List of stephen king books ranked

As events at the prison go on to spiral out of control, Paul realizes that Coffey might not be all he appears to be. With memorable characters and suspense that ratchets up with a flip of every page, The Green Mile became — and remains — an instant classic. Easily acclaimed as one of the best Stephen King books, The Shining has been discussed, debated, and parodied so often that it is a cornerstone today in popular culture.

Jack Torrance, a recovering alcoholic, is the new caretaker at an old hotel. This was the book that vaulted King to superstardom, and for good reason — The Shining is peak King from first page to last. Can't get enough of Stephen King books? Check out this review of every short story collection he's published! Or if you've had enough King but can't get enough of the dark or scary, here are some lists that will help you find your next read!

Haruki Murakami is known for his surrealist writing. Here are the best Haruki Murakami books that will show you just how fantastic his works are. Love listening to books? Just to show you that there's more to this world than audible, here are 20 audiobook apps that you might love. Fantasy is one of the most popular genres in speculative fiction — so it's no surprise that its niches range far and wide.

And while you may already have a sense of what kind of fantas Or sign up with an. Log in. Start quiz. The Colorado Kid - 4. Buy on Amazon Add to library. Revival - 4. Elevation - 4. Roadwork - 4. Gerald's Game - 4. Sleeping Beauties - 4. Lisey's Story - 4. Dreamcatcher - 4. Under the Dome - 4. The Long Walk - 4. The Regulators - 4. Cell - 4. From a Buick 8 - 4.

The Dark Half - 4. The Tommyknockers - 4. Insomnia - 4. Desperation - 4. Joyland - 4. Cujo - 4. Firestarter - 4. Cycle of the Werewolf - 4. Bag of Bones - 4. Needful Things - 4. Rose Madder - 4. The Outsider - 4. The Dead Zone - 4. The Eyes of the Dragon - 4. Duma Key - 4. The Running Man - 4. Blaze - 4. Christine - 4. Dolores Claiborne - 4.

Nepotism much? Looks like they were co-written to me, but Goodreads is only displaying the first author here. Oct 17, PM. Stephen King's son also writes books but he does not go by his regular name he writes under a different name and I forget what it is. Oct 21, AM. Karla wrote: "Because now that I remember Joe Hill is Stephen King's son" I know that, still the question is why is he on a list of his father?

There seems to be Straub in here, too, so I guees it must be collaborations. Oct 21, PM. I think that it is also with some of the other authors that he has written with I have also heard the Stephen King even writes as Peter Straub But I don't know about that But they are probably trying to add some of the books that he has helped other authors write as well.

Oct 22, AM. Karla wrote: "I think that it is also with some of the other authors that he has written with But they are pro But Straub is someone and yes he is an entirely other human being, so not a pen name with whom he has co-written. Oct 22, PM. Nov 12, AM. Nov 16, AM. Nov 16, PM. He's Stephen King's son. Feb 01, PM. Feb 17, PM.

Mar 11, AM. Apr 01, AM. Apr 03, AM. Sep 27, AM. The last book on this list is correctly placed. Oct 12, PM. Oct 14, PM. I actually like IT way better than The Stand, but other than that I totally agree with the first ten on the list. Still planning to read The Green Mile, too. Oct 24, PM. Worlds most bad ass horror author in the world!

Jan 09, AM. Feb 05, AM. Feb 20, AM. I am your biggest fan Mr. King, I am so glad I was born in the era with him as an author. And I 'd love to know how much of Lisey's Story - did he live. I read it when it 1st came out. Though it has all the ideas present to be a stone-cold classic. Cujo feels rather aimless and anti-climactic. It probably sounds like i disliked this novel and it is absolutely not the case.

It simply may be that my expectations were too high which often happens when an author is referred to as the Master of Horror. Something that does work well is the inner monologue of Cujo himself, beginning as a daft furry darling and slowly succumbing to his baser instincts. Taking shelter from inclement weather, Roland and his gunslingers settle in for the night.

Roland uses this occasion to regale the group with another tale of his past — a quest to bring an elusive and murderous skin-man justice. During his exploits, Roland meets some interesting characters with bizarre stories of their own. Bill Hodges is an overweight and suicidal retired police detective who is not suited to his new sedentary life.

Bill decides to use his retirement to right that which has been wronged, regardless of the mental and physical toll. The first in the Bill Hodges trilogy is the best one by far. Bill is a wonderful protagonist too. A grumpy old goat, I guffawed at his stubborn yet loveable manner and cheered at his determination to save the innocent. Mr Mercedes also introduces us to autistic wunderkind Holly Gibney, a fascinating character ultimately left to struggle in the mire of the mediocre the Bill Hodges sequels and the obscene The Outsider saga.

A cool crime caper. The next month there was a scream of ecstatic agony from the woman attacked in her cozy bedroom. No one knows who will be attacked next. But one thing is sure. For snarls that sound like human words can be heard whining through the wind. Not complaining much though — this was a great little novella. Some smart, snappy writing here and all killer, no filler.

King has dealt with vampires, ghosts, aliens and plenty other monsters so a werewolf story is a treat. Not much else to say. Good stuff! A writer returns to his hometown to finish his new book in peace. However, a mysterious stranger named Kurt Barlow has moved into town and never seems to appear in the daylight. The book is languorously written, echoing the stalking menace of Barlow as he begins to corrupt the townspeople.

Though the novel is not a short one, it is probably too short for the amount of plot and to adequately flesh out all of the characters and the interesting lives only hinted at. This is still an enjoyable read though. Read More: Essential Vampire Books. Unbeknownst to Ralph, he has been conscripted into a war he barely comprehends: a fight for the fate of a tall, Dark Tower….

There are psychic powers aplenty, suggesting a campy, silly and fun story yet the majority of the plot is grounded, concerning abortion rights and the apparently endless battle between the pro-choice and the misguided, right-wing lunatics. The leader of said villains is a fascinating one, capable of intense violence and sneering cruelty while retaining a sly, tactician nature.

Unfortunately, he is barely used outside of the first pages and the denouement. There are issues, however. Insomnia feels very haphazard, injecting odd ideas and story beats amongst the good ones. It is also far too long and padded. Very enjoyable reading but it grates eventually. He is raised back to health by The Little Sisters — nurses who seem benevolent but may actually be malevolent.

The Road Virus Heads North — A man notices that the painting in his office seems to be moving when he looks away. The grinning figure in the portrait appears to be travelling closer to his location with every glance. I have changed my mind about this collection over the years. This was my first foray into King along with Carriesomething i picked up on a whim at Gatwick airport en route to a family holiday.

At the time, i was entranced. Story after story blew me away. The Little Sisters of Eluria is majestic, though. I had no idea what The Dark Tower was at the time but this story made me salivate at the thought of a full series of similar escapades. The rest of the stories are good, if unremarkable, making this one of the weaker collections overall but still an interesting and often thought-provoking book.

Set only a few hours from where The Gunslinger ended, Roland is severely injured by a new threat. His path to the Dark Tower will require him to open 3 doors which lead to 3 very important people for his journey. He heads toward the tower, slowly succumbing to his infected wounds…. The second Dark Tower novel is a difficult one to describe.

The first half is wonderful. We see Roland at his weakest and have a brilliant, action-heavy sequence with his newest pal, Eddie Dean. However, Odetta also has dissociative personality disorder and often becomes Detta — an aggressive mirror image of Odetta. Big Driver — A mystery writer is assaulted and left for dead by a trucker. She lives through the event and vows revenge.

Fair Extension — A creepy stranger offers a dying man a way to live an extra 15 years. But it comes with an ethical dilemma. A Good Marriage — A woman realises her boring but loving husband may not be the man she thought he was. The 4 stories here are all very enjoyable, in particular being an excellent horror story. Both and Fair Extension are morality tales but seem to give conflicting messages on how morality works — one saying that our deeds come back to haunt us and the list of stephen king books ranked saying that sometimes, evil wins.

I suppose this reflects just how complex morality can be. Big Driver deals with rape culture and the idea that sometimes there are more consequences for the victim than the perpetrator. A Good Marriage is unremarkable but satisfying. A great bunch of stories. Teenager Jamie has the ability to see and speak to the dead, an enviable or unenviable skill depending on your point of view.

The previous two books were more crime novels than horror but Later straddles the two genres. This works well as a shorter novel but i would be very interested to read a longer novel with a similar plot. One of the events in Later involves Jamie having a discussion with a recently deceased author and passing that information on to his mother for her profit from his ideas.

I was riveted by this idea. His lists of stephen king books ranked are murdered in their sleep. The children are tortured until their latent telekinetic or telepathic abilities are released. They are then moved to the other side of The Institute — where they are never heard from again. Luke is determined to escape, save his friends and bring justice to those who have caused so much pain.

But why are the children being kidnapped in the first place? What are their abilities being used for? And what fate awaits them? Not every book has to be important or insightful. Something positive about this novel is just how evil the antagonists are. I felt physical hatred for Mrs. Sigsby and her underlings and this pure vitriol fuelled me to finish the story as soon as possible.

That makes it sound like i needed something to keep me going which is not the case at all. This is a delightful novel. A small town is suddenly cut off from the rest of the world when an energy field encircles it. Nobody can escape and no aid can be given to the town. Nothing physical can cross the barrier. The ensuing power vacuum results in a dangerous conflict between the righteous and the self-righteous, vying for control of a town slowly running out of food, water and oxygen.

Murder, sexual abuse and some questionable treatment of corpses are on display here as the man in power vows to do whatever it takes to stay there. An unexpected gem. A gang of young misfits are terrorised by Pennywise — a demonic clown that feeds on fear after hibernating every 27 years. Hitting well over the page mark, It is many things — a wonderful and emotional story, a creepy, coming of age saga, but also a flabby and unfocused mess at times.

Pennywise has nevertheless haunted many of us for decades, especially those of us who are coulrophobic. Alas, like many King novels, the denouement and ending are…difficult. The revelations about how to beat Pennywise are vague and unsatisfying, but the ending itself? Incredibly controversial in content.

List of stephen king books ranked: Best Of Stephen King ;

The ending of the movies were changed for a good reason. This is still a great horror novel, albeit one that could use some trigger warnings and a more forceful editor. Low Men in Yellow Coats — A young boy befriends an old man who is hunted for his special abilities. Hearts In Atlantis — a university student discusses his addiction to a card game and his experience with anti-Vietnam sentiment.

Blind Willie — A blind Vietnam veteran begs for change on the street. But his blindess comes with caveats. Heavenly Shades of Night Are Falling — Childhood sweethearts meet up as adults and find the world a different place than it used to be. Hearts in Atlantis is a superb collection of stories that as you probably noticed mostly deal with the Vietnam war.

I had recently seen and enjoyed the movie with Anthony Hopkins which in reality only represents the first story in the book, making the title of the movie make zero sense and read this on a whim. The book is a far deeper experience, creating a conflicted view of one of the greatest US failures such as the obscene violence inflicted on the Vietnamese but also the lies, guilt and threats that the powerful and immoral used to convince the young and optimistic to travel across the world to die.

These stories are varied and mostly excellent, though the book does lose lustre the further it goes. A great book still. A Death — In the Old West, a man is arrested for a murder he swears he did not commit. The Sheriff becomes determined to save the man from the gallows and find the killer. Morality — A couple struggling financially are given the opportunity to earn a hefty prize.

But to earn the money, they will have to commit a truly immoral act. Afterlife — A dead man meets a bureaucrat in Purgatory where he is given a difficult choice — to stay dead or to live again…but with caveats. The three stories mentioned here are wonderful fables, each creating a moral or philosophical quandry. Are people inherently good or evil?

Should we risk offering help if it negatively affects us? Is morality important enough to rule our lives? Fascinating dilemmas are on display here but the stories would be excellent on face value alone. As usual, we do have some clunkers also. There is also some poetry which contributes nothing towards the book and is best disregarded. Author Thad Beaumont has just buried a man.

List of stephen king books ranked: Faithful · Hard Case Crime

That man is George Stark — his own pseudonym. He wants the life he feels that Thad owes him and will commit untold horrors to get what he wants. This is one of the King novels that I was most excited to read, mainly because I knew absolutely nothing about it other than the title. Apparently they even made a movie but nobody I asked had heard of that either.

This turned out to be a good thing as I thoroughly enjoyed this one. One could say it matches the work of George Stark to a degree. It lasts as long as it should. Until he is drawn to their summer home, the beautiful lakeside retreat called Sara Laughs. Here, Mike finds the once familiar town in the tyrannical grip of millionaire Max Devore.

Three-year-old Kyra and her young mother turn to Mike for help. And Mike finds them increasingly irresistible. But there are other more sinister forces at Sara Laughs. But for the first pages, I was sure Bag of Bones was going to be one of the absolute best things Stephen King had ever written. The problem is that the book fudges the landing a bit.

A huge twisty plot eventually peters out. One of the main villains sort of is feared by the townsfolk. Even though her actions are incredibly tame when compared to the death and destruction caused by plenty of other King baddies. Bag of Bones is a ghost story that has weak ghosts who do very little until the denouement and by then i was wondering what took so long.

Some will also baulk at the age difference in a particular relationship, even though the relationship itself is emotive and the heart of the novel. Bag of Bones is mentally to Stephen King what The Dark Half is physically — an entertaining, imperfect thesis on the idea of creation and the darkness that comes with it. Johnny Smith has the girl of his dreams, as well as a strange gift: the power of foresight.

His path in life is suddenly shattered by a near-fatal car accident. His body and mind are significantly damaged, resulting in a five-year coma. Johnny awakens to find his sweetheart a married mother and his psychic skills evolved. He is torn between striving for the peaceful life he deserves after such trauma and using his powers to save lives and make the world a better place.

The Dead Zone was a thoroughly pleasant surprise.

List of stephen king books ranked: Doctor Sleep () ·

There is zero horror here. This is a book about fate, about trauma and about loss. Some would say that the plot is sparse or that it meanders. The only real downside here is that the finale feels incredibly rushed and therefore not as satisfying as it could have been. A police department regale the story of the old muscle car they protect. But the Buick is not a Buick.

Things keep coming through the portal. Wrong things. The police department have vowed to watch over the Buick to ensure no harm is caused by it. But the new recruit is a curious one. I heard bad things about this one. I was told that it is mostly set in one building and very little happens. These things are both true. This may be too slow of a pace for some but it was exactly what the plot demanded and i was thrilled from beginning to end.

An excellent surprise.

List of stephen king books ranked: It · The Shining ·

Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption — A man is falsely imprisoned or is he? Apt Pupil — A Nazi-in-hiding is discovered by a teenage sociopath. They decide to use each other to their advantage. The Body — A group of teenage friends hear that a dead body has been found in the wilderness and the boys decide to make the journey to see it.

Different Seasons is superb. The first three stories are lovely and disturbing in turns, dealing with friendship, courage, and the intricacies of the human spirit. That Faithful has made this list at all is a sign of my obsessive completionism. A book for baseball fans only. The Colorado Kid is a half-baked tale of small-town journalism and an unsolved crime.

For two hundred pages King teases us with the ingenuity of the mystery—seemingly inspired by the case of the Somerton Man—before…simply leaving it unresolved. Though the point is that some things can never be adequately explained, such a philosophy feels like a breach in the contract between reader and mystery writer. Around the world a sleeping sickness plunges women into a strange, cocooned state.

If awakened, they turn homicidal. King and his son screw this global story down to a small town and its prison, where the plague is revealed to be something far odder and more mystical. The early-to-mid noughties saw the zombie shamble back to the forefront of the horror scene. At the same time, nineties technophobia got a new burst of digital energy.

Cell brings the two together, with a malicious cell-phone signal turning the populace into the very-next-thing-to-undead. Characters are flatter than usual, King has done the dream-invading antagonist far better elsewhere, and rather ironically for a story structured around a single-minded road trip, the book never feels like it has any particular destination in mind.

There is some justification here; King wrote the book while recovering from his life-threatening car accident, and he confesses that the book was written under the influence of OxyContin. It shows. The final third is a confusion of italicized fragments as the heroes fight the alien foe on a psychological battlefield. Roughly once a decade, King releases a collection of novellas that show his gift for building character and worlds on a smaller scale.

His most recent offering is the weakest, relying too often on rehashed themes. The title story is an entirely unnecessary sequel to The Outsiderled by a character King loves but who leaves me cold.