rankings – Tony's Horror Corner

Review Time: “Nightmares & Dreamscapes”

“Nightmares & Dreamscapes” was Stephen King’s third short story collection, and my 69th book of his and it was absolutely incredible. Check out my review below!

King released this 960-page collection of 24 short stories in 1993. The only King collection I have left to read is “Hearts In Atlantis,” which has novellas and short stories mixed in, so really “Nightmares & Dreamscapes” was the last one… and for me, it was the best one.

The introduction, which King titled “Myth, Belief, Faith, and Ripley’s Believe It or Not!” was truly incredible and inspirational. It was without a doubt the best introduction to anything I have ever read. I highly recommend you check out the intro, even if for some stupid reason you don’t read the rest of the book, at least read that.

“First, repeat the catechism after me:

I believe a dime can derail a freight-train.

I believe there are alligators in the New York City sewer system, not to mention rats as big as Shetland ponies.

I believe that you can tear off someone’s shadow with a steel tent-pole.

I believe that there really is a Santa Claus, and that all those red-suited guys you see at Christmastime really are his helpers.

I believe there is an unseen world all around us.

I believe that tennis balls are full of poison gas, and if you cut one in two and breathe what comes out, it’ll kill you.

Most of all, I do believe in spooks, I do believe in spooks, I do believe in spooks.”

– Stephen King

Forewarning, this post will be long because I am going to briefly go over each story, so sit back and enjoy the ride!

“Dolan’s Cadillac” – The lead-off story, as King put it, got readers right in the zone. A noir revenge story with an extremely intricate build-up. I really enjoyed this tale and it was one of my favorites in the collection.

“The End of the Whole Mess” – Another gem, and probably my favorite in the collection, just purely for the thoughts you’re left with afterward. One man’s genius brother discovers the saying “there’s something in the water” is actually true. The cure to violence ends up having some serious side-effects.

“Suffer the Little Children” – this story was very dark and pretty disturbing. It leaves you questioning what the right “answer” was. Once you read it, you’ll understand.

“The Night Flier” – A writer for a tabloid magazine, one that seems to specialize in blood, guts, horror and all things supernatural, chases a vampire with a private pilot’s license down the east coast. The final confrontation was intense. The 1997 film adaptation was decent too.

“Popsy” – A young boy gets abducted and later saved by his grandfather, Popsy, who displays similar characteristics to the antagonist of “The Night Flier.” In the notes at the end of the collection, King confirms they are indeed the same person. This story started off somewhat disturbing in the sense of the subject matter but finished in classic bloody-King fashion.

“It Grows on You” – I was disappointed with this one. I was intrigued with the Castle Rock setting and the elderly characters whom had survived the events of “Needful Things,” but the story was just… meh. It has a couple creepy bits but overall, I think it would actually serve better as a novel where we could get more detail.

“Chattery Teeth” – A classic case of King turning something mundane, such as the toy wind-up teeth with feet, into something utterly horrific.

“Dedication” – This story was strange. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it either. It had a sense of realism that made it good, but overall it was slow and not very exciting. This story would be better suited in the collection “Full Dark, No Stars.”

“The Moving Finger” – CRAZY. That’s seriously the best way to describe this one. A man discovers a finger prying around his sink poking through the drain… It was intense, and the way King wrote it made you feel like you were going insane too. WAS IT REAL????

“Sneakers” – this was a strange ghost story, but it definitely gave me the creeps and I really liked it. You’ll never look at a pair of shoes underneath a bathroom stall the same way after reading this one…

“You Know They Got a Hell of a Band” – A couple takes a wrong turn and ends up in a town called Rock and Roll Heaven. Little do they know, it IS Rock and Roll Heaven, and they are now trapped and must listen to nightly concerts from dead rockers. Doesn’t sound too bad actually.

“Home Delivery” – King spins out another gem here. A pregnant woman on an island off the Maine coast, loses her husband while he’s catching Lobsters. She decides to have the baby in the comfort of her own home. Why? Well only the small matter of a zombie apocalypse on the mainland. This is one of my favorites in the collection mainly because of the way King hides the horror and spins a great tale around it.

“Rainy Season” – This story has a very classic King feel to it. A couple staying at a summer home in Maine decide to stay there the wrong year. That night, they get rained on by killer toads with razor sharp teeth. As you can guess, this one doesn’t end well for our “heroes.”

“My Pretty Pony” – A slower tale about a grandfather sharing some wisdom with his grandson. Reading it I really didn’t think I was going to enjoy it, but as the tale unfolds, I grew to really appreciate it and the lesson it left me with. A great message about the passage of time. Not a favorite, but really a beautiful story.

“Sorry, Right Number” – This one blew me away. I didn’t cry, but I definitely got close. King wrote it like a screenplay and I think it really added to the pace and atmosphere of the story. Super dark and depressing but a great tale with a wild twist.

“The Ten O’clock People” – King spins an excellent story here, tapping on real social issues while also adding his usual supernatural twist to it. Every day, at 10 O’clock, people converge outside to smoke their cigarettes (since the office buildings started to ban smoking inside). These people can see things… What they see, are people in higher-power positions with giant grotesque bat heads. This story escalates quickly and is super interesting. One of my favorites.

“Crouch End” – Another favorite of mine from this collection. A couple (huh, King likes screwing with couples, doesn’t he?) gets lost in the suburbs of London and find themselves in the mysterious town of Crouch End. The wife loses the husband after a series of creepy events and begins seeing and hearing disturbing things. She finally makes her way to the police station to share her story. The ending makes readers shout “NO!” King wrote this one as a little ode to Lovecraft.

“The House on Maple Street” – Four siblings discover metal growing beneath the floors and behind the walls of their house. In the cellar, they then discover a control panel with a series of numbers counting down. The eldest hatches a plan to trap their evil step father in the house when the countdown hits zero. When it does, the house takes off. It was a crazy little tale but very fun and left you with a smile on your face.

“The Fifth Quarter” – This felt like a Bachman story, and King even admitted as much in the notes at the end. A man discovers one of his friends got mixed up with some bad people. These people stole money, buried it, made a map to find it again, and tore the map in four pieces to be distributed amongst themselves. Of course, no one trusts one another, and all are trying to get the pieces for themselves. Our main character, the fifth quarter, seeking revenge for his friend, slowly gathers the pieces. It was a cool little tale and I don’t think I did it justice here.

“The Doctor’s Case” – King writes about the classic characters Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson in this murder mystery. In this case, Dr. Watson is the one to discover the murderer, but Holmes, Watson, and an Inspector all decide to hide the evidence and leave the mystery “unsolved.” This was a really interesting tale and pretty ballsy of King to do his own take on such classic characters.

“Umneys’ Last Case” – Umney is a private investigator or detective of sorts who goes about the same daily routine. The day of the story however, things have changed and Umney can’t deal. He gets to his office where he meets his doppelganger who happens to be “God” aka the man who created Umney. Umney is fiction and the doppelganger is the author of the Umney stories. The author intends to write himself into Umney’s life and Umney into the real world. It is a very unique and very cool story.

“Head Down” – This is a non-fiction essay, originally published in “The New Yorker,” about Stephen King’s son Owen’s baseball team, Bangor West, and their run at the Little League championship. King, being a huge baseball fan, and a gifted writer (obviously) was able to spin the tale of his son’s team’s triumph out for readers like one of his own stories. He kept it light and factual but still extremely intriguing and heartwarming. When King told readers of a non-fiction tale in the intro, I was like “Oh boy this will be boring.” WOW was I wrong. Reading this story gave me HUGE feelings of nostalgia back to my little league days.

“Brooklyn August” – King spins out a little poem about baseball for us. It’s a nice conclusion before we reach the notes section where he tells us about some of the stories.

“The Beggar and the Diamond” – After the notes, King hid an extra story. This one is somewhat religious and its King’s take on a Hindu parable. The story wasn’t anything amazing, but the message and the lesson were nice.

Overall, this short story collection was absolutely incredible. I was blown away. If I could give this collection more than a perfect score, I would. But alas, I give “Nightmares & Dreamscapes” a:

5 out of 5

Review Time: “Just After Sunset”

“Just After Sunset” was my 68th Stephen King book and the 5th Short Story collection of his that I have read… it also happens to be the 5th collection of short stories that he wrote. Without further ado, read below and check out my review!

“Just After Sunset” was released in 2008. This 360 page collection containing 13 stories, had a somewhat depressing tone throughout. I enjoyed it but didn’t love it. It was underwhelming.

This is the first time I have reviewed a story collection. I’m going to go through each story individually, so be prepared for some spoilers, but I wouldn’t let that stop you from reading, they won’t be bad, I promise.

The first story, “Willa,” tells the tale of a group of people waiting in a train station. David realizes his wife, Willa, is missing and decides to leave the station to find her even though the other waiting passengers advise against it. He finds her in a bar with live music.

Throughout David and Willa’s discussion, it is revealed to the reader that they, along with the other passengers waiting at the station, are all dead. Their train derailed, killing everyone, but only a few have accepted the fact that they are ghosts stuck in this station.

“The Gingerbread Girl” is the second story and this one was fun. A woman, grieving after the loss of her infant daughter, leaves her husband and lives alone in Florida. While there and on one of her daily runs, she is abducted by a neighbor. She escapes and is chased by her abductor down the beach. I wont ruin the ending, but this was definitely one of the stronger stories in the collection and it is being adapted into a movie.

Next up is “Harvey’s Dream.” This story was more of a tale of foreshadowing than anything. Harvey has a dream, tells his wife, and then they receive a phone call and, as you would expect, Harvey’s dream came true. It’s a little creepy once you read what his dream was about.

“Rest Stop” followed and this one was okay. A man stops at a rest stop to use the restroom and hears a couple arguing and hears the man begin to harm the woman. Our hero steps in to save the day.

“Stationary Bike” was a very interesting story that fell flatter than the Earth (haha just kidding). This story had so much promise, but the ending sucked, it just didn’t wrap up how you’d want. The concept was very cool, touching on aspects from “Rose Madder” or “Duma Key.”

“The Things They Left Behind” was depressing and creepy as hell. A man who decided to call out of work one day, survives 9/11 because of this decision. About a year later, his coworkers’ possessions start showing up in his apartment and he hears things coming from each one. Creepy and depressing are the best words for this story. It is a good one though.

“Graduation Afternoon” came next, and King stayed with the depressed, destroyed New York theme. A girl is being a loner at a graduation party and watched New York city explode in the distance. The story was alright, but that feeling of dread really hit you.

“N.” was my favorite story in the collection. It was also adapted as a comic by Marvel and in my opinion, it deserves a movie. It was creepy, disturbing, and just great. A man finds a Stonehenge-like stone circle in a field in Maine. Looking upon these stones gives him extreme OCD and makes him believe he must act upon these compulsions to keep demons from escaping the circle.

Each person that sees these stones and becomes infected with the compulsions commits suicide after passing the infection onto someone else. The story is very dark but its fantastic. The comic version had an alternate ending that was extremely disturbing.

Next up was my second favorite, “The Cat from Hell.” This story started out a little slow and strange, but the later half and ending were CRAZY. An old man hires a hitman to kill a cat. The old man tells the hitman about the cat’s history of murdering his family members. The hitman, thinking “this will be the easiest job of my life,” takes the cat, but during the car ride, the cat attacks. This story also appeared in the 1990 film version of the horror anthology series from the 1980’s: “Tales From The Darkside.”

I won’t say anymore because its wild, you have to read it. In the “Sunset Notes” section of the collection, where King talks about why he wrote each story, King says he actually wrote “The Cat from Hell” 30 years ago but never used it in a collection until “Just After Sunset.” The story is definitely different from the others, and I think that 30-year difference is why.

“The New York Times at Special Bargain Rates” was next and this one was interesting. A woman receives a call from her husband during his funeral. Yes, you read that right. Her husband is in a building reminiscent of Grand Central station waiting to move on. He tells her a couple premonitions because “time moves differently here.” The story is depressing but has a nice little twist.

“Mute” came next and I really enjoyed this one. A man is in a church confessional telling the pastor about one time he picked up a supposedly def-mute hitchhiker. While driving the man tells the hitchhiker about his cheating wife who is also in trouble with the government for stealing money. Later his wife and her lover turn up dead. Police say the mute hitchhiker is responsible. A very interesting concept and a dark little tale. I liked it.

“Ayana” followed, and this was another interesting one. A family taking care of their terminally ill father are visited by a woman and a young girl, Ayana. Ayana kisses the sickly father and one of the sons and days later the father is no longer dying. The son who received a kiss also, was given a gift. Every now and then, a man visits the son and takes him to hospitals where he must kiss someone else with a terminal illness and save them. This story was mysterious but uplifting, it was enjoyable.

The last story, “A Very Tight Place,” was my third favorite. This story was disgusting but awesome. A man gets locked in an overturned porta-potty by his rival neighbor. I don’t need to say anymore because you can probably smell the fecal matter now. It was so gross to imagine being trapped there, but the story was so good.

Sorry this ended up being long-winded, but it was the best way to show you that the collection as a whole, was underwhelming, but it had some very, very good stories. Overall, I enjoyed it, but of five collections I’ve read, it is number five. I am currently reading the collection “Nightmares & Dreamscapes,” and it is incredible (review coming soon).

Before my rating, I’ll leave you with the last few sentences King uses to close out the collection:

“Take care of yourself… and say! Did you maybe leave the oven on? Or forget to turn off the gas under the patio barbecue? What about the lock on the back door? Did you remember to give it a twist? Things like that are easy to forget, and someone could be slipping in right now. A lunatic, perhaps. One with a knife. So, OCD behavior or not… Better go check, don’t you think?”

Anyway, here is my rating for “Just After Sunset:”

3 Out of 5

“The Tommyknockers” and “The Stand” Join the List of Upcoming Stephen King Adaptations

“The Tommyknockers” and “The Stand” are set to hit theaters and TV screens in the coming years, exciting King fans everywhere.

After the announcement that King’s narrative poem “The Bone Church” was going to be a TV show, news of more adaptations were quiet. Enter James Wan, Roy Lee, Larry Sanitsky, Josh Boone and CBS.

On March 29, Wan and Lee announced they were teaming up with Sanitsky to create a movie adaptation for Stephen King’s novel, “The Tommyknockers.”

“The Tommyknockers” is a 563 page novel released in 1987 about a woman who finds a spaceship buried in her backyard. Through the process of trying to unearth the UFO, an unseen gas is emitted and begins to possess and change the inhabitants of Haven, Maine.

The novel has heavy themes surrounding addiction and often feels disorganized. King said he wrote the novel with bloody tissues hanging from his nose due to too much cocaine use.

I enjoyed it though, in all its jumbled weirdness. It was a fun, unique and overall a great novel that also carried heavy themes of redemption. I gave it a 4 out of 5 and have it ranked 46 out of 63.

James Wan, known for his work on “The Conjuring” films, and Roy Lee who helped produce the 2017 adaptation of Stephen King’s “IT,” have joined Larry Sanitsky who worked on the first adaptation of “The Tommyknockers” which hit TV screens everywhere in 1993. The trio plan to turn the novel into a movie.

The first attempt at an adaptation was hindered by the television platform. Hopefully with Sanitsky’s past experience with “The Tommyknockers” material, Wan’s success in the horror genre, and Lee’s success with King’s material, the trio can give us the worthy adaptation “The Tommyknockers” deserves.

In other, bigger news (yes, bigger), another, much more important King novel, is also being adapted.

One day after the “Tommyknockers” announcement, word of a new adaptation for King’s epic novel “The Stand” hit constant readers in the face.

OMG WHO’S PUMPED?!?! I KNOW I AM!!!

“The Stand” was reportedly picked up by CBS’s streaming service, All Access, for a 10-hour series. Josh Boone, whose past work includes “The Fault in Our Stars” and the upcoming X-Men horror, “The New Mutants,” has been attached to the project since 2014, and is still slated to direct the series.

Stephen King first released “The Stand” in 1978 and the novel tallied in at 823 pages. In 1990 he released an uncut edition which was 1152 pages long. I haven’t read the original, I only read the uncut edition, and it is PHENOMENAL. 5 out of 5, and lands at number 3 in my rankings.

“The Stand” is about a super-flu called Captain Tripps that wipes out almost the entire world population. The novel focuses on the epic battle between good vs evil and how their forces gather and then meet in a wild final showdown.

“The Stand” is where we are introduced to one of the most, if not THE most famous King villain: Randall Flagg.

The novel is epic and the original 1994 TV series directed by Mick Garris, starring Molly Ringwald and Gary Sinise, came in at just over six hours and didn’t do the novel justice whatsoever. The series wasn’t horrible by any means, but it wasn’t good either.

Hopefully Boone does better, and I think with four more hours to work with, better technology and most likely a bigger budget; things should definitely go better this time around. *Fingers Crossed*

So, to recap: read “The Tommyknockers” and “The Stand” BEFORE the adaptations release. They are both great novels, especially “The Stand.” You won’t regret it, and remember: The book is almost always better than the movie!

Stay tuned for updates, and be sure to follow for more news and reviews!

Ranking Stephen King’s Work

Stephen King is the author of more than 70 books in a little over 40 years. His stories reach into almost every genre you can think of and they are all truly works of art. I have read 63 so far (I’ll post another ranking once I’ve finished them all) and I truly love all of them. I haven’t read anything by King that I would consider bad, but some are just much better than others.
Below, I ranked the books I have read. Feel free to leave comments at the end, and if you disagree with me, tell me why, I’m open for discussion. So, without further ado, here we go:

63: “Charlie The Choo Choo” – 20 pages; 2016; 3/5

This is King’s children’s story found within the pages of “The Dark Tower” series. He wrote this under the name Beryl Evans. The story is good and the art by Ned Dameron is better, but having read most of it in “The Dark Tower 3: The Waste Lands” already, the standalone story seems a bit pointless.

62: “The Dark Man” – 76 pages; 2013; 3/5

King wrote this poem when he was very young, and it is disturbing, but honestly the illustrations by Glenn Chadbourne are better than the poem. This is the basis for Randall Flagg though, so it is pretty cool.

61: “Roadwork” – 204 pages; 1981; 3/5

“Roadwork” is a Richard Bachman (King’s pseudonym) book about a man attempting to deal with the eventual loss of his home due to the construction of an overpass. The novel is sad but boring and I struggled to get through it. There were some interesting bits, but overall its just alright.

60: “The Running Man” – 159 pages; 1982; 3/5

“The Running Man,” another Bachman book, is about a man who enters in a life or death game show. It was a very interesting concept and honestly it wasn’t horrible, but it just wasn’t good. I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would and it could have been a lot better.

59: “Blaze” – 260 pages; 2007; 3/5

Yet another Bachman book (they’re not all bad I promise). This one is about a mentally challenged man who kidnaps a wealthy family’s baby for ransom. It was a bit like “Of Mice and Men,” but not nearly as good. This one did make me cry at one point, but overall it was dull.

58: “Dreamcatcher” – 617 pages; 2001; 3/5

Shit weasel aliens. Pretty much the most memorable part of this one for me. There were some aspects that hit your feels, and a return to Derry was nice too, but I couldn’t get into this one. I know a lot of people really enjoy it, but it just wasn’t for me.

57: “From a Buick 8” – 351 pages; 2002; 3/5

Very cool concept about a car that is a portal to another dimension, but the whole thing is told in flashbacks until the very end. While each flashback was cool, the surrounding parts were so dull and aside from a few, most of the flashbacks were disappointing too. There were a couple tear-jerk moments but in the end, it fell flat.

56: “Sleeping Beauties” – 700 pages; 2017; 3/5

King wrote this giant with his youngest son Owen. Before reading this, I was so excited. All the women around the world become covered in a sort of cocoon when they fall asleep, and they won’t wake up. Trying to open the cocoon results in violence. Sounds cool right? Well, it was… but it was also boring and so drawn out. The Kings got too artsy and didn’t focus enough on the good stuff. There were some awesome parts, but the boring outweighed the good.

55: “Full Dark, No Stars” – 386 pages; 2010; 3/5

“Full Dark, No Stars” is a collection of four novellas: “1922,” “Big Driver,” “Fair Extension,” and “A Good Marriage.” This collection wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. “1922” was the only real highlight and it was very good. “Big Driver” was just weird and very reminiscent of the movie “I Spit on Your Grave.” “Fair Extension” was cool but needed more. It felt too quick. In “A Good Marriage,” King writes about a very strong woman, but the story is just okay, and it is a little lengthy and slow.

54: “The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon” – 219 pages; 1999; 3/5

A story about a little girl who gets lost in the woods of New England. This is a creepy tale and especially real but there is really only so much King could do with the subject matter. It wasn’t a bad story by any means and I did really enjoy it, but it was quick and ultimately not super exciting.

53: “Cell” – 350 pages; 2006; 3/5

A cellphone signals turns everyone who is on them into a zombie. This story was cool and started out with a huge punch, one so good you expect that the whole time… but no. The middle events of this novel are too quick. It could have been a lot better.

52: “The Colorado Kid” – 178 pages; 2005; 3/5

I actually really enjoyed this one. An aspiring journalist listens to two old newspaper editors tell her the story of an unsolved death. The story was intriguing but a bit slow and the ending leaves you with no answers. I liked it but would have liked it more if we had come to a resolution of sorts.

51: “Cycle of the Werewolf” – 127 pages; 1985; 4/5

This is a quick graphic novel about a werewolf terrorizing a town for a year. The story is creepy and a good mystery, but I wanted more. The illustrations by the late Berni Wrightson are amazing. King should turn this into a novel because the concept and story are there waiting to be expanded.

50: “Skeleton Crew” – 566 pages; 1985; 3/5

This is a collection of 22 short stories. The collection is good but has a lot of stories I just couldn’t get into. There are a few like “The Mist,” “The Jaunt,” and “Survivor Type,” that are amazing, but in the end, the duds outweigh the studs, forcing “Skeleton Crew” to fall down the rankings.

49: “The Dark Tower: The Wind Through the Keyhole” – 307 pages; 2012; 4/5

“Dark Tower” 4.5. This story is about Roland telling the Ka-Tet a story from his youth where he tells a young boy a fairy tale. Its storyception… a story within a story within a story. I enjoyed this little tale (tales) though. It was tightly written, and the stories were interesting. This one falls just because everything else above it is better.

48: “Thinner” – 282 pages; 1984; 4/5

Another Bachman book. A gypsy curses a man to lose weight. Doesn’t sound like a curse does it? Well it is because the weight loss doesn’t stop. This book was chilling and an interesting idea. It wasn’t overly wordy but the subject matter was a little silly and not a lot happens before the ending (which is great).

47: “Four Past Midnight” – 763 pages; 1990; 4/5

A collection of four novellas: “The Langoliers,” “Secret Window, Secret Garden,” The Library Policeman,” and “The Sun Dog.” All four stories are good but not great. They all have a lot of good things but they all also have their issues and these issues cause this collection to fall.

46: “The Tommyknockers” – 563 pages; 1987; 4/5

This novel is crazy. King said he wrote this novel with bloody tissues hanging from his nostrils after doing too much cocaine… you can tell. The novel is fun and very intricate and intriguing, but it feels disorganized at times and some of the events are just so out there.

45: “The Dark Tower 4: Wizard & Glass” – 781 pages; 1997; 4/5

This book is great, Rolands backstory is truly tragic, but it was too slow at times. This was the one “Dark Tower” novel I had to push through. The beginning and end were great, but the middle build-up is too slow for me and it felt like a huge pause in Roland’s journey to the Tower.

44: “The Dark Tower 6: Song of Susannah” – 411 pages; 2004; 4/5

The 6^th volume in the “Dark Tower” series was fast paced and just a set-up for the grand finale. It was good, but at this point in the series, you are just waiting for the end. There wasn’t enough action and it ended too abruptly.

43: “The Dark Tower 5: Wolves of the Calla” – 709 pages; 2003; 4/5

The 5^th “Dark Tower” novel is a good one for sure, but it is a tad slow and another pause of sorts. There was an air of mystery throughout and a certain character from another novel appears and tells us where he has been for the last 30 years, vaulting this novel over “Song” and “Wizard.”

42: “The Eyes of the Dragon” – 326 pages; 1987; 4/5

King wrote us a nice fairy tale here. he switched up his style and it almost feels like a bedtime or campfire story. It is really good, but the writing style makes everything seem light even though a lot of the subject matter was not.

41: “End of Watch” – 429 pages; 2016; 4/5

The finale of the Hodges trilogy was very good, but king didn’t really stick to what made the first two so good. The first two were realistic while in this one, he reverted to the supernatural which normally is great, but just felt out of place in this series. There were still some great events and disturbing scenes and the ending was water-works worthy though.

40: “The Bazaar of Bad Dreams” – 495 pages; 2015; 4/5

This collection of 15 short stories is truly impressive. King went modern with a few and they were killer. He even drudged up some older subjects and works and put them in this collection and they were great. The few duds brought “Bazaar” down to 40, but the good ones are what keep it here.

39: “Revival” – 403 pages; 2014; 4/5

The title is the subject matter here and it’s a goodie. “Revival” is deep and sometimes overly religious and bashed religion some too but still a great and sad story. The ending is NUTS.

38: “Gerald’s Game” – 332 pages; 1992; 4/5

A woman is chained to her bed during sexual play when her husband dies. This novel is disturbing as hell. Sometimes it gets a bit uncomfortable, especially during the eclipse of 1963, but I really enjoyed this one. The Space Cowboy is one creepy figure too.

37: “Dolores Claiborne” – 305 pages; 1993; 4/5

King delivers another strong female character. Dolores is a badass. Written like a testimony, this novel is only in Dolores’s voice and its still amazing. King never ceases to amaze.

36: “Gwendy’s Button Box” – 164 pages; 2017; 4/5

This novella, co-written with Richard Chizmar, is the return to Castle Rock. A truly beautifully written novella that is too short. Seriously I finished it in two days, I want more!! The story was great, setting was great, characters were great, but it falls because it deserves a full-length novel.

35: “Finders Keepers” – 431 pages; 2015; 4/5

The second novel in the Hodges Trilogy delivers. I really enjoyed this tale and loved the reminiscent feelings of “Misery.” Falls to its predecessor because Morris Bellamy, as creepy as he is, was no Brady.

34: “Desperation” – 690 pages; 1995; 4/5

I really enjoyed King’s messed up trip to the Nevada desert town of Desperation where we get to meet the creepy and disturbed force, Tak. The aspects of possession and the totally deserted town made this a great and creepy tale. It got preachy at times and the backstory was a bit drawn out, but I still liked this a lot more than I thought I would.

33: “Needful Things” – 690 pages; 1990; 4/5

This was subtitled: The Last Castle Rock Story, and King definitely wrote it with that intention. I really enjoyed the slow build to a MAJOR bang finish. The huge cast of characters got a little confusing at times and the final showdown was super stupid. Other than that, this novel was fantastic and absolutely chaotic (in a good way).

32: “The Talisman” – 646 pages; 1984; 4/5

King teamed up with Peter Straub to write this epic adventure about young Jack Sawyer who is in search of the mythic Talisman to help his dying mother. Concept, story, delivery, characters, setting: killer. All amazing. The antagonist is great and there are even some “Dark Tower” nods too. This only falls so low because it gets drawn out a bit at times.

31: “Black House” – 625 pages; 2001; 4/5

The sequel to “The Talisman,” again written with Peter Straub. The sequel beats out its predecessor because the novel is so dark and disturbing, and I got super excited when all the blatant “Dark Tower” ties were said. The novel falls to 31 because the narration at points is like a flyover. I had to force myself through the first 70 pages, but beyond that… WOW.

30: “The Regulators” – 475 pages; 1996; 4/5

Written as Richard Bachman, this is the sister-novel to “Desperation.” The character names are all the same, but instead of the desert, we’re in perfect suburbia Ohio. Tak is our villain again, but the way he torments the protagonists in “Regulators” is just so damn cool.

29: “Under The Dome” – 1072 pages; 2009; 4/5

King wrote a giant masterpiece here. Drop a semi-permeable dome over a small Maine town and see what happens. Shit hits the fan, as the saying goes. This novel is great in so many ways but falls here because the ending was just… just lame. If King could have put a better finish, this one would be higher.

28: “Firestarter” – 428 pages; 1980; 4/5

I really enjoyed this little chase story about a young girl and her father, both with powers, being chased by a secret government agency, The Shop. This story is intense for the most part and an awesome concept. It falls a bit due to some overly wordy explanations and a middle section that felt like it needed a push.

27: “The Dead Zone” – 426 pages; 1979; 4/5

A man gets into a tragic car accident and is in a coma for five years. When he wakes up he discovers he has precognitive abilities. This novel was intense and extremely well written with great characters and a gripping story. There were some slow bits, but I loved this tragic tale. The politics are a solid aspect of the novel too.

26: “Everything’s Eventual” – 459 pages; 2002; 4/5

This collection of 14 short stories is amazing. There were very few, if any, duds. All 14 were creepy and so good. We even got a mini Roland story and another tale, the title story, was about another “Dark Tower” character.

25: “Cujo” – 319 pages; 1981; 4/5

“Cujo” is about… well you know, who doesn’t know? Cujo is a good boy. This novel was surprisingly good for such a simple concept. The terror and realism in this novel make it extra chilling and the way King connects you to the characters makes it extra easy to become invested. That ending turned on the water works.

24: “Mr. Mercedes” – 436 pages; 2014; 4/5

The first novel in the Bill Hodges Trilogy was fantastic. I fell in love with this novel within the first 10 pages. King wrote possibly one of his best villains ever and an amazing hero too. The story was fast paced and kept you on the edge of your seat the entire time.

23: “Night Shift” – 326 pages; 1977; 4/5

King’s first crack at a short story collection is his best. I think there were only one or two stories I didn’t enjoy. Aside from those, the collection was incredible. We got a prequel to “The Stand” as well as a prequel AND sequel to “Salem’s Lot.” King even managed to make me ball my eyes out with a 12-page story.

22: “Christine” – 471 pages; 1983; 4/5

This haunting coming of age story about a very strange love triangle was a lot better than the concept originally seems. A killer car… must be a joke, right? Oh no, Christine is quite chilling, and it is truly a great read.

21: “The Dark Tower 1: The Gunslinger” – 231 pages; 1982; 4/5

The start of “The Dark Tower” saga was great. This quick and easy read gets you instantly sucked into the greatest literary series of all time. I was hooked from the famous opening line: “The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed.”

20: “Doctor Sleep” – 528 pages; 2013; 5/5

The sequel to “The Shining” was the perfect way to follow up the 1975 novel almost 40 years later. We get to see how Danny is as an adult, can you say nostalgia? This novel was beautiful in every way. King was able to make it original and touch on important aspects from its predecessor.

19: “The Long Walk” – 183 pages; 1979; 5/5

A Bachman book, this story is about a dystopia where teen boys must walk until they drop… and when they drop, they are shot. This novel is dark and suspenseful yet beautiful at the same time. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Great characters, great concept, well executed, and some nice twists too.

18: “Carrie” – 199 pages; 1974; 5/5

King’s first novel is a tragic tale about an awkward high school girl who discovers she has telekinetic abilities. This novel is so well written, and the way King subtly hints and mentions the ending throughout the novel was very clever and he still manages to amaze you once you get there.

17: “The Green Mile” – 399 pages; 1996; 5/5

This tragic tale about a man wrongly accused of murder and the guards in charge of watching him while on death row. The guards soon discover this man is very special. Originally released as a serial novel (one part each month for six months), this novel is beautiful. I’m sure you have seen the movie, but trust me, the book is better.

16: “Misery” – 338 pages; 1987; 5/5

Another novel that has an incredible film adaptation. This dark and disturbing novel is every author’s worst nightmare and is guaranteed to give you the creeps. Annie Wilkes “rescues” famous author Paul Sheldon from a car accident. To this day, 4 years later, this book still creeps me out.

15: “Joyland” – 300 pages; 2013; 5/5

This beautiful noir novel is about a college student who spends his summer, and then the following semester, working at an amusement park and attempting to solve a murder at the same time. King wrote this for Hard Case Crime and it is truly a work of art. I personally have never related to a character more than Devin Jones and this novel made me cry like a baby. I’ve said it already, but it is truly beautiful.

14: “The Dark Half” – 431 pages; 1989; 5/5

King wrote under the pseudonym Richard Bachman for a while, and that was the inspiration for this dark and violent novel. An author’s pseudonym comes to life and is on the hunt for its creator. I tore through this novel. It is fast paced, chilling, violent, and a fun read. People dislike this story because it gets a bit barbaric at times, but that is part of the appeal for me.

13: “Rage” – 124 pages; 1977; 5/5

Probably King’s most controversial novel, “Rage,” written under the Richard Bachman name, is about a boy who kills two teachers and holds a classroom full of students hostage. Understandably, King removed this novel from publication. As screwed up as the concept is, this novel and the story are actually really good. If you can get your hands on it, give it a read.

12: “The Dark Tower 7: The Dark Tower” – 830 pages; 2004; 5/5

The finale of “The Dark Tower” series was everything a Tower Junkie could have asked for. It was truly an incredible and tragic wrap to an amazing series. Some people complain about the ending, but really it was the only way to end the story and if you look back, King hinted at it pretty early on. I cried multiple times throughout this giant and I loved every word of it.

11: “The Dark Tower 2: The Drawing of the Three” – 399 pages; 1987; 5/5

The second installment in “The Dark Tower” series is where Roland really starts to get his ka-tet together and this is where the saga starts to get really good. The way King described certain aspects of this novel was truly incredible. Also, this is the book where we get to meet my all-time favorite King character: Eddie Dean.

10: “Different Seasons” – 518 pages; 1982; 5/5

A collection of four absolutely beautiful novellas. “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption,” “Apt Pupil,” “The Body” and “The Breathing Method.” All four of these stories are truly incredible. Three of which have been turned into amazing films, “Shawshank Redemption,” “Stand By Me” and “Apt Pupil.” The realism in these stories make them especially good.

9: “The Dark Tower 3: The Waste Lands” – 509 pages; 1988; 5/5

The third, and my favorite installment in “The Dark Tower” series is where the journey to the Tower truly starts. The ka-tet is whole, and the journey rolls on. This novel is intense from the beginning and it explains a lot of the background info the first two novels were missing. From start to finish, “The Waste Lands” is a roller coaster.

8: “The Shining” – 447 pages; 1977; 5/5

King’s 3^rd novel is creepy as hell. Jack Torrance, his son and his wife, stay alone in the Overlook Hotel in Sidewinder, Colorado during the winter months to take care of the place. The hotel is alive with past spirits and its haunting. Seriously this novel is so good. A slow build to a big bang, but the entirety is filled with creepiness that gives you permanent goosebumps.

7: “Salems Lot” – 478 pages; 1975; 5/5

King’s take on vampires is terrifying. He slowly builds the story and makes you feel like you are a part of the little Maine town, then slowly turns the place into Hell. It is truly incredible how subtly he does this and how good it is. Barlow is a great villain and Ben Mears is an awesome protagonist.

6: “11/22/63” – 842 pages; 2011; 5/5

A man goes back in time to stop the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The research, time and effort King put into this one is truly admirable, and it shows throughout the story. With such a singular topic, he somehow managed to add other plot developments that made the story roll along at a perfect pace. This is a masterpiece… much like the next 5 novels you will see.

5: “Insomnia” – 787 pages; 1994; 5/5

This giant novel is pretty much a “Dark Tower” novel that takes place in Derry and has a lot of “IT” mentions. It is truly a work of art. King went all in on this one and I absolutely adored it. I cried like a little baby at the end… no shame. Read my review to see how much I loved this one.

4: “Duma Key” – 609 pages; 2008; 5/5

Okay, this novel is amazing. After reading this I really felt like it made me a better person. Following along with Edgar Freemantle as he slowly reinvents himself was truly heartwarming. The way King slowly and easily inserts creepy and mysterious elements were amazing. Another tear jerker, “Duma Key” is one of those books that leaves a lasting impression.

3: “The Stand” – 1153 pages; 1978; 5/5

King’s longest and most epic novel is… well its EPIC. A virus known as Captain Tripps wipes out most of the population and the remaining people are split into two factions. A good vs evil story sprawled out across over 1000 pages of pure awesomeness. We are also introduced to the ultimate King bad-guy, Randall Flagg. This book has everything. The page count may seem daunting, but its worth it.

2: “IT” – 1138 pages; 1986; 5/5

King’s scariest novel to date, about a shape-shifting clown who terrorized a group of kids in Derry Maine is an amazing story. This group of kids, The Losers Club, stand up to the entity as kids and again as adults. The way King writes this novel, jumping from 1958 to 1986 is masterful. Not only is this story amazing, but it will scare the crap out of you too.

1: “Pet Sematary” – 374 pages; 1983; 5/5

A seemingly perfect family moves into a new house and behind their new home, lies an ancient Indian burial ground where if the dead are buried there, they will come back. This novel is terrifying, beautiful, tragic, and amazing all wrapped into one. This is the perfect novel. The five previously mentioned novels have everything, and this one has everything… but better. I truly love this novel. It moved me in ways I didn’t think previously possible.

As a whole, “The Dark Tower” series belong here, at #1, but because I did each novel individually, its not. It is truly the greatest literary series ever created. “The Dark Tower” is known as King’s magnum opus and the center of his storybook universe.

Anyway, if you made it here, I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading my opinions and I hope you agree, but if you don’t, that’s fine, everyone feels differently, everyone sees things and interprets things differently. That is the true beauty of books. Again, thanks for reading and leave some comments!