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Stephen King: where to start?

Posted on 8/31/22 at 1:44 pm
Posted by 4thand20
Member since Nov 2018
297 posts
Posted on 8/31/22 at 1:44 pm
I’ve never read a Stephen King book (or any horror book for that matter) before but I’m interested in trying one and possibly more if I enjoy it. I don’t know where I should start though. I was never much of a reader until about 10 years ago (I’m 41) and the books I’ve been reading have mostly been personal development and educational. Kinda wanna take a break from those and get immersed in a good fictional story. I really like horror movies in general and love the films Pet Sematary, It, Cujo and Misery. Any suggestions on where’s the best place to start?

I guess my options are…

A) Start with one of his short stories to get a feel for how he writes to see if I like his style or not.

B) Choose from one of the film adaptations I enjoy.

C) Start from his very first book and read them in chronological order.
This post was edited on 9/1/22 at 12:49 pm
Posted by LordSnow
Your Mom's House
Member since May 2011
5807 posts
Posted on 8/31/22 at 1:46 pm to
The Dark Tower series.....

Start there.
Posted by LSUDVM1999
North Carolina
Member since Aug 2010
2286 posts
Posted on 8/31/22 at 2:04 pm to
quote:


A) Start with one of his short stories to get a feel for how he writes to see if I like his style or not.


1) Night Shift & Skeleton Crew (The Jaunt, Grey Matter, Battleground, Jerusalem's Lot, Survivor Type, Strawberry Spring, I Know What You Need)

Then try some novellas like The Bachman Books, Different Seasons, Four Past Midnight then, if you still like his style, the big boys like Salem's Lot, It, The Stand, The Shining (as well as those that you've listed and his dozens of other novels/novellas/short stories). If you like Fantasy/Science Fiction then The Dark Tower series, Eyes of The Dragon, The Talisman, 11/22/63 (this book is kind of sci Fi as it has a time travel aspect to it). He has some detective/crime novels that he's also written that I admittedly have not read.
This post was edited on 8/31/22 at 2:17 pm
Posted by slough
Louisiana
Member since Jul 2020
320 posts
Posted on 8/31/22 at 3:09 pm to
quote:

1) Night Shift & Skeleton Crew

Yes, this is definitely a good place to start. King's short stories are better than his novels and these are his best collections (of those I've read).
Posted by Ace Midnight
Between sanity and madness
Member since Dec 2006
92488 posts
Posted on 8/31/22 at 5:42 pm to
Depending on your tastes, Carrie, The Shining and The Stand (although that last one is hefty) are great single volume looks. Carrie, particularly is almost a raw, pure form of the King novel experience. I suppose Christine as well.

The Shining and The Stand are maybe more polished and detailed, with The Stand obviously having this huge number of characters and its own lore development.

The Dark Tower is probably the most mainstream and accessible product for book fans who are not necessarily pure horror (or even King) fans.

quote:

really like horror movies in general and love the films Pet Sematary, It, Cujo and Misery. Any suggestions on where’s the best place to start?


I typed much of the above without processing this. I would start at the beginning and read them all in order. You will see just how influential his work is (on both film and written) for horror that followed. He's not the "only" American horror novelist, but so prolific and influential that it would extraordinarily difficult to name the next most important figure in the genre after King and Lovecraft (e.g. film-wise, Craven? Carpenter? novel-wise, Koontz? Barker?).

This post was edited on 8/31/22 at 5:44 pm
Posted by Tigertown in ATL
Georgia foothills
Member since Sep 2009
30110 posts
Posted on 8/31/22 at 6:32 pm to
I read the Shining when it was released. It was my first and it was fantastic.

So my bias is to start with that.

Don’t think the movie represents the book.
Posted by rebelrouser
Columbia, SC
Member since Feb 2013
12070 posts
Posted on 8/31/22 at 7:25 pm to
Salem's Lot. It was my first, ad I still consider it to be the best. He nailed the ending for a change.
Posted by Kafka
I am the moral conscience of TD
Member since Jul 2007
150316 posts
Posted on 8/31/22 at 9:36 pm to
quote:

Steven King: where to start?
Robert Sheckley, Richard Matheson and Rod Serling

They did most King stories before King did
Posted by Tigertown in ATL
Georgia foothills
Member since Sep 2009
30110 posts
Posted on 9/1/22 at 5:27 am to
quote:

King stories


Stories?
His books are secondarily about the stories. The reason we get sucked in so fast is the characters.
Posted by auyushu
Surprise, AZ
Member since Jan 2011
9172 posts
Posted on 9/1/22 at 8:13 am to
I'd suggest the short story collections to start, I'd go with Night Shift. Then maybe Salem's Lot.
Posted by Philzilla2k
Member since Oct 2017
11501 posts
Posted on 9/1/22 at 9:44 am to
I’d start with his name. Stephen King.
Posted by lacajun069
franklinton
Member since Sep 2008
2130 posts
Posted on 9/1/22 at 10:45 am to
I started out reading Stephen Kings books with Salems Lot. I quickly jumped to The Green Mile and It after finishing Lot.



Posted by 4thand20
Member since Nov 2018
297 posts
Posted on 9/1/22 at 12:48 pm to
quote:

I’d start with his name. Stephen King.


I’m surprised it took this long for someone to call me out on that . Thank you sir, I will make the correction.

Thank you everyone for all the responses. It seems like the majority are leaning towards starting with a short story. If anyone else would like to chime in please feel free. I’m probably not going to start on anything for another month or so
This post was edited on 9/1/22 at 2:32 pm
Posted by zippyputt
Member since Jul 2005
6485 posts
Posted on 9/1/22 at 8:15 pm to
I liked his book a bout the Kennedy assassination. The stand started off fun, but bogged down into a mess with a crappy ending. I find a lot of his stuff should have been heavily edited down and the endings improved.
Posted by rebelrouser
Columbia, SC
Member since Feb 2013
12070 posts
Posted on 9/2/22 at 9:35 am to
quote:

heavily edited down and the endings improved.
Posted by Handsome Pete
Member since Apr 2019
1802 posts
Posted on 9/2/22 at 3:48 pm to
quote:

The Dark Tower series..... Start there.


Wow, I think this is bad advice. The Dark Tower series is different from the vast majority of King’s work. Start with Salem’s Lot.
Posted by 4thand20
Member since Nov 2018
297 posts
Posted on 9/2/22 at 4:14 pm to
quote:

Start with Salem’s Lot.


I posted this same question on another forum and Salem's Lot, along with starting with a series of short stories such as Night Shift, seem to be the most common recommendations. So as of now I'm leaning towards one of these two options.
Posted by LordSnow
Your Mom's House
Member since May 2011
5807 posts
Posted on 9/2/22 at 5:27 pm to
quote:

Wow, I think this is bad advice


I'm only speaking from my own experience. I've read quite a lot of his work, and I normally dont like his endings. The nice thing about the DT series. is there are, what? 10+ books now in that series? 6 or so without any real endings...
This post was edited on 9/2/22 at 5:28 pm
Posted by terd ferguson
Darren Wilson Fan Club President
Member since Aug 2007
111806 posts
Posted on 9/4/22 at 2:11 am to
The Bachman Books

The Long Walk GOAT
Posted by auyushu
Surprise, AZ
Member since Jan 2011
9172 posts
Posted on 9/5/22 at 4:21 pm to
quote:

and I normally dont like his endings. The nice thing about the DT series. is there are, what? 10+ books now in that series? 6 or so without any real endings...


So you'd recommend that OP reads a 7-8 book series where the entire series ends like crap instead? Bold move cotton, considering the last two books of that series are garbage, and the one before those is very mediocre.
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