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Stephen King
in order.

Every Stephen King book in order — 65+ novels, from Carrie to the Dark Tower and beyond.

67
Books listed
400M+
Copies sold
Horror / Fiction
Genre
1947–present
Lived

Stephen King is the best-selling horror author of all time, with more than 400 million books sold and a career spanning six decades. Since his debut with Carrie in 1974, the Maine native has published over 65 novels and 200 short stories, earning the nickname 'the King of Horror' while regularly stepping outside the genre with crime fiction, fantasy, and literary drama. Landmark works like The Shining, The Stand, It, Misery, and Pet Sematary have become cultural touchstones, and his books have spawned more film and TV adaptations than any living author.

King's fiction is famous for turning ordinary American life — small Maine towns, family station wagons, high school hallways — into the setting for extraordinary terror. Many of his novels share a connected universe anchored by The Dark Tower, his eight-volume dark fantasy epic that links characters and places across dozens of other books. He has also written under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, producing leaner, meaner thrillers like The Long Walk and The Running Man.

Beyond horror, King has won major mainstream recognition, including the National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. Recent novels like 11/22/63, The Institute, Billy Summers, Fairy Tale, and Holly show he remains as prolific and popular as ever, routinely topping bestseller lists well into his fifth decade of publishing.

Where to start

The good news: almost all of Stephen King's books stand alone, so you don't need to read them in publication order. New readers usually start with a classic like The Shining, Misery, or 'Salem's Lot, or a more recent gateway like 11/22/63. If you want to read King chronologically, begin with Carrie (1974) and work forward through the standalone list below. The big exception is The Dark Tower series, which must be read in order starting with The Gunslinger — and dedicated fans often save it until they've read The Stand, 'Salem's Lot, and Insomnia, which tie into it.

The Dark Tower 8 BOOKS · IN ORDER

King's eight-book dark fantasy epic following gunslinger Roland Deschain's quest for the Dark Tower, the linchpin that connects much of King's fictional universe.

01
The Gunslinger 1982
Roland of Gilead pursues the mysterious Man in Black across a desert at the edge of a dying world.
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02
The Drawing of the Three 1987
Roland draws three companions from 20th-century New York through doorways on a haunted beach.
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03
The Waste Lands 1991
The ka-tet crosses a ruined city and boards Blaine, a suicidal monorail that loves riddles.
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04
Wizard and Glass 1997
A flashback epic revealing Roland's first love and the tragedy that set him on his quest.
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05
The Wind Through the Keyhole 2012
A later-published tale set between books four and five, nesting a story within a story.
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06
Wolves of the Calla 2003
The gunslingers defend a farming village from masked riders who steal its children.
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07
Song of Susannah 2004
The ka-tet splits across worlds to save Susannah — and meets a writer named Stephen King.
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08
The Dark Tower 2004
Roland's quest reaches the Tower itself in a finale that divides and haunts readers.
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Bill Hodges Trilogy 3 BOOKS · IN ORDER

A hard-boiled crime trilogy about retired detective Bill Hodges and his pursuit of the Mercedes Killer, Brady Hartsfield.

01
Mr. Mercedes 2014
A retired cop is taunted by the killer who drove a Mercedes into a crowd of job-seekers; winner of the Edgar Award.
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02
Finders Keepers 2015
A murdered novelist's stolen notebooks link an obsessed reader to Hodges' team decades later.
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03
End of Watch 2016
Brady Hartsfield returns with terrifying new abilities in a finale that tips into the supernatural.
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The Talisman 2 BOOKS · IN ORDER

A two-book dark fantasy collaboration with Peter Straub about Jack Sawyer and the parallel world of the Territories.

01
The Talisman 1984
Twelve-year-old Jack Sawyer flips between America and a parallel world to find the talisman that can save his dying mother.
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02
Black House 2001
A grown Jack Sawyer, now a retired detective, confronts a child-stealing killer with ties to the Dark Tower.
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The Shining 2 BOOKS · IN ORDER

The story of the Torrance family, begun at the haunted Overlook Hotel and continued decades later with a grown Danny Torrance.

01
The Shining 1977
Winter caretaker Jack Torrance descends into madness as the Overlook Hotel preys on his psychic son Danny.
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02
Doctor Sleep 2013
An adult Dan Torrance protects a gifted girl from the True Knot, a tribe that feeds on children who shine.
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Standalone books by King 52 BOOKS · BY YEAR

In publication order — read these in any order you like.

01
Carrie 1974
King's debut: a bullied telekinetic teenager takes apocalyptic revenge at her senior prom.
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02
'Salem's Lot 1975
Vampires quietly consume a small Maine town in King's modern spin on Dracula.
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03
Rage 1977
A Richard Bachman novel about a school shooting that King later let go out of print.
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04
The Stand 1978
A superflu wipes out civilization and survivors are drawn into a battle between good and evil; many fans' pick for King's masterpiece.
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05
The Long Walk 1979
As Bachman: 100 boys walk until only one is left alive in a chilling dystopian contest.
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06
The Dead Zone 1979
A man wakes from a coma with psychic visions — including one of a future president who will end the world.
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07
Firestarter 1980
A father and his pyrokinetic daughter flee a shadowy government agency called The Shop.
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08
Roadwork 1981
As Bachman: a grieving man refuses to let a highway extension demolish his home.
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09
Cujo 1981
A rabid Saint Bernard traps a mother and son in a broken-down Pinto through a sweltering standoff.
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10
The Running Man 1982
As Bachman: a desperate man joins a deadly game show where contestants are hunted on live TV.
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11
Christine 1983
A 1958 Plymouth Fury possesses its teenage owner and murders anyone who comes between them.
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12
Pet Sematary 1983
A burial ground that brings the dead back wrong; the book King himself called too scary to publish.
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13
Cycle of the Werewolf 1983
An illustrated novella of a werewolf stalking a small town month by month.
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14
Thinner 1984
As Bachman: a lawyer wastes away under a Gypsy curse after a fatal hit-and-run.
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15
It 1986
Seven friends confront a shape-shifting evil — most often the clown Pennywise — as kids and again as adults in Derry, Maine.
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16
The Eyes of the Dragon 1987
A straight fantasy tale of a prince framed for his father's murder, featuring Dark Tower villain Flagg.
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17
Misery 1987
A romance novelist is held captive by his 'number one fan' in King's claustrophobic thriller about fame and addiction.
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18
The Tommyknockers 1987
A buried alien ship transforms the residents of Haven, Maine, in King's sci-fi horror epic.
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19
The Dark Half 1989
A writer's retired pseudonym comes murderously to life.
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20
Needful Things 1991
A demonic shopkeeper sells the people of Castle Rock their heart's desires — at a terrible price.
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21
Gerald's Game 1992
A woman handcuffed to a bed after her husband's fatal heart attack fights for survival and sanity.
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22
Dolores Claiborne 1992
A housekeeper's unbroken confession about her employer's death and her husband's, decades apart.
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23
Insomnia 1994
A sleepless widower begins seeing auras and is drawn into a cosmic struggle tied to the Dark Tower.
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24
Rose Madder 1995
A battered wife escapes her cop husband through a painting that is more than it seems.
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25
The Green Mile 1996
Originally serialized: a death-row guard encounters a gentle giant with a miraculous gift.
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26
Desperation 1996
Travelers on a Nevada highway are imprisoned by a small-town cop possessed by an ancient evil.
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27
The Regulators 1996
As Bachman: Desperation's mirror-twin, unleashing the same evil on a suburban street.
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28
Bag of Bones 1998
A grieving novelist returns to his lake house and uncovers a town's buried crime; a gothic ghost story.
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29
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon 1999
A nine-year-old lost in the woods survives on grit, a radio, and faith in her favorite Red Sox pitcher.
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30
Hearts in Atlantis 1999
Five linked stories about the baby-boom generation, opening with the Dark Tower-connected 'Low Men in Yellow Coats.'
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31
Dreamcatcher 2001
Four friends on a hunting trip face an alien invasion and a shared childhood secret.
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32
From a Buick 8 2002
Pennsylvania state troopers guard an impossible car that is a doorway to somewhere else.
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33
The Colorado Kid 2005
A short crime novel about an unsolvable island mystery; the loose inspiration for TV's Haven.
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34
Cell 2006
A mobile-phone pulse turns humanity into a murderous hive in King's zombie apocalypse.
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35
Lisey's Story 2006
A widow explores her late novelist husband's dark inner world; one of King's own favorites.
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36
Blaze 2007
A trunk novel published as Bachman: a slow-witted crook kidnaps a baby and grows to love him.
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37
Duma Key 2008
A recovering accident victim's paintings on a Florida island begin to alter reality.
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38
Under the Dome 2009
An invisible barrier seals off a Maine town, and its worst citizen seizes power.
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39
11/22/63 2011
A teacher travels through time to stop the Kennedy assassination; widely ranked among King's best novels.
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40
Joyland 2013
A bittersweet coming-of-age crime story set in a 1973 North Carolina amusement park.
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41
Revival 2014
A charismatic preacher's obsession with 'secret electricity' builds to one of King's bleakest endings.
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42
Sleeping Beauties 2017
Co-written with son Owen King: women worldwide fall into a cocooned sleep, leaving men alone.
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43
The Outsider 2018
An ironclad alibi and ironclad evidence both point to the same man in a case that turns supernatural; introduces Holly Gibney to a wider role.
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44
Elevation 2018
A slim, warm-hearted tale of a Castle Rock man who keeps losing weight without getting thinner.
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45
The Institute 2019
Children with psychic gifts are imprisoned and exploited at a secret facility in the Maine woods.
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46
If It Bleeds 2020
Four novellas, including a Holly Gibney title story and 'Mr. Harrigan's Phone.'
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47
Later 2021
A Hard Case Crime novel about a boy who sees the dead and the corrupt cop who exploits him.
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48
Billy Summers 2021
A hitman with a code takes one last job in King's acclaimed straight crime novel.
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49
Fairy Tale 2022
A teenager inherits a shed that hides a portal to a cursed fantasy world.
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50
Holly 2023
Holly Gibney gets her own case, hunting a pair of elderly academics with a horrifying secret.
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51
You Like It Darker 2024
A story collection featuring 'Rattlesnakes,' a sequel to Cujo.
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52
Never Flinch 2025
Holly Gibney returns to stop a killer promising revenge for an innocent man's death.
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The movies READ IT BEFORE YOU WATCH IT

Carrie 1976
Based on: Carrie (1974)
Brian De Palma's classic earned Oscar nominations for Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie.
The Shining 1980
Based on: The Shining (1977)
Stanley Kubrick's iconic film — famously disliked by King himself.
Stand by Me 1986
Based on: The Body (1982 novella)
Rob Reiner's beloved coming-of-age drama, one of King's favorite adaptations.
Misery 1990
Based on: Misery (1987)
Kathy Bates won the Best Actress Oscar as Annie Wilkes.
The Shawshank Redemption 1994
Based on: Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption (1982 novella)
Frank Darabont's prison drama, long the top-rated film on IMDb.
It 2017
Based on: It (1986)
Became the highest-grossing horror film of all time.

Frequently asked questions

What order should I read Stephen King's books in?

Most Stephen King novels are standalones, so publication order is optional — start anywhere. The one series that must be read in order is The Dark Tower, beginning with The Gunslinger. If you want the full connected-universe experience, read The Stand, 'Salem's Lot, and Insomnia before or alongside the Dark Tower books.

What Stephen King book should I read first?

The most common recommendations for first-timers are The Shining, Misery, or 'Salem's Lot for classic horror, and 11/22/63 if you prefer something less scary. Carrie is also a great entry point — it's short, gripping, and where it all began.

How many books has Stephen King written?

Stephen King has published more than 65 novels (including seven under the pseudonym Richard Bachman), plus over a dozen story collections and several nonfiction books. In total his bibliography runs to well over 80 books, with new titles still arriving almost every year.

What is Stephen King's best book?

Fan polls and critics most often name The Stand, It, 11/22/63, The Shining, and Misery as his best. The Stand is the usual pick for his epic masterpiece, while Misery and The Shining are the tightest pure-horror reads.

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