Stephen King is one of the best-known modern-day authors, and for good reason. King is able to expertly draw a reader in and make them care for the characters in a novel. I highly recommend his works to any readers who are a fan of fiction in general, but especially those who, like me, enjoy the darker, creepier sides to fantasy stories. King is unafraid to incorporate strange and disturbing ideas into his works and take his novels in directions that are difficult to predict, and often shocking. His originality and uniqueness are why I believe that everyone who enjoys reading should check out a few of his works. 

Personal Favorite: Dark Tower Series

The Dark Tower series as a complete body of work is an absolute masterpiece unlike any other book I have read. The series follows Roland, the last “gunslinger,” as he embarks on an epic journey in search of a tower at the nexus of all time and space. The series combines aspects of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror into one incredible story that spans seven books and thousands of pages. Reading this series takes time and effort, but it is incredibly rewarding. I truly recommend this to anyone who is a fan of epic fantasy journeys and enjoys absurdity and strangeness in what they are reading. Personally, I love this series and it remains my favorite work of King’s because of how unique the story is. •

Underrated: Pet Sematary

Pet Sematary is the story of a family that moves into a new home with a mysterious cemetery in the woods behind the house that seemingly has mystical powers. This is a true psychological horror that does not get nearly enough love as it deserves, seeing as it is one of the best works of King. This book is a masterpiece of emotion in the way that King exploits the grief that everyone harbors from loss. This book is able to bring up trauma and show that everyone is willing to use any means necessary to bring back someone they truly love. •

Best for Beginners:  The Shining

The Shining is one of Stephen King’s most well known novels and for good reason. The story follows an alcoholic man and his family as they become the winter caretakers of a haunted hotel. This is a perfect horror novel as King is able to beautifully tell the story of the husband’s slow descent into madness as the hotel attempts to control him. As one of his best horror books, and at a reasonable page count, this is my recommendation for starting to read Stephen King. •

Strongest Writing Overall: The Stand

The Stand is the story of a deadly biological weapon that is released into the public, resulting in  the near extinction of humanity. The novel tells of two warring factions of survivors led by the physical embodiments of good and evil. This book is truly a masterpiece and many consider it to be King’s best piece of literature. However, be prepared to read a lot if you end up picking this book up. This book is incredibly long at a whopping 1,152 pages. I recommend this for anyone who likes to read interesting fiction with a lot of complexity and character work. This book even has an added bonus of having a character reappear in the Dark Tower series. •