17 Best Stephen King Books of All Time, Ranked Worst to Best – GoodHousekeeping.com

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As one of the most prolific horror and suspense writers in the biz, Stephen King has enough books in his extensive oeuvre to last thriller readers quite some time. Those who really follow the genre have probably dipped their toes into his work, and even those who don't consider themselves King fans can hardly avoid coming across the characters who have become part of pop culture as a whole. You may have come to his work from one of the many horror film and TV adaptations that have come out of his books, including The Outsider series on HBO, Stanley Kubrick's iconic film The Shining, and of course, the creepy clown classic, It. And while you have probably heard of his most popular books, like Pet Sematary, The Stand, and 'Salem's Lot, some of his deeper cuts will also send shivers down your spine.

For those who like to read through an author's entire catalog, King's collection will give you plenty to check off the list. Or for readers who just need a new thriller book to give them a good scare, take a wander into King's impressive imagination. Here's a few we think make a great place to start. Just don't blame us if you end up having nightmares.

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17'Salem's Lot

King's second book cemented his place as the master of horror. In it, Ben Mears returns to Jerusalem's Lot to find inspiration for his book, and maybe exorcise some personal demons. But then, two young boys go into the woods and only one comes out alive. Something sinister is afoot, and it's up to Mears and his allies to contain it.

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16The Outsider: A Novel

An 11-year-old boy's corpse shows up in a park and all evidence points to beloved citizen and Little League coachTerry Maitland. He's quickly arrested, but he has an alibi. The thriller twist in this one will take your breath away as only King's imagination can.

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15Night Shift

This collection of short stories offers King's bone-chilling creations in bite-sized packages. It includes stars like Children of the Corn and deeper cuts like Gray Matter, wherein a reclusive alcoholic begins to change in a horrifying way.

14Doctor Sleep

This sequel to The Shining brings back Danny Torrence, who now works at a nursing home and specializes in ushering dying patients into the great beyond. When he meets a young girl who has an even stronger version of the shining than he did, the two find their lives unexpectedly in peril (again).

13The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger

Another Stephen King book that became a major motion picture, this first installment in TheDark Tower series introduces readers to Roland of Gilead: The Last Gunslinger. His world represents a haunting mirror of ours, through whichhe relentlessly tracks The Man in Black. The entire series is more than worth a read.

12The Stand

$15.30

When a deadly flu wipes out 99 percent of the world's population, the survivors are shellshocked. Randall Flagg, or The Dark Man,emerges as an agent of chaos and destruction who's ready to take advantage of the instability. But Mother Abigail urges peace, and a terrible choice soon emerges. This dystopian suspense both feels like an escape, and horribly current.

11The Institute: A Novel

One of the newer offerings from the super-prolific King takes us inside a creepy institute that houses kidnapped children with special abilities. A 12-year-oldresident discovers the staff are extracting the kids' powers and discarding them, and he soon hatches a plan to escape. The problem? No one ever has.

10Under the Dome: A Novel

On an otherwise normal day in Chester, Maine, an invisible dome suddenly seals off the town from the rest of the world. Nothing can go in or out and cars burst into flames upon contact. A crew of intrepid citizenstry and figure out how to deal with it, while a crooked politician wants to hold onto his power at any cost.

9Rose Madder: A Novel

Rose Daniels has just barely survived an abusive marriage for 14 years, but she finally manages to flee. Her ex-husband Norman isn't only a psychotic monster he's also a cop. An aura of foreboding pervades the whole story, and you won't be able to put it down.

811/22/63: A Novel

Jake Epping is a teacher whose whole life changes when his buddy Al reveals that his diner has a secret storeroom door that leads to one day in 1958. Al's obsessed with stopping the JFK assassination and soon enlists Jake to help, who soon takes on the 1958 life ofGeorge Amberson. This time-travel story is as chilling as it is engrossing.

7Finders Keepers: A Novel

The second installment in the Bill Hodges trilogy covers the murder of a reclusive writer by an obsessed fan, who squirrels away his idol's collection of notebooks before getting locked up for another awful crime. But when he gets out 35 years later, he discovers someone has stolen his haul. It's up toHodges and crew to prevent his revenge.

6Misery: A Novel

When Annie comes to nurse the author Paul Sheldon back to health, she brings not only her medical expertise, but an obsession with Sheldon's work. She didn't like the way Sheldon killed off his main character, Misery, and wants him to make it right. And she's got some macabre ways to convince him.

5Pet Sematary: A Novel

After Dr. Louis Creed moves his family to a small town in Maine, accidents onthe highway outside their house tragically takes his cat and later, his son. Rather than coming to terms with the permanency of death, Creed interferes with the natural order, with horrifying results that show why drivers speed past the town so quickly.

4Needful Things: A Novel

Nothing in the little curiosity shop owned by Leland Gaunt has a price tag, but everything's for sale. The residents of Castle Rock, Maine, can find whatever they desire in Needful Things, for a little money and a lot of menace. And the deals the residents will make will turn your blood cold.

3It: A Novel

$12.99

Unless you live under a rock, you probably know at least some of the story of monster that terrorizes the small ton of Derry, Maine. But even if you've seen the movie, this expansive horror tome is worth your time.

2The Shining

When Jack Torrence gets the chance to move hisfamily to the picturesque Overlook Hotel for the winter, it seems like the perfect chance to work on his novel while taking care of a beautiful place. But the hotel has its own agenda, and his five-year-old son Danny is the first to sense it. If you liked the iconic Jack Nicholson movie, you'll love the book it was based on.

1Carrie

$75.30

Unless you grew up under a rock, you're probably already aware of the Carrie story.But if you haven't read the chilling tale of the outcast teenager who uses her telekinetic powers to punish her cruel classmates, you should definitely check it out.

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17 Best Stephen King Books of All Time, Ranked Worst to Best - GoodHousekeeping.com