. 11/22/63

The story is about a time traveler, a high school English teacher named Jake Epping, who attempts to avert the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963. The title is derived from the date of the assassination, which is November 22, 1963. King shifts away from his horror genre and writes a thrilling historical fiction story, in which Epping changes his identity, dances with the time continuum, and sees what may wait in the present timeline if he succeeds.

This novel, which is Stephen King’s 60th book, 49th novel, and the 42nd under his own name, was published on November 8, 2011.

It didn’t take time to become number-one bestseller staying on The New York Times Best Seller list for 16 weeks, winning the 2011 Los Angeles Times Book Prize (Best Mystery/Thriller) and the 2012 International Thriller Writers Award for Best Novel, and earned nominations for the 2012 Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel and 2012 British Fantasy Award for Best Novel.

It has also had over 220,000 five-star reviews on Goodreads.

6. Salem’s Lot (1975)

Salem’s Lot is Stephen King’s second published novel, and it revolves around writer Ben Mears who returns to his hometown of Jerusalem’s Lot, AKA Salem’s Lot in Maine after 25 years. He discovers that the town’s residents are turning into vampires. A battle ensues between the vampires and others, including Mr. Mears.

The story earned King nominations for the World Fantasy Award and the Locus Award for the All-Time Best Fantasy Novel in 1976 and 1987, respectively.

7. Pet Sematary (1983)

Again using a familiar environment, King sets this story in rural Maine. In this horror classic, a family moves into a nice home, expecting to live a calm, uncomplicated and joyous life. However, they soon discover that this town is haunted by horrors that won’t remain dead and buried all because of the evil pet cemetery.

8. The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger (1982)

Gunslinger is the first installment of King’s “The Dark Tower” series, which served eight books and a short story much to the satisfaction of his enthusiasts.

In this story, Roland of Deschain is the last gunslinger, who—for many years—has been pursuing an adversary named “the man in black.” The story follows Roland as he treks through a vast desert and beyond in search of his man.

King serves Western fiction fused science fiction, fantasy, and—of course—horror.

9. Under the Dome (2009)

Again set in Maine, this is a story about a town that finds itself trapped under an invisible dome, separating it from the rest of the world.

The story unfolds through multiple perspectives, as the town’s residents come together and try to fight their new enemy: a force field dome.

10. The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands

This is the third book in the “The Dark Tower” series. The entire series takes place in a parallel universe, where the Dark Tower connects all the universes and follows Roland as he tries to reach the Dark Tower.

The success of this third installment of the Dark Tower Series culminated in a nomination for the 1991 Bram Stoker Award for Novel.

Stephen King Fun Facts (Did You Know?)

1. Stephen King uses two pen names: Richard Bachman and John Swithen.

2. Initially, Carrie was plotted as a short story but the first draft was tossed away by King. Tabitha, his wife, found the trashed draft and liked the story. Afterward, King went at it again and the rest is history (Yes, a history that goes like, he sold the rights to Doubleday and pocketed an advance of around $2,500).

3. The Lurker of the Threshold , which is a short story collection by HP Lovecraft is said to be the inspiration behind King’s writing career.

4. Stephen King’s house is a tourist attraction. His home in Bangor, Maine, in which he wrote “It.” draws die-hard fans of the horror king.

5. King prefers to write on paper with a fountain pen. He says that he tries to write a minimum of 2,000 words per day.

6. King loves baseball and is a hardcore Boston Red Sox fan. His love for the MLB baseball team is said to have influenced his story “The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon.”

7. In 2014, King published his first ‘hard-boiled detective book’ which featured retired detective Bill Hodges. That book earned him an Edgar Award.

8. Stephen and Tabitha King own a classic rock station called WKIT which proudly calls itself “Stephen King’s Rock Station.” In fact, the Kings own Zone Radio, a company that runs Stephen and Tabitha’s three radio stations in Maine including WKIT.

9. In 1999, King was hit by a van, an accident that left him in a hospital with a big cut in the head, a collapsed lung, and multiple fractures to his hip and leg. Later, King bought the van for $1500.

10. King played rhythm guitar for a band called The Rock Bottom Remainders. The band was made up of successful writers and it toured about once a year from 1992 to 2012.

Stephen King FAQs

Does he have a haunted house.

No. He certainly thinks Halloween is fun and has seen about a thousand people show up for candy and treats at his home but is not looking forward to another frenzied Halloween.

What is Stephen King’s Religion?

Stephen was a Methodist and regularly attended church early in life. However, King no longer goes to church, but still believes in God and reads the Bible.

When is Stephen King’s birthday?

September 21st, 1947.

Why did Stephen King become a writer?

King says that “there was nothing else he was made to do.” He loves writing stories “can’t imagine doing anything else.”

Is Stephen King alive or dead?

Stephen King is alive.

Has Stephen King retired?

Not yet. Obviously, he has slowed down in terms of publishing, maybe because of age or family commitments, but he still writes.

Is there a Stephen King fan club?

There is no official Stephen King fan club. The closest things to that are Stephen King’s newsletter and Twitter Feeds.

Where does King get his ideas?

His answer is a simple, “everywhere.”

He obviously draws his inspiration from real life, but it is his ingenuity when mixing such real-life events with other interesting nonexistent scenarios that shines. He says he always adds the question ‘What if?’ to his story ideas and comes up with the stories.

Final Words

Having published over 90 books, I can boldly say that Stephen King has written at least one story for every avid reader.

He is known as the “King of Horror,” but—on many occasions—he has transcended that title to write stories in unrelated genres.

He is, simply, a genius!

Recommended Reading...

Blind date with a book ideas: unique ways to discover your next favorite read, most popular book genres: a comprehensive guide, complete list of dr seuss books in order of publication, which book uses exactly 50 different words.

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The 10 Best Books of the 21st Century according to Stephen King ,  Min Jin Lee ,  Karl Ove Knausgaard ,  Bonnie Garmus ,  Curtis Sittenfeld ,  R. L. Stine ,  Nana Kwame Adjei‑Brenyah ,  Junot Díaz ,  Sarah Jessica Parker ,  Anthony Doerr ,  James Patterson ,  Stephen Graham Jones ,  Elin Hilderbrand ,  Annette Gordon‑Reed ,  Rebecca Roanhorse ,  Marlon James ,  Roxane Gay ,  Jonathan Lethem ,  Sarah MacLean ,  Riley Sager ,  Ed Yong ,  Pico Iyer ,  Thomas Chatterton Williams ,  Paul Tremblay ,  Nick Hornby ,  Scott Turow ,  Daniel Alarcón ,  Honorée Fanonne Jeffers ,  Lucy Sante ,  Gary Shteyngart ,  Anand Giridharadas ,  Jessamine Chan ,  Michael Robbins ,  Alma Katsu ,  Megan Abbott ,  Joshua Ferris ,  Ann Napolitano ,  John Irving ,  Tiya Miles ,  Jami Attenberg ,  Stephen L. Carter ,  Sarah Schulman ,  Elizabeth Hand ,  Dion Graham ,  Jeremy Denk ,  Morgan Jerkins ,  Michael Roth ,  Ryan Holiday ,  Stephanie Land ,  Douglas Preston ,  Mary Roach  &  Roxana Robinson

To determine the 100 best books of the 21st century , The New York Times Book Review and The Upshot polled hundreds of literary luminaries. Though the votes were anonymous, we thought it would be interesting — not to mention fun! — to see some of their actual ballots. We approached a few people to ask if they would publicly reveal their choices, and to our surprise, many of them said yes. As we unveil new books on our list each day, everyone’s ballot will update to show which (if any) of their choices made the list.

Stephen King

Stephen king has written more than 60 books, many of which have been adapted for film and television. his latest is the story collection you like it darker ..

“Atonement,” by Ian McEwan ● “Christine Falls,” by Benjamin Black ● “The Goldfinch,” by Donna Tartt ● “Gone Girl,” by Gillian Flynn ● “No Country for Old Men,” by Cormac McCarthy ● “Oryx and Crake,” by Margaret Atwood ● “The Paying Guests,” by Sarah Waters ● “The Plot Against America,” by Philip Roth ● “The Sympathizer,” by Viet Thanh Nguyen ● “Under the Dome,” by Stephen King

3 of these, so far, appear on the 100 Best list. (This page will update throughout the week.)

Min jin lee, min jin lee has written two novels: free food for millionaires and pachinko , which was one of the times’s 10 best books of 2017..

“All the Light We Cannot See,” by Anthony Doerr ● “Behind the Beautiful Forevers,” by Katherine Boo ● “Brooklyn,” by Colm Tóibín ● “The Buddha in the Attic,” by Julie Otsuka ● “Educated,” by Tara Westover ● “Evicted,” by Matthew Desmond ● “Gilead,” by Marilynne Robinson ● “The Known World,” by Edward P. Jones ● “Nickel and Dimed,” by Barbara Ehrenreich ● “Redeployment,” by Phil Klay

1 of these, so far, appears on the 100 Best list. (This page will update throughout the week.)

Karl ove knausgaard, karl ove knausgaard is a norwegian writer and essayist best known for my struggle , a series of six autobiographical novels..

“2666,” by Roberto Bolaño ● “The Argonauts,” by Maggie Nelson ● “The Days of Abandonment,” by Elena Ferrante ● “The Flame Alphabet,” by Ben Marcus ● “The Kingdom,” by Emmanuel Carrère ● “Never Let Me Go,” by Kazuo Ishiguro ● “Small Things Like These,” by Claire Keegan ● “Storm Still,” by Peter Handke ● “Train Dreams,” by Denis Johnson ● “Voices from Chernobyl,” by Svetlana Alexievich

4 of these, so far, appear on the 100 Best list. (This page will update throughout the week.)

Bonnie garmus, bonnie garmus is the author of lessons in chemistry , which was named barnes & noble’s book of the year in 2022..

“Between the World and Me,” by Ta-Nehisi Coates ● “Demon Copperhead,” by Barbara Kingsolver ● “Educated,” by Tara Westover ● “Genome,” by Matt Ridley ● “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” by J.K. Rowling ● “A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius,” by Dave Eggers ● “Henry David Thoreau,” by Laura Dassow Walls ● “Pobby and Dingan,” by Ben Rice ● “The Underground Railroad,” by Colson Whitehead ● “The Worst Hard Time,” by Timothy Egan

Curtis Sittenfeld

Curtis sittenfeld’s novels include prep , american wife , and romantic comedy ..

“The Line of Beauty,” by Alan Hollinghurst ● “A Lucky Man,” by Jamel Brinkley ● “Trust,” by Hernan Diaz ● “Great Circle,” by Maggie Shipstead ● “Brotherless Night,” by V. V. Ganeshananthan ● “Everything's Fine,” by Cecilia Rabess ● “I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness,” by Claire Vaye Watkins ● “Swift River,” by Essie Chambers ● “Sea Creatures,” by Susanna Daniel ● “Make Your Home Among Strangers,” by Jennine Capó Crucet

R. L. Stine

R.l. stine is a prolific children’s book author best known for his goosebumps series..

“The Devil in the White City,” by Erik Larson ● “Deacon King Kong,” by James McBride ● “The Thursday Murder Club,” by Richard Osman ● “The Goldfinch,” by Donna Tartt ● “All the Light We Cannot See,” by Anthony Doerr ● “Gone Girl,” by Gillian Flynn ● “Atonement,” by Ian McEwan ● “Everything Is Illuminated,” by Jonathan Safran Foer ● “The Law of Innocence,” by Michael Connelly ● “City on Fire,” by Don Winslow

Nana Kwame Adjei‑Brenyah

Nana kwame adjei‑brenyah’s debut novel, chain-gang all-stars , was one of the times’s 10 best books of 2023..

“Drinking Coffee Elsewhere: Stories,” by ZZ Packer ● “Ghost Of,” by Diana Khoi Nguyen ● “Greenwood,” by Michael Christie ● “Look,” by Solmaz Sharif ● “Pachinko,” by Min Jin Lee ● “Pastoralia,” by George Saunders ● “Sing, Unburied, Sing,” by Jesmyn Ward ● “Stories of Your Life and Others,” by Ted Chiang ● “Tenth of December,” by George Saunders ● “The Underground Railroad,” by Colson Whitehead

2 of these, so far, appear on the 100 Best list. (This page will update throughout the week.)

Junot díaz is an author whose books include the brief wondrous life of oscar wao , which won the 2008 pulitzer prize for fiction..

“Americanah,” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie ● “Behind the Beautiful Forevers,” by Katherine Boo ● “Brother, I'm Dying,” by Edwidge Danticat ● “Kingdom Animalia,” by Aracelis Girmay ● “The Known World,” by Edward P. Jones ● “Out,” by Natsuo Kirino ● “The Savage Detectives,” by Roberto Bolaño ● “Say Her Name,” by Francisco Goldman ● “Stories of Your Life and Others,” by Ted Chiang ● “Tuff,” by Paul Beatty

Sarah Jessica Parker

Sarah jessica parker is an emmy-winning actress and the founder of zando’s literary imprint, sjp lit..

“An American Marriage,” by Tayari Jones ● “The Bee Sting,” by Paul Murray ● “A Burning,” by Megha Majumdar ● “A Constellation of Vital Phenomena,” by Anthony Marra ● “The Corrections,” by Jonathan Franzen ● “The Goldfinch,” by Donna Tartt ● “A History of Burning,” by Janika Oza ● “The Nickel Boys,” by Colson Whitehead ● “Say Nothing,” by Patrick Radden Keefe ● “Wave,” by Sonali Deraniyagala

Anthony Doerr

Anthony doerr’s 2014 novel, all the light we cannot see , won the pulitzer prize..

“The Sixth Extinction,” by Elizabeth Kolbert ● “Evicted,” by Matthew Desmond ● “Behind the Beautiful Forevers,” by Katherine Boo ● “The Collected Stories of Amy Hempel,” by Amy Hempel ● “Gilead,” by Marilynne Robinson ● “Wolf Hall,” by Hilary Mantel ● “Train Dreams,” by Denis Johnson ● “Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell,” by Susanna Clarke ● “Family Furnishings,” by Alice Munro ● “Austerlitz,” by W.G. Sebald

James Patterson

James patterson has written more than 200 books across various genres, including collaborations with bill clinton and dolly parton. his latest books include confessions of the dead , which he wrote with j.d. barker, and tiger, tiger ..

“11/22/63,” by Stephen King ● “The Book Thief,” by Markus Zusak ● “Educated,” by Tara Westover ● “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” by Stieg Larsson ● “Gone Girl,” by Gillian Flynn ● “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” by J.K. Rowling ● “Kitchen Confidential,” by Anthony Bourdain ● “Life,” by Keith Richards with James Fox ● “Mystic River,” by Dennis Lehane ● “Seabiscuit,” by Laura Hillenbrand

Stephen Graham Jones

Stephen graham jones is an award-winning horror writer whose most recent novel is i was a teenage slasher ..

“The Reformatory,” by Tananarive Due ● “The Bear and the Nightingale,” by Katherine Arden ● “Fortune Smiles,” by Adam Johnson ● “World War Z,” by Max Brooks ● “Dare Me,” by Megan Abbott ● “Redshirts,” by John Scalzi ● “Knockemstiff,” by Donald Ray Pollock ● “The Lesser Dead,” by Christopher Buehlman ● “Come Closer,” by Sara Gran ● “FantasticLand,” by Mike Bockoven

Elin Hilderbrand

Elin hilderbrand, often referred to as the queen of beach reads, recently announced that swan song , released in june, would be the last of her nantucket summer novels..

“Alice & Oliver,” by Charles Bock ● “American Wife,” by Curtis Sittenfeld ● “Dirt Music,” by Tim Winton ● “Euphoria,” by Lily King ● “Every Last One,” by Anna Quindlen ● “Fates and Furies,” by Lauren Groff ● “Hamnet,” by Maggie O'Farrell ● “Luster,” by Raven Leilani ● “May We Be Forgiven,” by A.M. Homes ● “The Night Circus,” by Erin Morgenstern

Annette Gordon‑Reed

Annette gordon-reed is a professor at harvard university whose 2008 history, the hemingses of monticello , won both a pulitzer prize and a national book award... ... and she also included it on her ballot, telling us, “i couldn’t help it.”.

“Between the World and Me,” by Ta-Nehisi Coates ● “The Emperor of All Maladies,” by Siddhartha Mukherjee ● “Gilead,” by Marilynne Robinson ● “The Hemingses of Monticello,” by Annette Gordon-Reed ● “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” by Rebecca Skloot ● “The Metaphysical Club,” by Louis Menand ● “The Plot Against America,” by Philip Roth ● “The Underground Railroad,” by Colson Whitehead ● “The Warmth of Other Suns,” by Isabel Wilkerson ● “Wolf Hall,” by Hilary Mantel

Rebecca Roanhorse

Rebecca roanhorse is a hugo- and nebula-winning science fiction and fantasy novelist whose works include black sun and trail of lightning..

“Ancillary Justice,” by Ann Leckie ● “Exhalation,” by Ted Chiang ● “The Fifth Season,” by N.K. Jemisin ● “The Ministry for the Future,” by Kim Stanley Robinson ● “The Only Good Indians,” by Stephen Graham Jones ● “The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories,” by Ken Liu ● “Ring Shout,” by P. Djèlí Clark ● “The Round House,” by Louise Erdrich ● “The Saint of Bright Doors,” by Vajra Chandrasekera ● “Selected Stories,” by Theodore Sturgeon

Marlon James

Marlon james is the author of five novels, including a brief history of seven killings , which won the 2015 booker prize..

“2666,” by Roberto Bolaño ● “As Meat Loves Salt,” by Maria McCann ● “Evicted,” by Matthew Desmond ● “The Fifth Season,” by N.K. Jemisin ● “The Good Lord Bird,” by James McBride ● “The Line of Beauty,” by Alan Hollinghurst ● “Pachinko,” by Min Jin Lee ● “Skippy Dies,” by Paul Murray ● “Wolf Hall,” by Hilary Mantel ● “The World Is What It Is,” by Patrick French

Roxane Gay is an editor, essayist and author whose best-selling nonfiction includes BAD FEMINIST and HUNGER . She is also a contributing Opinion writer for The New York Times.

“The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay,” by Michael Chabon ● “The Brutal Language of Love,” by Alicia Erian ● “Girl, Woman, Other,” by Bernardine Evaristo ● “Heavy,” by Kiese Laymon ● “Her Body and Other Parties,” by Carmen Maria Machado ● “NW,” by Zadie Smith ● “Pachinko,” by Min Jin Lee ● “Room,” by Emma Donoghue ● “Salvage the Bones,” by Jesmyn Ward ● “State of Wonder,” by Ann Patchett

Jonathan Lethem

Jonathan lethem is a writer best known for his 1999 novel motherless brooklyn ..

“Aurora,” by Kim Stanley Robinson ● “Dear Cyborgs,” by Eugene Lim ● “The Employees,” by Olga Ravn ● “Erasure,” by Percival Everett ● “Hawthorn & Child,” by Keith Ridgway ● “Houses of Ravicka,” by Renee Gladman ● “How the Dead Dream,” by Lydia Millet ● “The Last Samurai,” by Helen DeWitt ● “Pity the Beast,” by Robin McLean ● “Trance,” by Christopher Sorrentino

Sarah MacLean

Sarah maclean is an award-winning romance writer whose most recent novel is knockout ..

“After Hours on Milagro Street,” by Angelina M. Lopez ● “Again the Magic,” by Lisa Kleypas ● “Bet Me,” by Jennifer Crusie ● “Circe,” by Madeline Miller ● “Dark Needs at Night's Edge,” by Kresley Cole ● “Forbidden,” by Beverly Jenkins ● “Georgie, All Along,” by Kate Clayborn ● “Hana Khan Carries On,” by Uzma Jalaluddin ● “A Heart of Blood and Ashes,” by Milla Vane ● “Ravishing the Heiress,” by Sherry Thomas

Riley Sager

Riley sager’s most recent novel is middle of the night ..

“Seabiscuit,” by Laura Hillenbrand ● “Never Let Me Go,” by Kazuo Ishiguro ● “Atonement,” by Ian McEwan ● “Special Topics in Calamity Physics,” by Marisha Pessl ● “Gone Girl,” by Gillian Flynn ● “All the Light We Cannot See,” by Anthony Doerr ● “Lincoln in the Bardo,” by George Saunders ● “Middlesex,” by Jeffrey Eugenides ● “Beautiful Ruins,” by Jess Walter ● “Dare Me,” by Megan Abbott

Ed Yong is a Pulitzer Prize-winning science journalist and the author of AN IMMENSE WORLD and I CONTAIN MULTITUDES .

“Bel Canto,” by Ann Patchett ● “Chain-Gang All-Stars,” by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah ● “A Day in the Life of Abed Salama,” by Nathan Thrall ● “Exit West,” by Mohsin Hamid ● “H Is for Hawk,” by Helen Macdonald ● “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” by Rebecca Skloot ● “Saving Time,” by Jenny Odell ● “The Swimmers,” by Julie Otsuka ● “This Is How You Lose the Time War,” by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone ● “Trust,” by Hernan Diaz

Pico Iyer is a writer whose books include THE HALF KNOWN LIFE and FALLING OFF THE MAP .

“Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage,” by Alice Munro ● “Selected Stories,” by William Trevor ● “The World Is What It Is,” by Patrick French ● “Bring Up the Bodies,” by Hilary Mantel ● “The Buried Giant,” by Kazuo Ishiguro ● “Olive Kitteridge,” by Elizabeth Strout ● “Evicted,” by Matthew Desmond ● “Lincoln in the Bardo,” by George Saunders ● “Matrix,” by Lauren Groff ● “Behind the Beautiful Forevers,” by Katherine Boo

Thomas Chatterton Williams

Thomas chatterton williams, a staff writer at the atlantic, is the author of losing my cool and self-portrait in black and white ..

“2666,” by Roberto Bolaño ● “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao,” by Junot Díaz ● “The Coddling of the American Mind,” by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt ● “Feel Free,” by Zadie Smith ● “Last Evenings on Earth,” by Roberto Bolaño ● “The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P,” by Adelle Waldman ● “Outline,” by Rachel Cusk ● “The Savage Detectives,” by Roberto Bolaño ● “The Unwinding,” by George Packer ● “Transit,” by Rachel Cusk

Paul Tremblay

Paul tremblay is an award-winning horror novelist whose latest book is horror movie ..

“2666,” by Roberto Bolaño ● “House of Leaves,” by Mark Z. Danielewski ● “Lady Joker, Vol. 1,” by Kaoru Takamura ● “The Maniac,” by Benjamín Labatut ● “Never Let Me Go,” by Kazuo Ishiguro ● “No Country for Old Men,” by Cormac McCarthy ● “The Only Good Indians,” by Stephen Graham Jones ● “Our Share of Night,” by Mariana Enriquez ● “Treasure Island!!!,” by Sara Levine ● “The Underground Railroad,” by Colson Whitehead

Nick Hornby

Nick hornby is best known for comic novels like high fidelity and about a boy ..

“The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay,” by Michael Chabon ● “Austerity Britain,” by David Kynaston ● “Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk,” by Ben Fountain ● “Empire Falls,” by Richard Russo ● “Gilead,” by Marilynne Robinson ● “Olive Kitteridge,” by Elizabeth Strout ● “On Beauty,” by Zadie Smith ● “Pictures at a Revolution,” by Mark Harris ● “Random Family,” by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc ● “Say Nothing,” by Patrick Radden Keefe

Scott Turow

Scott turow is an attorney and writer best known for legal thrillers like presumed innocent and the burden of proof ..

“Bel Canto,” by Ann Patchett ● “Dreamland,” by Sam Quinones ● “The Good Lord Bird,” by James McBride ● “My Brilliant Friend,” by Elena Ferrante. Translated by Ann Goldstein. ● “On Tyranny,” by Timothy Snyder ● “The Orphan Master's Son,” by Adam Johnson ● “The Story of a New Name,” by Elena Ferrante. Translated by Ann Goldstein ● “The Story of the Lost Child,” by Elena Ferrante. Translated by Ann Goldstein ● “Thinking, Fast and Slow,” by Daniel Kahneman ● “Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay,” by Elena Ferrante. Translated by Ann Goldstein

Daniel Alarcón

Daniel alarcón is a novelist ( lost city radio ) and contributing writer at the new yorker whose long-running spanish-language podcast, radio ambulante, is distributed by npr..

“The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao,” by Junot Díaz ● “Citizen,” by Claudia Rankine ● “Exit West,” by Mohsin Hamid ● “The Known World,” by Edward P. Jones ● “Lincoln in the Bardo,” by George Saunders ● “My Brilliant Friend,” by Elena Ferrante. Translated by Ann Goldstein. ● “NW,” by Zadie Smith ● “Random Family,” by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc ● “The Savage Detectives,” by Roberto Bolaño ● “Say Nothing,” by Patrick Radden Keefe

Honorée Fanonne Jeffers

Honorée fanonne jeffers is a poet and professor of english at the university of oklahoma. her debut novel, the love songs of w.e.b. du bois , was one of the times’s 10 best books of 2021..

“Brother, I'm Dying,” by Edwidge Danticat ● “Built from the Fire,” by Victor Luckerson ● “Feminism Is for Everybody,” by bell hooks ● “Gathering Blossoms,” by Alice Walker ● “The Known World,” by Edward P. Jones ● “A Mercy,” by Toni Morrison ● “The Source of Self-Regard,” by Toni Morrison ● “Stamped From the Beginning,” by Ibram X. Kendi ● “Ties that Bind,” by Tiya Miles ● “The Warmth of Other Suns,” by Isabel Wilkerson

Lucy Sante is a writer whose last book, I HEARD HER CALL MY NAME , is a memoir of her gender transition.

“Anniversaries,” by Uwe Johnson. Translated by Damion Searls ● “Feral City,” by Jeremiah Moss ● “The Friend,” by Sigrid Nunez ● “It Gets Me Home, This Curving Track,” by Ian Penman ● “Jacket Weather,” by Mike DeCapite ● “The Mars Room,” by Rachel Kushner ● “Same Bed Different Dreams,” by Ed Park ● “The Savage Detectives,” by Roberto Bolaño ● “Stay True,” by Hua Hsu ● “Voices From Chernobyl,” by Svetlana Alexievich

Gary Shteyngart

Gary shteyngart has written five novels, one of which, absurdistan , was named one of the times’s 10 best books of 2006..

“Bangkok Wakes to Rain,” by Pitchaya Sudbanthad ● “The Collected Stories of Amy Hempel,” by Amy Hempel ● “Educated,” by Tara Westover ● “Exit West,” by Mohsin Hamid ● “The Master,” by Colm Tóibín ● “Netherland,” by Joseph O’Neill ● “Outline,” by Rachel Cusk ● “Postwar,” by Tony Judt ● “Veronica,” by Mary Gaitskill ● “The Warmth of Other Suns,” by Isabel Wilkerson

Anand Giridharadas

Anand giridharadas is a writer and former foreign correspondent whose books include the persuaders and winners take all ..

“The Argonauts,” by Maggie Nelson ● “Behind the Beautiful Forevers,” by Katherine Boo ● “Dark Money,” by Jane Mayer ● “Far From the Tree,” by Andrew Solomon ● “A Little Life,” by Hanya Yanagihara ● “Maximum City,” by Suketu Mehta ● “My Struggle: Book 2,” by Karl Ove Knausgaard ● “One of Us,” by Asne Seierstad ● “Random Family,” by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc ● “The Year of Magical Thinking,” by Joan Didion

Jessamine Chan

Jessamine chan’s debut novel, the school for good mothers , was named by barack obama as one of his favorite books of 2022..

“Chain-Gang All-Stars,” by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah ● “Cinema Love,” by Jiaming Tang ● “Easy Beauty,” by Chloé Cooper Jones ● “Invisible Child,” by Andrea Elliott ● “Kairos,” by Jenny Erpenbeck ● “Matrix,” by Lauren Groff ● “Minor Feelings,” by Cathy Park Hong ● “Never Let Me Go,” by Kazuo Ishiguro ● “Pure Colour,” by Sheila Heti ● “Torn Apart,” by Dorothy Roberts

Michael Robbins

Michael robbins is the author of several poetry collections, including walkman and the second sex ..

“Alien vs. Predator,” by Michael Robbins ● “Communal Luxury,” by Kristin Ross ● “Cruel Optimism,” by Lauren Berlant ● “Fossil Capital,” by Andreas Malm ● “Keats's Odes,” by Anahid Nersessian ● “Lila,” by Marilynne Robinson ● “Planet of Slums,” by Mike Davis ● “Poemland,” by Chelsey Minnis ● “Stolen Life,” by Fred Moten ● “Veronica,” by Mary Gaitskill

Alma Katsu is a genre-spanning writer whose books include RED WIDOW and THE HUNGER .

“Gone Girl,” by Gillian Flynn ● “Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell,” by Susanna Clarke ● “Lincoln in the Bardo,” by George Saunders ● “The Little Friend,” by Donna Tartt ● “The Little Stranger,” by Sarah Waters ● “Never Let Me Go,” by Kazuo Ishiguro ● “The Only Good Indians,” by Stephen Graham Jones ● “The Swimmers,” by Julie Otsuka ● “The Time Traveler's Wife,” by Audrey Niffenegger ● “Wolf Hall,” by Hilary Mantel

Megan Abbott

Megan abbott is the edgar-winning author of 11 novels, including dare me , the turnout and beware the woman ..

“Blonde,” by Joyce Carol Oates ● “Gone Girl,” by Gillian Flynn ● “Life After Life,” by Kate Atkinson ● “A Little Life,” by Hanya Yanagihara ● “Lost Girls,” by Robert Kolker ● “My Sister, the Serial Killer,” by Oyinkan Braithwaite ● “Nemesis,” by Philip Roth ● “Random Family,” by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc ● “Winter's Bone,” by Daniel Woodrell ● “The Year of Magical Thinking,” by Joan Didion

Joshua Ferris

Joshua ferris has written five novels, including then we came to the end , which won the 2008 pen/hemingway award..

“The Corrections,” by Jonathan Franzen ● “The Gathering,” by Anne Enright ● “Gilead,” by Marilynne Robinson ● “The Known World,” by Edward P. Jones ● “No Country for Old Men,” by Cormac McCarthy ● “No One Is Talking About This,” by Patricia Lockwood ● “NW,” by Zadie Smith ● “The Savage Detectives,” by Roberto Bolaño ● “Tinkers,” by Paul Harding ● “Wolf Hall,” by Hilary Mantel

Ann Napolitano

Ann napolitano is a novelist whose last book, hello beautiful , was the 100th pick of oprah’s book club..

“Americanah,” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie ● “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao,” by Junot Díaz ● “Cloud Atlas,” by David Mitchell ● “Demon Copperhead,” by Barbara Kingsolver ● “Far From the Tree,” by Andrew Solomon ● “Homegoing,” by Yaa Gyasi ● “The Master,” by Colm Tóibín ● “Station Eleven,” by Emily St. John Mandel ● “The Underground Railroad,” by Colson Whitehead ● “Wolf Hall,” by Hilary Mantel

John Irving

John irving is the author of the world according to garp , the cider house rules and a prayer for owen meany , among other novels..

“The Absolutist,” by John Boyne ● “Burma Sahib,” by Paul Theroux ● “Cutting for Stone,” by Abraham Verghese ● “Last Night,” by James Salter ● “The Nix,” by Nathan Hill ● “Peeling the Onion,” by Günter Grass ● “A Saint from Texas,” by Edmund White ● “Shadow Country,” by Peter Matthiessen ● “Warlight,” by Michael Ondaatje ● “Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?,” by Jeanette Winterson

Tiya Miles is a professor of history at Harvard University whose books include ALL THAT SHE CARRIED , which won the 2021 National Book Award for nonfiction, and the just-published NIGHT FLYER .

“Frederick Douglass,” by David W. Blight ● “The Hemingses of Monticello,” by Annette Gordon-Reed ● “Less,” by Andrew Sean Greer ● “The Omnivore's Dilemma,” by Michael Pollan ● “People Love Dead Jews,” by Dara Horn ● “The Round House,” by Louise Erdrich ● “Salvage the Bones,” by Jesmyn Ward ● “The Swerve,” by Stephen Greenblatt ● “The Underground Railroad,” by Colson Whitehead

Jami Attenberg

Jami attenberg is a writer whose new novel, a reason to see you again , comes out in september..

“Bright Dead Things,” by Ada Limón ● “The Corrections,” by Jonathan Franzen ● “Fun Home,” by Alison Bechdel ● “Grief Is For People,” by Sloane Crosley ● “Heavy,” by Kiese Laymon ● “How to Write an Autobiographical Novel,” by Alexander Chee ● “Just Kids,” by Patti Smith ● “Pachinko,” by Min Jin Lee ● “There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyoncé,” by Morgan Parker ● “True Biz,” by Sara Novic

Stephen L. Carter

Stephen l. carter, a professor at yale law school, has written critically acclaimed nonfiction as well as six novels, including the emperor of ocean park ..

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10 Great Horror & Thriller Books Recommended By Stephen King

The scariest story in stephen king's you like it darker (& why it's so terrifying), the stephen king book that exists in the same universe as lee child's jack reacher explained.

Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for You Like It Darker by Stephen King.

• Stephen King's latest collection of short stories and novellas, dubbed You Like It Darker, features a range of horrors. Some are more memorable than others.
• "On Slide Inn Road" is the best short story of the collection, but King's novellas top the ranking.
• Rattlesnakes is the scariest story in terms of traditional horror, but Danny Coughlin's Bad Dream is the best overall.

Stephen King 's new book, You Like It Darker, is one of the biggest horror releases of 2024 — and many of the stories in this collection live up to the hype , though some are more memorable than others. You Like It Darker feels like a return to the author's roots, as he digs into tropes and themes that define his early work. He also revisits the characters and world of his 1981 novel, Cujo , something that will no doubt appeal to longtime fans.

True to its title, You Like It Darker explores the grimmer aspects of life . It doesn't shy away from horrific imagery and behavior, but traditional horror isn't the only thing this book has going for it. King delves into difficult but relatable subjects like grief and purpose, and he also swings wildly in the other direction, blending sci-fi and horror in several narratives. Everything from You Like It Darker is worth reading, but the varying lengths and themes of its stories make it so that some land better than others.

While Stephen King was responsible for some of the best horror and thrillers ever, he also has many recommendations for other authors' books.

12 "The Turbulence Expert" (2018)

An intriguing premise that doesn't do enough.

First published in Fright or Flight in 2018, "The Turbulence Expert" is one of King's stories that makes an appearance in You Like It Darker — and unfortunately, it's the weakest of the bunch . "The Turbulence Expert" follows a man who works for a mysterious organization that tasks him with boarding and saving rough flights. The main character's anxiety over their assignment is likely to keep readers on edge throughout this story, but it doesn't accomplish much beyond that. "The Turbulence Expert" boasts an intriguing concept, but it doesn't do enough with it.

"The Turbulence Expert" boasts an intriguing concept, but it doesn't do enough with it.

Readers will be left feeling like this narrative needs to be lengthier, spending more time on its world and characters. In fact, it would probably make a better novel than a short story. As it stands, it's difficult to care much about any of the characters in "The Turbulence Expert." It also doesn't feel like much happens, as there's an immediate expectation that Craig Dixon will save the plane. No questions about the organization he works for are ever answered, and all of these shortcomings make this the weakest tale in You Like It Darker.

11 "Finn" (2022)

Too many unanswered questions in this bizarre story.

Initially published on Scribd in 2022, "Finn" is probably the trippiest story in You Like It Darker . It follows the titular character as he's kidnapped by a bizarre group — one whose constant questions and tests leave him questioning reality. "Finn" is memorable, as the behavior of Finn's captors will leave readers as perplexed as King's lead. But like "The Turbulence Expert," this story leaves too many questions unanswered and doesn't fully land.

"Finn" is more entertaining than the 2018 story, but it isn't as clever as You Like It Darker 's other inclusions . Its ending is probably the highlight of the entire narrative, as it drives home the question of what's real and what isn't. Unfortunately, that doesn't do enough to justify everything else that happens. Some explanation for the wild behavior Finn witnesses would be nice, though the lack of reason does make his captors seem more unhinged and terrifying.

10 "Red Screen" (2021)

A missed opportunity to dig into relevant topics.

"Red Screen" is a story originally published as an e-book in 2021, and it's one of the additions to You Like It Darker that blends sci-fi and horror. It almost feels like it shouldn't, though, as the narrative opens the door to explore so many relevant topics — then takes a sharp turn towards aliens instead . "Red Screen" opens with a man turning himself in for killing his wife, who he claims is no longer the woman he married. He believes an alien has taken over her body, and the ending of this story suggests he's correct.

"Red Screen" initially seems like a commentary on misinformation and domestic violence, but suggesting Leonard is right about his wife undoes a lot of the impact.

The twist ending of "Red Screen" is a bit fun , but it pales in comparison to what this story could have been. When Leonard admits to stabbing his wife, Detective Frank Wilson mocks him for believing conspiracy theories on the internet. Their conversation highlights the increasing tendency to believe anything the internet says, and it also draws attention to the ways people can be brainwashed and pushed towards violence. "Red Screen" initially seems like a commentary on misinformation and domestic violence, but suggesting Leonard is right about his wife undoes a lot of the impact.

9 "Laurie" (2018)

Heartwarming & honest (but less impactful).

Despite its focus on death and grief, "Laurie" is probably the most heartwarming story in You Like It Darker. That isn't something readers necessarily expect from a horror collection, but "Laurie" succeeds at keeping readers on edge and getting them emotionally invested . Originally published on stephenking.com in 2018, this tale follows a grieving widower named Lloyd as he comes to care for the puppy his sister foists upon him. When the two finally fall into a routine together, they discover the body of Lloyd's neighbor — and the massive alligator who kills him.

"Laurie" doesn't rely on twists or supernatural occurrences to scare readers ; it simply places Lloyd and his beloved pup in harm's way, forcing them to face their own mortality. Readers must face the randomness and chance that accompanies life and death as well. "Laurie" is a more grounded horror tale, and it has a happy ending. This leaves less of an impact than King's scarier stories in You Like It Darker, but it does prove memorable and touching enough to avoid the bottom of a ranking.

8 "Willie The Weirdo" (2022)

A distinctly unsettling tale that feels too familiar.

King's "Willie the Weirdo" appears in the Spring 2022 edition of Timothy McSweeney's Quarterly Concern, and like his other recent stories, it shows up in You Like It Darker. "Willie the Weirdo" is distinctly unsettling from the time it opens , and it must be praised for making readers so uncomfortable. The story follows a 10-year-old boy whose fascination with death and violence isolates him from almost everyone, including his parents and sister. The only person he gets along with is his dying grandfather, who tells him violent stories about wars he couldn't have possibly fought in.

"Willie the Weirdo" isn't the most gripping story in You Like It Darker, but its ending reveal perfectly pulls everything together.

The story's twist is that Willie's grandfather isn't exactly human. It appears he can inhabit another person's body when he's finished with his own, a fate he inflicts on Willie at the end. "Willie the Weirdo" isn't the most gripping story in You Like It Darker, but its ending reveal perfectly pulls everything together. That lands it above the stories from You Like It Darker that feel less focused. Unfortunately, its unlikable characters and the fact that it mirrors the twist from "Gramma" prevent it from ranking even higher. King has more unique and compelling tales in his new collection.

7 "The Fifth Step" (2020)

Delightfully short & to the point.

First appearing in the March 2020 edition of Harper's Magazine , "The Fifth Step" is one of the shortest stories in You Like It Darker . This makes it even more impressive that it packs such a powerful punch. "The Fifth Step" follows a retiree named Harold as he agrees to listen to the confessions of a recovering alcoholic named Jack. Jack must have this conversation as part of his journey for Alcoholics Anonymous, and his revelations are initially mild. They get darker as they continue, and it's not until it's too late that Harold realizes Jack's issues run deeper than alcoholism.

The reveal that Jack is a killer is a jarring one, and it sets "The Fifth Step" apart from some of You Like It Darker 's less surprising stories . The underlying message of this tale — that it's impossible to know whether a stranger is a kind person or a killer — is harrowing, but it has an impact. "The Fifth Step" may not seem like much, but it will stick with readers after it's finished. That's the sign of a good story, and King nails it with this one, even if it doesn't boast the emotional investment of You Like It Darker 's top six narratives.

6 "On Slide Inn Road" (2020)

The best short story from you like it darker.

"On Slide Inn Road" is the best short story from You Like It Darker , though it doesn't compare to King's novellas. This tale, published in Esquire in 2020, sees a family driving their car into a ditch on the way to visit their dying relative. As Frank and Corinne Brown attempt to turn their car around, their kids discover the titular Slide Inn. One of them also finds a body, and he soon runs into the two men responsible for putting it there.

These men attempt to rob and kill the Browns, but their grandfather manages to save the day. He tricks the killers into letting him into the trunk, promising a monetary reward. Instead, Grandpop pulls out a baseball bat and uses it to protect his family. "On Slide Inn Road" offers a narrative that will leave readers cheering, which doesn't happen often in You Like It Darker . It's also tense and surprisingly violent, making for a memorable ride all around. Unfortunately, it isn't as scary as King's novellas in You Like It Darker , nor does it sell readers on the characters as much as these longer works.

5 The Dreamers (2024)

A frightening novella that leaves readers wanting.

Like all of King's novellas in You Like It Darker, The Dreamers is newly published for the collection. Its eerie narrative makes for a better horror tale than the book's short stories , though it's the weakest of the long-form ones. The Dreamers follows a Vietnam veteran named William as he agrees to work as a typist for a mad scientist. This scientist wants to push past the barrier of reality using dreams, and he doesn't stop when otherworldly forces make it obvious that he should.

William watches as things get out of control — and eventually turn deadly — and this makes for a nail-biting narrative. The imagery described throughout The Dreamers is disturbing , rendering it one of the most frightening additions to You Like It Darker. Unfortunately, the lack of explanation for what William witnesses leaves readers with more questions than answers. The characters' motivations also don't feel fully fleshed out, which makes it difficult to get too invested in this story. In this regard, King's other novellas leave a more lasting impression.

4 Two Talented Bastids (2024)

A strong opener with existential horror.

Two Talented Bastids is the opening story of You Like It Darker , and it isn't exactly scary — at least not in the traditional sense. It follows Mark, the son of a famous author, as he uncovers the truth about his father's overnight success. This truth involves aliens, and while they aren't the biggest or most unsettling part of this story, they do make for an intriguing sci-fi twist. What's more haunting about Two Talented Bastids is its approach to talent and passion. Its bleak commentary on these topics delivers on the existential horror. This is a tale writers and artists will appreciate.

What's more haunting about Two Talented Bastids is its approach to talent and passion. Its bleak commentary on these topics delivers on the existential horror.

Two Talented Bastids may not be the most tense or terrifying story in You Like It Darker, but it's a strong opener, and it will hook readers from page one. Its observations about purpose and passion are fascinating, and they'll require readers to keep their highlighters out at all times. In addition to having some of the best quotes from You Like It Darker, Two Talented Bastids also boasts some of the most likable characters . It's one of King's top stories in this collection, though its lack of scares and so-so approach to aliens prevents it from breaking into the top three.

3 Rattlesnakes (2024)

A true stephen king horror story with callbacks to cujo.

A sequel of sorts to Cujo, Rattlesnakes is undeniably the scariest story in You Like It Darker — and for some, that would make it the best. Rattlesnakes follows Vic Trenton decades after Tad's death, and it finds him facing a haunting in Florida. While he's staying at a friend's home, he unwillingly inherits two ghost children after their mother passes away. The notion that spirits can attach themselves to someone in this manner is eerie enough to make Rattlesnakes a standout. However, the disturbing visions Vic sees truly leave an impression, and they'll leave readers sufficiently horrified.

In addition to being a frightening and fun horror story, Rattlesnakes also gives closure to the characters from Cujo . It's great to see King returning to the beloved 1981 novel and even answering some of the major questions about its ending. Truthfully, many readers will dub Rattlesnakes the greatest story in You Like It Darker . For those who prefer supernatural horrors, it will be. However, two of King's other novellas are more successful at balancing multiple topics and themes, and they resonate more deeply because of it.

2 The Answer Man (2024)

Like Two Talented Bastids, The Answer Man isn't traditionally scary , but it boasts an existential and otherworldly quality that will force readers to sit in their feelings. The Answer Man is set at three separate points of Phil Parker's life: the three times he has a run-in with a mysterious being called the Answer Man. This person answers questions for a price, and he's always correct. He confirms that Phil will marry the woman he loves and move to the town he wants to. The Answer Man also indirectly hints at the deaths of Phil's son and wife, delivering tragedy in addition to hope.

The Answer Man's narrative seems committed to highlighting that both joy and pain will be present in every life, and there aren't always good explanations — or answers — when people want them most. So, while this story never explains its extraordinary happenings, it feels right that it doesn't. And despite his deep losses, Phil's narrative ends on a hopeful note. It will no doubt stick with readers long after they close You Like It Darker. The Answer Man only comes second to one novella that manages to balance more traditional horror with human wickedness and social commentary.

1 Danny Coughlin's Bad Dream (2024)

A perfect balance of supernatural horror & human wickedness.

Danny Coughlin's Bad Dream is the best story from You Like It Darker overall , and it speaks to a very human wickedness. This novella blends supernatural horror with everyday terrors, opening with the titular character finding a woman's body in his nightmare — an event that later happens in real life. When Danny anonymously reports the body, he becomes the primary murder suspect. The rest of the narrative digs into the ways assumptions and biases can ruin a man's life, with one police officer hounding Danny incessantly.

Danny Coughlin's Bad Dream features disturbing imagery and supernatural elements, but it also underscores the problems that accompany power dynamics, negligent police work, and maintaining rigid beliefs at all costs.

Danny Coughlin's Bad Dream features disturbing imagery and supernatural elements, but it also underscores the problems that accompany power dynamics, negligent police work, and maintaining rigid beliefs at all costs. This story feels like the most adaptable from You Like It Darker , and it also has one of the most compelling main characters. This leaves readers plowing through this King tale, hoping Danny will find justice. It's the most memorable addition to Stephen King 's collection, and it tackles multiple types of darkness well.

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Table of Contents

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About The Book

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About The Author

Stephen King is the author of more than sixty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His recent work includes the short story collection You Like It Darker ,  Holly ,  Fairy Tale ,  Billy Summers ,  If It Bleeds ,  The Institute ,  Elevation ,  The Outsider ,  Sleeping Beauties  (cowritten with his son Owen King), and the Bill Hodges trilogy:  End of Watch ,  Finders Keepers , and  Mr. Mercedes  (an Edgar Award winner for Best Novel and a television series streaming on Peacock). His novel  11/22/63  was named a top ten book of 2011 by  The New York Times Book Review  and won the  Los Angeles Times  Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller. His epic works  The Dark Tower ,  It ,  Pet Sematary ,  Doctor Sleep , and  Firestarter  are the basis for major motion pictures, with  It  now the highest-grossing horror film of all time. He is the recipient of the 2020 Audio Publishers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2018 PEN America Literary Service Award, the 2014 National Medal of Arts, and the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist Tabitha King. 

Product Details

• Publisher: Scribner (September 6, 2022)
• Length: 608 pages
• ISBN13: 9781668002179

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Raves and Reviews

Praise for Fairy Tale “I read (in one long, long sitting) Stephen King's fabulous Fairy Tale and it was just such a trip! A trip to a magical, terrifying land where wonders and horrors are one. But also a trip back home- to that prose that lulled me into nightmares in my teens. The voice of the King.” — Guillermo del Toro “Stephen King has all the daring, enchantment and even romance of a classic bedtime story, but King's signature unsettling style will keep you sitting up straight and wide-eyed rather than drifting off to dreamland.” —Vanity Fair “You’ll be grateful that there are 600-plus pages of it to remind you several times over how much fun that kind of reading experience is... Good, evil, a kingdom to save, monsters to slay—these are the stuff that page-turners are made from." —Laura Miller, Slate “A page-turner driven by memorably strange encounters and well-rendered, often thrilling action.” — The New York Times Book Review “An enthralling, adventurous read that will, like any genuine fairy tale, scare you half to death and lift up your heart… A splendid work of world-building.” —Colette Bancroft, The Tampa Bay Tribune “Once upon a time, Stephen King dared to write a novel called ‘Fairy Tale’ and totally lived up to that simple but lofty title… The book bursts with creativity… A profound story of good vs. evil that’s timeless and timely… life-affirming… After turning that last page, you’ll feel a little stronger in spirit, yearn for another story and, dare we say, maybe even live happily ever after.” —Brian Truitt, USA Today “Lovely… captures the creeping suspense of childhood classics.” — The Chicago Tribune “If writing this beautiful, exciting, touching fairy tale did the trick for him, then imagine what it will do for you as a reader.” —Emily Burnham, Bangor Daily News “Ambitious, pure, and powerful… One of King's grandest narrative statements, and another must-read book from a master.” —Matthew Jackson, Syfy Wire

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Wilmington writer makes list of the best books written in the 21st century

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A longtime Wilmington writer has landed on a prestigious list of the best books written this century.

John Jeremiah Sullivan, who has lived in Wilmington since the mid-2000s, comes in at No. 81 with "Pulphead," his 2005 collection of essays and journalism, on the New York Times' "100 Best Books of the 21st Century ," which began publishing its list in 20-book segments Monday.

Making the list is no mean feat. The Times surveyed "503 novelists, nonfiction writers, poets, critics and other book lovers" to compile its list, along with "a little help from the staff of The New York Times Book Review." The panel included such famous writers as Stephen King (himself no stranger to Wilmington, as many movie and TV versions of his books have been filmed here), James Patterson, Sarah Jessica Parker (probably better known as an actress, but she has written books) and Jonathan Lethem.

Sullivan has written for magazines for many years, including the New Yorker, GQ and the New York Times Magazine, and most if not all of "Pulphead" consists of work originally published in magazine form.

The book includes a piece about Sullivan's visit to the Christian Creation rock festival; a profile of Guns N' Roses singer Axl Rose, which Sullivan wrote despite not being able to interview Rose; and an essay about living in the house that portrayed the home of actress Hilarie Burton's character Peyton in the Wilmington-shot drama "One Tree Hill."

The Times writes that Sullivan "brings to his subjects not just depth, but an open-hearted curiosity. Indeed, if this book feels as if it’s from a different time, perhaps that’s because of its generous receptivity to other ways of being, which offers both reader and subject a kind of grace."

Ben Steelman's review of "Pulphead" for the StarNews in 2011 called Sullivan's book "some of the best participatory journalism this side of Susan Orlean."

Book review: John Jeremiah Sullivan's ‘Pulphead,' hits all over

A native of Kentucky, Sullivan's other books include 2004's "Blood Horses: Notes of a Sportswriter's Son," and 2019's "The Prime Minister of Paradise: Christian Gottlieb Priber and the Search for the Lost American Enlightenment."

"It’s moving anytime you hear that a book you worked hard to write has affected people, or that it means something to readers," Sullivan wrote in a text message. "Mainly what I take away from it is encouragement and motivation, to write the next one better, to justify the faith that people have placed in you. Of course my brain immediately goes to all of the writers and books that won’t be included but are as good as me and mine, or better, and maybe better than anything on the whole list, because that’s the way literary history really works, the best stuff is often very obscure in its own time. Nobody had Kafka on any lists."

Sullivan went on to say that "I am proud of 'Pulphead.' It certainly outperformed expectations, which were essentially zero. One thing not many people tend to mention about it is how many different kinds of essays it contains. There are the music profiles and gonzo pieces that got the most attention at the time, but also memoir, history and politics, science, reportage, even a little buried fiction (in “The Violence of the Lambs” story). Everything hangs together, somehow, in ways I didn’t even understand at the time."

In Wilmington, Sullivan has become known as a co-founder of the Third Person Project , which in 2021 helped find the lost grave of and organize a memorial service for Joshua Halsey , one of the victims of Wilmington's 1898 massacre and coup.

The Third Person Project also worked with local schoolchildren to reconstruct copies of the Daily Record , Wilmington's main Black newspaper in 1898, after almost all known original copies were destroyed in the wake of the deadly violence of 1898.

In fact, much of Sullivan's work has been Wilmington-centric, including a profile of musician Rhiannon Giddens that looked into the influence of 19th century Wilmington fiddler Frank Johnson , and a story last year for the Oxford American about Arthur Eugene Nixon , a Wilmington native and composer who went on to have a long music career in New York City.

Sullivan is also a songwriter, and in 2015 released the album "So How We Seem " under the moniker Life of Saturdays.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Pulphead by John Jeremiah Sullivan on NY Times best books of 21st century