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An Expert Guide on How to Read Stephen King Books
Take it from us and make your way down this list of King’s most popular books.
Published on January 12, 2024
Curated ByLanie Pemberton
Lanie is a San Diego-based freelance writer who loves reading crime thrillers and nonfiction about animals and the natural world. When not writing and reading (or writing about what to read), Lanie spends as much time as possible at the beach with her husband and pampered pittie, Peach.
On Writing: A Memoir Of The Craft
Stephen KingIt might seem counterintuitive to start with King’s book about writing before diving into his fiction, but “On Writing” is a fantastic primer full of sound advice and engaging background. This isn't a formulaic how-to-write book, but a description of how King approaches the craft — essential background information that informs his thrilling, horrifying, and mind-bending stories (don’t worry, you’ll read those next).
Different Seasons
Stephen KingBefore you tackle more ambitious novels like “It,” dip your toes into King’s style by reading his more accessible — but no less eerie — novellas. Three of the four in this collection inspired hit films (including “The Shawshank Redemption” and “Stand By Me”), making them even more approachable. As the title suggests, each story takes place in a different season of the year.
The Long Walk
Stephen KingNow, you’re ready to start your journey into King’s full-length, standalone novels. “The Long Walk” is one of his earliest (published in 1979 under his pseudonym, Richard Bachman). Though not technically a horror story, it explores both psychological and physical torment of the worst degree. In a dystopian America, Ray Garraty and 99 other teen boys compete in The Long Walk, a grueling test of endurance. The last boy standing earns whatever his heart desires — but the losers pay the ultimate price.
The Dead Zone
Stephen King“The Dead Zone” is notable for many reasons, including being King’s first bestseller and the first in a long line of his novels set in the fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine. After years in a coma, Johnny Smith wakes with a newfound ability to see people’s pasts and futures. After a politician shakes his hand, Johnny must decide if he should interfere with an impending disaster. Plenty of psychological thrills with a fantasy twist.
Cujo
Stephen KingReturn to one of King’s favorite locations, Castle Rock, Maine, for a horrifying story of man’s best friend turned deadly monster. Cujo, a 200-pound St. Bernard, is your typical family dog until he’s bitten by a rabid bat. The ferocity he unleashes on those he encounters, including neighbor Donna Trenton and her son, Tad, is beyond anyone’s wildest fears. King intersperses suspense and horror with glimpses of small-town life and family turmoil.
Pet Sematary
Stephen KingOnly after you’ve properly immersed yourself in the King of Horror are you ready to read the novel the author himself found utterly terrifying. “Pet Sematary” pushes the boundaries of the horror genre, bringing every parent’s worst nightmare to life in a shocking combination of trauma and loss, the dead and undead. It’s well worth a read even if you’ve seen the film 2019 adaptation, which strays from the source material in a few different ways.
It
Stephen KingPennywise the clown — and his targeted tormenting of children — has plagued many a nightmare. But amid the terror and gore, King captures the magic of childhood, lifting the reader’s spirit high with the shielding power of friendship in the face of evil. “It” is one of King’s longest novels (second only to “The Stand”), and the first to take place in the unsettling fictional town of Derry, Maine.
Insomnia
Stephen KingIt’s time to return to Derry, Maine — if you dare. Widower Ralph Roberts can’t sleep, and the longer he goes without rest the more visions of auras and unearthly beings plague him. “Insomnia” is an incredible blend of psychological thrills and supernatural horror, building tension as Ralph (and us readers) wonder whether pure exhaustion or something more sinister is driving the action.
The Green Mile: The Complete Serial Novel
Stephen KingThough he’s called “The King of Horror,” King’s fiction runs the gamut of genres. Take a short break from the scares to read “The Green Mile,” originally published in monthly installments. In a story full of drama and magical realism, Paul Edgecombe is a prison guard at Cold Mountain Penitentiary, charged with overseeing death row inmates, including the kind and gifted John Coffey. At roughly 500 pages, this novel is accessible by King standards. The 1999 movie adaptation stars Tom Hanks, Sam Rockwell, and the late Michael Clarke Duncan.
Lisey's Story: A Novel
Stephen KingYet another favorite of the author, “Lisey’s Story” is the closest King gets to the romance genre, exploring the unbreakable bond between husband and wife, artist and muse. To come to terms with her late husband’s legacy as an author, as well as his childhood trauma, Lisey enters Boo’ya Moon, the dream world he created for writing inspiration. But Boo’ya Moon soon becomes her refuge, protector, and only remaining link to their relationship.
11/22/63: A Novel
Stephen KingHigh school English teacher Jake Epping travels back in time through a portal in his friend’s diner, hoping to stop the Kennedy assassination on November 22, 1963. One of the best time travel stories since H.G. Wells — not because of the sci-fi spectacle aspect or the historically significant plot, but because of the subtle, human story that’s told against a narratively rich backdrop.
Mr. Mercedes: A Novel
Stephen KingYou’ve gotten a taste of King’s horror, thriller, and sci-fi stories — now dive into something new. This 2015 Edgar Award-winning detective story offers a noirish cat-and-mouse plot and a terrifying sociopath of a killer. “Mr. Mercedes” diverges from typical King fare, but it’s no less satisfying.
Billy Summers
Stephen KingA hit man with a heart of gold and an honorable Iraq war vet-turned-assassin about to retire — an unlikely pair thrown together on a quest for revenge and redemption. In his latest standalone novel (published in the summer of 2021), King masterfully turns all the hard-boiled crime tropes on their head and delivers a thrilling noir page-turner.
Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger
Stephen KingOnce you’ve read King through the genres and the decades, it's time to travel back to 1982. “The Dark Tower” series has been described as King’s magnum opus, with many screen adaptations including the 2017 blockbuster film starring Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey. It requires some prior King knowledge to fully appreciate, which is why we’ve placed this book at the end of the list. Once you fall in love with King’s style, enter his fantasy western universe with book one, “The Gunslinger.”