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I want to try and rank King's books that I've read. I wanted to include his short story collections also, that's why it's books and not novels. Would like to see other people's rankings, it might help me select future books to read.

1. The Shining
2. It
3. Pet Sematary
4. The Stand
5. Salems Lot
6. Misery
7. Different Seasons
8. Skeleton Crew
9. Needful Things
10. Night Shift
11. Doctor Sleep
12. The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three
13. The Dead Zone
14. The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass
15. The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands
16. Christine
17. The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower
18. The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla
19. Carrie
20. The Dark Tower: The Wind Through the Keyhole
21. The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah
22. If It Bleeds
23. The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger

Oh boy. I'll need to get a ranking together, but I'll probably divide between his novels and his short stories (on an individual basis). Not sure yet, but I like the idea.

Might take a bit, but it'll be up at some point.

Jigsaw wrote: ↑Tue Sep 17, 2024 3:40 pm Oh boy. I'll need to get a ranking together, but I'll probably divide between his novels and his short stories (on an individual basis). Not sure yet, but I like the idea.

Might take a bit, but it'll be up at some point.

This will take awhile with many adjustments I'm sure

I read Cycle of the Werewolf and Cujo so long ago I can't rank them. Will need to read again before adding

Tiggnutz wrote: ↑Tue Sep 17, 2024 4:25 pm I read Cycle of the Werewolf and Cujo so long ago I can't rank them. Will need to read again before adding

I've read 25 King books so far in my life

So here's my list of King's full-length novels (including those I've read under "Richard Bachman"). Some of these books, I've not read in a long time (Firestarter, Desperation, Misery, and Cujo), so their placements are estimated. Definite wriggle room here at points, but it stands for the time being.

1) It
2) Needful Things
3) Duma Key
4) 'Salem's Lot
5) Dolores Claiborne
6) The Stand
7) End of Watch
8) The Outsider
9) Mr. Mercedes
10) The Shining
11) 11/22/63
12) Finders Keepers
13) Carrie
14) Revival
15) Joyland
16) Firestarter
17) Billy Summers
18) The Green Mile
19) Desperation
20) Misery
21) Cujo
22) Lisey's Story
23) The Long Walk
24) Pet Sematary
25) Blaze
26) The Gunslinger
27) Dreamcatcher
28) The Tommyknockers
29) Gwendy's Button Box

1. Salem's Lot
2. The Stand
3. It
4. The Green Mile
5. The Skeleton Crew
6. Christine
7. Firestarter
8. Pet Semetary
9. The Drawing Of The Three: Dark Tower Book II
10. Doctor Sleep
11. Night Shift
12. Cujo
13. The Dead Zone
14. The Cycle Of The Werewolf
15. Rose Madder
16. Different Seasons
17. 11/22/63
18. The Wastelands: Dark Tower Book III
19. Misery
20. Wizard & Glass: Dark Tower Book IV
21. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
22. Nightmares & Dreamscapes
23. The Long Walk
24. Carrie
25. The Shining
26. Everything's Eventual
27. Finder's Keepers
28. Mr. Mercedes
29. Gerald's Game
30. Later
31. The Gunslinger: Dark Tower Book I
32. The Dark Tower (book VII)
33. The Wolves of Calla: Dark Tower Book V
34. Revival (one of his best endings, IMO)
35. Thinner
36. Joyland
37. The Eyes Of The Dragon
38. Under The Dome
39. Four Past Midnight
40. If It Bleeds
41. Cell
42. The Running Man
43. The Tommyknockers
44. Blaze
45. The Song of Susannah: Dark Tower Book VI
46. The Colorado Kid
47. The Wind Through The Keyhole: Dark Tower Book interlude/padding
48. Roadwork


The Outsider, Needful Things, Dolores Claiborne, and The Dark Half are still 'musts' that I need to get to. I also picked up a paperback of Fairytale recently while waiting for a prescription a couple weeks ago, but haven't started it yet.

I also didn't include Creepshow as I wasn't sure if a graphic novel counted lol.

I've read everything up until his retirement(was in the Stephen King book club), but fucked if I know how I'd rank them. I will say I struggled to get through the Shining. I'll never understand why people love that book so much, as I found it to be boring. And the Bachman books were some of my favorites, oddly enough. Rage and the Long Walk were really good.

I got a third of the way through The Talisman once. Also can't remember why I gave up on that one

Outside of IT, I thought Dark Tower was supposed to be King's magnum opus legit tits, but some you guys be punk dogging it.

Only read The Stand so I can't add much if anything to this lol. Sadly

Reign in Blood wrote: ↑Wed Sep 18, 2024 7:36 am Outside of IT, I thought Dark Tower was supposed to be King's magnum opus legit tits, but some you guys be punk dogging it.

I blame part of it on him rewriting the first book and part of it on him rushing the last three books after that van hit him. The rewrite made the first worse imo, and the quality fell off after the fourth book due to the rush job. Still love the series and all the connections to the other books.

Slaughterhouserock wrote: ↑Wed Sep 18, 2024 7:49 am

Reign in Blood wrote: ↑Wed Sep 18, 2024 7:36 am Outside of IT, I thought Dark Tower was supposed to be King's magnum opus legit tits, but some you guys be punk dogging it.

I blame part of it on him rewriting the first book and part of it on him rushing the last three books after that van hit him. The rewrite made the first worse imo, and the quality fell off after the fourth book due to the rush job. Still love the series and all the connections to the other books.

Why'd he rush it? Life is short, thought he wouldn't get to finish or summat?

Reign in Blood wrote: ↑Wed Sep 18, 2024 7:36 am Outside of IT, I thought Dark Tower was supposed to be King's magnum opus legit tits, but some you guys be punk dogging it.

My opinion is collectively it's far greater than any individual book

Reign in Blood wrote: ↑Wed Sep 18, 2024 7:57 am Why'd he rush it? Life is short, thought he wouldn't get to finish or summat?

Realized he wasn't gonna live forever and needed to finish it. He wasn't on George Martin levels of procrastinating, but he was taking his time.

How many Dark Tower novels are there?

Lazerus wrote: ↑Wed Sep 18, 2024 8:03 am How many Dark Tower novels are there?

8

Lazerus wrote: ↑Wed Sep 18, 2024 8:03 am How many Dark Tower novels are there?

Seven, plus a bonus book written afterwards that fit between books four and five.

Slaughterhouserock wrote: ↑Wed Sep 18, 2024 8:03 am

Reign in Blood wrote: ↑Wed Sep 18, 2024 7:57 am Why'd he rush it? Life is short, thought he wouldn't get to finish or summat?

Realized he wasn't gonna live forever and needed to finish it. He wasn't on George Martin levels of procrastinating, but he was taking his time.

This, thanks to being hit by that car. He went all "I gotta shit this out before I croak."