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Where to Start with Stephen King Books

Find the perfect way to start your Constant Reader journey!

By Jessica GomezPublished 3 years ago 3 min read
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Stephen King is becoming more and more popular due to the recent adaptations of his works including IT, Doctor Sleep, and Castle Rock - which is a mash-up of characters, based in the Stephen King universe.

Because of this, people are continuously finding interests in his works. However, King has almost 100 published works which can be very intimidating.

Today I'll be sharing multiple ways you can start your Constant Reader or Stephen King journey.

Chronological Order

Chronological order is probably one of the most common ways to start reading Stephen King's books.

With this route, you would start with Carrie (1974) and work your way through his works until you've hit his most recent, which, as of 2020, would be If It Bleeds (2020). Don't forget to add his books he wrote as Richard Bachman - which was his pseudonym between the late '70s to mid-'90s.

Stephen King's universe is so interesting and complex and King definitely takes advantage of his works being so well-known. Not only will you get to experience King's writing growth, but reading in chronological order will also definitely enhance your reading experience if you want to enjoy the universe building as he often makes references to his previous works, and sometimes, his other characters and settings will appear in other books.

Back in the main corridor - what Luke now understood to be the residents' wing - the little girls, Gerda and Greta, were standing and watching with wide, frightened eyes. They were holding hands and clutching dolls as identical as they were. They reminded Luke of twins in some old horror movie. - The Institute (2019), Stephen King

"Classic King"

Classic King is a route that most people - including myself - start with but don't actually realize it.

This option is where you start with Stephen King's most popular works and go from there.

If you take this route, you would start with books like:

  • The Shining (1977)
  • Pet Sematary (1983)
  • IT (1986)
  • Misery (1987)

I would recommend this option if you're more interested in the writing as the classic King books are the peak of Stephen King's works. This way, you'll be more familiar will his writing style and structure, and the rest of his novels will be easier for you to get used to as these books probably have the best writing of them all and are well-known by people other than Constant Readers for a reason.

By Genre

This is probably the least common route you can use to read Stephen King books, however, this option can always work if you're genre-based and you prefer a specific genre.

One of the best things about Stephen King's works is he doesn't necessarily stick to one genre or topic. Yes, the majority of his books have some paranormal elements which can be classified as horror, however, looking at the surface of each book, they can be categorized into different genres.

For example, if you want to read non-fiction, you can read On Writing (2000), and if you want to read fantasy, you can read The Eyes of the Dragon (1984) and The Dark Tower Series (1982-2012).

If you'd like to dive into other genres like mystery/thriller, you can read:

  • 11/22/63 (2011)
  • Mr. Mercedes/The Bill Hodges Trilogy (2014-2016)
  • The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (1999)

literature
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About the Creator

Jessica Gomez

Wife and Dog Mom

Freelance Writer, Horror Junkie, and huge Book Nerd.

Instagram: @terrifyinglyfictional

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