Best Stephen King Books

Politics and Activism

In 1984, King endorsed Gary Hart’s presidential campaign. [127]

In April 2008, King spoke out against HB 1423, a bill pending in the Massachusetts state legislature that would restrict or ban the sale of violent video games to anyone under the age of 18. King claimed that laws like this allow legislators ignore the income gap between rich and poor, and prohibit the sale of violent video games to anyone under 18. He believed these were the real causes of violence. [128]

During the 2008 presidential election, King voiced his support for Democratic candidate Barack Obama. [129] King was quoted as calling conservative commentator Glenn Beck “Satan’s mentally challenged younger brother”. [130]

King addressed a rally of political supporters in Sarasota on March 8th 2011, expressing his disapproval for Governor Rick Scott (R.FL). [131]

On April 30, 2012, King published an article in The Daily Beast calling for rich Americans, including himself, to pay more taxes, citing it as “a practical necessity and moral imperative that those who have received much should be obligated to pay … in the same proportion”. [132]

King wrote an essay titled “Guns” via Amazon.com’s Kindle single feature. It discusses gun debate following the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre. King called for gun owners to support a ban on automatic and semi-automatic weapons, writing, “Autos and semi-autos are weapons of mass destruction…When lunatics want to make war on the unarmed and unprepared, these are the weapons they use. “[133][134] The essay became the fifth-bestselling non-fiction title for the Kindle. [135]

King attacked Donald Trump and Rep. Steve King for being racist. [136][137][138]

In June 2018, King called for the release of the Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov, who was jailed in Russia. [139]

In the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries, King endorsed Elizabeth Warren’s campaign. [140] Warren eventually suspended her campaign, and King later endorsed Joe Biden’s campaign in the 2020 general election. [141]

King supported Ukraine during the Russian invasion in 2022. On his Twitter, account King posted a photo in an “I stand with Ukraine” t-shirt[142][143] and later tweeted that he refuses to cooperate with Russian publishers. [144][145]

‘The Stand’ By Stephen King, Published By Hodder & Stoughton

King’s post-apocalyptic 1978 novel is almost a precursor for The Dark Tower. It features a common villain and an equally roaming style that King derived from his desire to create a modern American version of Lord of the Rings. King added four hundred pages to the 1990 edition and adapted his book for the miniseries in 1994.

He’s reappraised it again for this year’s new television adaptation and has reworked the ending. While you might not be in the mood for a story about a pandemic that wipes out almost the entire world’s population right now, this utterly absorbing novel is rightly hailed as one of King’s finest novels, and, the villainous character of “Dark Man” aside, it ends on a note of hope.

The Institute

Lisey’S story

How does it all work?

The widow tracks a trail left behind by her husband, an author.

Why should you read it?

This is one of those stories that’s well worth sticking with. Although it took me some time to really get the hang of this story, I am glad that I did. Published in 2006, Lisey’s Story feels like another hybrid: part mystery, part fantasy, and part thriller, combining the real-life threat of an obsessed stalker with the superbly-envisioned lure of a new world. It’s an excellent insight into King’s extraordinary imagination.

Night Shift

King decided to stop publishing full-length horror books for his fifth book and instead published a collection called Night Shift. King’s first four novels weren’t as well-received as King’s short stories, but he managed to bring the same acclaim and produce a collection that is just as frightening as his novels.

Night Shift is often referred to by King as King’s greatest short story collection. It contains many memorable stories including “Children of the Corn”, “Jerusalem’s Lot,” a prologue to ‘Salem’s Lot”, and “Night Surf,” set in the same postapocalyptic world as The Stand.

All in all, it wasn’t surprising that King managed to write short stories that managed to terrorize readers so well, given the fact that he kicked off his career publishing short fiction in magazines. The book allowed readers to read some of King’s most difficult stories, opening the door for King’s future short fiction collections like Skeleton Crew or Different Seasons. We recommend this short book for those who want a quick read.

By Cormac Mccarthy

[The man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed.]

King helped to expand the Gunslinger’s world over the next twenty years. He gave him a name (Roland Deschain Of Gilead), as well as companions (Eddie Dean and Susannah Dean), a story, and a purpose. To reach the Dark Tower which was at the center of all the worlds.

King’s works are often hidden behind the Dark Tower. But don’t let that monstrous monolith deter you. For a gentle introduction, you can work through these ten works. You’ll soon be craving more and, most likely, cursing me.

Stil and approach to writing

King’s formula for learning to write well is: “Read and write four to six hours a day. You can’t expect yourself to be a great writer if you don’t have the time. He sets out each day with a quota of 2000 words and will not stop writing until it is met. He also has a simple definition for talent in writing: “If you wrote something for which someone sent you a check, if you cashed the check and it didn’t bounce, and if you then paid the light bill with the money, I consider you talented. “[104]

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. It’s what I love to do. It’s the only thing I love and would not do anything else. “[105] He is also often asked why he writes such terrifying stories and he answers with another question: “Why do you assume I have a choice? “[106] King usually begins the story creation process by imagining a “what if” scenario, such as what would happen if a writer is kidnapped by a sadistic nurse in Colorado. [107]

King frequently uses fictional authors or mentions them in stories, novels and novels. This includes Paul Sheldon in Misery and adult Bill Denbrough (in It), Ben Mears (in ‘Salem’s Lot) and Jack Torrance (in The Shining). King has gone beyond breaking the fourth wall to include himself in The Dark Tower V series: Wolves of the Calla. In September 2009 it was announced he would serve as a writer for Fangoria. [108]

Christine

This 1983 book is prototypical King: the Haunted [Something]. In this case, it’s a candy apple red 1958 Plymouth Fury with a mind of its own, the ability to heal itself from damage, and a love of doo-wop and vengeance. There is more to this eerie tale than meets the eye, as King has done with many of his best. Christine is about obsession. It’s also about toxic masculinity, long before that term became widely used.

Arnie is the lead character. He is a high school dropout in 1978. His life changes dramatically after he acquires Christine, the dilapidated housekeeper. Arnie is a bitter outcast, with an air of incel about him. He finally finds something that feeds his soul and gives him strength.

Some people think that the red hat is all they need to feel empowered; Arnie prefers his red car.

Stephen King’s “The Shining” is published by Hodder & Stoughton

King was known to be averse to Stanley Kubrick’s famous adaptation of his novel. He found the portrayal of Wendy Torrance and Jack, a recovering addict trying to overcome writer’s blocks in an isolated mountain resort while descended into madness, shrill and absurd.

The novel is filled with horror at multiple levels. Their son, Danny, possesses psychic powers, a theme that features throughout King’s work, which allow him to see ghosts of the “Overlook Hotel”, who then unleash terror on the Torrance family. We also found the claustrophobic quality and nod to family relationships and the impact of alcoholism (which King knew first-hand from his own addictions) made this read all the more compelling.

Carrie And Aftermath

In 1973, King’s novel Carrie was accepted by publishing house Doubleday. It was King’s fourth novel,[31] but the first to be published. He wrote it on his wife Tabitha’s portable typewriter. It began as a short story intended for Cavalier magazine, but King tossed the first three pages in the garbage can. [32] Tabitha recovered the pages and encouraged him to finish the story, saying she would help him with the female perspective; he followed her advice and expanded it into a novel. [33] He stated that he had persevered because he was tired and didn’t have any better ideas… His considered opinion was that a novel was the worst thing to ever happen in history. “[34] According to The Guardian, Carrie “is the story of Carrie White, a high-school student with latent–and then, as the novel progresses, developing–telekinetic powers. It’s brutal in places, affecting in others (Carrie’s relationship with her almost hysterically religious mother being a particularly damaged one), and gory in even more. “[35]

When Carrie was chosen for publication, King’s phone was out of service. Doubleday editor William Thompson–who became King’s close friend–sent a telegram to King’s house in late March or early April 1973[36] which read: “Carrie Officially A Doubleday Book. $2,500 Advance Against Royalties. Congratulations, Kid. The Future lies ahead, Bill. “[37] King stated that he purchased a Ford Pinto new car with the advance. [36] On May 13, 1973, New American Library bought the paperback rights for $400,000, which–in accordance with King’s contract with Doubleday–was split between them. [38][39] Carrie set King’s career in motion and became a significant novel in the horror genre. It was turned into a horror movie in 1976. [40]

King’s 1975 book, ‘Salem’s Lot’ was first published. He said that the story seemed “sort of down to home” in a 1987 issue. It has a special place in my heart. “[41] After his mother’s death, King and his family moved to Boulder, Colorado, where he wrote The Shining (published 1977). The family returned to western Maine in 1975, where he completed The Stand (published 1978). In 1977, the family, with the addition of Owen Philip, his third and youngest child, traveled briefly to England. King started teaching creative writing at University of Maine in the fall. [42]

In 1982, King published Different Seasons, a collection of four novellas with a more serious dramatic bent than the horror fiction for which he is famous. The novellas of three of the four chapters were made into Hollywood movies. Stand by Me (1986), was taken from The Body. The Shawshank Redemption (1994), Rita Hayworth’s Shawshank Redemption, and Apt Pupil (1998) are both adaptations of that novella. [46][47]

King’s first comic book work was published in 1985. [48] King also wrote a few pages for Heroes for Hope Starring X-Men. The book, whose profits were donated to famine relief in Africa, was written by a number of different authors in the comic book field, such as Chris Claremont, Stan Lee, and Alan Moore, as well as authors not primarily associated with comics, such as Harlan Ellison. [49] The following year, King published It (1986), which was the best-selling hardcover novel in the United States that year,[50] and wrote the introduction to Batman No. 400, an anniversary issue where he expressed his preference for the character over Superman. [51][52]

The Mist

What’s it about?

A strange mist envelopes the neighbourhood and a father and son are trapped with several strangers in a station.

Why should you read it?

Published in 1980, this is the sort of story that feels like it could easily have become a massive novel. It’s not, though — it’s actually a novella of around 150 pages, which can be found in King’s collection Skeleton Crew released in 1985. The Mist is a perfect example of the expression “caught between rock and hard place”, with “rock” being a fast-growing religious cult, and “hard place” being an inaccessible fog filled with flesh-eating beasts. Not a great situation for the characters to be in, sure, but it certainly makes for an addictive read.

The Regulators

As strange vehicles make rounds, they take potshots at residents and then murder them. This makes a small suburban town into a dangerous war zone. Why is this happening? One child, an oddly-shaped boy with a love of cowboys and cartoons is the only one who can answer this question.

The Regulators is a King novel that was released simultaneously with a parallel book called Desperation. They share the same antagonists and themes but they have very different plots that deal with dangers beyond our comprehension.

Although answers are provided to some extent, they cannot be given outright. The Regulators is a well-told story that tells the right stories. There’s not much to be said about it. Expect to not be thrilled. Desperation has a greater chance, but neither is a great book.

Read More: All Kazuo Ishiguro Books Ranked

The Last Rung On The Ladder

What’s it about?

A haunted older brother remembers an episode from his childhood where he saved his little sister’s life.

Why should you read it?

This one’s only a short story — it appears in King’s 1978 collection Night Shift — but it packs one hell of a punch. It’s an emotional punch. Scenes from the narrator’s childhood lay the foundation of the tale, and then the ultimate realisation of what’s happened to the siblings as adults — which comes in the form of a letter and a newspaper article — pulls the rug from under you. In the end, The Last Rung of the Ladder serves as a reminder of how crucial a last line can be. It’s an old line that is repeated through the story, and it has a devastating final application.

The Dark Tower Books

In the late 1970s, King began what became a series of interconnected stories about a lone gunslinger, Roland, who pursues the “Man in Black” in an alternate-reality universe that is a cross between J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth and the American Wild West as depicted by Clint Eastwood and Sergio Leone in their spaghetti Westerns. The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger was the first of these stories. It was originally published by The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction in five parts, under Edward L. Ferman’s editorship, between 1977 and 1981. The Gunslinger was continued as an eight-book epic series called The Dark Tower, whose books King wrote and published infrequently over four decades. [citation needed]

‘Salem’S Lot’ By Stephen King, Published By Hodder & Stoughton

King’s second novel was described by Vanity Fair as “Our Town, with razor-sharp tooth and claws”, which is a perfect description. King’s perfectly simple idea was this; what if Dracula came back to modern America? It’s a darker version of Lost Boys and it has a touch of magic, which makes this novel one of the most popular vampire stories in literature.

Revival

How does it all work?

A musician’s life becomes entwined with that of a minister-turned-healer who cures his drug addiction.

It is worth reading.

Released in 2014, Revival is a bit like Lisey’s Story, in the sense that it’s very hard to predict where the plot is going to go — and the place it does end up going is awe-inspiring in scope. Revival, in the end, is about death. Revival is about fearing death and wondering what will happen if we die. If you’re a fan of H.P. Lovecraft, you’ll like this one.

Fear is the most common emotion associated with horror. So what better way to end this list than a roundup of King’s scariest books?

Finders Keepers

A famous author is murdered and his unpublished work is stolen. Before the killer is apprehended, he buries the treasure and plans to collect it upon his release. A teenager finds the novels hidden beneath the ground and decides to rescue his family’s finances.

Bill’s second outing is weaker than the first but still an entertaining read. With Bill and Holly being such interesting characters, I welcomed more time and adventures with them. There is an underlying sense that King has gone through the motions rather than showing us his finest work in this series.

Four Past Midnight

All stories in Four Past Midnight are terrific to a degree. The first two stories delight and disappoint (but thankfully, not equally) and the Sun Dog suffers King Syndrome (i.e. a bad ending).

However, The Library Policeman is an absolute delight. This is a very creepy tale, but also contains one of the most funny and memorable lines in fiction. The antagonist really scared me. I think that this may be due to the similarities between them and another King terroriser (both are probably of the same species).

The Tommyknockers (1987)

• Goodreads: 3.6/5
• Audible: 4.5/5
• Abebooks: 3.56/5
• Audiobooks.com: 4.3/5

The Tommyknockers ranks as the worst of all Stephen King books as he himself views it as an awful effort. Openly revealing his addiction to alcohol and drug use, the author noted that the book was written in one of these times. The story centers around the residents of the Maine town of Haven who gradually fall under the influence of alien artefacts unearthed in the woods.

Stephen King’s horror doesn’t just deal with external, otherworldly threats. Often his monsters come in human form. Warning: The stories contained in this section may not be pleasant. They deal with a lot of grim subject matters, and might be best to skip completely if you want to avoid reading about real-life evil.)

Have some spare time? Want a narrative that you can get completely lost in? Well, good news — Stephen King has plenty of those.

It (1986)

• Goodreads: 4.2
• Audible: 4.7/5
• Abebooks: 4.2/5
• Audiiobooks.com: 4.4/5

This horror novel was the first to be adapted for TV and film. Tapping into the collective childhood terrors that kids usually have of clowns, King writes about the experiences of seven children as they are terrorized by an evil entity that primarily appears in the form of the Dancing Clown Pennywise while hunting its preferred prey of young children.

2- Misery:

The psychological thriller Misery was published in 2009. It is the story of novelist Paul Sheldon and an insane fan Annie. She kept Paul in captivity after his accident. The narratives tell the tale of obsession, addiction, physical and mental torture. The Bram Stoker Award for Novel was given to it. You must read this gripping book by Stephen King.

Billy Summers

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Billy Summers is a must-read for any fan of thrillers. It’s the perfect summer read!

The Stand

Looking for a unique way to organize your books? The Stand Anchor Books are the perfect solution! These bookshelves are designed to hold your books in place and keep them organized.

11/22/63: A Novel

Are you looking for a riveting read that will keep you up all night? Look no further than 11/22/63 by Stephen King. This novel is a winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Best Mystery/Thriller, and it is sure to keep you entertained from start to finish.

Misery: A Novel

Looking for a dark and twisted read? Look no further than Misery: A Novel by Stephen King. This novel is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

The Shining

Looking for a unique gift for the literary enthusiast in your life? Look no further than The Shining Anchor Books! Our selection of unique and interesting books will have them hooked for hours.

Best Stephen King Books

All 61 Stephen King Books Ranked From Worst To Best

B&N Blogs

These are the 10 Best Stephen King Novels

What Do You Think Is the Greatest Stephen King Book Of All Time

1. The Shining (1977) Shame on anyone who doesn’t know about this story. The Green Mile (2006)
2. Pet Sematary (1983).
3. 1987 Misery
4. It (1996)
5. The Stand (1978).
6. On Writing: A Memoir about the Craft (2000).
7. The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger (82).

Are You Looking For The Perfect Stephen King Book?

1. These are the Best Stephen King Books for Beginners. 1 of 10. Carrie.
2. 2 from 10. Shining.
3. Three of the 10. It.
4. Four of the 10. Pet Sematary.
5. 5 of 10. Misery.
6. 6 from 10. Dark Tower I – The Gunslinger.
7. 7 from 10. Different Seasons
8. 8 of 10 The Stand.

Stephen King Believes Which Book Is His Greatest?

King lists his favourite novels at three: Misery (which he recently adapted to Apple TV due it’s deeply personal nature) and Lisey’s Story.

Stephen King’s Most Scariest Books?

1. 1 It. It.2 Salem’s Lot.
2. Three Black Houses
3. 4 Pet Sematary.
4. 5 Shining.
5. Six Reasons to Be Desperate.
6. 7 Cujo.
7. 8 Carrie.

.Best Stephen King Books