Best books by Stephen King

Stephen King is one of the most popular writers today, and for a good reason. His stories are captivating, exciting, and often scary. And if you want to learn more about the King of Horror, you are in the right place.

Who is Stephen King?

Stephen King is an American writer who is known in the horror genre. He lives in Maine and he is often called the King of Horror. King has worked on numerous books and short stories, and his novels have received countless movie and TV adaptations.

He’s also won a plethora of awards for his work. King experiments with different genres and is not only focusing on horror stories. Although, the genre is what gained him worldwide fame. He is one of the bestselling authors of all time. King still lives in Maine with his wife, Tabitha.

Stephen King genre

So, what is the best way to describe Stephen King’s genre? He worked on countless books that varied from fiction and horror to suspense and crime stories. There are a few science fiction short stories, fantasy novels, and even non-fiction books (such as On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft).

But the majority of his stories are fictional. Whether he writes about the fictional town of Derry in Maine, or if he follows the story of the last Gunslinger looking for the Dark Tower, you can find a King novel you will enjoy regardless of your preferences.

Bestsellers

Stephen King has written many popular stories, but the first novel is still a fan favorite for so many people, and that’s Carrie from 1974. After Carrie and his second novel Salem’s Lot, fans began to dub him a horror author.

King has also written The Shining, Pet Sematary, The Talisman (with Peter Straub), It, The Green Mile, Billy Summers, The Running Man, The Eyes of the Dragon, Tommyknockers, Skeleton Crew, Gwendy’s Button Box (with Richard Chizmar), Regulators, and many more. However, the biggest story he worked on was The Dark Tower.

It is a series of seven books (eight if you count The Wind Through the Keyhole), and it is a dark fantasy series with elements of horror and western. As for King’s scariest novel, many consider it to be It or Misery.

Which book should I start with?

One of the best things about Stephen King is that he mostly writes standalone novels, which means that you can read them in any order you’d like. This doesn’t count his series, such as The Dark Tower which has eight novels, the Bill Hodges trilogy, The Talisman, and Black House, among others.

So, you can pick a novel that has interesting covers, or if you enjoyed a movie, check out the original work that inspired it. Of course, many people will recommend you start at the beginning with Carrie, but this is not necessary.

If you plan on starting with The Dark Tower series and learning all about Roland Deschain, you should know the proper reading order.

• The Gunslinger
• The Drawing of the Three
• The Waste Lands
• Wizard and Glass
• Wolves of the Calla
• Song of Susannah
• The Dark Tower

There are also short stories and novellas that are part of the series, but they are not main entries. The Bill Hodges series includes Mr. Mercedes, Finders Keepers, and End of Watch. The trilogy also inspired the series about Holly Gibney.

Book-to-film adaptations

As mentioned earlier, there are various adaptations of King’s stories. The first adaptation was Carrie in 1976 with Sissy Spacek, and other stories followed. The most popular titles include Stand by Me, Cujo, Misery, The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, 1408, Mist, Secret Window, and It.

It is also not rare to see multiple adaptations of the same story, such as It, where the latest version was split into two parts. And while some movies are better than others, The Shawshank Redemption (based on the novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption) made it to the top of the IMDB list of top movies of all time.

Ways to enjoy Stephen King’s stories

There are several different ways you can go through Stephen King’s bibliography and discover new stories.

Physical copy

One way to dabble in King’s work is to get physical copies of each book. You can start with books you are most excited to read and start building your collection. Another option is to visit your local library and check whether they have Stephen King’s stories.

Keep in mind that King has sixty-four novels and that he wrote a couple of stories under a pseudonym (Richard Bachman). This means that if you want to complete your collection, it will take you a while.

Audiobooks

Another option you can check out is audiobooks. Instead of looking to buy every novel from the collection in physical form, you can get them in digital form. This will save you time, money, and shelf space.

Audiobooks are especially useful for auditory learners, people with dyslexia, reading disabilities, visual impairments, and so on. But even if you just prefer multitasking, listening to audiobooks will also be able to give you a whole new way to enjoy the content.

Read Stephen King on Speechify’s audiobook library

Speechify offers a rich audiobook library filled with the latest titles. If you are a fan of Stephen King or plan on discovering his work for the first time, Speechify is an excellent option since it has a large range of King audiobooks.

But that’s just the beginning. Speechify offers many other writers in various genres, such as horror, mystery, and fantasy. With Speechify, you will get instant access to countless titles, and you will be able to listen to them like never before.

Speechify Audiobooks is one of the most popular audiobook platforms you can find today, and the quality is exceptional, so sign up today and enjoy your first premium audiobook for free.

FAQ

What is the order of Stephen King’s books?

You only need to follow a particular reading order if you’re reading one of King’s series, such as The Dark Tower or the Hodges trilogy. Other stories are mostly standalone, and you can read them in any order you want.

What is Stephen King’s most popular book story?

King’s most popular stories include It, Salem’s Lot, Pet Sematary, Misery, The Shining, Carrie, The Stand, The Green Mile, The Dead Zone, Fairy Tale, The Gunslinger, Mr. Mercedes, The Outsider, Doctor Sleep, The Institute, Sleeping Beauties, and many others.

You can also check out less popular stories that are still worth reading, such as Under the Dome, Christine, Dolores Claiborne, Duma Key, Lisey’s Story, Night Shift, Needful Things, Bag of Bones, Dreamcatcher, Gerald’s Game, Firestarter, and others.

What is the first Stephen King book published?

The first book Stephen King wrote was Carrie and was published in 1974.