The Best Scary Stephen King Books 

Adapted into film four times, Carrie remains a cult classic for a reason. 

Told through found footage elements, the novel follows a sixteen-year-old girl who is severely bullied at school and freaks out when she gets her first period (as she was never taught about menstruation)—and then develops telekinetic powers. 

Her life changes overnight, leading her down a path of revenge, bloodshed, and uncontrolled terror. Terrifying and entertaining, Carrie is a must-read. 

A highly ambitious work of fiction, The Stand’s uncut edition is over a thousand pages long and unfolds across a post-apocalyptic landscape, ravaged by an influenza pandemic, and where survivors are divided into clashing factions of good and evil. 

With impeccable characterization and interwoven plotlines, The Stand transports you to a vividly imagined world and is widely regarded as one of his best works. 

Immersive, slow-paced, and filled with elements of creeping horror, The Stand is an utterly unforgettable ride, comparable to epics like The Lord of the Rings or The Stormlight Archives but in the horror vein. 

If you have a taste for vampire fiction like Bram Stoker’s Dracula or Anne Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles, Salem’s Lot deserves a spot on your bookshelf. 

It follows the exploits of a writer, Ben Mears, who returns to the small (and creepy) town of Jerusalem’s Lot, where he spent his childhood, only to discover that the inhabitants are slowly turning into vampires. 

Masterfully written, King deftly captures the fears and feelings of a small-town community with plenty of genuine scares along the way. 

Psychologically compelling, Pet Sematary showcases King’s ability to take the most mundane or idyllic scenarios, and spin something dreadful around them. 

The storyline centers on the Creeds, who move into a house in rural Maine and initially seem to have it all. But something is hiding in the woods, and what seems perfect on the outside is rarely so. 

The less you know about the plot, the better, but I can assure you that Pet Sematary is utterly worth the ride. And it gets better with each reread. 

Those up for some dystopian horror should check out The Long Walk—though it’s not that long a read. Initially published under a pseudonym, The Long Walk is actually the first novel that King wrote, although it was printed later. 

The story unfolds around Ray Garratty, who competes in a grueling walking contest—the walkers must keep walking without pause, without eating, sleeping, or going to the bathroom, until there’s only one survivor. 

It really puts the phrase “last man standing” in a different light. Tightly paced and horrific, The Long Walk makes The Hunger Games seem rather tame in comparison. 

Cujo is a terrifying horror novel that the writer himself doesn’t seem to think highly of, as he drafted it while struggling with alcohol addiction. 

Nevertheless, it has left a mark on its readers who praise the suspense and psychological horror elements in the narrative.

 It’s a gut-wrenching read about a beloved St. Bernard turning rabid and terrorizing the family that had adopted it. Tragic, grueling, and chilling, Cujo isn’t a book for the faint of heart.

One of King’s more iconic works, It is the novel that features the sinister clown Pennywise, who preys on small children. Like The Stand mentioned earlier, It also spans over a thousand pages, tracing the lives of seven teenagers who are reunited years later by the same nightmare. 

From unresolved childhood trauma to small town horrors, It closely examines these themes in a thoroughly gripping fashion. And if you’re fighting your own demons, It can serve as a reminder that you’re not alone in facing the horrors. 

A subtle and slow-burning horror novel, I first stumbled upon a rather creased copy of The Shining at a second-hand bookshop, and over the years, added more creases along its spine. 

It’s one of King’s best works—appealing to his long-time readers as well as new fans, and keeping you hooked till the last page. 

Unfolding in a haunted hotel, the story is rich with poignant details, delving with ease into familial conflicts and supernatural terrors.