Jamezuva

This is a thread to recommend the best works by Stephen King. He is probably my favorite author and I haven't even read some of his most acclaimed novels such as The Stand, It, and The Shining (I actually own all these but haven't had the time to read them yet).

However, one that I want to recommend is Needful Things. The movie comes nowhere close to the excellence of the novel.

Wormwood

Here's one that I DON'T reccommend. "Carrie", the book was simply awful (no offense). That was the first time I actually liked a movie better than the novel it was based on.

JAA

You will love "The Stand." Many consider this his best work.

BoatDrinks

This might sound weird, but King's On Writing is my favorite of his books.

As someone who makes their living writing, "how to" books usually tend to really bother/bore me. But this is hands down the BEST book on writing I've read in a long time.

Not only does King show you what an excellent teacher he must have been - he really explains the nuances of good writing - but you also get a real insight into the guy as a person. He talks about a lot of his books, how he got started with them, his accident, his drinking and drug use, etc.

For anyone who is a fan of King or just a fan of good writing, this book is wonderful.

JMLEWIS1

I think I've read just about all of King except for The Stand, The Dark Half, and the Gunslinger series.

I'll rank them how I like them as I remember them:

THE LONG WALK
MISERY
THE SHINING
CUJO
THE GREEN MILE
PET SEMATARY
IT
NEEDFUL THINGS
NIGHT SHIFT
DIFFERENT SEASONS
THE GIRL WHO LOVED TOM GORDON
DESPERATION
THE REGULATORS
DREAMCATCHER
REGULATORS
BAG OF BONES
HEARTS IN ATLANTIS
DOLORES CLAIBORNE
INSOMNIA
CYCLE OF THE WEREWOLF
SKELETON CREW
FOUR PAST MIDNIGHT
CARRIE
SALEM'S LOT
FIRESTARTER
THE RUNNING MAN
CHRISTINE
ROSE MADDER
RAGE
ROADWORK
THINNER
GERALD'S GAME

connie_s

my faves are Different Seasons, Green Mile, Needful Things, and the Stand

Linoge

Well, just about everyone who's read a lot of King will consider IT and The Stand their favorites. For the most part, at least. So, I'll be a little different here say that, excluding the above books and the Dark Tower series, my favorite is either Bag of Bones or Hearts in Atlantis.

pagemaster7

I loved It, The Stand, The Green Mile, Differnet seasons, and the Dark Tower series.

Alien Redrum

My favorites without a doubt are The Stand and It in that order.

I also loved the novella The Library Polithman(?)

I wasn't a big fan of Gerald's Game, but it amazed me he could write such a decent size novel considering

I have read all of his available books except Desperation and The Regulators. I have tried to get into both a couple times, but they didn't grab me like the usual stuff. I will tackle them one day.

Last, but not least (because it just dawned on me), The Long Walk was another favorite novella.

-Steve

Scarecrow

The only book of his I've managed to read is The Tommyknockers. I found it just ok. Kind of long winded in parts and at times hard to get through. I suppose one of these days I should make it a point to read something else from him. The Gunslinger books have been recommended to me as "awesome". What to you guys think? Is that series some of his better stuff?

Alien Redrum

Depends on your taste. I loved The Gunslinger series. It is definately better than The Tommyknockers.

Unfortunately, for you, IMO, The Tommyknockers isn't really a good King book to start with. I enjoyed it because I like King's style of writing, but I would not recommend for a first time King reader because it is not one of his best.

I would imagine the King novels fans love the most, as Linoge said, are It and The Stand. I would also imagine that The Dark Tower (aka Gunslinger) series is right up there.

By the way Linoge, if I give you what you want, will you go away. Great choice for a name!

-Steve

cineman

I took me three tries to read Pet Semetary. Chilled me to the bone! Glad I finally made it through! Great book!

RevLiver

My favorites are The Stand, It, Pet Sematary, 'Salem's Lot, The Shining, The Dark Tower Series and The Talisman (co-written with Peter Straub). Also have to mention the novella The Mist which can be found in Skeleton Crew. I am really looking forward to Black House, the sequel to The Talisman, due out this Fall.

For those who don't know, most, if not all, of Stephen King's books are being connected via The Dark Tower series. Characters, locations and incidents are returning in later books. According to Mr. King, all of his universes exist within The Dark Tower universe. So if you haven't, you may want to just plow through all of his books.

Darin

JAA

A very good point has been made above. The DARK TOWER series is must reading. This is King's opus and it is very addicting!

Also, I have read that he will complete the series with two more stories. The next is scheduled to be completed by 2002 or 2003. This has been a very long wait...

Samuel

INSOMNIA is my favorite of his novels but I still haven't read 'The Stand'

Desperation was awesome, Mick Garris is directing the movie version, due out sometime this year. Alough I always enjoy reading the books I like to see it come to life on screen.

Trout

I always liked the short stories better, with Night Shift being my favorite.

freedexter

I'm ashamed to admit it, but the only full book I finished by King was Hearts in Atlantis. I just don't find him interesting. I have nothing against him, I tried The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon and a few others, but most of them just drone on and on.

renaldow

I was as fan of his short stories since I was a kid. I read those way before ever reading one of his novels. So, I've got to reccomend:

Night Shift and Skeleton Crew

A lot of them stand on their own, while other stories are obviously earlier renditions of story ideas that later became novelized. They share the same Stephen King 'universe' as his novels, and you get larger portraits of minor characters, odd back & side stories, etc... They were a great indoctrination for me into his novels.

The Antipodean

My favorites (after the first two, in no particular order):
1. It
2. The Stand
3. Hearts in Atlantis
4. Desperation
5. Insomnia
6. The Long Walk
7. Different Seasons
8. On Writing
9. Misery
10. The Tommyknockers

Least favorite I've read:
"Needful Things," "Four Past Midnight," "The Dark Half" all kind of weak.

JaxComet

I'd have to go with....

(1) IT
(2) Pet Semetary
(3) Hearts in Atlantis
(4) Bag of Bones
(5) Entire Dark Tower series

Dr. Dean

Dark Tower
Insomnia
Desparation/Regulators was fun
Green Mile

Rand

I've read almost all of Kings published works.
Easily my favorite would be It. It's not just
an excellent horror novel but explores the essence
of childhood and friendship. Beautifully done and
very evocative.

redeyery

For King's non-fiction it is definitely "On writing". As a writer, i found this book to be a great learning tool, interesting and engaging.

For fiction:
1. The STand (complete, uncut edition)
2. Misery
3. The Green Mile
4. Hearts in Atlantis
5. Pet Sematary

einTier

For me, It was King's pinnacle work. The Stand was also an amazing piece, but in my opinion, neither the original or the "uncut" gelled together and made a cohesive whole like It did.

I also loved the early short story collections -- Night Shift, Different Seasons, the Bachman Books, and Skeleton Crew. It's amazing how many movies have been made from stories from these books.

I really quit reading King about five or six years ago. I got tired of the sterotypical King reader, who reads King and nothing else, and then says King is an amazing writer. How do you know if you don't have something to compare it to? Plus, I managed to meet tons of people who were "Stephen King fans" but had never picked up a novel -- they had seen the poor adaptations of many of his novels and decided from that they were fans. After being very disappointed with his later works (really started with Nightmares and Dreamscapes -- the last King novel I purchased) I decided I'd had enough.

phantom_azazel

1) The Dark Tower
2) It
3) The Stand (uncut)
4) The Green Mile
5) The Body