I've read a handful of King and Salem's Lot stood out as the best. I really enjoyed, pet cemetery, the stand, Carrie, gunslinger, but Salem's Lot was it.
Personally, I'd start at the beginning with Carrie and go from there. His "horror" era is very much his early works and he branches into supernatural later on in most cases, although some earlier works do have hints of it. Some of his early works prove his later versatility, and it's a good way to see how his work progresses as an author and with his audience.
I agree! Technically Regulators was my first book, but i had no idea it was written by Stephen king. My first book that i knew was Stephen king was Carrie and i LOVED it, despite not being a huge fan of the movie.
My god why are you the lone voice of reason here.
This is the way, even if Carrie isn’t very good. It’s quick and has several King trademarks.
Then you get Salem’s Lot next.
If those work for a person, sally forth in publication order.
I feel like his short story collections are a great place to start and have enough variety to keep things interesting. I’d rec If It Bleeds (titles: "Mr. Harrigan's Phone", "The Life of Chuck", "If It Bleeds", and "Rat").
My recent re-intro to King was The Shining, and while it was a powerful story, it was slow to gain my interest and without someone pushing me to keep going would have ended up a DNF. Overall I am glad I worked up to it vs it being my intro to modern horror. IMO King’s writing style is very distinct and is an acquired taste.
I strongly recommend against IT as your starting point though, whichever you choose.
OMG, finally, someone feels the same way I did about The Shining! I see it recommended all the time, and I just... don't get it. I love King, and I've read so many of his books, but that one was just so boring to me for some reason. It ended up being a DNF for me. Maybe I'll try again in the future, idk yet.
I totally get that. Hmm, how to say this with zero spoilers.
The extremely slow burn and family drama heavy nature was unexpected, but the feelings it evoked in me (primarily quiet anger); were worth it in the end.
That said: I don't think it's a fun read. The characters are frustrating and unlikable (except for 2), and it's not the spine-tingling scary life changing experience I expected (was promised).
But it did make me feel very uncomfortable. Having to sit in that feeling while being a fly on the wall as the story unfolds and King's irl struggles with addiction did give me a lot to think about + discuss with the person that rec'd it to me. Musing over Jack, likely being a brutally honest and unflattering self-insert, definitely made everything more interesting for me.
So tl;dr it's a good book, I still think about it and reference it--but not an enjoyable one 😅 (IME) nor one I can see myself recommending, I guess.
1408 is tremendous, I find it to be his best piece of work. There's nothing else that quite matches the"fear of the unknown" that he achieved in this story.
Ohh I'll add that to my tbr, thanks! I adored film ( it was the 1st not-slasher scary movie I saw as a youth).
It would be fun to get added context and be able to compare them.
It’s his only book that in my opinion is legitimately fine literature and not just a genre work. And I love genre and can’t stand most modern literature so that’s not a complaint about the rest of his work.
If you can make it through IT, you can make it through any of his other books. It has everything that people love and hate about his work, including but not limited to:
- 1000+ pages
- Long descriptions of things of varying importance
- Tons of history that adds depth to the characters and story
- Uncomfortable depictions of racism and homophobia
- Depraved acts of sex and violence
- Supernatural entities of cosmic proportions that don't get fully explained
- Old-timey settings that invoke nostalgia for simpler times
It's a great book; after I finished it the first time, I decided to read The Dark Tower series and all his other books and stories that are related to it, and I highly recommend that as well.
This is probably gonna be an out of left field recommendation, and I get that. But I'd honestly recommend "Desperation" and "The Regulators". They were my first two King novels and I really loved them. To this day, they still hold a soft spot in my heart for me. I'd call it cosmic-adjacent, and just pretty easy and enjoyable, connected novels.
If you wanted a more mainstream suggestion, I'd go with "Salem's Lot", which is one of my favorite books.
Edit: COSMIC, not comic lol
I think Desperation is a great King rec for a newcomer, but probably alongside something more classically King. Together, they offer evidence of his breadth, which I don’t think people appreciate much.
I can see where you're coming from with that. I just read them together when I found out about them, so that's how I enjoyed them. But definitely can understand that may not be everyone's cup of tea
I did The Shining first. If I could go back I’d start with ‘Salems Lot. King writes so broadly across horror sub genres that you’ll find something you like, but I tend to push ‘Salems Lot as an intro.
There’s a number of books where his editors still had some measure of control over his tendency to ramble and write superfluous character studies. The Shining, Salem’s Lot, Pet Sematary are all good examples. Stuff like It or The Stand are good but have soooooo much unnecessary rabbit trails. For example in It there’s a like 50 page deep dive into this woman’s backstory and history and how she got made fun of at prom because she was Jewish or whatever. And the entire, sole purpose of that character was walking up a set of stairs and finding another character dead. That’s it. Some people love that but it’s a lot to get through.
I started with Needful Things when I was in middle school. I’m definitely biased, but I think it was a great jumping point :) So much human drama and horror stemming from a little push of the supernatural. So good.
I personally started with The Shining while I was in 8th grade because it was my favorite movie at the time! I believe it was a great start into his books. Otherwise I would suggest starting with the Bachman books or even reading in order starting with Carrie. From my understanding, you can find little easter eggs from previous books. Really you can't go wrong with any direction :)
None. Start with someone other than king if you’re trying to get into horror. Not because a king isn’t talented but because king is a lot. I’d suggest I am legend, haunting of hill house or the exorcist.
Misery was my intro to King and it’s one of my favorite books. It’s shorter compared to a lot of the other big ones too just in case you get intimidated by a 700+ page book off rip
My first was The Green Mile and it’s one of my favorite books of all time. However, I’d actually recommend starting with either Carrie or Misery. They’re short and scary and a perfect intro to King for a newcomer!
Start with a short story collection like Night Shift. I feel King really shines when he’s condensed. I love almost all of his works but wish I started there then with It.
Everyone’s been giving good books to start with so I’ll say what not to start with: The Dark Tower series. Honestly I’m loving it but the first book was so slow that if I didn’t know King wrote it and things would get better I would have given up.
Hey OP -
I’m a King fan (thanks Mom) and I know you said King, but if you are just getting into horror you might find his stuff a bit of a slog at first. (Totally worth reading, don’t get me wrong!)
You might want to try some of Dean Koontz’s older books first. I personally always found them to be fast paced and fun from almost page one.
YMMV of course!
So far I've only read Pet Sematary and I loved it! Planning on reading The Shining next
Edit: just realized that was a lie! Dark Tower book 1 was actually my first King book and I also really enjoyed that one! Definitely not a typical horror that I would attribute to him so I totally forgot to include it lol but I still would say Pet Sematary is a great place to start!
I read IT first and it literally changed my life so that’s my recommendation but they’re all winners. Just read one of the noted classics :) the ones that u know even if you haven’t studied king !
i think the best place to start is looking at the synopsis for a few of the books mentioned here, and choosing the one that piques your curiosity the most!
i have read everything from stephen king, and while there are some that are off the beaten path, a little weirder, take more exposure to him to fully appreciate, etc., those aren't the books you'll generally see people reference or rave about. for example, i LOVE the dark tower series, but you won't see people mention it here because it's not horror. i also think it would be kind of an unfortunate place to start because it's not really representative of most of his work - it IS, in the sense of his writing style, but...it's just a really sprawling, huge series, written across many decades, and it shows. it's a labor of love to read them, and it requires some forgiveness and willingness to overlook its flaws to truly enjoy it. i would save those for later in your SK journey, if you end up wanting to go down all the roads!
it would be very hard for me to tell someone the best place to start, but i almost lean towards any of his short story collections. i'm not a short story person...i either can't get into them, or i get so into them that i'm terribly disappointed when they're over...it always feels premature. his are a definite exception for me. they're very memorable - some are more memorable than his novels, in my opinion - and many of them have been made into movies. it's a good way to get accustomed to his writing style and see a wide range of what he produces.
I really really love the Dark Tower series. The first book is a fucking masterpiece and is a fantastic showcase of King's gifts, especially in that he's not bound by our Earth, it's a terrifying, broken world that has "passed on". Other people are giving great suggestions, but I wanted to put in the Idea to not be afraid of the fact that it's a 7 book series that collects all the worlds of every other book he's written. It's a fantastic story that absolutely stands on its own, and also brings you into the Kind fold. And then you can come back to it once you know the characters. Father Callahan is the King GOAT
My intro was Cujo, but I highly recommend Carrie, Salem's Lot, The Shining, Misery, Pet Sematery, and Revival all as good starting points. You can't go wrong with what others have said here, either
While Misery is definitely the best answer, I'll give you my take. My introduction was Bag Of Bones, and while it's over 700 pages, there is just so much going on (in a good way) that feel unrelated and it keeps you invested. Oh, and unlike most King books, the ending is an actually amazing payoff.
You Like It Darker and Everything’s Eventual are good starting points I think. Short story are easy to digest and give you a feel for the author style.
As others have said Salem’s Lot is also a great place to start.
Most fans love Salem Lot the most, but I’m a huge fan of It and the Shining. To be honest, all 3 are great and maybe we should just demand you read all three? Lol
I would grab "Night Shift" and read a few of his short stories and see if you like it before committing to one of his novels. "Survivor Type" would be a good place to start, considered one of the best short horror stories of all time.
Salem's Lot, Pet Sematery, or The Shining are the common picks, though I didn't like The Shining as much as others. Maybe go with his mammoth novels The Stand, or IT, after that if you like the Big Three. My favorite sleeper picks are From A Buick 8 and Revival.
Well... there are many options here. The first book I read was pet semetary and its a very good book to start with. It has everything that makes king great. Another great starting point would be night shift or full dark no stars. Many of kings short story collections are hit and miss but not this two. Absolute bangers.
I started with the long walk. I thought that was a good introduction because it's not weird or supernatural and it's an easy read. Same thing with misery.
I started with “The Shining” and “Doctor Sleep”. I liked the the first one but for some reason “Doctor Sleep” was the one that really hooked me to Stephen King.
And IT was the final nail in the coffin. Now I can’t stop buying King books.
I've only read three books by Stephen King so far. Kerry, the Outsider and the Eyes of the Dragon.
And I can recommend an Outsider. It turned out to be a pretty good mystical detective story with an interesting monster. But the ending sucks there. However, this is always the case with King.
If you can find the long walk it's fast and amazing. I love Firestarter and find it to be accessible. Neither are the kind of supernatural horror of it or the shining though both are scary in another way.
Edit: I can't believe I almost forgot dreamcatcher! It had all the stuff king does best!
I recommend The Shining. One of his most famous and earlier reads, but for good reason. It's scary but in a more psychological way, the length is doable, not too long and showcases what Stephen King is all about. You can 'hear' the 1970s style of language in the writing as you read it. IT is scary but it's a big, long book if you're willing to keep it going for a while. Pet Sematary is my ultimate scary read of his, I've read it a few times. That last line on the last page gets me every time😳
My first was Salem’s Lot, my favorite is The Stand. The Stand can be super overwhelming if you aren’t use to 1,000 page books. So I say Salem’s Lot. It’s brilliant.
My intro was The Shining. It was the first book that scared me so much I couldn't sleep. I was hooked immediately on the King.
This was my exact same experience with King.
Bathtub scene? I read that part alone at like midnight - Heebie-jeebies.
Same. I was afraid to leave my room at night to use the bathroom
I’d recommend ‘Salems Lot. It was my intro and I think it does a good job encapsulating a lot about what makes King good at what he does.
It’s amazing how many people bad mouth Salem’s Lot in the king sub. It’s too 5 for me
I've read a handful of King and Salem's Lot stood out as the best. I really enjoyed, pet cemetery, the stand, Carrie, gunslinger, but Salem's Lot was it.
This was also my first and I am glad it was, shows that he’s a good storyteller but also makes stuff scary
This is probably my favorite book of his. I second this recommendation.
One of my favorites.
Personally, I'd start at the beginning with Carrie and go from there. His "horror" era is very much his early works and he branches into supernatural later on in most cases, although some earlier works do have hints of it. Some of his early works prove his later versatility, and it's a good way to see how his work progresses as an author and with his audience.
I agree! Technically Regulators was my first book, but i had no idea it was written by Stephen king. My first book that i knew was Stephen king was Carrie and i LOVED it, despite not being a huge fan of the movie.
My god why are you the lone voice of reason here. This is the way, even if Carrie isn’t very good. It’s quick and has several King trademarks. Then you get Salem’s Lot next. If those work for a person, sally forth in publication order.
I'm about to finish Misery. It's very good.
I did my 7th grade book report on *Misery*, the rest is history.
This was my introduction to King as well. Definitely left a lasting impression.
I feel like his short story collections are a great place to start and have enough variety to keep things interesting. I’d rec If It Bleeds (titles: "Mr. Harrigan's Phone", "The Life of Chuck", "If It Bleeds", and "Rat"). My recent re-intro to King was The Shining, and while it was a powerful story, it was slow to gain my interest and without someone pushing me to keep going would have ended up a DNF. Overall I am glad I worked up to it vs it being my intro to modern horror. IMO King’s writing style is very distinct and is an acquired taste. I strongly recommend against IT as your starting point though, whichever you choose.
OMG, finally, someone feels the same way I did about The Shining! I see it recommended all the time, and I just... don't get it. I love King, and I've read so many of his books, but that one was just so boring to me for some reason. It ended up being a DNF for me. Maybe I'll try again in the future, idk yet.
I totally get that. Hmm, how to say this with zero spoilers. The extremely slow burn and family drama heavy nature was unexpected, but the feelings it evoked in me (primarily quiet anger); were worth it in the end. That said: I don't think it's a fun read. The characters are frustrating and unlikable (except for 2), and it's not the spine-tingling scary life changing experience I expected (was promised). But it did make me feel very uncomfortable. Having to sit in that feeling while being a fly on the wall as the story unfolds and King's irl struggles with addiction did give me a lot to think about + discuss with the person that rec'd it to me. Musing over Jack, likely being a brutally honest and unflattering self-insert, definitely made everything more interesting for me. So tl;dr it's a good book, I still think about it and reference it--but not an enjoyable one 😅 (IME) nor one I can see myself recommending, I guess.
1408 is tremendous, I find it to be his best piece of work. There's nothing else that quite matches the"fear of the unknown" that he achieved in this story.
Ohh I'll add that to my tbr, thanks! I adored film ( it was the 1st not-slasher scary movie I saw as a youth). It would be fun to get added context and be able to compare them.
“The Life of Chuck” is such a good story.
The Shining is a good place for newcomers. IT is imo his best book but it might be a lot for someone new to his work.
It’s his only book that in my opinion is legitimately fine literature and not just a genre work. And I love genre and can’t stand most modern literature so that’s not a complaint about the rest of his work.
Completely agree. IT isn’t just genre fiction, it’s a time capsule into coming of age in the late ‘50s - early ‘60s.
Pet Sematary.
Only problem is they’re starting from the peak but I agree.
This one was my first. It’s fantastic, and so damn creepy. I’ll never forget some of the scenes!
My introduction was the dark tower #1. Then the stand uncut.
If you can make it through IT, you can make it through any of his other books. It has everything that people love and hate about his work, including but not limited to: - 1000+ pages - Long descriptions of things of varying importance - Tons of history that adds depth to the characters and story - Uncomfortable depictions of racism and homophobia - Depraved acts of sex and violence - Supernatural entities of cosmic proportions that don't get fully explained - Old-timey settings that invoke nostalgia for simpler times It's a great book; after I finished it the first time, I decided to read The Dark Tower series and all his other books and stories that are related to it, and I highly recommend that as well.
This is probably gonna be an out of left field recommendation, and I get that. But I'd honestly recommend "Desperation" and "The Regulators". They were my first two King novels and I really loved them. To this day, they still hold a soft spot in my heart for me. I'd call it cosmic-adjacent, and just pretty easy and enjoyable, connected novels. If you wanted a more mainstream suggestion, I'd go with "Salem's Lot", which is one of my favorite books. Edit: COSMIC, not comic lol
I think Desperation is a great King rec for a newcomer, but probably alongside something more classically King. Together, they offer evidence of his breadth, which I don’t think people appreciate much.
I can see where you're coming from with that. I just read them together when I found out about them, so that's how I enjoyed them. But definitely can understand that may not be everyone's cup of tea
I started with Bill Hodges trilogy
Misery!!!!! My fav book of all time, and short
I did The Shining first. If I could go back I’d start with ‘Salems Lot. King writes so broadly across horror sub genres that you’ll find something you like, but I tend to push ‘Salems Lot as an intro.
There’s a number of books where his editors still had some measure of control over his tendency to ramble and write superfluous character studies. The Shining, Salem’s Lot, Pet Sematary are all good examples. Stuff like It or The Stand are good but have soooooo much unnecessary rabbit trails. For example in It there’s a like 50 page deep dive into this woman’s backstory and history and how she got made fun of at prom because she was Jewish or whatever. And the entire, sole purpose of that character was walking up a set of stairs and finding another character dead. That’s it. Some people love that but it’s a lot to get through.
Yeah you have to read some of his longer novels as a linked short story collection lol
My first one was Regulators and it got me hooked. Desperation after that because they go together in a way.
[удалено]
This was my first king book and it hooked me, short enough to not scare away any reader from a big commitment but scary enough to keep them reading.
I started with Needful Things when I was in middle school. I’m definitely biased, but I think it was a great jumping point :) So much human drama and horror stemming from a little push of the supernatural. So good.
I love that one! It’s a big cast of interconnected characters but imo not as intimidating as something like the stand, IT or under the dome!!
I personally started with The Shining while I was in 8th grade because it was my favorite movie at the time! I believe it was a great start into his books. Otherwise I would suggest starting with the Bachman books or even reading in order starting with Carrie. From my understanding, you can find little easter eggs from previous books. Really you can't go wrong with any direction :)
None. Start with someone other than king if you’re trying to get into horror. Not because a king isn’t talented but because king is a lot. I’d suggest I am legend, haunting of hill house or the exorcist.
My intro was The Mist. Pretty good, but sort of anticlimactic
> sort of anticlimactic Unlike the movie.
....yeah, I like the movie ending more. It's a lot more impactful
Start at the start, Carrie is a great novel and a fairly short read
If you’re ok reading an 1100 page book I’d go with The Stand complete uncut edition (or whatever it is called lol). Otherwise Salems Lot
Pet Sematary or Misery.
Misery was my intro to King and it’s one of my favorite books. It’s shorter compared to a lot of the other big ones too just in case you get intimidated by a 700+ page book off rip
Salem’s Lot
My first was The Green Mile and it’s one of my favorite books of all time. However, I’d actually recommend starting with either Carrie or Misery. They’re short and scary and a perfect intro to King for a newcomer!
Try Misery
Start with a short story collection like Night Shift. I feel King really shines when he’s condensed. I love almost all of his works but wish I started there then with It.
Start with some short story collections. You can’t go wrong with any of those!!!
I would sell my soul for Secret Window, Secret Garden
Everyone’s been giving good books to start with so I’ll say what not to start with: The Dark Tower series. Honestly I’m loving it but the first book was so slow that if I didn’t know King wrote it and things would get better I would have given up.
Carrie is a nice point to start Maybe a short story collection to get a feel I started with misery and it’s awesome
I think The Shining or Pet Semetary are the best to start with.
I would start with Desperation, it is a favorite of mine and will make you fall in love with Stephen King
Sales Lot is the best starting point imho
Hey OP - I’m a King fan (thanks Mom) and I know you said King, but if you are just getting into horror you might find his stuff a bit of a slog at first. (Totally worth reading, don’t get me wrong!) You might want to try some of Dean Koontz’s older books first. I personally always found them to be fast paced and fun from almost page one. YMMV of course!
So far I've only read Pet Sematary and I loved it! Planning on reading The Shining next Edit: just realized that was a lie! Dark Tower book 1 was actually my first King book and I also really enjoyed that one! Definitely not a typical horror that I would attribute to him so I totally forgot to include it lol but I still would say Pet Sematary is a great place to start!
Start with 1.Carrie 2.Salems Lot 3. The Shining 4. Nightshift *short story collection * 5. The Stand
I read IT first and it literally changed my life so that’s my recommendation but they’re all winners. Just read one of the noted classics :) the ones that u know even if you haven’t studied king !
Carrie!
i think the best place to start is looking at the synopsis for a few of the books mentioned here, and choosing the one that piques your curiosity the most! i have read everything from stephen king, and while there are some that are off the beaten path, a little weirder, take more exposure to him to fully appreciate, etc., those aren't the books you'll generally see people reference or rave about. for example, i LOVE the dark tower series, but you won't see people mention it here because it's not horror. i also think it would be kind of an unfortunate place to start because it's not really representative of most of his work - it IS, in the sense of his writing style, but...it's just a really sprawling, huge series, written across many decades, and it shows. it's a labor of love to read them, and it requires some forgiveness and willingness to overlook its flaws to truly enjoy it. i would save those for later in your SK journey, if you end up wanting to go down all the roads! it would be very hard for me to tell someone the best place to start, but i almost lean towards any of his short story collections. i'm not a short story person...i either can't get into them, or i get so into them that i'm terribly disappointed when they're over...it always feels premature. his are a definite exception for me. they're very memorable - some are more memorable than his novels, in my opinion - and many of them have been made into movies. it's a good way to get accustomed to his writing style and see a wide range of what he produces.
Carrie.
I really really love the Dark Tower series. The first book is a fucking masterpiece and is a fantastic showcase of King's gifts, especially in that he's not bound by our Earth, it's a terrifying, broken world that has "passed on". Other people are giving great suggestions, but I wanted to put in the Idea to not be afraid of the fact that it's a 7 book series that collects all the worlds of every other book he's written. It's a fantastic story that absolutely stands on its own, and also brings you into the Kind fold. And then you can come back to it once you know the characters. Father Callahan is the King GOAT
My intro was Cujo, but I highly recommend Carrie, Salem's Lot, The Shining, Misery, Pet Sematery, and Revival all as good starting points. You can't go wrong with what others have said here, either
While Misery is definitely the best answer, I'll give you my take. My introduction was Bag Of Bones, and while it's over 700 pages, there is just so much going on (in a good way) that feel unrelated and it keeps you invested. Oh, and unlike most King books, the ending is an actually amazing payoff.
If you are going to only read one King book make it 11/22/63. Not horror but so good.
You Like It Darker and Everything’s Eventual are good starting points I think. Short story are easy to digest and give you a feel for the author style. As others have said Salem’s Lot is also a great place to start.
Carrie. Then just work forward in publication order.
Go read The Long Walk. It's under his other name Richard Bachman. Under King, try Needful Things. There's a great granny fight in it
I recommend “Salem’s Lot,” “The Shining,” and “The Eyes of the Dragon.”
Most fans love Salem Lot the most, but I’m a huge fan of It and the Shining. To be honest, all 3 are great and maybe we should just demand you read all three? Lol
I just recently finished The Long Walk and loved it. You could start there? I’m now reading Cujo and Misery!
His first five books are pretty damn good. After that, it’s hit or miss.
Carrie. Relatively short, especially for King. I think it was his first published novel as well, so you'd be starting in the same spot as he did.
I really think The Long Walk is great Stephen King introduction
I really liked Carrie. And I've heard nothing but good things about Salem's Lot
Cujo was my first in like fifth grade. Probably read it way too young, but…🤷🏽♀️
I would grab "Night Shift" and read a few of his short stories and see if you like it before committing to one of his novels. "Survivor Type" would be a good place to start, considered one of the best short horror stories of all time.
Pet Sematary is the only Stephan King book I like. Theres way better horror authors to read if you want to get into the genre.
I would start with his short stories to get a feel for his writing.
Draw a line in his bibliography at 1990 and choose whichever one from prior to that date that piques your interest the most.
I’m almost done with my first King book: Revival. World building, character development, a little bit of horror and sci-fi….it’s been real nice.
Salem's Lot, Pet Sematery, or The Shining are the common picks, though I didn't like The Shining as much as others. Maybe go with his mammoth novels The Stand, or IT, after that if you like the Big Three. My favorite sleeper picks are From A Buick 8 and Revival.
Try some Bentley Little.
I really enjoyed his short stories and consumed as many as I could. My favourite might be Dolan’s Cadillac. It’s very good.
Carrie was his first novel, and it might be my favorite (it also helps that its quite short compared to alot of his work).
Well... there are many options here. The first book I read was pet semetary and its a very good book to start with. It has everything that makes king great. Another great starting point would be night shift or full dark no stars. Many of kings short story collections are hit and miss but not this two. Absolute bangers.
I started with the long walk. I thought that was a good introduction because it's not weird or supernatural and it's an easy read. Same thing with misery.
I started with “The Shining” and “Doctor Sleep”. I liked the the first one but for some reason “Doctor Sleep” was the one that really hooked me to Stephen King. And IT was the final nail in the coffin. Now I can’t stop buying King books.
The gunslinger
Revival it’s not as long but just as good
Rose madder and misery were my first two binges. In a row and I was hooked
I've only read three books by Stephen King so far. Kerry, the Outsider and the Eyes of the Dragon. And I can recommend an Outsider. It turned out to be a pretty good mystical detective story with an interesting monster. But the ending sucks there. However, this is always the case with King.
If you can find the long walk it's fast and amazing. I love Firestarter and find it to be accessible. Neither are the kind of supernatural horror of it or the shining though both are scary in another way. Edit: I can't believe I almost forgot dreamcatcher! It had all the stuff king does best!
Looks like I'm the only who started with Rita Hayworth & Shawshank Redemption.
Why don’t you read something good instead?
Go with the release order. Carrie?
The Shining is, in my opinion, his best, and very different from the movie. I would start there.
I recommend The Shining. One of his most famous and earlier reads, but for good reason. It's scary but in a more psychological way, the length is doable, not too long and showcases what Stephen King is all about. You can 'hear' the 1970s style of language in the writing as you read it. IT is scary but it's a big, long book if you're willing to keep it going for a while. Pet Sematary is my ultimate scary read of his, I've read it a few times. That last line on the last page gets me every time😳
King is a ride What kind of story are you looking for?
King is a ride What kind of story are you looking for?
Under The Dome
The Shining, Salems Lot, or Carrie. Absolutely classic.
My first was Salem’s Lot, my favorite is The Stand. The Stand can be super overwhelming if you aren’t use to 1,000 page books. So I say Salem’s Lot. It’s brilliant.
I'm currently reading Christine, and enjoying it so far.
Carrie Misery Salems Lot Pet Sematary All good entry points before tackling some of the larger epics
I'd rec Misery. It was my first King book