WhileStephen Kingis best known for his chilling horror novels and short stories, the author has actually ventured into several other genres across the years, and his non-horror books are surprisingly great. He may have made his name with supernatural scares likeCarrieandThe Shining, buthis talents aren’t restricted to frightening the reader; many of his less terrifying reads are amongStephen King’s best books ever, largely because of their emotional weight, rich fantasy, or complex worldbuilding.
King has written plenty of non-horror novellas and short stories throughout his career, but it’sthe full-length books that are the most interesting. For an author so deeply entrenched in a single genre, releasing an entire book that tackles completely different issues and new structures is extremely impressive. In fact, some ofthe best Stephen King movie adaptationscome from his non-horror works, proving just how versatile he is as a storyteller.
10The Eyes Of The Dragon
Genre: High Fantasy
The Eyes of the Dragonis a fascinating entry in King’s bibliography, as it’s among the author’s very few attempts at all-out fantasy. For somebody whose works are all so creative, inventive, and often far-fetched, it was inevitable that he’d enter the world of fantasy at some point or another, andThe Eyes of the Dragonis his best example of it. The story followsa young prince named Peter, who is forced to clear his name in his father’s murder and fight his brother for his rightful throne.
Every Unpublished Stephen King Short Story & Book
Stephen King has written many books over the course of his career, but for various different reasons, they haven’t all been published yet.
The Eyes of the Dragonisn’t as subversive as most of King’s works, following a structure that most fantasy readers will be familiar with, but the execution is brilliant. It’s filled with twists, likable characters, creative locations, and in-depth worldbuilding that reallyallows this fantasy universe to come to lifein rich ways.
9The Long Walk
Genre: Dystopian
The Long Walkwas originally published under King’s popular pseudonym Richard Backman, which immediately suggests that it’s going to be somewhat of a departure from his usual style. In this dystopian novel,a group of teenage boys are forced to competein the titular tournament, which involves consistently walking along Route 1 without rest, or else they’ll be shot.
King’s works are almost always doused in some kind of social commentary, andThe Long Walktakes that to the extreme. It’s one of his most incendiary books, raising important questions about government, entertainment, andthe dangerous relationship between the two.The Long Walkis being adapted for the screenwith Cooper Hoffman and Mark Hamill in two undisclosed roles.
8On Writing
Genre: Non-Fiction
On Writingis one of King’s very few non-fiction books, telling his life story and sharing tips and tricks on how to break into the writing industry. It’s a refreshingly different type of book from the author, ditching his typical dramatic style and opting for a muchmore open, transparent look into his early lifeand revealing where the ideas for many of his most popular works came from.
On Writingis a must-read for anybody who considers themselves a writer, and there’s plenty to keep Stephen King fans invested too.
The book was released just one year after King was in a serious car accident, so it’s very reflective on his own legacy, the future of his career, and how difficult it can be to make a name for yourself in this competitive industry.On Writingis a must-readfor anybody who considers themselves a writer, and there’s plenty to keep Stephen King fans invested too.
7Billy Summers
Genre: Crime Thriller
In truth, there are hints of the crime genre littered throughout Stephen King’s work. Whether it’sThe ShiningorMisery,he’s no stranger to weaving certain elements of this genre throughout his horror stories. However,Billy Summersis among thefew King novels that ditch the horror almost entirelyand focuses on the crime genre instead. The story follows the titular ex-marine turned hitman, who takes a job that requires him to work undercover as an author working on his new novel.
There’s a sense of self-aware wit that runs throughBilly Summers, not least because it’s an author writing about being an author, but because the character is placed in such an unusual and unconventional situation.But it’s not a comedy- the plot maintains a steady, exciting pace with several twists and turns that keep the reader invested from start to finish.Billy Summersis set to become an on-screen featurewith J.J. Abrams at the helm, marking the fourth collaboration between the two.
6Mr. Mercedes
Genre: Detective Thriller
The overwhelming majority of Stephen King’s works have been standalone, whether that’s his full-length novels or occasional short stories - with a few exceptions. HisDark Towerseries ran for eight books, for example, andDoctor Sleepserved as a fitting sequel toThe Shining.Similarly,Mr. Mercedeswas among King’s only attempts at writing a trilogy, and the result was excellent. The story followsa retired detective named Bill Hodgeswho receives a note from a serial killer that he was never able to catch, drawing him out of retirement.
The other two novels in this trilogy,Finders KeepersandEnd of Watchare just as thrilling and well-written as the first. Each story gets bolder and more fascinating than the last, as King gradually drifts away from the detective formula and begins to put his own creative spin on things. These books aredefinitely worth a read for anybody who isn’t interested in horrorbut wants to understand the hype around America’s best-selling author.
5The Green Mile
Genre: Historical Drama, Southern Gothic
There are certainly elements of horror inThe Green Mile, at least more than are shown in the on-screen adaptation, but they’re nowhere near as central to the story as they usually are in King’s works. Instead, this novel is more of a dark, gritty dramain a high-security prisonand follows a death row employee as he forms a unique friendship with an inmate with supernatural abilities.
The Green Milefilm changes lots of detailsfrom King’s original novel, but the crux of the narrative is the same. It’s a very mature, often harrowing read that deals with some seriously dark topics witha sincerity that isn’t often seen in King’s works. He’s known for masking the truth of his stories behind horror tropes and supernatural unknowns, but here, he’s very blunt and open about the severity of what he’s describing.
4Under The Dome
Genre: Science Fiction
Sci-fi certainly isn’t a genre that Stephen King is unfamiliar with, as it appears in pretty much all of his stories, butUnder the Dometakes it to a whole new level. The story centers around a small town in Maine that’s cut off from the rest of the world by a giant, invisible dome that encloses them. Unlike most of King’s work,Under the Domeis a multi-perspective ensemblethat follows several different characters as they reckon with their new lives in this sci-fi nightmare.
Under the Domewas famously made into a TV show of the same name, which stuck closely to the contents of the story and ran for three fairly successful seasons. Unfortunately,Under the Domewasn’t picked up for season 4, leaving the show without a definite ending - but thankfully, King’s book is a much more cohesive piece of work that leaves no questions unanswered.
3The Dark Tower
Genre: Fantasy, Western, Sci-Fi
Among Stephen King fans, theDark Towerseries is arguably the author’s most praised work. While most of his books are standalone adventures that tell tight, gripping, confined stories,The Dark Toweris an epic adventurethat sprawls across eight novels, one novella, and one children’s book. It’s certainly the author’s most ambitious work yet, and while there are aspects of horror in some scenes, the series as a whole is deeply rooted in fantasy.
The first book,The Gunslinger, takes this high fantasy storytelling and places it in the world of a neo-Western, with the titular character seeking revenge on his old nemesis, The Man in Black. It takes all the tropes of the Western and places them in an unfamiliar world - and it’s this blend of genres that Stephen King always does so well.The Dark Towerseries may be his best example of it.
211/22/63
Genre: Sci-Fi, Historical Fiction
Time travel is always a difficult thing for writers to navigate, especially when dealing with real-life events. And yet, Stephen King manages to make it look effortless with11/22/63,an alternate-reality novel that sees atime traveler attempt to save President Kennedy from assassinationin 1963. It’s one of King’s later works, released in 2011, yet it feels incredibly fresh and inventive all the same.
It’s not just about their actions, but rather the consequences of them and how they deal with them.
What’s so impressive about11/22/63is that its central premise isn’t really the best thing about it - the traveling through time is great, but it’s the characters and their complex relationships that really make this story fascinating. It’s not just about their actions, but rather the consequences of them and how they deal with them. Although anidea exists for a sequel to11/22/63, King has stated before that it’s one of his favorite books and it doesn’t need any expansion.
1The Stand
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic
When it comes to stories about the apocalypse,The Standhas to rank among the best ever written. The way that Stephen King manages to use this far-fetched story ofchemical weaponry and mutating virusesand make it feel so real and topical is excellent, weaving in plenty of subtle commentary about the world around us. The story follows a man who escapes from a biological weapon facility after an accident, releasing a deadly virus upon the world and wiping out most of humanity.
There is some horror inThe Stand, but it’s not the supernatural kind that Stephen King is known for. Instead, it’s the horror of how easily our civilization could fall apart, and that’s arguably even more frightening. Everything inThe Standis shocking and frightening because it’s so gritty and real - this isn’t the faraway world ofThe GunslingerorThe Eyes of the Dragon, it’s right here.
Stephen King
Discover the latest news and filmography for Stephen King, known for The Dark Tower series, The Stand, IT, The Shining, Carrie, Cujo, Misery, the Bill Hodges trilogy, and more.
