5 Amazing Stephen King Books for Rich Scares
Stephen King is one of the most prolific authors of our time, and he is best known for his scares. His imagination lets you see yourself in the story and wonder what you would do in the characters’ situations, forcing you to take an honest look at yourself. Would you survive, or would you fall under the influence of Pennywise or the Overlook Hotel? Reading a King book makes you ask yourself difficult questions.
5 Great Stephen King Books for Heart-Pounding Scares
1. “Misery”
The “Misery” book (and the movie based on it) can serve as a warning for fanbases on the internet. We’ve all experienced beloved fictional series taking turns we didn’t like, whether it be killing off our favorite characters or just a plot decision we didn’t agree with. However, Annie Wilkes takes that anger to the extreme, imprisoning an author and forcing him to rewrite a book to bring her favorite character back to life. At first, the reader can identify with her, but as the book progresses, she reveals the ugly side of being a fan of something.
2. “It”
If you’ve only seen the “It” movies, you need to read the book for an entirely different experience. Everyone knows the iconic evil clown Pennywise, but there’s more to the book than him. While the two movies split the two time periods – the first movie is about the kids when they’re kids and the second movie is about them as adults – the book moves backwards and forwards in time throughout. This makes for a surreal effect, making the reader wonder about not only what will happen next, but also what has already happened.
3. “The Institute”
Could children with special powers be used to save the world? It sounds like an optimistic premise, but King reveals the dark side of that idea. We are right by young Luke as he is kidnapped and experimented on, and we are also biting our nails about what happens to the children when they are sent to the back half of the institute. Even scarier, the people who run this institute genuinely believe that they are sacrificing the children’s well-being for the greater good, showing how people can become monsters even with good intentions.
4. “Carrie”
Continuing with the theme of kids with special powers, this time we have “Carrie.” The brilliance of this book comes from how fiercely the reader can identify with Carrie. She is overwhelmed with powers she has difficulty controlling, and all the while, she is suffering under an abusive mother and nasty classmates. We may not cheer her on when she finally snaps at the end, but we can absolutely understand how everyone has beaten her down to the point where she lashes out like a wild animal under threat.
5. “The Shining”
The brilliant Stanley Kubrick movie is a classic, but it had to leave out a lot of the book’s details since the book is so long. Part of the horror from “The Shining” stems from the idea that outside influences could actually change who you are. At the beginning, Jack is a very flawed human being, but he genuinely wants to be a better husband and father. However, the Overlook Hotel overtakes him, making him into a monster. It makes us wonder if we would be strong enough to fight the Overlook’s influence.
Read Some Stephen King!
Obviously, King has written far more amazing horror novels. He’s also written plenty of non-horror stories if scary books aren’t your thing. Even if you don’t read a lot, picking up a Stephen King book can still be a rewarding experience, and it might make you realize that you enjoy reading more than you thought. Whatever you pick up in the realm of Stephen King, you’re sure to have a memorable time.
