Stephen King Novels
The master of horror. His name has become synonymous with the genre. A bizarre nightmare that often taps into childhood trauma, addiction, and religion. From the time he smashed into pop culture with his Carrie in 74, he has written over sixty books and counting, most of them being adapted into film or series. I can’t say I have taken a deep dive into his works but I have read enough to appreciate his engaging writing, creepy storytelling, and endless creativity. These are my top five Stephen King Books.
Number 5. Misery. In my opinion, King’s best scares are his simplest. Misery is straightforward and realistic. Paul, an author, crashed his car on a snowy road. He is rescued by a recluse farmer Annie who turns out to be a fan, who turns out to be a psychopathic fanatic. Displeased with how he plans to end a beloved character in his books, she holds Paul captive. She gets him addicted to painkillers, hobbles his ankles, and forces him to rewrite the book. The movie version is a classic of suspense with a terrifying Kathy Bates, but the novel is bloodier and more suspenseful.
Number 4. The Green Mile. I am a huge fan of the movie—one of the greatest tearjerkers ever. I think of the story first and foremost as a drama, which I think is where King can show his talent. Yes, he has a warped imagination for scares but it is the human drama that he taps into that makes him great. The book was first released as six, monthly serial novellas. Together they tell the story of a miracle who is put on death row and the guards must decide whether or not they must execute him.
Number 3. The Stand. A deadly virus rips through the world’s population, leaving a desolate wasteland for the ultimate showdown between good and evil, incarnate. This is a bold and ambitious epic. Multiple characters and timelines. One part horror, apocalyptic political drama, and spiritual war drama. Nearly matching It, this is one of King’s longest books. A behemoth. One of the longest books I have ever read and although I liked the ending on all accounts (I know endings can be a common complaint by King’s critics) I did not think that it needed to be quite that long.
Number 2. The Shining / Doctor Sleep. Two books were needed to tell the complete story of the Terrance men. I was never a big fan of the Kubrick film so I stayed away from the book. Then I read in an interview that King was disappointed with what Kubrick did with his characters and story. He kept the character names and basic premise of a hotel caretaker slowly going crazy and attempting to murder his family. But King wrote the story as a reflection on alcoholism and family trauma, which is omitted from the movie. The book is genuinely scary but the characters are what kept me turning the page. I immediately stepped to Doctor Sleep, the sequel King waited decades to touch. It is an equally chilling story that expands on the character of Danny and the possible consequences of the shining. More than anything, it continued the themes of addiction, second chances, and ghosts following generations.
Number 1. 11-22-63. Jake discovers a wormhole to the past in his friend’s Al diner. He is tasked by Al, who has traveled extensively in the past, to complete a mission: to prevent the assassination of John F Kennedy. Can he save the President? How could this change his future? Like I said, his best scares are the simplest. And in this one, the past does not want to be changed. Fate itself is working against Jake. But it is not King’s usual horror. It’s suspenseful but smart about it. There are also equal parts political thriller, nostalgia junkie, espionage, and of course mystery. I am a big conspiracy nerd when it comes to the JFK assassination. Oliver Stone’s movie on the subject is one of my favorite thrillers. And I want to visit the grassy knoll, myself. You can tell that King is also passionate about the subject. Extensive research, time, and care went into this book. It is unlike anything else he has written, a true passion project that could be enjoyed by fans of any genre.
