Underrated Stephen King Novels That Are Frighteningly Fun Reads
If works like Salem’s Lot, Misery, and Pet Sematary aren’t quite your taste, consider some of these unsung King classics.
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The de facto “King of Horror” (pun not intended), American author Stephen King has penned some of the most bone chilling, hair-raising tales of terror in contemporary literature. From Carrie, to The Shining, to It—King’s decades-long resume teeming with unforgettable horror is nearly impossible to top. With more than 60 novels, 5 works of nonfiction, and over 200 short stories published, King’s body of work is so expansive and varied, anyone can find a book for them within it. Though King has sold more than 400 million copies to date, some of the horror author’s best works remain sorely under appreciated. These eight masterpieces should go to the top of your scary reading list if you love Stephen King novels.
Cujo
Written by King in the throes of alcoholism, Cujo is a 1981 horror novel about an affable Saint Bernard who turns vicious after contracting rabies from a bat. Inspired by an aggressive dog King encountered at a Maine auto shop, Cujo was received positively by critics and was granted the British Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1982. The story was later adapted into a 1983 film starring Dee Wallace and Daniel Hugh Kelly, and premiered as a modest success.
Joyland
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Heavily inspired by Canobie Lake Park in Salem, New Hampshire, Joyland is a 2013 thriller published by Hard Case Crime, a publishing imprint specializing in hardboiled crime novels in the style of paperbacks released in the 1940s and 1950s. A departure from King’s trademark horror, Joyland is a coming-of-age mystery following Devin Jones who takes a summer job working at the mysterious titular theme park after a portentous meeting with a local fortune teller.
Under the Dome
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Under the Dome is a sprawling, lengthy science fiction novel centering on a town in Maine that’s abruptly cut off from the outside world when a large, dome-like barrier appears, trapping the town’s residents inside. A reimagining of an unfinished novel by King titled The Cannibals, Under the Dome touches on a number of prescient social themes like environmentalism, totalitarianism, and political unrest. Shortly following its release, the sci-fi novel was adapted into a television series for CBS starring Mike Vogel, Rachelle Lefevre, and Natalie Martinez.
Lisey’s Story
A twisted blend of psychological terror and gothic romance, Lisey’s Story is a 2006 novel about Lisey Landon, the widow of the late Scott Landon, a successful novelist with a dark familial past. Said by King to be one of his favorite works he’s written, Lisey’s Story was inspired by King’s return home after a stay in the hospital, and finding his wife had redesigned his home studio. This caused him to imagine what the room would look like following his death. The novel was later adapted by King into a miniseries for Apple TV+ starring Julianne Moore as Lisey and Clive Owen as Scott.
Insomnia
Set in the fictional town of Derry, Maine (the setting for a multitude of King’s novels, namely It and Dreamcatcher), Insomnia is a 1994 fantastical horror novel following Ralph Roberts, a retiree whose insomnia grants him the ability to see spiritual auras and other specters. As Roberts’ insomnia worsens, he becomes enmeshed in a conflict between two cosmic forces called “the Purpose” and “the Random.” The novel is packed with references to King’s other works like Pet Semetary, Gerald’s Game, and The Dark Tower series.
Gerald’s Game
Later adapted into a 2017 Netflix film starring Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood, Gerald’s Game is a 1992 psychosexual thriller following a woman named Jessie who’s left handcuffed to a bed after her husband dies of a heart attack mid coitus. With little hope of being discovered in their remote Maine lake house, Jessie begins to be haunted by voices inside her head as the despair of her predicament sinks in.
Thinner
Published by King under the pseudonym Richard Bachman in 1984, Thinner is the story of Billy Halleck, a man who narrowly eludes manslaughter charges after hitting a Romani woman, and is subsequently cursed by the woman’s father to uncontrollably lose weight until he wastes away. King conceived the idea for the novel after a routine medical examination led to his doctor informing him he was overweight. Thinner’s true authorship was exposed by a bookstore employee and avid fan of King’s work who’d noticed similarities between King and Bachman’s prose.
Sleeping Beauties
Written by King and his son, author Owen King, Sleeping Beauties is a 2017 novel set in an Appalachian women’s prison after a mysterious occurrence causes every woman in the world to enter into an unwaking slumber. A blend of King’s trademark horror and dark fantasy, Sleeping Beauties was optioned for a television series by AMC in 2017 from a pilot written by Owen King. The novel was also adapted by IDW Publishing into a comic book series with the first issue released in June 2020.
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