The 10 Most Essential Stephen King Books

The 10 Most Essential Stephen King Books

We have master of speculative fiction that is Stephen King to thank for several works of film and television. Here are his essential, must-read books.

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Stephen King is an absolute master of speculative fiction, no questions asked. With over sixty novels under his belt and dozens of adaptations, he is truly a genius of his craft.

But with such a high number of books, short stories, and novellas, the question is where to start? For those looking to get a true taste of King’s work, have a look at this list for some essential reading material.

10 Apt Pupil

Though it’s not the most conventional chiller expected from the likes of Stephen King, Apt Pupil is a story that deals with a real monster.

When a boy discovers his elderly neighbor is actually a former Nazi living under an assumed name, a spiral of corruption and manipulation unfurls in this tale of war crimes, blackmail, and one of the most atrocious times in history. It’s definitely a new flavor of suspense.

9 11/22/63

Stephen King will always be a master of the horror genre, that was established decades ago. But his strange time-travel thriller is often one of his most overlooked works.

In the novel, a time traveler ventures to the date 11/22/63 in order to attempt to stop the assassination of John F. Kennedy. It might not be as famous as some of the other works featured on the list, but it’s one that helped establish the author’s position in multiple genres.

8 ‘Salem’s Lot

Now to dip into a classic piece of horror fiction, next on the list is ‘Salem’s Lot, Stephen King’s take on the vampire genre. This novel of the undead features a town populated by a bloodsucking race of vampires laying claim to a little place called Jerusalem’s Lot. Not only was it adapted into a miniseries, but King revisits the location in selections of his literary works as well.

7 Misery

Easily one of the author’s most personal and frightening works of fiction, Misery stands as an author’s worst nightmare come true, a critical and obsessive fan going over the edge for their favorite character.

What makes the work so chilling isn’t just the isolation and imprisonment by Annie Wilkes, but how truly monstrous a fanbase of any sort can be. How soon some forget that authors and other creatives are human beings behind the works.

6 The Stand

Often cited as King’s magnum opus, The Stand is a post-apocalyptic novel with the epic scale of Lord of the Rings. Truthfully, it’s a time investment and one of the most lore-heavy pieces in King’s library, but it’s arguably one of the deepest pieces the author has ever produced.

When a massive plague decimates the global population, it’s up to a gathering of survivors to save the human race in a battle of good and evil.

5 It

Yet another massive novel enters the list with this iconic King classic, It. Easily both one of the scariest and longest books from the author.

Though it might not be for all readers, the battle between the Losers’ Club and the colorful cosmic horror that is Pennywise the Dancing Clown is a stand-out in the genre and easily the most iconic of all of the author’s characters.

4 The Gunslinger

While The Stand has been compared to Lord of the Rings, Stephen King’s Dark Tower series arguably has more fantasy elements to deserve that distinction.

Though it’s a long series with many a twist and a turn, the first entry is without a doubt the best in the long run. Essentially a western with the storytelling prowess of J.R.R. Tolkien, the epic saga of Roland Deschain is both exciting and emotional as he chases after the notorious Man in Black.

3 Carrie

Many fans of the author claim his best work comes from his earlier entries. Being his first novel, Carrie is certainly a testament to that maxim. Though it has more sci-fi elements than horror, the tragic tale of Carrie White is an icon of the genre, both in literary and cinematic form.

Some might view this as a heart-stopping thriller with a sympathetic monster, others might see it as a superpowered revenge fantasy. Either way, it’s a knockout from the author.

2 Night Shift

Not a novel, but a collection of short stories that will definitely give the reader a good case of the shakes. This compilation of creepy tales features many Stephen King standards that would later go on to become the basis for several film adaptations including Trucks (later Maximum Overdrive), Children of the Corn, and The Lawnmower Man. It perfectly serves as a Stephen King sampler platter for those new to the author’s amazing work.

1 The Shining

Speaking of amazing works, the number one spot on this list has to go to The Shining. This horror masterpiece takes the concept of a haunted house and cranks it up to twelve with its evil spirits, psychic kids, and cursed hotel rooms with frisky corpses to push it all over the edge like a cabin-fevered Jack Nicholson. Certainly one of the most memorable and unsettling works Stephen King has ever written.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/essential-stephen-king-books/

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