As you may know, Stephen King is one of the world’s bestselling writers ever and there is a very good reason for that: he writes books that draw you in and are impossible to put down.
Many readers are surprised to discover that Stephen King wrote the stories of their favourite films The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, Stand by Me and Misery. Other readers say they enjoyed his ‘horror’ stories in their teens and are ready to be reacquainted with the amazing range and literary power of his work. There are readers and audio listeners who are devoted to his fantasy novels, or crime thrillers featuring Holly Gibney, and then of course there is a new generation of readers who will grow up reading Stephen King.
We are often asked ‘Which Stephen King book should I read first?’ With his extensive back catalogue and an exciting new array of books on the horizon, we’re delighted to share a few suggestions.
If you want a ground-breaking horror: Carrie
Unpopular and tormented, Carrie White's life takes a terrifying turn when her hidden abilities become a weapon of horror.
Stephen King's legendary debut about a teenage outcast and the revenge she enacts on her classmates is a seminal work and absolute classic. A classic of modern horror, Carrie captures the feelings of being a teenager, an outcast, and how that can affect a person in a way that’s still to relevant today. Carrie is the novel which set Stephen King on the road to becoming the Number One bestselling author he is today.
SHOP NOW
If you want a psychological thriller: Misery
One of the true classics of psychological suspense, Misery is regarded as one of Stephen King's timeless masterpieces.
Misery Chastain is dead. Paul Sheldon has just killed her. His bestselling heroine, who made him rich is gone and now he wants to get on to some real writing. After a car crash leaves him stranded, he’s rescued by Annie Wilkes – his self-proclaimed Number One Fan. And when she discovers Misery is dead, she doesn't like it. She doesn't like it at all . . .
SHOP NOW
If you want fantasy: The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger
Inspired in equal parts by Robert Browning's poem, 'Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came', JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, and Sergio Leone's spaghetti Westerns, The Dark Tower series is an epic of Arthurian proportions.
The Gunslinger is the first book in The Dark Tower epic fantasy series featuring one of King’s most enigmatic and powerful heroes: Roland of Gilead, the Last Gunslinger. Roland is a haunting figure, a loner, on a spellbinding journey toward the mysterious Dark Tower, in a desolate world which frighteningly echoes our own.
SHOP NOW
If you want alternative history that is perfect for your reading group discussion: 11.22.63
A heart-stopping, dramatic time travel novel, 11.22.63 is a WHAT IF? story like no one's ever read before. Beautifully blending rich historical detail, high-stakes sci-fi, and the social, political and popular culture of his baby-boom American generation, King has created a truly unforgettable story
WHAT IF you could go back in time and change the course of history? WHAT IF the watershed moment you could change was the JFK assassination? 11.22.63, the date that Kennedy was shot . . .
SHOP NOW
If you want an epic read about survival: The Stand
Stephen King's apocalyptic vision of a world blasted by virus and tangled in an elemental struggle between good and evil remains as riveting and eerily plausible as when it was first published.
A man escapes from a biological testing facility, unknowingly carrying a deadly weapon: a mutated strain of super-flu that will wipe out over ninety nine percent of the world's population within a few weeks. First came the virus. And then came the dreams . . .
SHOP NOW
If you want small-town horror: 'Salem's Lot
A chilling classic horror story, that brings everything you love from traditional gothic horror to a small new England town.
'Salem's Lot is a small New England town with white clapboard houses, tree-lined streets and solid church steeples. Of course, there are tales of strange happenings – but no more than in any other such town. When a newcomer arrives in town things start to happen: a child disappears, a dog is brutally killed – nothing unusual, except the list keeps growing . . .
SHOP NOW
If you want a bite-sized read: Skeleton Crew
Skeleton Crew is a collection of riveting, dark stories, where unrivalled master of suspense, Stephen King, takes the unsuspecting reader on a fantastic journey through the dark shadows of our innermost fears.
In this bumper collection of chilling tales, we meet: a woman who has never crossed The Reach, the water dividing her from the mainland; a gramma who only wants to hug little George, even after she is dead; an innocent looking toy with sinister powers; and a primeval sea creature with an insatiable appetite.
SHOP NOW
If you love character driven stories: The Green Mile
With profoundly compelling characters, The Green Mile is an iconic masterpiece that focuses on humanity, friendship and compassion, injustice and cruelty.
The Green Mile: those who walk it do not return, because at the end of that walk is the room in which sits Cold Mountain penitentiary's electric chair. In 1932 the newest resident on death row is John Coffey, a man convicted of murder. Evil or innocent – whichever he is – Coffey has strange powers which may yet offer salvation to others, even if they can do nothing to save him.
SHOP NOW
If you want the full Stephen King experience: IT
Deftly interweaving the stories of the children and the adults they become, IT is one of the most iconic novels of all time, combining a powerful coming-of-age story with supernatural terror. IT continues to capture generations of readers and has inspired award-winning adaptations including the iconic 1990 TV mini-series, the major motion pictures IT: Chapter One and IT: Chapter Two, and the prequel series IT: Welcome to Derry.
Set in the ordinary town, Derry, Maine. It is a group of children who see – and feel – what makes Derry so horribly different. In the storm drains, in the sewers, IT lurks, taking on the shape of every nightmare, each one's deepest dread.
SHOP NOW
If you want to read a gripping crime thriller: Holly
Meet Holly Gibney, private detective who, as King said ‘was supposed to be a walk-on character in Mr Mercedes and she just kind of stole the book and stole my heart’.
In Holly, she returns to uncover the gruesome truth behind multiple disappearances in a Midwestern town. Once you start, you’ll want to devour it.
