83 Comments

1. Read most of the books on the list, though I’ve struggled with his later books.

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   1. Hi W, thanks for sharing your thoughts! Your sentiment is a common one I’ve heard from readers but I still read them all as I’m a die hard fan.

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   2. I have read all of them apart from the Dark Tower series and maybe a few of the novellas. His range of genres and moods is breathtaking, yet you can always recognize his voice. I think the Long Walk is my favorite short story, Eyes of the Dragon my favorite novella, and your list covered most of my favorite novels, though I would like to mention Gerald’s Game and Cujo, both every bit as tense and psychologically terrifying as Misery, imho.

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2. I’ve only read 112263 and I loved the writing style and the narrative. This book makes me feel like I need to read all of Stephen King but Jesus! There’s more books that I expected. I’ll start with your 8 must. Thank you for guidance and taking the time to order them.

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   1. Hi Tyna, thanks for stopping by and leaving your thoughts! I absolutely loved 11/22/63, so we have that in common. But yes, there are soooo many books and it can get overwhelming. The eight books I recommended will give you a taste of his range over the years. I also recommend his story collections because they don’t require the same commitment as his novels. Happy reading!

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3. Thank you for making this available. It let’s me see what I’ve missed. I read my favorite author in order and try to be patient for the new releases. Saving and printing.

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   1. I’m so happy to hear you’ve found this list useful Susan! I too like to read all the books from my favorite authors, so it’s nice to know there are other readers out there who do the same. Happy reading!

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4. Making a list is a subjective thing, but with that in mind, I think The Shining, Eyes of the Dragon, and Different Seasons should be included on a must-read list!

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   1. Hi Cyndi, thank you so much for sharing! You’re right, lists are subjective but the one book you mentioned that I personally struggled to not include was The Shining. It’s a favorite of mine and it’s a book from King I still think about. On a brighter note, I tend to revisit some of my favorites and revise my lists every so often, so who knows, it may pop up one day. Happy reading!

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5. How likely is it in getting a signed copy from Stephen King ( you like it darker ) in a hardback copy. Needing one for my wife Kellie . Please lead me in the right direction .

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   1. Hi Paul, I don’t a relationship with Stephen King, his publisher, agents or representatives so I have no idea how you could get a signed copy of You Like It Darker. So sorry I’m not able to help. Your best bet will be keeping an ear out to see if he’s doing any events and if possible, show up there. Good luck!

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      1. You might want to check rare and signed edition book dealers especially ones that specialize in sf horror.

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         1. Great idea, thank you!

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   2. Stephen King’s website states that he only signs books at personal appearances at bookstores specifically for that purpose.

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6. Id LOVE a way to have a printable version of this list to put in my little personal library, I’d like to be able to check them off as I read, this seems like the most comprehensive list and since the info is copy protected I cant quickly copy and print it, Is there a way we can make a downloadable/printable version for personal use? Thanks for putting this list together!! <3 Kel

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   1. Hi Kelly, Unfortunately I do not have a printable for this list BUT I am working on it.

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   2. If your web browser allows, print this web page to pdf file and then print out a copy from the file to paper and you’re done.

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7. I don’t see Full Dark, No Stars (2010) on the list and the stories within- 1922, Big Driver, Fair Extension, and A Good Marriage.

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   1. Hi SJ, Thanks for sharing Full Dark, No Stars! I have no idea how I missed that one so I’ll be adding it to the list. I don’t list all the individual short stories, essays, anthologies, and other unpublished works King has written (that would be a way too long list) so I just focused on his novels, novellas, nonfiction, and short story collections. Thanks again for sharing!

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8. Hi there. Thank you for doing the hard work with the list etc.. I just started reading Stephen King (audio books) and what a treat. Let’s chat about the books. Ps I’m not from the US, but I prefer the English language when it comes to Stephen kings books. Have a great one.

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   1. Hi Dorothea, welcome and I’m so glad to hear you started to read Stephen King! He is such a prolific storyteller, so you’ll have lots of books to keep you entertained. What has been your favorite book so far?

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9. Love them

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10. Eyes of the Dragon is listed twice. Obviously one of them is wrong. I believe 1987 is the correct date.

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    1. Hi Steve, thanks for catching that! You’re absolutely right, 1987 is the correct date.

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    2. My understanding is King first published the story himself in 1984 in only a few copies (Philtrum Press, illustrated by Kenneth Linkhauser). Then in 1987 Viking published a mass market edition with a 1987 copyright and illustrations by David Palladini. I couldn’t find any info on whether the Viking edition was revised. In which case two dates would be correct.
       https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Eyes_of_the_Dragon

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       1. Hi Penn, Thanks for taking the time to leave this comment and I appreciate this insight!

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11. I have 2 Stephen Kings books that aren’t on the list. Storm of the Century and The Bachman Books? Was wondering about why they were left out of the list.. currently have 20 of Stephen Kings books and was trying to place them in chronological order.

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    1. Hi Pamela, thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. I did not include Storm of the Century because that was a screenplay and this list focuses on his novels, novellas, nonfiction, and short story collections. I wish I could include all of Kings works, but it would be too long and confusing. However The Bachman Books are included if you look closely! But for your convenience I’ll copy here: Rage (1976) The Long Walk (1978) Roadwork (1980) The Running Man (1981) Thinner (1984) The Regulators (1995) Blaze (2006).

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12. Thank you so much for the list. I really enjoyed getting his books through the mail when I was a member of his :Stephen King Library” with his first publisher. Then all of a sudden about six months or so I wasn’t getting any books. I lost track of all his books, so to say the least I have a lot of catching up to do! I just love his writing though.

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    1. Hi Patsy, Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.  How cool must it have been to be a member of the Stephen King Library!  I didn’t know about that.  I, too, love his writing, and I can’t seem to get enough of it.  I’m glad you found the list here, and now you’re on your reading journey to get caught up.  Happy reading!

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13. Thanks for the list!! I will use it to (hopefully) get ones I am missing. The Stand is by far my favorite, I have read it 8-10 times over the years and always find little things I had missed. I was really happy when they came out with the uncut version.

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    1. Hi Trevor, thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. I too love The Stand, it’s definitely one of his best books because it just has everything, it’s hands down a must read. My personal favorite is Misery, there’s just something about it, maybe because it’s about a writer and I love books about books and writers. I hope the list will help you get to the books you’ve missed, happy reading!

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       1. The Stand is my favorite too!

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14. Wonderful resource, thank you very much.

    One book I see missing is “Storm of the Century”. Can you please verify and where in publication sequence it should be.

    I remember the movie, I am assuming it was a novel and not a screenplay.

    Thank you again, stay healthy,

    Joe

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    1. Hi Joe, I hope you’re doing well. “Storm of the Century” was originally a screenplay that was published in book form in 1999. My list focuses only on novels, novellas, nonfiction, and short story collections. But I am inspired to do a list for screenplays as well so I will work on that this week. Thanks for stopping by, V.

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15. Hi! I am trying to put all my books that i have in order…. i have been collecting since I read Carrie in high school when it first came out. I do not see listed Hearts In Suspension.
    Where did this come in to the mix??

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    1. Hi Lori, that’s an anthology that came out in 2016! This list only has novels, novellas, nonfiction and short story collections BUT I’m working on an anthologies list as we speak. Happy reading and organizing!

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       1. hey thanks for doing this amazing work for us!! when do you think your lists on his anthologies, screenplays, and other works will be out?

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          1. It will be up and live before the end of the month! I sent an email to the publisher to confirm a few things early this week, so I’m excited to have these lists out to accompany this one. Thanks for checking in and I hope you’ll circle back then!

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16. Wow! This is a great list. I found a few things I had never heard of before. I have been a Constant Reader since the 6th grade. Thanks!

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17. The Eyes of the Dragon (1984) is one I have in my collection that’s not on here. I’ve been having a bit of a completionist issue with my Stephen king books. Do you know of any other that haven’t been updated on the post?

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    1. Hi Carley, I had it listed twice originally and someone pointed it out in a previous comment. I then corrected it and only left the 1987 one. Then Penn commented and shared that King first published the story himself in 1984 in only a few copies (Philtrum Press, illustrated by Kenneth Linkhauser). Then in 1987 Viking published a mass market edition with a 1987 copyright and illustrations by David Palladini. I’m now going to update it so both are represented with their respective publishers.

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18. At the time of writing this, I have finished Fairy Tale – which was really good – and actively reading and enjoying every second of IT. I plan to read all of the King’s works. No matter how long it takes

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    1. I’m so glad you’re reading and enjoying King so far! He really is a masterful storyteller and I enjoy reading his books. I’m looking forward to his next book Never Flinch this summer. Happy reading!

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19. An excellent list. But I would like it if there were annotations beside reprints or short stories that were previously included in SK collections and now published as novellas or short stories.
    King has written too many things in the last 50 years, it’s hard to remember which of the ones we have already read and the point of having a comprehensive list is not having to research if a “new” book/publication is actually new

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    1. This is a great idea Lisa! Thanks for sharing. I think I’ll sit down over the weekend and do a run through of each. This list of Stephen King books includes his novels, novellas, nonfiction, and short story collections. It does not include all his individual short stories, essays, anthologies, and other unpublished works. I think I might have to do separate lists to cover the individual stories, and the collections the stories can be found in.

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20. Thank you for this list. I’m a long time reader of King (constant reader if you will) but I recently decided to read/reread his works in publication order and this list has been invaluable.

    I was curious why The Cycle of the Werewolf has 2 entries? I couldn’t find much on its publication history, but it is interesting that there only seems to have been a single US edition in hardback.

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21. I found your great list when I was talking to a friend about Stephen King books, and eventually, how many I read. I was guessing at least 25. Close, it was 27.
    But, I don’t think I see ‘The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon’ on it.

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22. Great list and I refer to it often! I’m currently reading through in chronological order and just finished The Talisman. One thing I caught, is that Letters From Hell is noted as a novel. Since I’m collecting all of his works in hard cover, I realized I couldn’t find anything on this one. Then I realized that it’s actually a broadside rather than a novel and only 500 copies were printed. Anyway, thank you so much for putting this together as I journey through his books and collect as I go!

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    1. Thank you so much for the kind words—and great catch! You’re absolutely right about Letters from Hell—it’s a rare broadside, not a full novel, and I really appreciate you pointing that out. I’ll make a note to update the list. Enjoy your reading (and collecting!) journey through King’s works—it’s such an epic ride!

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       1. Just finished Skeleton Crew – The Mist, The Monkey, The Jaunt, and The Raft were some standouts. Loved this collection! I loved The Mist screen adaptation except the ending really disappointed me compared to the book. Although I read somewhere that King admitted he preferred the movie ending over his own. Started the 2025 The Monkey screen adaptation and stopped halfway. So far from the short story and just couldn’t get into it. Next up is IT then Misery, the 2 novels I’ve been looking forward to the most.

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          1. Love this! Skeleton Crew really does have some unforgettable standouts—I’m with you on The Mist and The Jaunt especially. Totally get what you mean about The Monkey adaptation too—it strays so far that it almost feels like another story entirely. Excited for you to dive into IT and Misery next—two of King’s absolute best, both unsettling in completely different ways. Can’t wait to hear what you think of those! I’m planning to watch and review more of King’s adaptations, there are so many I haven’t watched and I’m looking forward to the new one called The Long Walk.

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23. I’ve been reading Stephen King for three of those five decades and I really can’t choose a favorite because I’ve loved all that I’ve read 💜

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    1. Wow, three decades of reading King—that’s amazing! I love that you’ve enjoyed them all, and I can only imagine how many great reading memories you’ve built along the way.

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24. My first Stephen King book was Carrie, when I was in high school. Since then, my mother and I started reading and collecting all of his first edition novels. She passed away in 1997. I now have all of her books and have continued our tradition. I am now 66 years old and just finished Never Flinch. I hope his latest books aren’t a sign of what’s to come. He has been a prominent figure and presence in my life. Like part of the family.

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    1. That’s such a beautiful tradition to carry on with your mom’s books — I can imagine how much meaning those shelves hold. Carrie is such a powerful starting point, and Never Flinch is quite a shift from his earlier work. I’m curious which of his books has stayed with you the most over the years?

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25. My first book I read was Cell oh gosh almost 20yrs ago. Then Desperation. Then so many more. My fave overall I have read is Rage. It is intense, dark, and honestly an amazing piece a literature. I understand why he chose to remove it from print but OHMYGOSH it really was thought provoking. Misery is also right up there i loved it. It is also my favorite book to movie. The Shining was a great book and the movie a great STANDALONE movie. But not a great movie when compared to the book. I also really enjoyed Fairytale, I also really enjoyed Elevation- it was a short easy read.

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    1. Wow, what an incredible reading journey! Misery is also a standout for me, and I agree the film adaptation really captured that claustrophobic intensity. I haven’t revisited Elevation in a while, but now you’re making me want to pick it up again. Do you usually enjoy his shorter works as much as the full-length novels?

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26. Night Shift was published in the year 1998.

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    1. Thanks for your comment! I think you might be mixing it up with one of King’s later works — Night Shift was actually first published in 1978, and it was his very first short story collection.

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27. I have read and own every novel and story collection on this list (except repeat limited editions). After “End of Watch” I thought he was tapering down his output into retirement. I recently found his 10 newest novels and I’m working my way through them now. For people that only know Stephen King by the movies and videos made of his books I would say “Read the original books!” The movies are of varying quality, but the books are all quite solid.
    I would rate “Desperation/Regulators” as two of my favorites. Same characters, different settings, and different points of view from King and his alter ego Bachman. Worth every minute of the long reads.

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    1. Wow, that’s amazing—you’ve read all of them! 🙌 I love what you said about encouraging people to read the originals—so true, the books always give so much more depth than the screen versions. I haven’t revisited Desperation/Regulators in a while, but now you’ve inspired me to bump them back up my list. Do you have a favorite among King’s more recent novels?

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       1. Just read a few so far. He seems to be really invested in the Holly Gibney character from the “Mr. Mercedes” crime trilogy. He features her in “The Outsiders” and has a whole book dedicated to her called. “Holly” (Duh!) I like it when he expands on a character from his earlier works. (Same with Danny from “The Shining” being brought back in “Dr. Sleep”) Those would be my suggestions.

          Happy reading!

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28. Hello! I was wondering if there was a reason the collabs with his other son Joe Hill are not included here? Throttle and In the Tall Grass? I really appreciate the thoroughness of the list otherwise!

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    1. Hi Nicole, Great catch regarding the Joe Hill books not being included. Over the years readers have asked for lean list that’s easy to follow as they pursue reading his main body of work. But I do have a complete bibliography that’s worth checking out that includes all his works and contributions. You can find that list here: https://bibliolifestyle.com/stephen-king-bibliography-complete-works/

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29. I googled “Stephen King- books in order” and one of the top answers was your page. I am a beginner reader I have only been reading since June. My dad is a hardcore S.K. Fan! I’m pretty sure he owns all his books. I seen your starter books ideas. I truly wanted to start from the beginning and read his very 1st book, then his 2nd, and so on. Any advice or suggestions before I begin my S.K adventure?

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    1. Ahh, welcome to your Stephen King adventure! Starting from Carrie and going in order is a fun way to see how his style grows, but as a new reader I’d suggest mixing in a few essentials early so you don’t get bogged down. If I were making a ‘starter kit,’ here’s what I’d recommend:
       Carrie (his debut—you’ll see where it all began)
       ‘Salem’s Lot (classic small-town horror)
       The Shining (foundational King, and still chilling)
       The Dead Zone (political thriller + supernatural vibes)
       Different Seasons (short stories like Shawshank Redemption)
       Christine (his car-obsessed horror phase, very 80s fun)
       Pet Sematary (dark and emotional, one of his scariest)
       It (a doorstop, but a masterpiece of childhood vs. evil)
       Misery (tight, psychological suspense)
       The Green Mile (emotional, humane, and unforgettable)
       Bag of Bones (one of his best ‘writer at work’ novels)
       Mr. Mercedes (modern crime thriller to change things up)
       That way you’re getting the foundation, a few hooks that will keep you engaged, and some variety so you don’t burn out. You can always circle back to the ones you skipped once you’re hooked.
       Your dad must be thrilled you’re diving into his favorite author—it’ll be so fun to talk books together as you go!

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30. Hi Victoria, Thank you so much for this list! I was a huge Stephen King fam growing up, and read everything he wrote from the beginning until the early 90s, but I’ve missed a lot since then. Now that I’ve retired, it’s time to start catching up! I love how the main characters in his books, despite horrible circumstances and losses, keep their basic humanity and decency. My top favourite King books are the ones in the Dark Tower series.

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    1. Hi Ann, Thank you so much for reading! I love that you’re revisiting King’s work in retirement—what a perfect project. You’re so right about his characters; even in the darkest stories, there’s that thread of humanity and hope. And yes, the Dark Tower series! Such an epic journey—I’m always amazed by how all his worlds connect through it.

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31. Thank you for this list! I am a slow reader and will be using your list for the next years to come. I decided to start from the beginning. I started with 11/22/63 and that was it. I knew I had to read them all. I’m just going through publication order, with a couple caveats. For example, I’m reading the Shining right now, but before I move forward I’m going to read Doctor Sleep while the information is fresh. Buuuuuut I’m also going to take a quick break after The Shining before Doctor Sleep and read Running Man because there is a movie adaptation coming to theaters in… shoot… 6 days! So I gotta put my phone down and start reading haha. Thanks again!

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    1. I love this so much — what a fun way to dive into King’s universe! Starting with 11/22/63 is such a wild entry point, and I totally get how that book can spark the ‘I need to read everything’ feeling. And I think your plan is perfect: reading Doctor Sleep while The Shining is fresh is such a good call, and squeezing in The Running Man before the movie release sounds like a great reading sprint. Enjoy the journey — it’s such a rewarding one!

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32. I didn’t see Storm of the Century on your list…

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    1. Hi Heidi, Good question! Storm of the Century isn’t on this list because it was written as a television screenplay rather than published as a novel. I kept this post focused on novels, novellas, and collections. That said, I do have a separate post dedicated to Stephen King’s screenplays here: https://bibliolifestyle.com/stephen-king-screenplays/ — it includes Storm of the Century

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33. Hello Victoria!

    Fellow SK enthusiast here! I’ve read roughly half his works and waiting to retire to dive into his second half. Just wanted to thank you for such a comprehensive list! Well done.

    As difficult a task it is to narrow it down to just ONE, I would have to say “Misery” is my absolute fav. The Dark Tower series cannot be compared IMO due to size and scale but I’m in love with that collection!

    Please keep doing what you do and a quick question to end…

    In your own opinion, what do you think his motivation is for continuing to pen novels under Richard Bachman this late in his career?
    ❤️

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    1. Hello! Thank you so much for such a kind note — I’m really glad the list was helpful. Misery is such a strong pick; it’s one of those novels that never loses its intensity. And I completely agree about The Dark Tower — it’s in a category all its own.
       That’s a great question about Richard Bachman. My sense is that Bachman still gives King creative freedom — a way to write leaner, darker, or more experimental stories without the weight of expectations that come with the ‘Stephen King’ name. Even this late in his career, it seems like he still enjoys that sense of play and exploration.
       Thank you again for reading and for the encouragement — I really appreciate it! ❤️

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34. I see you included Hansel and Gretel. But I didn’t see Charlie the Choo-Choo, written under Beryl Evans.

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    1. Hi Betsy! Great question! I included Hansel and Gretel because it’s a new, officially credited 2025 release tied directly to King, but I didn’t include Charlie the Choo-Choo since it was originally published as a fictional in-universe book under the Beryl Evans name. I try to keep this list focused on King’s primary published works rather than meta or tie-in titles — but it’s such a fun one, especially for Dark Tower fans!

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35. I’m a total Stephen King book reader! I’ve read over 40 of his written works. I read his first book, Carrie, in 1974. My dad saw it and into the fireplace it went, along with the next 2 that I had purchased. I was able to finish Carrie after buying the fourth book. Hoping that Mr. King will publish several more.

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    1. That’s the year and book when I started, but I was an adult and so I was able to finish Carrie without it being tossed by my dad.

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36. I’ve been reading Stephen King since 1974 when Carrie (wow! I thought at the time. Who is this guy???), eagerly awaiting every new publication. He was basically, literally, the only author I read for many years.

    I found his Bachman publishings around 1983-84 and read them all. The first in the Dark Towers series is my fav. I have only partially read the second in the series and lost interest and never read the rest, although I own them.

    The movies, except maybe Dolores Claiborne and Shawshank Redemption, never do his written work much justice. I feel the same way Stephen King did about The Shining, the movie. Everything was wrong, including the actors chosen to play the characters. A buildup to a slow descent into madness does not start with the likes of a Jack Nicholson! Lol!

    Other movies that sort of captured his books are Cujo, Misery, and the Green Mile and like the other rather successful adaptations, more because of the actors, rather than the screenplays.

    Around about the Tom Gordon book which literally took me 20 years to finish and I finished it on audiobook only recently, Mr King’s books got longer and longer and less and less interesting to finish. I started and never finished The Dome.

    I’ve read most of his story collections. I think what I like most about Stephen King is his ability to look at something innocuous and show us the ugly underside of it. Like he did in Needful Things. As we are seeing currently in this political atmosphere there are a lot of ugly undersides to seemingly ordinary people.

    I’m now working my way through some old favorites and new publishings, since I’ve embraced audiobooks, because I just can’t get through reading books too much anymore. I never thought I would enjoy audiobooks but they are awesome, especially with good voice readers. The person reading the long version of The Stand is a good example of a good voice actor.

    While Stephen King has lost some of his shine for me, he’s still my all-time favorite author. (Although Stephen King is terrible with black characters, often stereotypical portrayals as well as his white southerner characters, who always come across as rednecks or poor white trash. Stephen King needs to employ sensitivity proofreaders for those characters or at least consult with a black people and some Southerners! It’s one of the reasons why I stopped the dark Tower series – I just couldn’t stand another minute of the portrayal of the Susanna character.)

    I found The Stand absolutely chilling when it was first published, and right now I’m listening to the full unabridged 38 hour version on audiobooks.

    That, too has lost its shine for me, but in my memory of how his books made me feel back in the day, (I can still remember a passage in Salem’s Lot that scared me so badly, nearly 50 years ago, it’s still seared in my brain. I was so frightened, I tried to figure out how I could turn out the light from across the room and get into bed before the room went dark!), Stephen King is still the King!

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    1. Thank you so much for sharing this, it’s fascinating to hear from someone who’s been reading King since Carrie first came out! That must have been incredible to experience his career unfolding in real time.
       I also love what you said about his ability to take something ordinary and reveal the darker side of it, that’s such a huge part of what makes his stories so memorable. And I completely agree about audiobooks; a great narrator can bring these stories to life in a whole new way.
       It’s always interesting to hear which books have stayed with readers over the years. That ’Salem’s Lot memory sounds like the kind of reading moment that sticks forever. Thanks again for sharing your King journey!

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37. Hands down, “Salem’s Lot”. Not only did it scare me, it scared 2 hardened Vietnam vets I know!

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    1. Now that’s a review! 😂 ’Salem’s Lot really does get under your skin in a way that sticks with you and it’s the kind of scary you don’t forget.

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