In light of Stephen King’s new release, If It Bleeds, new fans may be looking to venture further into his work. However, it can be confronting facing the slew of works written by King, so if you find yourself staring at the bookcase unsure where to start, here are a few stories (both well-known and otherwise) you cannot miss.
Pet Sematary
We’ve all lost someone we’ve loved. If you had the chance to bring them back, but for a price, would you? This book gets so dark that even King himself was hesitant about publishing it. He felt he might have gone too far. But two movies and a remake later, we’re sure glad he did.
It
When we think of Stephen King, there are generally two books that come to mind and this is one of them! Among some of his most well-known works, It is horror personified. It has captured people’s imaginations, and haunted their nightmares, so much that it’s been adapted into a film twice. The first with Tim Curry playing the Dancing Clown, and more recently into a two-part film series with Bill Skarsgard.
Needful Things
Back to the idea of how much you’re willing to pay for something you desire. A shopkeeper arrives in a town and opens a store full of strange wares and not a single price tag, but rest assured, everything comes with a price. This book is a slow burner that highlights King’s ability to suck you into a story and keep you there, even if you want to leave.
The Green Mile
If you’re not a big fan of the spooks and scares, don’t worry, King hasn’t forgotten about you! The Green Mile is one of those rare books that will reach your heart and change you forever. This story is filled with every emotion you can imagine as it deals with themes of morality, bigotry and injustice.
The Shining
Arguably his most famous novel to date, it is impossible to think of Stephen King without thinking of this book and the oft-quoted line from its film adaptation, “Here’s Johnny!” The book is a fantastic read that follows a man’s struggle to provide for his family while also battling his inner demons. Beware of the Kubrick film, King himself hated it! However, last year he got his resolution with the film release of the sequel, Doctor Sleep. Both novels are well worth a read!
Thinner
There is a series of books known among King fans as The Bachman Books. They are called this as King tried to hide behind a different pen name for several stories, however, his style of writing is so uniquely King that he was discovered. One of the books written by ‘Richard Bachman’ was Thinner. We are asked to consider consequences and karma in this story. How much should we pay when we do wrong and if we have the option to pass the consequences on, should we?
Joyland
Now for a book with a completely different pace, Joyland takes us back to our youth. It is filled with joy, innocence and a speck of mystery. At the twilight of our adolescence, just as we move from carefree days to adult responsibilities we start to see more in the world around us. Perhaps it’s darker than we realise, perhaps we’re the only one who notices. Would you say something?
‘If It Bleeds’ is out today and you can order it via QBD. Lead image by Shane Leonard
