Stephen King Books in Publication Order: The Only Checklist You Need

If you’re trying to tackle the massive mountain of prose that is Stephen King’s career, honestly, I get it. It’s intimidating. The man writes faster than most people read. Since 1974, he’s been a fixture on bedside tables, and even now in 2026, he shows zero signs of slowing down. People always ask if they should read him by "vibe" or by "series," but there is something uniquely satisfying about following Stephen King books in publication order.

You get to see the "Uncle Stevie" evolution. You watch a hungry, broke teacher in Maine transform into the guy who defined modern horror, then move into fantasy, and eventually become a master of the hard-boiled detective novel.

The Early Years: When the World Met Carrie

It all started with a book that almost ended up in the trash. Literally. King’s wife, Tabitha, rescued the manuscript of Carrie from the wastebasket. Thank God she did.

• Carrie (1974)
• 'Salem's Lot (1975)
• The Shining (1977)
• Rage (1977) – Originally published as Richard Bachman
• Night Shift (1978) – His first short story collection
• The Stand (1978)
• The Long Walk (1979) – Bachman
• The Dead Zone (1979)

The 70s were lean and mean. The Stand is the obvious heavyweight here, but don't sleep on The Long Walk. It’s a Bachman book, which basically means King was letting his meanest, most cynical impulses run wild. It’s a story about kids walking until they die. Dark? Yeah. Essential? Absolutely.

The 80s Explosion and the Rise of the Bachman Books

By the 1980s, King was everywhere. He was also secretly publishing under the name Richard Bachman to see if he could replicate his success without the "Stephen King" brand. Spoiler alert: he could.

✨ Don't miss: Finding the Best Roger from American Dad Stuffed Animal Without Getting Scammed

1. Firestarter (1980)
2. Roadwork (1981) – Bachman
3. Danse Macabre (1981) – Non-fiction about horror
4. Cujo (1981)
5. The Running Man (1982) – Bachman
6. The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger (1982)
7. Different Seasons (1982) – Contains "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption"
8. Christine (1983)
9. Pet Sematary (1983)
10. Cycle of the Werewolf (1983)
11. The Talisman (1984) – Co-written with Peter Straub
12. Thinner (1984) – Bachman
13. Skeleton Crew (1985) – Collection including "The Mist"
14. It (1986)
15. The Eyes of the Dragon (1987)
16. The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three (1987)
17. Misery (1987)
18. The Tommyknockers (1987)
19. Nightmares in the Sky (1988) – Non-fiction
20. The Dark Half (1989)

Look at 1987. The man published The Drawing of the Three, Misery, and The Tommyknockers in a single year. That’s insane. Misery is arguably one of the best "non-supernatural" thrillers ever written. It’s just a room, a writer, and a very "number one fan."

The 90s: Going Deeper into the Multiverse

The 90s saw King dealing with more experimental structures. We got The Green Mile, which was originally released as six monthly chapbooks. This was also when the connections between his books—the "King Multiverse"—started to become really obvious.

• Four Past Midnight (1990)
• The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands (1991)
• Needful Things (1991)
• Gerald's Game (1992)
• Dolores Claiborne (1992)
• Nightmares & Dreamscapes (1993)
• Insomnia (1994)
• Rose Madder (1995)
• The Green Mile (1996)
• Desperation (1996)
• The Regulators (1996) – Bachman
• The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass (1997)
• Bag of Bones (1998)
• The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (1999)
• Hearts in Atlantis (1999)

Gerald’s Game and Dolores Claiborne are basically companion pieces. They were originally meant to be one book called In the Sunlight, In the Rain. They explore themes of trauma and memory in a way that’s way more sophisticated than the "horror guy" label usually allows for.

The 2000s: Recovery and the Magnum Opus

In 1999, King was hit by a van while walking in Maine. He almost died. His recovery influenced everything that came after, especially the conclusion of his Dark Tower series.

1. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (2000)
2. Dreamcatcher (2001)
3. Black House (2001) – With Peter Straub
4. Everything's Eventual (2002)
5. From a Buick 8 (2002)
6. The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla (2003)
7. The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah (2004)
8. The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower (2004)
9. Faithful (2004) – Non-fiction about the Red Sox
10. The Colorado Kid (2005)
11. Cell (2006)
12. Lisey's Story (2006)
13. Blaze (2007) – Bachman
14. Duma Key (2008)
15. Just After Sunset (2008)
16. Under the Dome (2009)

On Writing is basically the Bible for aspiring writers. If you haven't read it, do it today. It’s half-memoir, half-masterclass. It also captures the raw reality of his accident and how he used work to pull himself out of the pain.

2010 to 2020: The Hard Case and Holly Gibney

This era is fascinating because King started playing with genre more than ever. He wrote pulp mysteries for Hard Case Crime and introduced us to Holly Gibney in the Bill Hodges trilogy. Holly is one of those characters who just refused to leave; King kept writing her into new books.

• Full Dark, No Stars (2010)
• 11/22/63 (2011) – Widely considered his modern masterpiece
• The Dark Tower: The Wind Through the Keyhole (2012)
• Joyland (2013)
• Doctor Sleep (2013) – The sequel to The Shining
• Mr. Mercedes (2014)
• Revival (2014)
• Finders Keepers (2015)
• The Bazaar of Bad Dreams (2015)
• End of Watch (2016)
• Gwendy's Button Box (2017) – With Richard Chizmar
• Sleeping Beauties (2017) – With Owen King
• The Outsider (2018)
• Elevation (2018)
• The Institute (2019)
• If It Bleeds (2020)

11/22/63 isn't a horror book. It’s a time-travel romance/thriller about the JFK assassination. It’s also probably the best thing he’s written in the last twenty years.

The 2020s and the Road to Never Flinch (2025-2026)

We are currently in a very prolific era for King. He’s leaning into his "detective" era while still dipping into dark fantasy.

• Later (2021)
• Billy Summers (2021)
• Gwendy's Final Task (2022)
• Fairy Tale (2022)
• Holly (2023)
• You Like It Darker (2024) – Short stories
• Never Flinch (May 2025)
• Hansel and Gretel (September 2025) – A reimagining of the classic tale

Never Flinch, released in mid-2025, brings Holly Gibney back yet again. This time, she's a bodyguard for a women’s rights activist. It’s a high-stakes thriller that proves King still knows how to pace a story better than anyone in the business.

What Most People Get Wrong About Reading King

You don’t have to read The Dark Tower first. In fact, you probably shouldn't.

🔗 Read more: Why Big Me Foo Fighters Lyrics Are the Most Important Minute and a Half in 90s Rock

Many fans think they need to understand the "Multiverse" before they dive into the standalone novels. That’s a mistake. King writes his books so they can be enjoyed in a vacuum. If you happen to notice that a character from Insomnia shows up in The Dark Tower, that’s just a "Constant Reader" easter egg. It's not a requirement for entry.

Another big misconception? That he’s just a "scary" writer. If you skip The Body (from Different Seasons) or Billy Summers because you don't like ghosts, you're missing out on some of the best character work in American literature.

How to Actually Tackle This List

Don't try to read all 70+ books in one go. You’ll burn out. Instead, try one of these three entry points:

The "Classic" Route: Start with Carrie, 'Salem's Lot, and The Shining. This gives you the DNA of his style.

The "Modern Master" Route: Read 11/22/63 and Billy Summers. This shows you the polished, older King who is more interested in people than monsters.

The "Holly Gibney" Saga: If you like crime fiction, start with Mr. Mercedes and follow that character through The Outsider and into Holly and Never Flinch.

The best part about Stephen King books in publication order is that the journey isn't over. As of early 2026, he’s still active, still tweeting about the Red Sox, and still scaring the hell out of us. Grab a copy of Carrie and see where the path takes you.

Actionable Next Steps:
Check your local library or used bookstore for a copy of Different Seasons. It contains four novellas, two of which became the movies The Shawshank Redemption and Stand By Me. It is the perfect litmus test to see if you like King’s non-horror writing. From there, move to The Stand if you want an epic, or Misery if you want something fast and tight.