Lastblade

I just finished Book 6. It is got to be the worst novel. It almost ruined the series for me but I will finish 7 and hope it is miles better than 6. 4 is just so good though.

Drop

Why exactly? I really like 6, the imagery is wonderful (all the Fedic stuff) and I really liked how the story progressed. It reminded me of book 3. Honestly I feel the series has been very consistent.

Lastblade

I felt that SK was pretentious in how he is tying up all the loose ends. I don't know, I just found the whole plot to get more and more ridiculous.

Geofferson

Another vote for Skeleton Crew -- reading it right now and it is easily my favorite of his short-story collections.

InnocentBlood

i would recommend Lisey's Story among his latest works.

Abob Teff

Perhaps I'm a little odd . . . I loved the Regulators/Desperation concept . . . but I preferred Regulators. I think these are a good introduction to how King likes to f--- with you sometimes. They are also very good examples of his quasi-narrative, suck-you-in, violate the 4th wall writing stile.

I'd maybe even suggest starting with "Cell." Something a little more modern, and not so tied to the multiverse. If you are going to go back, Pet Semetary was my first . . . and the last line still haunts me to this day.

Dark Tower is not a great place to start . . . you can get through the first 3-4 books OK, but to fully get the impact you need to have read a lot more King for 5-7 (incidentally, I didn't mind the grand finale . . . I thought that the road to get there became a severe disappointment though). I'd event put the first 3-4 books as some of my all-time faves -- especially 4.

Needful Things is a heavy place to start, but a good one to whet your whistle.

Rose Madder??! AWFUL!

TNAJason

My Favorites are Regulators & Desperations I really like them,But I think after I finish IT it will take top spot. Hell IT already has. I know how it will go because of the movie,and really like all the extra character devolepment. I'm 17 and my 1st step into Stephen King was the movie version of Pet Semarty when I was 5. It freaked me out and has ever since. No other movie has ever given me the creeps before and none since. Stephen King's Pet Sematary is my scariest movie ever. So I'm looking forward to listening(I'm to lazy to read books) the Pet Sematary book,and have liked every Stephen King book I have listened to. I now have 12 days worth of audio of King Books on my iPod thanks to my local library and have downloaded a book that isn't available on audio cd(I think that 1 I have is that library for audio versions of books for people with eye problems since it has at the beginning with table of contents and all that(which is IT) ) So far I have listened to..

Dreamcatcher(my first audio book of King because I liked the movie. The movie sucks now thanks to listening to the much better book)
From a Buick 8
Everything's Eventual
Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
Desperation
Regulators
IT

celmendo

Quote: Rose Madder??! AWFUL!

What was so awful about that book? (Just making sure you aren't thinking about the awful Rose Red mini-series)

I quite enjoyed it. It's hardly his best work but it had it's merits. Escaping an awful situation. Who hasn't wanted to jump away into a fantasy world. I know women who were abused. I guess I related to it on that level.

Lastyear

Different Seasons contains his best writing.The early novels(Salems Lot,Stand,It,The Shining) tend to be better than the later ones altho I liked The Green Mile.Cell I hated-I thought it was his worst written book-terrible dialogue and poor characterization.

djmont

In case anyone is interested, I had a review of the new King book, Duma Key, in yesterday's Chicago Sun-Times. Excellent book.

packaok

If anyone is a member at Audible and was planning to purchase Duma Key there, it is out now! I was not able to find it via search, but this link was provided by Lilja's Library, a Stephen King fan site:

Duma Key at Audible

I've already started listening to this first-person, 21 hour unabridged work of fiction. After 15 minutes, I'm hooked...

Darth Maher

Agreed. I actually felt drained after reading it. I could practically feel the physical and mental pain of the main character.

I've read about 7 or 8 Stephen Kings books. I'm about to finish "On Writing". This thread will definitely aid me choosing my next King book to read.

Rainet

I say almost any book from 1977-1987 was his cocaine-driven prime years in hungriness and creativity. Beginning with The Shining and ending with The Tommyknockers. Don't get me wrong. He's written some good to great novels after that. But something about those years was pure magic.

Top 5 for me is.

The Long Walk
Misery
It
The Stand
The Shining

JANK

IT.

That's one I recommend. Go to the Darklights!

Tom Banjo

One of my personal favorites is Bag of Bones. It always seems to get over-looked.

lobo731

aktick

I'm thinking about giving King a try...never read any of his stuff, obviously seen a bunch of the movies.

However, I'm more of a thriller/mystery fan, not horror. My obsession with Lost is the reason I became interested in King.

So what would you suggest?

Disclaimer: Sadly, I almost never read novels (or any fiction). I have generally read non-fiction and watched fiction in the past.

Drop

You'll love Misery. It's a great thriller.

As for something like Lost, well I guess The Dark Tower has a similar feel. There's a lot of layers to the Tower and it spreads into most of his books, there's Men In Black type characters and conspiracies. Lots of questions but answers often lead to even more questions. Has a large cast too. It plays with time and different dimensions as well.

Stephen King's best stuff isn't even the Horror. Even his horror novels like IT are great because of the characters.

You might try starting with is memoir. Yes it's a book about writing, but so much is just about his life and it's really excellent. It's a great introduction to his writing.

Other than that, everyone else has made great suggestions.

Sanitarium

Just read The Dark Tower books, all the other books blend right in.

89981

Check out Salem's Lot, and most of his early works are great also. Hearts in Atlantis is also a good older book, might make you depressed though. I found it sad.

James Lafleur

Gonna have to also highly recommend Misery. I got it for Christmas and finished it in less than a day. It is one of the best thrillers I've ever picked up.

Also, loved The Shining and IT. Might read The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon or The Dark Tower 1 next.

Josh-da-man

For a first time reader, I'd recommend King's earlier works, like 'Salem's Lot and The Shining.

I wouldn't suggest someone start with the Dark Tower series since it weaves itself through a lot of King's other books like The Stand, The Shining, Insomnia, etc. You can read The Shining and The Stand on their own, but those books should be read before The Dark Tower, as the Dark Tower requires some familiarity with King's other works in order to get the big picture.

An alternative would be to read books in publication order, including the DT series, if you feel up to the challenge.

exile1

Here's how I'd recommend doing it.

Start with 'Salem's Lot. I read this in the late 70s shortly after release and it was sleep with the lights on scary. Reread it a few years ago and it still holds up. I consider this the best of the entire S. King catalog.

Follow up with Different Seasons. 4 novellas. All four are very different from one another and each is excellent in its own way. Three of the 4 have been made into movies with 2 of those 3 considered by most to be the best movie adaptations of King's work. The best of the group is the one that has never been made into a movie (the breathing method). Very scary in a telling stories around a campfire kind of way.

After that, you can select any of the early stuff - from The Shining through Pet Semetary - and you won't be disappointed (OK, you can skip Firestarter). A personal favorite from this period is Christine. Interesting characters and an intense climax (something King misses on in some of his later work). Dead Zone and Cujo are also fun. The Stand is pretty much required reading. Not his best writing, but the story is very engaging and its hard to put it down after about page 50.

That should keep ya busy for a while. Enjoy.

rudolphia

I vote Night Shift or Skeleton Crew for short stories. For novels, you can't go wrong with Pet Sematary, The Shining or Carrie. The Stand is my favorite, but some find the length daunting.

I've read everything King has ever written with the exception of Gerald's Game. I got about 10 pages into it and couldn't stomach where it was going (ironic as none of his other books really bother me).

I also would not start with The Gunslinger (Dark Tower book 1). It was revised, but most of it was written when King was much younger and a much less polished writer, and it really shows. You've got to slog through it to read the others, which are MUCH better, but start with something solid.