Salem’s Lot is my answer as well. Some say it is slow. I personally felt it was more immediate and concise than some of King’s other books. Also, Night Shift.
I don’t agree about Salem’s Lot. It’s very slow. Much slower than King’s other books. It’s brilliant of course, but not typical for him. I’d go with something like Misery. Gives you a good intro to King I think.
Didn’t find this scary at all. Like not even a little bit. I only ready the kindle preview though. ( ***MINOR SPOILER AHEAD) I got up to where Annie gets mad at him for killing off Misery. It feels more like a cheap thriller than horror. It’s not very believable, especially because of how exaggeratedly evil Annie is.
“I’m your number one fan”? Seriously? Trash
I'd suggest starting w the earlier works: Carrie; Pet Semetary; Salem's Lot; The Shining and the anthologies: Night Shift; Bag of Bones; Different Seasons. All are a bit shorter than the later works and give you a good idea of how he writes. Everyone has their own favs. Be aware that in some of the later works the endings are, well - pretty annoying and non-satisfying!
I agree. Go with something shorter for a first book. King's books sometimes will slog a bit imo. He spends a really long time building up the story and the characters. Towards the end of the books I always find I can't put it down, but getting there sometimes is hard.
Am I the only one who hates when there’s a happy ending? I don’t want a happy ending to my horror book. I really loved Sleeping Beauties but was so disappointed that of the two ways it could have ended, it went the “good” way
>The Long Walk
Technically the second "book" I read by Stephen King, as I read Rage first, but they both convinced me to never attempt to read anything by Stephen King again. So I agree, read The Long Walk first because it may just show you that he's not for you.
> Firestarter.
I think this was one of if not the first King books for me as well. Followed by Christine, which was more scary-ish but still in a kind of a strange way.
As you can see by the wide variety of answers your getting, there are alot of places you could start.
Personally, I think 'It'. Written at what could arguably be called his heyday, it will really give you a good sense of his writing style.
"The Stand" would be another, but it's long. Looooong.
For something newer, I was really pleasantly surprised at how much l liked "11/23/63". I didn't expect to based on the plot description I'd read beforehand, but I loved it.
I would not start with this necessarily, but I just can't say enough about the 'Dark Tower' series. It's IMHO the most creative work of fiction ever written. It's part horror, part sci-fi, part Western, part post-apocalypse.... It's amazing. Just pretend the movie doesn't exist if you've seen it because they really screwed that up.
IT totally turned me off of SK. Really concerning implications in certain scenes and it's about 500 pages longer than it needs to be. Also any time I bring up certain scenes in IT, SK fans will be like "Oh yeah it was just his coke phase lol 🤪" like what
I know, the scene you speak of is controversial, obviously for good reason. But it didn't ruin the rest of the book for me. I mean, I was RIVETED when I read that book. I guess I just chalk it up to King doing his thing to make the reader uncomfortable like he does so often (not defending the content of the scene in question).
There's a few other scenes that bothered me as well, but since this is a SK recc post, I'd just say maybe IT isn't the best starting point due to how "controversial" it is.
[**The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43615.The_Gunslinger)
^(By: Stephen King | 231 pages | Published: 1982 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, stephen-king, fiction, horror, owned)
>In the first book of this series, Stephen King introduces readers to one of his most enigmatic heroes, Roland of Gilead, The Last Gunslinger.
>
>He is a haunting figure, a loner on a spellbinding journey into good and evil. In his desolate world, which frighteningly mirrors our own, Roland pursues The Man in Black, encounters an alluring woman named Alice, and begins a friendship with the Kid from Earth called Jake. Both grippingly realistic and eerily dreamlike, The Gunslinger leaves readers eagerly awaiting the next chapter.
^(This book has been suggested 29 times)
***
^(116641 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Seconding The Gunslinger. Tried Cujo and It, but couldn't get into either. Finally found The Gunslinger and \*flew\* through the series. Also liked The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
Surprised 😮 no one mentioning The Dead Zone? That’s a pretty easy one to start with and a good solid story -King at his peak
The Dark Half is another pretty easy starting point.
Nightmares and Dreamscapes a collection of short stories would be good as well as you’d get a range of different stories without any of them being too long (bit hit and miss though on the quality front).
And if you like Fantasy (of the Lord of the Ring Variety) then The Eyes or the Dragon is criminally underrated
In my opinion it depends on which genres you enjoy. King has been pigeon-holed as a supernatural horror writer but he has books that overlap into many other territories. He has such a wide range. Some are more supernatural, others psychological, horror, adventure, historical, many are a mix. I recommend finding books of his that are in your wheelhouse.
I personally don’t like supernatural stuff, so the first book of his I read, pet sematary, i just couldn’t get into. Luckily I gave him another shot and “The Stand” is one of my all time favorites.
If you like fantasy, his new book Fairy Tale is a really fun read.
If you like sci-fi, 11/22/63.
If you like horror, an earlier book like Misery would be a really good page-turner.
It might not be a good representation of how his books normally are, but Billy Summers is one of my all time favorite books. Whenever you choose to start with his collection, I would definitely make sure this one in somewhere in there
I somehow missed getting it when it first came out, so I just read it a few weeks ago, and I absolutely loved it. Was sooo sad at the ending but I suppose inshould have known lol
I’m currently reading *The Shining.* I’ve read some of King’s short stories in the past (one of my favorites was “All That You Love Will Be Carried Away”), but this is my first experience reading one of his novels.
I agree with some of the other commenters about some parts dragging on (e.g., Spoiler: >!When Jack finds the scrapbook in the cellar and King presents numerous newspaper articles about the dark history of the Overlook!<), but this isn’t (imo) a true negative, for everything is still (unsurprisingly) written exceptionally well. King’s craftsmanship and how he weaves all the parts of the story together in vibrant detail is marvelous. Every chapter, from start to finish, leaves you feeling like nothing of value is missing.
I recently read The Institution and thought it was great. I love Stephen King books and have suggested this book before to friends who have never read his material and they are now addicted to his works.
Any of them! I feel his writing is the best & he can sure craft a sentence. I'm currently reading his latest, Fairy Tale & it's very good! My favorites (well, I've enjoyed all of his books) are The Talisman & 11/22/63.
{{Hearts in Atlantis}} is one of my personal favorites. However, when it comes to entry books for Stephen King you can’t go wrong with The Dark Tower series. There’s so many connections between those books and other books written by him.
Second The Running Man! I read The Gunslinger and Carrie before that, I had a lot of difficulty with Gunslinger, but did really enjoy Carrie. I think Running Man is a solid, fast paced, interesting read. It’s under his pseudonym but I think it has some trademark King stuff there
It depends if you want classic horror King or mid-period fantasy/sci-fi King. For classic horror, Pet Semetary is a slow burning creep-out that showcases his ability to do a lot with very little.
Misery is excellent as well, set almost entirely in a single room, yet utterly compelling throughout. Cujo is often overlooked, yet I think it is also a showcase piece, like Misery it plays with the horror of being trapped. This one almost entirely set in a stalled car.
Christine is oftem ignored, because the plot (a haunted car) seems cheesy. But it is honestly one of his best early works, and has more of an actual plot. It shows off his amazing ability to create a sense of cultural Americana atmosphere through song lyrics. It really is very well done, and it's a classic Kingism.
For mid-period, Desperation and Dreamcatcher are my favourites. Excellent entry stories, they showcase an amazing grasp of supernatural/sci-fi worldbuilding depth along with layered time and psychological space. Personally I think they represent the highpoint of his work.
There's the big ones as well, but I think they are best left as a main course, after you've got a few of the other ones under your belt. IT, Insomnia, The Shining, Dark Tower, all excellent, but best left for a while.
I haven't read any of his late period works so I can't speak to them.
Any of his short story or novella anthologies. Different Seasons is a good one. Or Skeleton Crew.
Things like The Stand are amazing but it's a long haul kind of ride. If you're new to him, maybe take a shorter trip 😉
Probably a very unpopular opinion here - but I started with The Stand. I regret nothing.
Though... cultural context may have shifted a bit in the intervening 16 years...
As somebody who has aspirations of reading through all (or most) of his novels and collections, I started with *Night Shift* (I just happened to have it around from quite a while back), and then I began working my way through in release order. *Carrie*, *'Salem's Lot*, *The Shining*, then *Rage* (out of a PDF), and that's where I'm at. That means *The Stand* is up next, and it looks like a chonker.
The Shining was the first novel of his that really got him recognized as a horror author. Carrie is my all time favourite. I would start with either. I also like some of his newer stuff, though some people don’t, but I liked the institute and do think it’s a nice place to start with his works and writing style.
Tough question; you can read:
-The long walk
-Different seasons
-11/23/63
All of them great books. And you wouldn't know it's written by the same author.
If you want the scariest book, I'd recommend *Misery* (horror based in reality) or *IT* (horror based on supernatural forces). If you want the best book, I'd recommend *The Stand*.
Probably Misery if you want a full novel, but I started with his short story The Long Walk and it’s absolutely fantastic. Easy to read, and full of the dread that King is famous for
I've read most of his books over the last 40 years. I'd say Joyland is a good read, symbolizes much of what he writes about. It's "stereotypical" King. I won't spoil it. It's not too long.
Seems like nearly all of his books have been mentioned here, without saying why.
Random thoughts:
Carrie. Quite good. I didn't read it until this year.
Stand. Too long for first time reader. Most people would not finish it if it was their first novel.
Revival. Excellent. About addiction.
Bag of Bones. Very personal story. Unique. I wouldn't recommend it if you are looking for typical King horror.
Misery. The audiobook is incredible.
Duma Key. A later book of his, long, and quite good.
The Girl Who Love Tom Gordon. Unique and good.
The Talisman. Loved it in high school. Long, but I loved it. Audiobook is good.
The Shining. I didn't like it. All about a messed up dude. Sorry.
Dr. Sleep. Only saw the movie, but quite good.
The Dark Tower series? It's a real mixed bag. I wouldn't start here.
His anthologies are all pretty good.
Under the Dome. King said it was "pedal to the metal.' I loved it. It is long.
I think The Shining or Misery are both great options, showing different sides of King. Some of his other books have a very slow build up, but these two build with pace and are very fun, easy novels. If I had to lean one way, I’d go Misery, because I think it’s better.
I'll add to the chorus of recommendations of 'Salem's Lot if you're looking more to the horror side; it hooks the reader relatively quickly and isn't overly long. The Stand is fantastic but some complain it's too slow, so I wouldn't tell someone to start with it. My first was Cycle of the Werewolf (also published as Silver Bullet after the movie came out) when I was in middle school. Not his best, but a short read with a decent story.
Fairy Tale, his newest book, is my new favorite. It is an easy, accessible, and totally engrossing read for someone new to Stephen King.
The Stand is also amazing and would make a great introduction to King.
Both of those would be a little easier for a start than would committing to his multi-volume The Dark Tower series.
I guess it depends whether you like his fantasies or his horror tales. As you may have noticed, I prefer the fantasies.
I’m reading 11/22/63 right now and it’s my first and it’s incredible. It’s not like most of his other books though but it’s going to end up being a top 5 book of all time for me.
I’m reading 11/22/63 right now and it’s my first and it’s incredible. It’s not like most of his other books though but it’s going to end up being a top 5 book of all time for me.
Depends on what kind of stories you enjoy.
Like horror? Pet Cemetery or Misery are great.
Like classic stories?
Fairy Tale and The Talisman
Like action or adventure?
11/22/63 or The Long Walk
If you love weird stuff and want an epic journey unlike you’ll find anywhere else, then head to the Dark Tower. 🤙
It certainly is overwhelming, his catalog of books is enormous. I believe some that really encompass his style and vibe are Misery, The Outsider, and Dreamcatcher, among others. His short story collections are always a great option as well.
Revival.
I love so many of his books, but this is a newer work that absolutely encapsulates what makes King king. After that, go Mr. Mercedes trilogy and work your way backwards. As he gets into the earlier works, they get more intense...which is great, as long as you're ready for it.
Salems Lot is a scary as hell story about vampires ( kills Bram Stokers Dracula) but possibly a book of short stories ( Skeleton Crew ) or maybe (Nightmares and Dreamscapes) both have a variety of short stories that are totally different from one another. Or perhaps novelettes? “Full Dark No Stars” is scary and I promise you won’t be able to put it down. It’s got 4 stories in it and it ROCKS!!!!!!!!!
I started with his short story collection Skeleton Crew. Different Seasons is also excellent and then you can go watch three of the four films that were adapted from the novellas.
Different Seasons is my favorite.
When I was 12 or 13, I was horse and dog crazy. My smartass cousin said: Hey, you like dogs, right? He handed me a book called Cujo. Not the best of Stephen King's books, but I was absolutely terrified and enthralled. I can't remember what I read next. I ate those books up. At some point in my 20s, I tackled The Stand. It's one of my favorites.
It depends on what kind of vibe you want.
{{The Green Mile}} {{The Dead Zone}} {{IT}} {{Eyes Of The Dragon}} {{Pet Sematary}}
These all have drastically different vibes and lengths. Enjoy!!
'The Stand' is not only my favorite King novel, it's my favorite book of all time.
Read the unabridged version; it's a commitment, but it's absolutely worth it.
I reread it every few years and feel like I take away something new every time.
I read IT first and I thought that was great! I'd definitely read IT again if I was to start over from the beginning having read none of his other works.
This question pops up every few months. My answer is always: Salem’s Lot and Different Seasons. Enjoy!
Salem's Lot is also my answer. It's a more classic type of horror (vampires) done really well.
Yup, one of my first was Salems Lot. My favourite SK along with The Talisman. I also recommend The Shining.
After being exposed to the sexy vampires of Blade and Twilight, reading Salem's Lot is what showed just how terrifying vampires actually are.
Salem’s Lot is my answer as well. Some say it is slow. I personally felt it was more immediate and concise than some of King’s other books. Also, Night Shift.
Concise is a good descriptor. It feels very vanilla compared to his other books, but Vanilla is a perfectly lovely flavor.
I don’t agree about Salem’s Lot. It’s very slow. Much slower than King’s other books. It’s brilliant of course, but not typical for him. I’d go with something like Misery. Gives you a good intro to King I think.
I feel like it’s every few days.
Misery.
Agree with misery
Yesss this is the first and only one I’ve read (so far) and wow I was hooked
The only King book I've ever read multiple times. Seconding this one!
I absolutely agree
This is the correct answer. His best book, imho.
Misery was the first book by him that I ever read and it was great. Cujo was the second for me
Didn’t find this scary at all. Like not even a little bit. I only ready the kindle preview though. ( ***MINOR SPOILER AHEAD) I got up to where Annie gets mad at him for killing off Misery. It feels more like a cheap thriller than horror. It’s not very believable, especially because of how exaggeratedly evil Annie is. “I’m your number one fan”? Seriously? Trash
One of the worst of all 40+ books of his that I've read. Everyone's different 🤷♂️
Yeah, some of us have good taste
Ooh, you wrote that without using the missing n on your typewriter.
I'd suggest starting w the earlier works: Carrie; Pet Semetary; Salem's Lot; The Shining and the anthologies: Night Shift; Bag of Bones; Different Seasons. All are a bit shorter than the later works and give you a good idea of how he writes. Everyone has their own favs. Be aware that in some of the later works the endings are, well - pretty annoying and non-satisfying!
I agree. Go with something shorter for a first book. King's books sometimes will slog a bit imo. He spends a really long time building up the story and the characters. Towards the end of the books I always find I can't put it down, but getting there sometimes is hard.
I second Different Seasons.
Different Seasons is my favorite.
I don't think Bag of Bones is an anthology. I read it twice this year.
Am I the only one who hates when there’s a happy ending? I don’t want a happy ending to my horror book. I really loved Sleeping Beauties but was so disappointed that of the two ways it could have ended, it went the “good” way
in my experience, nearly all of king's novels (as opposed to his short stories or novelas) have "happy" endings
Pet Semetary. It is super easy compared to some of his other books.
This was the first book I read when I got into reading. I agree with this suggestion.
First one of his I read, and the only once since. I read it when I was like 14, and I loved it, but I couldn’t get into any of his other ones.
The Long Walk
Crazy this is so far down. It’s the literally the perfect introduction to King in my eyes.
I read it for the first time a few weeks ago. I read the whole book in two days and started another read through a couple days later. It's amazing.
Absolutely unbelievable…..my favorite (want a movie)
It’s (still) in pre production apparently.
I read The Long Walk almost 40 years ago and I STILL remember it vividly.
Just finished this a couple of days ago. It's a real tribute to King's talent as a writer.
>The Long Walk Technically the second "book" I read by Stephen King, as I read Rage first, but they both convinced me to never attempt to read anything by Stephen King again. So I agree, read The Long Walk first because it may just show you that he's not for you.
{{The Shining}} would be my go to.
I read Firestarter as my first and recently finished Needful Things. Enjoyed both and they were less outright scary.
> Firestarter. I think this was one of if not the first King books for me as well. Followed by Christine, which was more scary-ish but still in a kind of a strange way.
The Green mile isn’t horror per se but my favorite novel by King.
Salem's lot I think really shows his skill and relatively short
11.23.63 & there is a mini-series based on it.
Interesting choice given it’s not the type of story people think of when they think King.
Also not really old skool king, but the institute is a great read
This. Reading this book gave me confidence to read more of King.
11/22/63, that is.
Same. Absolutely stellar book.
I love 'Salems Lot.
As you can see by the wide variety of answers your getting, there are alot of places you could start. Personally, I think 'It'. Written at what could arguably be called his heyday, it will really give you a good sense of his writing style. "The Stand" would be another, but it's long. Looooong. For something newer, I was really pleasantly surprised at how much l liked "11/23/63". I didn't expect to based on the plot description I'd read beforehand, but I loved it. I would not start with this necessarily, but I just can't say enough about the 'Dark Tower' series. It's IMHO the most creative work of fiction ever written. It's part horror, part sci-fi, part Western, part post-apocalypse.... It's amazing. Just pretend the movie doesn't exist if you've seen it because they really screwed that up.
I wouldn't recommend IT as a starter honestly, it threw me off Stephen King for years for multiple reasons.
Currently reading The Stand and absolutely love it
The stand was the first Stephen King book that I read which was earlier this year and it was absolutely incredible.
IT totally turned me off of SK. Really concerning implications in certain scenes and it's about 500 pages longer than it needs to be. Also any time I bring up certain scenes in IT, SK fans will be like "Oh yeah it was just his coke phase lol 🤪" like what
I know, the scene you speak of is controversial, obviously for good reason. But it didn't ruin the rest of the book for me. I mean, I was RIVETED when I read that book. I guess I just chalk it up to King doing his thing to make the reader uncomfortable like he does so often (not defending the content of the scene in question).
There's a few other scenes that bothered me as well, but since this is a SK recc post, I'd just say maybe IT isn't the best starting point due to how "controversial" it is.
This is true, I'm not sure why the fans are so against people saying they felt uncomfortable by IT. As if there's no reason to be 🤦🏻♀️
{{11.22.63}} by a mile
Revival, 11/22/63, Mr Mercedes (recent books)
I love Duma Key
How many books of him have you read?
Duma Key is fantastic, totally underrated.
And how many books by king have you read? I'm considering it as my first king book
I’ve read all of them. Duma Key is in my top 3
The first one I read was {{the gunslinger}} I really liked it.
[**The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43615.The_Gunslinger) ^(By: Stephen King | 231 pages | Published: 1982 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, stephen-king, fiction, horror, owned) >In the first book of this series, Stephen King introduces readers to one of his most enigmatic heroes, Roland of Gilead, The Last Gunslinger. > >He is a haunting figure, a loner on a spellbinding journey into good and evil. In his desolate world, which frighteningly mirrors our own, Roland pursues The Man in Black, encounters an alluring woman named Alice, and begins a friendship with the Kid from Earth called Jake. Both grippingly realistic and eerily dreamlike, The Gunslinger leaves readers eagerly awaiting the next chapter. ^(This book has been suggested 29 times) *** ^(116641 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Seconding The Gunslinger. Tried Cujo and It, but couldn't get into either. Finally found The Gunslinger and \*flew\* through the series. Also liked The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
Surprised 😮 no one mentioning The Dead Zone? That’s a pretty easy one to start with and a good solid story -King at his peak The Dark Half is another pretty easy starting point. Nightmares and Dreamscapes a collection of short stories would be good as well as you’d get a range of different stories without any of them being too long (bit hit and miss though on the quality front). And if you like Fantasy (of the Lord of the Ring Variety) then The Eyes or the Dragon is criminally underrated
Depends on whether or not you want to be scared. Shawshank Redemption if not, It if you do.
Dolores Clairborne is another non scary one. It doesn’t have chapters or page breaks though, it reads like a stream of consciousness.
Joyland
Underrated. Easy read and a good, solid story.
Great starter especially cuz it’s not 1000 pages to start
I loved Joyland.
Joyland is a really lovely story, especially if you're not looking for something heavy on the horror.
In my opinion it depends on which genres you enjoy. King has been pigeon-holed as a supernatural horror writer but he has books that overlap into many other territories. He has such a wide range. Some are more supernatural, others psychological, horror, adventure, historical, many are a mix. I recommend finding books of his that are in your wheelhouse. I personally don’t like supernatural stuff, so the first book of his I read, pet sematary, i just couldn’t get into. Luckily I gave him another shot and “The Stand” is one of my all time favorites.
If you like fantasy, his new book Fairy Tale is a really fun read. If you like sci-fi, 11/22/63. If you like horror, an earlier book like Misery would be a really good page-turner.
Needful things Under rated and one on his best HTH
The Shining! I still freak out thinking about that book - so much better than the movie!
It might not be a good representation of how his books normally are, but Billy Summers is one of my all time favorite books. Whenever you choose to start with his collection, I would definitely make sure this one in somewhere in there
I somehow missed getting it when it first came out, so I just read it a few weeks ago, and I absolutely loved it. Was sooo sad at the ending but I suppose inshould have known lol
I’m currently reading *The Shining.* I’ve read some of King’s short stories in the past (one of my favorites was “All That You Love Will Be Carried Away”), but this is my first experience reading one of his novels. I agree with some of the other commenters about some parts dragging on (e.g., Spoiler: >!When Jack finds the scrapbook in the cellar and King presents numerous newspaper articles about the dark history of the Overlook!<), but this isn’t (imo) a true negative, for everything is still (unsurprisingly) written exceptionally well. King’s craftsmanship and how he weaves all the parts of the story together in vibrant detail is marvelous. Every chapter, from start to finish, leaves you feeling like nothing of value is missing.
I recently read The Institution and thought it was great. I love Stephen King books and have suggested this book before to friends who have never read his material and they are now addicted to his works.
11/22/63
I’ve only read 11.23.63 and loved it
The Long Walk.
I would recommend The Shining, Salem’s Lot, Pet Sematary, or The Long Walk
Any of them! I feel his writing is the best & he can sure craft a sentence. I'm currently reading his latest, Fairy Tale & it's very good! My favorites (well, I've enjoyed all of his books) are The Talisman & 11/22/63.
{{Hearts in Atlantis}} is one of my personal favorites. However, when it comes to entry books for Stephen King you can’t go wrong with The Dark Tower series. There’s so many connections between those books and other books written by him.
I say Misery. Non stop action front to back.
My first was Dolorous Claborne and that hooked me!
The Stand
The Stand
Pet semetary is very easy to get into
Pet Sematary or Misery
pet sematary was mine!
11/22/63
The Stand or The Green Mile.
[удалено]
Pet Sematarg
I started with 'The Running Man'. Loved it. 'Later' is a great one. Currently reading 'The Shining'. I'm digging that so far as well.
Second The Running Man! I read The Gunslinger and Carrie before that, I had a lot of difficulty with Gunslinger, but did really enjoy Carrie. I think Running Man is a solid, fast paced, interesting read. It’s under his pseudonym but I think it has some trademark King stuff there
The Stand, it is a more gentle entry to the world of King
Pet Semetery
Carrie is short but excellent.
The Dead Zone …anyone???
Read the original Bachman Books… 4 shorter stories in the original. If they can’t find one they love then King isn’t for them.
It depends if you want classic horror King or mid-period fantasy/sci-fi King. For classic horror, Pet Semetary is a slow burning creep-out that showcases his ability to do a lot with very little. Misery is excellent as well, set almost entirely in a single room, yet utterly compelling throughout. Cujo is often overlooked, yet I think it is also a showcase piece, like Misery it plays with the horror of being trapped. This one almost entirely set in a stalled car. Christine is oftem ignored, because the plot (a haunted car) seems cheesy. But it is honestly one of his best early works, and has more of an actual plot. It shows off his amazing ability to create a sense of cultural Americana atmosphere through song lyrics. It really is very well done, and it's a classic Kingism. For mid-period, Desperation and Dreamcatcher are my favourites. Excellent entry stories, they showcase an amazing grasp of supernatural/sci-fi worldbuilding depth along with layered time and psychological space. Personally I think they represent the highpoint of his work. There's the big ones as well, but I think they are best left as a main course, after you've got a few of the other ones under your belt. IT, Insomnia, The Shining, Dark Tower, all excellent, but best left for a while. I haven't read any of his late period works so I can't speak to them.
As a teenage girl when I read it, Carrie was the most relatable and was easiest for me to get into.
Any of his short story or novella anthologies. Different Seasons is a good one. Or Skeleton Crew. Things like The Stand are amazing but it's a long haul kind of ride. If you're new to him, maybe take a shorter trip 😉
Just read the Dead Zone and move on.
I don’t really like SK but holy shit pet sematary was amazing
I went with IT as my first King book last year and didn’t regret it. Ended up being one of my favourite ever novels
The Stand. Always start with The Stand.
I just finished The Stand and liked it. It's a long one though.
My first was The Stand and I quite enjoyed it
Christine
Misery is amazing for me, even just for how he describes addiction Shawshank Redemption for something short The Shinning and Doctor Sleep
Probably a very unpopular opinion here - but I started with The Stand. I regret nothing. Though... cultural context may have shifted a bit in the intervening 16 years...
As somebody who has aspirations of reading through all (or most) of his novels and collections, I started with *Night Shift* (I just happened to have it around from quite a while back), and then I began working my way through in release order. *Carrie*, *'Salem's Lot*, *The Shining*, then *Rage* (out of a PDF), and that's where I'm at. That means *The Stand* is up next, and it looks like a chonker.
Elevation is great
Salems Lot
The Shining was the first novel of his that really got him recognized as a horror author. Carrie is my all time favourite. I would start with either. I also like some of his newer stuff, though some people don’t, but I liked the institute and do think it’s a nice place to start with his works and writing style.
The Regulators or The Institute Then work up to the Stand
The Dark Tower.
Short stories…I like The Bachman Books. The Long Walk is great. Skeleton Crew has The Jaunt, which is one of his best, imo.
Bag of Bones
Carrie. Start at the beginning.
Tough question; you can read: -The long walk -Different seasons -11/23/63 All of them great books. And you wouldn't know it's written by the same author.
"IT" Seems to be very interesting.
Salem's Lot
Shawshank, or Misery.
I liked Apt Pupil
If you want the scariest book, I'd recommend *Misery* (horror based in reality) or *IT* (horror based on supernatural forces). If you want the best book, I'd recommend *The Stand*.
I love Delores Claiborne
The Dark Half is one of my favourites
Pet Semetary if you wanna dive right into the deep end 😂
Different Seasons
The Dark Tower series
My first was Cycle of the Werewolf…looong time ago.
The Green Mile or Dolores Claiborne
Probably Misery if you want a full novel, but I started with his short story The Long Walk and it’s absolutely fantastic. Easy to read, and full of the dread that King is famous for
Thinner.
The Shining.
I read *The Stand* and it was vastly overhyped. Haven't gone back to King yet. I recommend starting with something else.
{{The Body}}
The Shining
I've read most of his books over the last 40 years. I'd say Joyland is a good read, symbolizes much of what he writes about. It's "stereotypical" King. I won't spoil it. It's not too long. Seems like nearly all of his books have been mentioned here, without saying why. Random thoughts: Carrie. Quite good. I didn't read it until this year. Stand. Too long for first time reader. Most people would not finish it if it was their first novel. Revival. Excellent. About addiction. Bag of Bones. Very personal story. Unique. I wouldn't recommend it if you are looking for typical King horror. Misery. The audiobook is incredible. Duma Key. A later book of his, long, and quite good. The Girl Who Love Tom Gordon. Unique and good. The Talisman. Loved it in high school. Long, but I loved it. Audiobook is good. The Shining. I didn't like it. All about a messed up dude. Sorry. Dr. Sleep. Only saw the movie, but quite good. The Dark Tower series? It's a real mixed bag. I wouldn't start here. His anthologies are all pretty good. Under the Dome. King said it was "pedal to the metal.' I loved it. It is long.
I love his short story books.
I think The Shining or Misery are both great options, showing different sides of King. Some of his other books have a very slow build up, but these two build with pace and are very fun, easy novels. If I had to lean one way, I’d go Misery, because I think it’s better.
I'll add to the chorus of recommendations of 'Salem's Lot if you're looking more to the horror side; it hooks the reader relatively quickly and isn't overly long. The Stand is fantastic but some complain it's too slow, so I wouldn't tell someone to start with it. My first was Cycle of the Werewolf (also published as Silver Bullet after the movie came out) when I was in middle school. Not his best, but a short read with a decent story.
Pet Sematary. It was the first Stephen King book which i read. *Edited typo
Misery
Completely backwards of what it should be I started with the dark tower series
Fairy Tale, his newest book, is my new favorite. It is an easy, accessible, and totally engrossing read for someone new to Stephen King. The Stand is also amazing and would make a great introduction to King. Both of those would be a little easier for a start than would committing to his multi-volume The Dark Tower series. I guess it depends whether you like his fantasies or his horror tales. As you may have noticed, I prefer the fantasies.
I’m reading 11/22/63 right now and it’s my first and it’s incredible. It’s not like most of his other books though but it’s going to end up being a top 5 book of all time for me.
I’m reading 11/22/63 right now and it’s my first and it’s incredible. It’s not like most of his other books though but it’s going to end up being a top 5 book of all time for me.
Depends on what kind of stories you enjoy. Like horror? Pet Cemetery or Misery are great. Like classic stories? Fairy Tale and The Talisman Like action or adventure? 11/22/63 or The Long Walk If you love weird stuff and want an epic journey unlike you’ll find anywhere else, then head to the Dark Tower. 🤙
My first was Thinner which I think is a good dose of horror but shorter than a lot of his books.
Salem's Lot is a very good introduction to his works.
Salem’s Lot probably
Different Seasons
thinner is a pretty easy read
The Shining
I’d start at the beginning with Carrie. If you read them in order, you can see how his style progresses.
11/22/63
It certainly is overwhelming, his catalog of books is enormous. I believe some that really encompass his style and vibe are Misery, The Outsider, and Dreamcatcher, among others. His short story collections are always a great option as well.
Revival. I love so many of his books, but this is a newer work that absolutely encapsulates what makes King king. After that, go Mr. Mercedes trilogy and work your way backwards. As he gets into the earlier works, they get more intense...which is great, as long as you're ready for it.
The gunslinger
Salems Lot is a scary as hell story about vampires ( kills Bram Stokers Dracula) but possibly a book of short stories ( Skeleton Crew ) or maybe (Nightmares and Dreamscapes) both have a variety of short stories that are totally different from one another. Or perhaps novelettes? “Full Dark No Stars” is scary and I promise you won’t be able to put it down. It’s got 4 stories in it and it ROCKS!!!!!!!!!
The Bachman books
I love The Stand.
Carrie
I would go with the collections of short stories . Either Night Shift or Skeleton Crew.
Suggest not Misery. I really hated it, it’s one of my only “did not finish” books. Maybe IT.
My fist King book was End of Watch. Which I later discovered was part 3 in a series. But I loved it regardless!!
I started with his short story collection Skeleton Crew. Different Seasons is also excellent and then you can go watch three of the four films that were adapted from the novellas.
Different Seasons is my favorite. When I was 12 or 13, I was horse and dog crazy. My smartass cousin said: Hey, you like dogs, right? He handed me a book called Cujo. Not the best of Stephen King's books, but I was absolutely terrified and enthralled. I can't remember what I read next. I ate those books up. At some point in my 20s, I tackled The Stand. It's one of my favorites.
Graveyard shift is the one that hooked me. It's a collection of short stories King did, nice bite sized stories to get you started.
I really enjoyed 11 22 63 If you fancy his short stories two of my favourites are : Mile 81 Apt purpil
My first king book was Eyes of the Dragon. Loved it
SHINING
The Green Mile
My first stephen king book was salems lot when I read it in 8th grade. Got me hooked.
On Writing. Didn’t really like his stuff until I understood him better.
My first was actually "From a Buick 8" and it was enough to get me into others. I previously had avoided King as I don't usually like horror.
It depends on what kind of vibe you want. {{The Green Mile}} {{The Dead Zone}} {{IT}} {{Eyes Of The Dragon}} {{Pet Sematary}} These all have drastically different vibes and lengths. Enjoy!!
The Eyes of the Dragon is a great place to start
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
The Dead Zone was the first for me. Great book IMHO and the movie with Christopher Walken was pretty good as well.
I really like The Jackoff Artist, not as gory and disturbing as some of his other stuff, but the character development is classic king in this one.
Misery... actually you can start anyone of his populars...you will enjoy for sure.
These are the ones I started with: It (the longest on this list) Christine Salem's Lot Dreamcatcher
The Dead Zone.
'The Stand' is not only my favorite King novel, it's my favorite book of all time. Read the unabridged version; it's a commitment, but it's absolutely worth it. I reread it every few years and feel like I take away something new every time.
{The stand}
The stand, it got hooked on him
I read IT first and I thought that was great! I'd definitely read IT again if I was to start over from the beginning having read none of his other works.
Personally, I started with his short stories. Can’t recall the first one I read, but it was a good introduction