Best Stephen King book

[The Mothman]

im doing an assignement for school on an author of my choice. i chose stephen king, and i need to know what his best book is. thnx.:)

[The Flayed One]

In my opinion, his best book isn't horror. Check out Eyes of the Dragon, a fantasy novel he wrote in the late 80's. It does contain his favorite antagonist, Randall Flagg. I also really enjoyed what I've read of the Dark Tower series, but I haven't completed it.

If you insist on a horror novel, I recommend Needful Things. It's a little faster paced than most of his novels. I might not be the best person in the world to ask though, because I really don't care that much for Kings writing style. Pet Semetary is also good, but it's so slow it takes an iron constitution to make it to the payoff.

[BASSI]

I would say Green mile that one his best and also Misery and Pet Semetary

[knife_fight]

Danse Macabre is my favorite, but it's not horror, or even fiction. it's King's ideas and thoughts on the horror genre (books, radio, and film mostly) from the 50's to the end of the 70's.

[urgeok]

no offense to the fans .. but i think Salems Lot is the only one worth reading.

[noctuary]

Shit, here comes another twenty page thread.

In my opinion, King has always done his best work in short form. Night Shift is probably the best collection, although Everything's Eventual contains what I consider to be his best story ("1408".) If you must do a novel, Pet Sematary is probably the standout.

[knife_fight]

no offense to the fans .. but i think Salems Lot is the only one worth reading.

I'm not a fan either, but Danse Macabre was the first thing I ever read that discussed horror movies seriously, so it really made an impression.

In my opinion, King has always done his best work in short form. Night Shift is probably the best collection [...] If you must do a novel, Pet Sematary is probably the standout.

I second that.

[Roderick Usher]

I agree with noctuary, his best work is in short stories...

but his best book?
On Writing: a Memoir of the Craft

[The Mothman]

i think im getting his new one "Cell" because after i read this review:

Witness Stephen King's triumphant, blood-spattered return to the genre that made him famous. Cell, the king of horror's homage to zombie films (the book is dedicated in part to George A. Romero) is his goriest, most horrific novel in years, not to mention the most intensely paced. Casting aside his love of elaborate character and town histories and penchant for delayed gratification, King yanks readers off their feet within the first few pages; dragging them into the fray and offering no chance catch their breath until the very last page.



Awesome.

[the_real_linda]

yeah cell was really good.....said a whole lot bout our society.....tho i love it......just cause i read it when i was younger......and then watched the long ass film.......my grandad even read some of it to me as a kid so tis special.....plus now im scared of clowns because of it.......i like skeleton crew and diffrent seasons too cause its got the body in

[Doc Faustus]

Cell was good. I think It and the Stand are really amazing, however. I like how raw and archetypal they are and how well he captures so many diverse voices.

[the_real_linda]

the stand chills me.......really great book

[HungryJoe]

None of them, he is a hack and should be...just kidding. I like reading his stuff.

I have to agree with a lot of the books I have already seen on here but the best in my opinion has to be "On Writing". Sure his fiction is good but this is great, it really shows what it is like being a writer and give really good tips on how to be a writer yourself.

[The_Return]

I havent read a whole lot of his work, but from what Ive read, The Green Mile is far-and-away his best novel.

The Shining is a good runner-up...didnt really care for Pet Sematary though.

[evilreign]

Salem's Lot is his best hands down. The stand is a obese drawn out piece of shit, if it was 500 pages shorter it might be good. And yes I do read monster books like that, and love every minute of them. Those books however have something interesting going on awt al times. The stand is just long for the sake of being long.

[darkmoon]

hmm..My favorites are The Green Mile,IT ,Carrie,and Pet cemetery.

[virose_pt]

Just read Carrie. Not bad, but it isn´t horror. Salem´s Lot, The Stand and The Shinning are in my Must Read List.

[ThrillerWriter666]

Salem's Lot is my favorite, also. Very scary book.

[BlackSunProductions]

My favs are Eyes of the Dragon, The Gunslinger, and (though I'm only half-way through it) Cell.

[Demonique]

I enjoy a lot of King's work. Cell was great - I loved the atmosphere throughout the book. I really liked From a Buick 8 because of the shifting POV. His short stories are great too. The Long Walk would also have to be another favourite.

[Roderick Usher]

Danse Macabre was another non-fiction bok by King that I adore. It was an early musing on the horror genre and the writing is indicative of King at his most cocaine-fueled. Fun, fast, informative and often wildly off-the-mark. It's a great read for anyone interested in the history of or analysis of the horror genre.

[Master]

I've read pretty much all of King's books and the only ones that I would not recommend would be "Gerald's Game", "The Tommyknockers", "Dreamcatcher", and "Needful Things".


One that I haven't read is "Roadwork". Has anyone read this? Is it any good?

[Master]

Has anyone read "Roadwork"?

[alkytrio666]

Yes, it's pretty good. I would not call it horror, and I'm certain it wasn't meant to be, but it's a solid story of a man's struggle to defend what he believes in, even if it drives him to insanity. Literally.


I like King's work, I find it simplistic and overworded, but very enjoyable. I can see why others wouldn't be too fond of him.

I like Dreamcatcher, Salems' Lot, The Shining, Cujo, Thinner...Thinner and Cujo had unjustifiable movies made out of them, so before you laugh, give the books a try.

[Despare]

Most have been mentioned, but you should all check out Stationary Bike, it's almost like somebody else wrote it. I'm not saying Steven King isn't good but it's so different from his usual stuff, especially for being so recent. I also liked Regulators and Running Man a lot which I didn't see mentioned but maybe missed.

[Master]

Yes, it's pretty good. I would not call it horror, and I'm certain it wasn't meant to be, but it's a solid story of a man's struggle to defend what he believes in, even if it drives him to insanity. Literally.


I like King's work, I find it simplistic and overworded, but very enjoyable. I can see why others wouldn't be too fond of him.

I like Dreamcatcher, Salems' Lot, The Shining, Cujo, Thinner...Thinner and Cujo had unjustifiable movies made out of them, so before you laugh, give the books a try.

I really wasn't a fan of Dreamcatcher and Thinner is one of the few that I haven't read. Maybe I'll give Roadwork a run as my next read. Have you read Misery or The Long Walk? I loved both of them.

[X¤MurderDoll¤X]

I've read pretty much all of King's books and the only ones that I would not recommend would be "Gerald's Game", "The Tommyknockers", "Dreamcatcher", and "Needful Things".


"Gerald's Game" is one of the select books I've finished. Actually, maybe the only one. I think there is more horror found in this one than his other stories.

[alkytrio666]

Yeah, most didn't like Dreamcatcher. I was totally engrossed by the descriptive accounts of the characters involved, individually, as each discovers the horrors that are happening around them. I found the layout marvelously chilling.

Thinner is just a lot of fun. Good, weird gypsy story, and a fast read.

Didn't care too much for Gerald's Game, I'm with Master on this one. The idea was strong, and terrifying, but it ended up just sagging in all of its ideas, and the main character's reflections were only uninteresting perversions to me.

Master, give Roadwork a try. It's quite enjoyable.

[Master]

Yeah, most didn't like Dreamcatcher. I was totally engrossed by the descriptive accounts of the characters involved, individually, as each discovers the horrors that are happening around them. I found the layout marvelously chilling.

Thinner is just a lot of fun. Good, weird gypsy story, and a fast read.

Didn't care too much for Gerald's Game, I'm with Master on this one. The idea was strong, and terrifying, but it ended up just sagging in all of its ideas, and the main character's reflections were only uninteresting perversions to me.

Master, give Roadwork a try. It's quite enjoyable.


Gerald's Game had tons of potential and it probably could have been great if 150 or so pages had been cut.

[Demonique]

After reading this thread and realizing that I had never read The Stand, I went and got it. I zipped through it in three nights (lost a bit of sleep) and found it fantastic. I did like the first half the best but it was a good read. The Long Walk is a great story as well but it is depressing. I have to be in the right mood to read it. I have found that most of his Bachman books are very depressing but novel because they don't follow the hollywood happy ending pattern. (side note: I have an early copy of Thinner with the fake author photo in the back)

[Master]

After reading this thread and realizing that I had never read The Stand, I went and got it. I zipped through it in three nights (lost a bit of sleep) and found it fantastic. I did like the first half the best but it was a good read. The Long Walk is a great story as well but it is depressing. I have to be in the right mood to read it. I have found that most of his Bachman books are very depressing but novel because they don't follow the hollywood happy ending pattern. (side note: I have an early copy of Thinner with the fake author photo in the back)

I liked The Stand a lot. However, I much preferred Swan Song by: Robert McCammon. It was very similar to the Stand in many ways, but I found it to be a better overall book. Have you read it?

[alkytrio666]

After reading this thread and realizing that I had never read The Stand, I went and got it. I zipped through it in three nights (lost a bit of sleep) and found it fantastic. I did like the first half the best but it was a good read. The Long Walk is a great story as well but it is depressing. I have to be in the right mood to read it. I have found that most of his Bachman books are very depressing but novel because they don't follow the hollywood happy ending pattern. (side note: I have an early copy of Thinner with the fake author photo in the back)
The Stand 3 nights?! You're a readin' machine!

[Master]

The Stand 3 nights?! You're a readin' machine!


I thought the same thing. I've read quite a few books in a day or two, but the Stand took me a bit longer.

[Demonique]

Yes I read very quickly. It can be a blessing and a curse. The story flows fast but I run out of books all the time. I like King books because they are often huge and I can stretch it out to more than 6 hours. The Stand took me about 17 hours. I am good at english but suck at math - that's why I teach english. Anyway- yes I have read Swan Song and thought it was fantastic. I need to buy a copy as I borrowed the one I read. I am working my way through The Talisman right now. I think it is ok but nowhere near as good as Swan Song or The Stand.

[Master]

Yes I read very quickly. It can be a blessing and a curse. The story flows fast but I run out of books all the time. I like King books because they are often huge and I can stretch it out to more than 6 hours. The Stand took me about 17 hours. I am good at english but suck at math - that's why I teach english. Anyway- yes I have read Swan Song and thought it was fantastic. I need to buy a copy as I borrowed the one I read. I am working my way through The Talisman right now. I think it is ok but nowhere near as good as Swan Song or The Stand.


It's a bit off topic, but read "Doomsday Book" by Connie Willis.

[Demonique]

Thanks! I'll give it a try!

[Despare]

Did you try Staionary Bike yet? It's a novella so it's well worth the 20 minutes you would need to read it. :)

[Demonique]

LOL! Funny you are. No I have not read Stationary Bike - is it a short story? Is it in an anthology?

[Demonique]

Whoops Duh! You just said it was a novella. What collection is it in?

[Despare]

Whoops Duh! You just said it was a novella. What collection is it in?

It's in From the Borderlands: Stories of Terror and Madness.
Some amazing stories in this one and a couple forgettable tales as well.

[DP McCoy]

Different Seasons is one of my favourites simply because it contains Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption,also Nightmares and Dreamscapes is a solid collection of Kings short stories,The End of the Whole Mess being the best of these imo.

[Papillon Noir]

Stephen King books that I liked:

Carrie
It
Misery
Needful Things
Night Shift
Pet Sematary
The Talisman
The Tommyknockers
Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three
Dark Tower III: The Wastelands
Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass
Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla

books that I disliked:
Gerald's Game
Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger
Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah
Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower
The Shinning

[Unaboner3000]

The Stand and The Dark Tower series are books everyone should give a try. They are fabulous books.

If you are the type of person that doesn not like VERY long, somewhat complicated plots, then giv ethese King books a go:

The Long Walk - One of the most disturbing things you'll ever read...will have you thinking about this book WEEKS after finishing it.

Rose Madder- Psycho cop husband beats his wife until she finally decides to run away...psycho cop hunts her down. Great read!

[Disease]

Most of his books are crap, but I liked Carrie best from what i've read of his work. Don't get me wrong, he has good storys or ideas, but I don't think he is a great writer.

[DEATHH DREAMS author]

im doing an assignement for school on an author of my choice. i chose stephen king, and i need to know what his best book is. thnx.:)


Mothman, how did the assignment go? What did you choose? Next time you get an assignment like that I recommend choosing a classic horror writer like M.R. James. He was about 100 times better than King in my opinion...

[demonwoman]

Read Christine or Gerald's Game!

[deatheatre]

I think my vote goes to "Misery" as the most realistic novel he has ever written. "It" was great and suspenseful too... "Pet Sematary" wasn't bad...
But I think "Misery" still takes the cake for me.

[Shadow]

I have not read all that many Stephen King books so this is a great thread to get me started. Reading Firestarter atm for the simple reason that I bought it from a charity shop for £2. However I am enjoying it. Good story and a nice read in my opinion.

[stubbornforgey]

I like carrie and misery .

[missmacabre]

I loved IT because I'm not a clown person so it got me scared and on edge. Funny thing is, I was reading it one night and the phone rang. Made me jump but I answered it and I hear "Hello this is Pennywise." so I hung up! Turns out it was a lady named Penny Wise, who works with my Mom.

I am also enjoying Four Past Midnight.

[Cryptkeeper]

I enjoyed most of his short stories such as "Four Past Midnight" and "Nightmares and Dreamscapes". The most recent I read was "The Cell" and I really liked it, but I like zombie movies. My favorite is hard between the two and that is the Dark Tower series and "Black House" which King and Peter Straub wrote together.

[_____V_____]

I m surprised that no one has mentioned Bag of Bones. The blandness of the author's life after her wife is horribly killed right at the beginning, then having new people come into it, with a strong evil around...I just loved the premise, and the story.

Bag of Bones is the only King novel I read twice. Dreamcatcher was another good one. Although The Dead Zone is by far his best work, IMO.

[the_real_linda]

I loved IT because I'm not a clown person so it got me scared and on edge. Funny thing is, I was reading it one night and the phone rang. Made me jump but I answered it and I hear "Hello this is Pennywise." so I hung up! Turns out it was a lady named Penny Wise, who works with my Mom.

I am also enjoying Four Past Midnight.

i couldnt pick just one, but It always got to me cause im so scared of clowns.....and id be reading and u get really relaxed and then u hear a noise and u jump outa ur skin.....its pathetic i know....its not like that with a film....but with a book u get lost in it

[rebelesque]

The Mist, The Long walk, Dreamcatcher, Hearts in Antlantis and room 1408, from Everything's Eventual. I am glad that the Mist and room 1408 are being made into films. I watched a trailer recently of room 1408 and it looked as good as the story. Some of King's books translate well into film, but some are terrible.

[Misfit]

The first Stephen King book I ever read was Salem’s Lot and I think for that reason it will always be one of my favourites. After reading Salem’s Lot I went on a huge buying spree of all his books I could find, and read most of his stuff over the following years. I'm not such a Stephen King fan anymore though, I think his work is the kind of horror that you grow out of. There is nothing of his that has made an impact on me in a long time, so maybe he has lost his touch or maybe I’ve just grown up. I still love the books that made an impact on me at the time of reading them, although I doubt very much that if I was to read them now at this age, for the first time, that they would make such an impression on me.
The next one to really captivate me was IT, I don’t know now exactly what hooked me so much but I couldn’t put this one down. (The film was utter shite!!!) Next to get me was The Stand, fantastic book! Nothing else pops to mind at the moment but I’m sure there are a few others that I enjoyed over the years. Saying that too, there was a good few I remember struggling to get through because they were incredibly spiritless! But once I start a book I have to finish it! Some of his short stories are class too, my favourites being Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption, Apt Pupil, The Body and there is one that I can’t think of the name of, I think it was in The Skeleton Crew collection, it’s the diary entries of a doctor who’s ship gets sunk, and he ends up alone on a desert island trying to survive. Also loved The Talisman which King wrote with Peter Straub. The Green Mile was a class story too, really moving!

[The Harlequin]

Has to be IT. So dark and twisted. Long haul, but worth the ride.

[Gentlemen Death]

I highly enjoy Stephne King, but I also thing he is extremely typecasted as a horror writer and will forever be. Now, there is nothing wrong with that, but if you really get into what he is talking about with his books, it tends to be more psychological then anything.

But my favorite Stephen King book, that is a hard one......the choosing of the book i mean...sick bastards :eek: ......I would have to go with Needful Things. I loved all the characters and the continuation of Sheriff Panghorn charater(who was in The Dark Half) and Ace Merril (who was in kings short story The Body, a.k.a. Stand By Me)

[Xarixian]

I like the one with the planes in four past midnight. I can't remember what it was called, but there was a blind girl in it. o_0 I'm not sure it was horror but I remember it having quite an effect on me.

[Xarixian]

Has to be IT. So dark and twisted. Long haul, but worth the ride.

Oh yes, IT was very good ^_^

[Xarixian]

I like the one with the planes in four past midnight. I can't remember what it was called, but there was a blind girl in it. o_0 I'm not sure it was horror but I remember it having quite an effect on me.

the Langoliers.

[dabruce16]

i'm going to have to go with salem's lot. like misfit that said, that was my first stephen king book i read, and i loved it.

[AdahofSamaria]

The Dark Half was one of the few that I actually read from cover to cover. I have to read it again sometime soon, but I do remember being absolutely riveted by the storyline. It was a tiny bit similar to Secret Window but a superior story on all counts in my opinion. I also liked "Everything is Eventual" - especially the story where everyone thought the guy was dead and they were about to perform an autopsy. I was practically on the edge of my chair for every minute of that one. It was intense!

[horror.ru]

i'm reading Lisey's story... i can't say that it's so enjoyable :(
what do you yhink about Marvel's Dark Tower Series?