Best Stephen King books: must-read novels from the horror author

Throughout his career, the 76-year-old author has packed his books with every fear under the sun. From serial killers to vampires, troubled teens to a Paul Bunyan statue (yes really), King has made even the most mundane items terrifying and the quietest characters turn our blood cold.

Thanks to this skill, the writer has sold over 400 million books worldwide and seen at least 60 film and TV projects made from his work – he is quite literally the King of horror.

So, if you've yet to dive into his twisted world of faceless figures and murderous nurses, now is the time to start. Here's our top 10 recommendations for the best Stephen King novels.

Best Stephen King books at a glance

• Carrie, £9.99
• The Green Mile, £9.99
• Doctor Sleep, £1o.99
• Pet Sematary, £10.99
• Salem’s Lot, £10.99
• The Shining, £10.99
• The Outsider, £10.99
• Misery, £10.99
• 11.22.63, £12.99
• It, £12.99

Best Stephen King books to read in 2024

Misery

Paul Sheldon is a writer who has just killed off his main character, Misery Chastain. Annie Wilkes is a nurse who happens to be Paul Sheldon's biggest fan. So when Paul ends up in a car accident and is discovered by Annie who takes him back to her home, everything seems to be going great. That is until she finds out what Paul has done to her beloved Misery...

First published in 1987, Misery is a tense and torturous read that was later turned into an award-winning film featuring Kathy Bates and James Caan. With the plot centred around just two characters in one room, it's perfect if you're more into psychological thrillers than ghost stories. But a quick warning: don't read it if you're too squeamish.

Buy Misery for £10.99 at Waterstones

Carrie

First released in 1974, Carrie is Stephen King's first novel and the story that made his name. Set in an ordinary US high school, the book follows Carrie White, a young girl who's cast out by her peers and bullied due to her ultra-religious upbringing.

To help her through this torment, Carrie is invited to prom night by popular student Tommy Ross, thanks to the encouragement of his girlfriend Sue Snell. But what none of them know is, a dangerous prank is being planned by some of the other teens, one that will have devastating consequences when they realise that Carrie also has telekinetic powers. What should have been the best night of Carrie's life soon turns into a nightmare no one in town will ever forget.

Buy Carrie for £9.99 at Waterstones

The Shining

Whether you're a fan of the Stanley Kubrick adaptation or not, The Shining is an absolute must read for horror fans. Delving into themes of alcoholism, family dynamics and, of course, the supernatural, many consider this book to be King's masterpiece.

The story follows Jack Torrance, who becomes the winter caretaker at the isolated Overlook Hotel in Colorado where he hopes to finish writing his play. He settles in along with his wife, Wendy and his son, Danny and soon, all three are cut off from the rest of the world by the heavy winter snow.

Unbeknownst to his parents, however, Danny has a supernatural gift, which chef Dick Hallorann calls "the shining". This gift allows Danny to see ghosts, but this quickly becomes a problem when he realises that the spirits of the Overlook are far from friendly, and they're coming for him and his father.

Buy The Shining for £10.99 at Waterstones

Pet Sematary

When Louis Creed and his family move to Maine for a new life, they soon discover their idyllic house backs onto an eerie pet cemetery. However, there's no reason this should bother them, until the day Louis' cat Church is killed on the roadside.

Then, to stop his daughter Ellie's heartbreak, he recruits the help of neighbour Jud to bring Church back. Very soon, Louis and his family learn that "Sometimes...dead is better".

Buy Pet Sematary for £10.99 at Waterstones

Salem’s Lot

Do you believe in vampires? You will after reading this. Taking the classic Dracula story from Transylvania to modern New England, Salem's Lot is a terrifying read that pairs small town gossip with the unstoppable force of evil.

The story follows Ben Mears, a writer looking to exorcise his demons by going back to the town that's haunted him for years. When he gets there however, he finds that demons aren't just on the inside, as the town is slowly and discreetly being overrun by a hoard of vampires. Once he realises, Ben recruits a team of vampire hunters, but can they stop them before it's too late?

Buy Salem’s Lot for £10.99 at Waterstones

11.22.63

Teacher Jake Epping is living a perfectly ordinary life in 2011, when he is suddenly recruited by his friend Al Templeton for an incredible task: to prevent the assassination of President Kennedy. With the help of a handy portal in Al's shop, Jake travels back in time to 1958 and waits for his opportunity to change the world.

But, as he soon learns, the past does not want to be changed and the forces of time will do anything to stop him, including throwing a certain Lee Harvey Oswald right into his path.

11.22.63 is a rare departure from horror for King, delving into the messy world of time travel and what ifs.

Buy 11.22.63 for £12.99 at Waterstones

Doctor Sleep

A worthy sequel to The Shining, Doctor Sleep follows Danny (now Dan) Torrance years later, as he struggles with alcoholism, the trauma of his past, and the endless disturbances of his gift.

Soon, he meets Abra Stone, a girl with the most powerful Shining he's ever seen, but the problem is, he isn't the only one that's noticed her. Soon, Abra and Dan are being pursued by a powerful tribe known as The True Knot, who will stop at nothing to claim Abra's shine for themselves.

Buy Doctor Sleep for £10.99 at Waterstones

The Green Mile

Later turned into the award-winning movie starring Tom Hanks, The Green Mile tells the story of Paul Edgecombe, a death row supervisor who encounters an unusual inmate called John Coffey.

Coffey has been convicted of murder and assault and awaits the electric chair, yet Edgecombe notices the prisoner has inexplicable healing and empathetic abilities and soon realises that nothing around Coffey is what it seems.

Buy The Green Mile for £9.99 at Waterstones

The Outsider

An 11-year-old boy is found brutally murdered in the woods and Detective Ralph Anderson is tasked with finding his killer. Based on numerous eye witness testimonies, Ralph is sure the blame lies on local Little League coach, Terry Maitland. But there's just one problem, Maitland has an ironclad alibi. Is it a double-bluff, twins, or could this be the work of an outsider?

In a way, the Outsider is a sequel to King's other horror-crime story End of Watch, but you can still read is as a standalone novel as the setting and most of the lead characters are different.

Buy The Outsider for £10.99 at Waterstones

It

Stephen King's It is undoubtedly best known for the iconic image of Pennywise, whether that's from the original Tim Curry adaptation or Bill Skarsgård's more recent performance. But, this 1,000+ page book is so much more than a Dancing Clown.

In the small town of Derry, Maine, It is an entity that resurfaces every 27 years as every fear you can possibly imagine, from werewolves to the aforementioned Paul Bunyan.

Whenever It re-emerges, the town's children are snatched away and later found dead, including little Georgie Denbrough, the younger brother of Bill. Across two timelines: the 1950s and 1980s, Bill and his gang of "losers" are determined to find It and destroy it for good, but there's plenty of things standing in their way, including bullies, monsters and a giant space turtle.

Buy It for £12.99 at Waterstones

If you want more recommended reads, here's the 10 best Harlan Coben novels and best Agatha Christie books. Plus, how to read the Dune series in order.