The 10 greatest Stephen King horror novels according to Goodreads

Critics dismissed Stephen King for much of his career. One New York Times review called him a writer of fairly engaging and preposterous claptrap. King is by any measure one of the greatest horror writers of all time. He has written fifty novels, nearly two hundred short stories and nine collections of short fiction. He is productive and versatile. Deciding where to begin can be difficult with so much fiction available.

The online book community Goodreads provides a useful starting point. The site has 20 million members who spend significant time reading and reviewing. Stephen King receives a lot of attention on the platform. These are his ten greatest horror hits according to the Goodreads five star rating system.

1. The Stand – score: 4.3

The Stand is not always the first novel associated with horror. This post-apocalyptic fantasy expanded from King’s earlier short story Night Surf. It is the top choice on Goodreads. First published in 1978 and re-released in 1990 as The Stand: The Complete & Uncut Edition, it remains a genuine King masterpiece.

Goodreads top review says: “You know what’s really scary? Getting sick while you’re reading the first part of The Stand. Just try running a fever, going through a box of tissues and guzzling the better part of a bottle of Theraflu while Stephen King describes the grisly deaths of almost everyone on Earth from a superflu. On top of feeling like crap, you’ll be terrified. Bonus!”

2. It – score: 4.06

Published in 1986, It is a horror novel in every sense. The story moves between 1958 and 1985. Seven children in a small Maine town discover the source of a series of horrifying murders. They conquer the evil force and return 27 years later when the cycle begins again. The novel features one of the scariest clowns in literature.

Goodreads top review says: “This is a brilliant novel, beautifully told in crisp, clear prose, with truly unforgettable characters and situations. It is the essence of good fiction; the truth inside the lie. King knows his way around the corners; and has that undefinable look in the eye, the dreamy look of a child.”

3. The Shining – score: 4.03

This 1977 classic follows Jack Torrance. He is a recovering alcoholic and writer. He and his family spend a terrifying winter caring for a deserted Colorado hotel with a dark history. The title was inspired by the John Lennon song Instant Karma! which contained the line “We all shine on”. Originally a five-act tragedy play, the story became a novel that included many of King’s personal demons. Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film version is a cult classic.

Goodreads top review says : “While reading “The Shining,” I revisited my kid fears– as if walking through a bell-bottomed-shaped portal into the shag carpet of the seventies. King evoked my vulnerability and reminded me of what it felt like to be a powerless child in a universe where everybody is stronger and more experienced than I.”

4. Misery – score: 3.99

Published in 1988, the novel focuses on Paul Sheldon. He is a writer famous for Victorian-era romance novels involving Misery Chastain. After an automobile accident, Paul meets his biggest fan, Annie Wilkes. She is his nurse and captor. She wants Paul to write his greatest work just for her and will do whatever it takes. King once said Annie represented his drug problem.

Goodreads top review says: “I first read Misery when I was seventeen years old. I started it about eight o’clock that evening, and finished it about four in the morning. Heart pounding, bleary eyed and afraid to open my closet door lest Annie Wilkes was waiting there for me with an axe or chainsaw raised over her head.”

5. Salem’s Lot – score: 3.91

Published in 1975, Salem’s Lot follows writer Ben Mears. He returns to his childhood home in Jerusalem’s Lot. He discovers the residents are becoming vampires. King originally titled the book Second Coming. He changed it to Jerusalem’s Lot because his wife Tabitha thought the original title sounded like a bad sex story. King has stated he has a special cold spot in his heart for this story because of what it says about small towns.

Goodreads top review says: “Vampire stories have been around for a long time – But leave it to Stephen King to turn the terror up a notch, add a whole new layer to it. How? In addition to showing us the monsters of the night, he also brings into the picture the monsters and the darkness that are already with us, that live in the deep dark recesses of everyone’s soul.”

6. Duma Key – score: 3.87

Duma Key was published in 2008 and reached #1 on the New York Times Bestseller List. A construction site accident takes the right arm of Edgar Freemantle. It scrambles his memory and mind. He begins his rehabilitation in a beach house on Duma Key in Florida while dealing with his rage.

Goodreads top review says: “Duma Key is not just a novel for the fans, but a cathartic response from King over his near-death accident in 1999; no doubt he relived his agonizing recovery while writing about Freemantle, and yet it is because of this firsthand experience, that Duma Key feels much more personal and empathetic.”

7. The Dead Zone – score: 3.83

Dedicated to his son Owen, The Dead Zone features Johnny Smith. He is injured in an accident and enters a coma for nearly five years. When he emerges, he can see horrifying secrets. He cannot identify all the details in his dead zone. This is an area of his brain that suffered permanent damage from the accident.

Goodreads review says: “I have been really surprised, especially as I read The Dead Zone, this isn’t more of a popular read, especially with King readers. Johnny Smith’s character and his ability were done very well. I really liked all of the characters, especially Johnny and his parents.”

8. Carrie – score: 3.82

King’s first published novel was released in 1974. It revolves around Carrie N. White. She is a shy high school girl who uses telekinetic powers to exact revenge on those who tease her. She causes one of the worst disasters in American history. It is one of the most frequently banned books in US schools.

Goodreads review says: “This is one of those books where you’re just like, dude, how did you even come up with these thoughts? I mean, I think we take it all for granted now but honestly, this book is amazing. This novel was insane and fearless and obviously written by someone who had this story in him that needed to gush out like Carrie’s menstrual blood and crazy telekinetic angst. This is one of the books I think of when I get depressed about the idea of workshopped writing and the internal observing critic and all the rest of that limiting quality-control type stuff.”

9. Bag of Bones – score: 3.79

Bag of Bones was published in 1998. It focuses on an author with severe writer’s block and delusions at an isolated lake house. This occurs four years after the death of his wife. It is a tale of grief and the enduring bonds of lost love. It won the Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel.

Goodreads top review says “Don’t get me wrong, I love IT and The Stand and the Gunslinger septulogy, all the crazy outlandish horror and fantasy that is SK’s bread and butter. But I adore Bag of Bones and think it is one of his absolute best. It’s very intimate, very down to earth, with the supernatural downplayed.”