STEPHEN KING - Tier List

So many stephen king books, so little time. Let's put them all in a tier list!

[RaGiNgBaNaNa]

Fun fact- Stephen King taught English at my high school way back before his first book was published and he taught my step dad and his family. He said the day that Carrie was published they made a huge announcement on the intercoms and it was a huge moment for the school :)

[vishanthfishy]

The Stand was my first King Novel and to this day my favourite. First of his kind to make a kid like me with a short attention span read a 1300 page book full of introspection and atmosphere and phenomenal characters

[rafaelmenezes]

11/22/63 is one of the best books I've ever read in my entire life. Impossible not to fall in love with the characters and get invested in the story. The ending is absolutely amazing. Definitely a master of his craft at his best. King indeed does rule, now and forever, world without end, hallelujah, amen!

[soulpunxk]

IT has the single best child characters I've ever seen in a novel. I enjoy those sections of the novel far, far more than the adult sections. He captured the innocence of childhood in a way that I've never seen any other writer do. It was perfect to me, and it's the reason IT is head and shoulders above everything else as my favorite King novel. Only 11/22/63 comes close.

[alexdimopoulos]

"Stephen King RULES guys"
Me after reading my first Stephen King book

[NARISHMA]

Fun King facts:
He wrote the Gunslinger in college back in the 60's, hence the different writing style.
He didn't like Nicholson in the Shining
His pen name, Richard Bachman, was listed as a rooster worshipper.
He wrote a really funky fantasy/horror book with Peter Straub called The Talisman that deserves a look.

[mattcouch]

11/22/63 literally made me feel every single emotion while reading. Great great book.

[Ginkrepeerc_]

Under the Dome in my eyes is an amazing book by him. The ending of the book was a little too weird for me. But, I loved the characters a lot, and the town felt so alive. It’s up there for one of my favorite novels by him. I’d advise revisiting it

[Ricedragon]

If I may make a King recommendation, read and watch “Doctor Sleep”, because the director Mike Flanagan combined both books and Kubrick’s film to bring about the best of both worlds. Make sure it’s the director’s cut!

[emosongsandreadalongs]

Daniel: puts Wolves of the Calla next to 'Salem's Lot
Me: I see what you did there 😉

[pascalulrich]

„The girl who loved Tom Gordon“ is also such an underrated gem tbh. It’s so different from his usual early stuff I think. And very wholesome but fricking scary at the same time

[robynmckerley]

I haven't read a lot of King. He is such a talented writer that every time I try his writing puts me in uncomfortable mental states. Bad dreams and weird moods. However I did read a book of his that is a vary early YA book. In 1984 he wrote The Eyes of the Dragon for his 13 yo daughter, because she was not old enough to be interested in most of his topics and styles. This is a great book to introduce people into King, especially younger readers. And it shows his range of his talent.

[codyvaughn]

You absolutely NEED to read Gerald’s Game and Dalores Claiborne! They are spiritually connected through the eclipse, but for all the flack he gets for his writing of women (rightfully so for the most part) these dive into the cycle/psyche of sexual abuse and power dynamics like no other. They are also some of his most well written and fleshed out characters from the 90s. Gerald’s Game is much more of a thriller, while Dalores is a bit of a mystery/drama. Seriously, they are both in the S tier for me.

[calin]

When you dont like Stephen King but just want to do your duty so Daniel Greene gets his ramen noodles and lives enough off of Ad Revenue so he can review WoT Amazon show.

Not all heroes wear capes.

[zackkirk]

Oddly enough The Gunslinger is my favorite in The Dark Tower. The simplicity drew me in at a young age.

[momegranate]

My first exposure to King was when we read On Writing for our AP Lit class, and that’s the first book I recommend to people even if they’re not interested in writing advice. Not only is King’s life story super interesting but I think it helps people who aren’t into horror understand why his stuff is so great: he’s incredibly disciplined and dedicated to the craft of writing.

[xv]

"Revival" would be a good one. It was one of the darkest King stories when it comes to the ending in my oppinion. Or in general i'd like to see a video about his outsiders (Pennywise, Dandelo, the outsider, Ardelia Lortz...), they are basically Kings great old ones.

[Enpious]

Be sure to check out "The Eyes of the Dragon" by King. I wouldnt say it's near his best, but it's more fantasy than most of his, so worth a read!

[dylanbourgard]

I like how he tiers the stuff without spoiling it. Now I know what books I need to prioritize. Also, super excited to get back into the Dark Tower, I LOVED The Gunslinger and if it is (comparatively) the weakest book that only means the rest must be amazing

[charleysmith]

I'm glad you mentioned that people come to him for things other than horror. First King book I read was 11.22.63 because it was one I was most interested in. So you can see I love the psychological, deep character study he does and the emotion he brings. I felt like the only one who didn't come for horror, but stayed for this characters haha.

I've grown to love the horror too, but it wasn't why I ended up loving King