Hill
Heart-Shaped Box
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Joe Hill
Joe Hill - 10+ books
King's son, with a similar knack for literary horror that gets under your skin.
SK
Author - Books in order
Stephen King books in order
Horror & Suspense Author - b. September 21, 1947, Portland, Maine, USA - Updated June 2026
65+
novels
200+
stories
350 million+
copies sold
Stephen King has been scaring readers since the 1970s and shows no sign of stopping. His books have sold over 350 million copies worldwide, and dozens have been adapted into films and TV series. Known for blending everyday American life with creeping dread, King writes about ordinary people in extraordinary, often terrifying situations. His range extends well beyond horror into crime fiction, literary fiction, and sci-fi.
King
The Shining
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1
King
The Shining
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1
Where to start
New to King? Start with The Shining (1977) - a tight, self-contained read that is the definitive King experience.
65+ novels - standalone, no series commitment
Publication order
Notable novels - newest readers can dip in anywhere; completists read top to bottom.
| # | Book | Year | Rating | Where to read |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carrie Carrie Horror | 1974 | 3.9 | Kindle $8.99Paperback $9.99Audible $24.95Bookshop $16.00 |
| 2 | The Shining The ShiningStart here Horror | 1977 | 4.2 | Kindle $9.99Paperback $10.99Audible $29.95Bookshop $17.00 |
| 3 | The Stand The Stand Post-Apocalyptic | 1978 | 4.3 | Kindle $10.99Paperback $12.99Audible $34.95Bookshop $20.00 |
| 4 | It It Horror | 1986 | 4.2 | Kindle $10.99Paperback $12.99Audible $34.95Bookshop $19.99 |
| 5 | Misery Misery Thriller | 1987 | 4.2 | Kindle $8.99Paperback $9.99Audible $24.95Bookshop $16.00 |
| 6 | The Green Mile The Green Mile Drama / Fantasy | 1996 | 4.4 | Kindle $9.99Paperback $10.99Audible $29.95Bookshop $17.00 |
| 7 | The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Dark Fantasy | 1982 | 3.9 | Kindle $8.99Paperback $9.99Audible $24.95Bookshop $16.00 |
| 8 | 11/22/63 11/22/63 Historical / Sci-Fi | 2011 | 4.3 | Kindle $10.99Paperback $12.99Audible $34.95Bookshop $19.99 |
| 9 | Pet Sematary Pet Sematary Horror | 1983 | 4.0 | Kindle $9.99Paperback $10.99Audible $29.95Bookshop $17.00 |
| 10 | The Outsider The Outsider Crime / Horror | 2018 | 3.9 | Kindle $10.99Paperback $12.99Audible $29.95Bookshop $18.00 |
| 11 | Salem's Lot Salem's Lot Horror | 1975 | 4.0 | Kindle $8.99Paperback $9.99Audible $24.95Bookshop $16.00 |
| 12 | Holly Holly Crime / Horror | 2023 | 3.7 | Kindle $14.99Paperback $18.99Audible $29.95Bookshop $22.00 |
Series & where they fit
King's standalones are most of the work, but these series reward reading in order.
The Dark Tower
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The Dark Tower
Most popular8 books - 1982-2012 - Dark Fantasy / Western
Roland Deschain, the last gunslinger, crosses a decaying world in pursuit of the Dark Tower.
Start with The Drawing of the Three - See order →
Bill Hodges Trilogy
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Bill Hodges Trilogy
3 books - 2014-2016 - Crime / Thriller
A retired detective and a psychopath play cat and mouse across three tight crime novels.
Start with Mr. Mercedes - See order →
Holly Gibney Books
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Holly Gibney Books
5 books - 2014-2023 - Crime / Horror
Holly Gibney, introduced in the Hodges trilogy, takes center stage as a sharp, unconventional investigator.
Start with The Outsider - See order →
King
The Shining
✦
Best book to start with
The Shining
The most complete on-ramp to King: a contained story that shows exactly why this author matters.
Build your King shelf
Most-loved titles in print, or start listening free on Audible.
If you like Stephen King
Authors and series with the same grip.
Straub
Ghost Story
✦
Peter Straub
Peter Straub - 15+ books
Co-wrote The Talisman with King. Elegant, dark literary horror.
Stephen King books & movies in order
See every book matched to its screen version, with where to watch.
Frequently asked questions
The Shining is the best starting point. It's tight, terrifying, and gives you a perfect sample of what King does best without the 1,000-page commitment of his longer novels.
Yes. It's a continuous story across eight books. Start with The Gunslinger and go from there. Some readers find The Gunslinger slow, but the series picks up fast with The Drawing of the Three.
Over 65 novels and more than 200 short stories. He's also written nonfiction, screenplays, and comic book scripts. He published several early books under the pen name Richard Bachman.
Contains affiliate linksUpdated June 2026