Halloween is coming soon, and it’s time to get spooked. If you love reading books, then these six books written by famous author Stephen King will both satisfy your cravings for reading books and keep you up all night (whether you’re reading all night and just can’t put down it or staying awake from the nightmares).
1. The Shining
Now, I have to admit that I saw the infamous 1980 Kubrick film before actually reading the original book version. Even though the film really freaked me out, it encouraged me to go out and buy the book. The Shining is a terrifying and suspense-filled tale about a family moving into a haunted old inn during a harsh snowstorm and the consequent downfall of a loving father battling his inner demons of alcoholism and domestic violence. This book is a view into how alcoholism and family violence can strain family relationships, especially in a haunted inn. Meanwhile, among all the tension, the 5-year-old-son, Danny, is developing a very strange and unique power that will compel you. This book will spook you and also keep you turning the pages so fast that you can’t put it down.
2. Carrie
If you want to read a compelling and intense story, but you don’t have the time and energy for King’s doorstoppers such as IT, or you want to read a bit more than 15–20 pages, Carrie is the book for you! A dark coming-of-age tale, Carrie tells a story about a young and bullied teenage girl in the 1970s with a terrifying supernatural power and an abusive religious mother. During the novel, another girl tries to help Carrie to feel normal and wanted, but it all backfires at a climactic incident at the high school prom. A modern tragedy, this can be a view back at our times at high school and how it wasn’t all fun and games. As a warning, bullying is a huge part of the story, however, so people who have been through bullying may want to avoid this book.
Fun fact: Carrie has the honour of being King’s debut novel and launching his writing career.
3. IT
Somehow we all knew that IT would be on this list. Probably one of King’s most famous works, IT can be described as an ”epic” novel, a tale about six young adolescents growing up in a harsh environment in a small town that is plagued by a rash of deaths among the children. After the main characters are repeatedly terrorized, they all face the villain Pennywise, a demonic eldritch abomination in the form of a clown. But then, many years later, Pennywise comes back and the grown up characters have to reunite and face their fears to defeat IT once and for all. Alongside Pennywise, we also see the ugly side of humans in the form of a character’s sexually abusive father who can be more frightening than the main villain at times, and a sociopathic young bully seeking revenge. A very disturbing coming-of-age story, yes, but it also sends the message that we all have fears, and when we confront them, we can prevail in the end.
4. Misery
If you’re wanting to read about celebrity culture and how it can be terrifying, then this is the book for you. Misery is a disturbing tale of a writer suffering after a sudden car crash and being taken hostage in an isolated cabin by an insane nurse who is allegedly his “Number One Fan,” Annie Wilkes. If you want to be a famous author or if you really want someone to be your biggest fan at some point, this book will make you think different.
Another fun fact: King wrote this story as he was recovering from an addiction to cocaine. He often mentions that the whole story is an allegory about struggling with addiction, with Wilkes being a representation of drugs.
5. Any of the short story collections (especially Different Seasons and Night Shift)
Honestly I feel that all of King’s short story collections are very underrated, because they contain several well-written hidden gems. Several famous short stories from King have been adapted into films, such as Rita and the Shawshank Redemption (The Shawshank Redemption), Stand by Me, and Children of the Corn. My personal favourite short story collection is Night Shift, since it has so many short but compelling tales (such as a tale about mutant rats or another tale about trying to survive against rogue and sentient vehicles) that will keep you turning the pages at night.
6. Dead Zone
If the ability to see terrifying premonitions doesn’t creep you out, being trapped with the choice of having to kill a corrupt politician in order to prevent an apocalypse or save your own life will. This book describes the sordid journey of an average school teacher who wakes up from a lengthy coma after a freak accident, only to find that his perfect world has changed drastically. He discovers he has a supernatural ability to see premonitions related to death and tragedy. A suspense-filled thriller, this book will keep you on the edge of your seat with its compelling story of an ordinary man pushed to desperate levels of hopelessness to prevent large-scale tragedy from happening while dealing with his own personal tragedies.
These books are not listed in any particular order, and it was honestly difficult to only pick six out of King’s countless and excellent works, but I do recommend reading any of these if you want to something to keep you up all night long!
Bonus book recommendations: The Stand, The Long Walk (novella), Salem’s Lot and the Dark Tower series.
Resources: