The 5 Stephen King Books You Should Read First

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Stephen King has written around 65 books so far, and I'll probably be adding my 66th sentence to this article before you're done reading it. Not every book he wrote is a bestseller, but given his impressive track record, it's tough to be too critical. The problem for new readers is deciding where to start. Should you read his books in the order they were written, or go for the one that grabs your attention first? If you want to get a sense of King's overall style quickly, should you just focus on a few key works? If you only have time to read five of his books, which ones would give you the broadest understanding of his writing?

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The 37 Most Haunting Movie Scenes of All Time

The Shining

There are several distinct "types" of Stephen King stories. One category features a main character who is confined to a particular setting for the entire story ("Misery," "Gerald's Game," "Cujo"), while another consists of writers as main characters. "The Shining" combines these types and offers a glimpse into King's writing style during the 1970s, a time of significant career growth.

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Stephen King describes this book as a "crossroads" novel for him in the introduction to the 2001 edition. This is the novel where he had the chance to keep things simple and make the book about a haunted hotel, but instead he chose to mix the psychological and supernatural elements together in a more complex and intriguing way.

I might have chosen the safer option if my financial situation wasn't as stable, Stephen King wrote. However, my first two books, 'Carrie' and 'Salem's Lot, had been successful, and we were doing relatively well financially. I didn't want to compromise by taking the less intense route when I could make the Overlook's hotel's main character, Jack Torrance, a more realistic and emotional character by giving him a more substantial presence in the story.

Skeleton Crew

But "Different Seasons" lacks variety in length; it's all novellas, no short stories. The perfect collection would offer a taste of each of these genres.

That's why I picked up his 1985 collection "Skeleton Crew," which begins with one of King's standout novellas, "The Mist," followed by 20 short stories, some of which he wrote as far back as the 1960s. This collection is notable not only for the numerous tones and genres it showcases in King's writing style, but also for its impressive number of standout stories. It's been over ten years since I read "Skeleton Crew," yet "The Jaunt," "The Raft," "Gramma," "'Beachworld," and "Mrs. Todd's Shortcut" remain fresh in my memory.

The Running Man

You can't be a true Stephen King fan unless you've read a book by Richard Bachman. That statement might sound absurd until you are aware that Stephen King wrote a few novels under a pseudonym. He created the pen name because he was churning out books at an incredibly fast pace, which is far beyond the typical one book per year output of most authors. Additionally, King also sought to demonstrate that he wasn't relying solely on his established reputation. He could have done this in a number of ways, but what would be a more effective way to silence his detractors than by writing a blockbuster bestseller without any recognition of his true identity?

Stephen King's fourth non-Bachman novel, "The Running Man", seemed to have contempt for most of society, while his second non-Bachman novel, "The Long Walk", didn't have quite the same boldness. "The Running Man" is my favorite Bachman book, as it's a fast-paced page-turner with an effective ending; it's also a bonus to have a dystopian novel set in 2025, even if it didn't exactly predict this year.

Both "The Long Walk" and "The Running Man" are considered the best of the Bachman books, and they would appeal to fans of "Squid Game", "Battle Royale", and "Hunger Games". The latter surpasses the former in terms of more memorable characters and its fierce audacity. Similar to "The Shining", don't be put off if you've seen the movie of "The Running Man" already - the book is so different you can essentially read it without any prior knowledge. (And if spoilers are a concern for you, make sure to skip Stephen King's introduction for this book. Start with the story and read the introduction afterwards; you'll understand what I mean.)

11/22/63

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It appears I'm in the minority on this point, and I still appreciate and have a lot of respect for the story regardless.

"11/22/63" shows not only that King is talented beyond horror, but his creativity is still going strong, despite being expected to have run out by now. You don't have to be worried if you've already seen the Hulu series "11/22/63," as the book has plenty of surprises that the adaptation didn't cover.

IT

If you enjoy the scene (you'll sense it when you read it) and you're still interested in learning more from King, that's an indicator that you and the author are locked on the same wavelength.

What I particularly enjoy about "IT" is how bold and energetic it is, even though, at first glance, "The Stand" or "Under the Dome" may seem to have more impressive plots. Every character, even the secondary ones, comes across as fully developed; it often seems as though King is demonstrating his mastery of characterization, almost boasting about his ability to give a detailed backstory to the most minor character and then seamlessly integrate it into the main storyline. Fifteen years after I first read it, I still care about Stan's wife, a character who appeared for only a brief time in the beginning and was hardly mentioned again. It's a testament to how skillful King is as a writer.

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