🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About Stephen King
Stephen King is a prolific American author who is known for his suspense and fantasy novels. King has written several novels since his first short story sale in 1967 that have become pop cultural signposts. Every Stephen King reader has a favorite tale or series, from Christine to Cujo. His works have sold more than 350 million copies. Many of these have been adapted into movies or series for television. He has written many books, including non-fiction and over 200 short stories. King also has an alias named Richard Bachman. Stephen King was born September 21, 1947 in Portland, Maine. He has an older brother, David. His parents Donald and Nellie Ruth divorced when he was young. When he was eleven they moved from Indiana to Durham, Maine.
All Book Series by Stephen King
Gwendy's Button Box
Series opener · book 1 of 3 · published 2017 Co-authored · Richard T. Chizmar
Gwendy's Magic Feather
Book 2 of 3 · published 2019 Anthology · Richard T. Chizmar
Gwendy's Final Task
Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 2022 Co-authored · Richard T. Chizmar
The Complete Concordance
Latest in the series · book 9 of 9 · published 2012 Co-authored · Robin Furth
The Gunslinger Born
Series opener · book 1 of 6 · published 2007 Anthology · Robin Furth,Peter David
The Long Road Home
Book 2 of 6 · published 2008 Anthology · Robin Furth,Peter David,Richard Isanove
Treachery
Book 3 of 6 · published 2009 Anthology · Robin Furth,Peter David,Richard Isanove
The Fall of Gilead
Book 4 of 6 · published 2009 Anthology · Robin Furth,Peter David,Richard Isanove
Battle of Jericho Hill
Book 5 of 6 · published 2010 Co-authored · Robin Furth,Peter David
The Sailor
Latest in the series · book 6 of 6 · published 2017 Anthology · Robin Furth
The Drawing of the Three Omnibus
Latest in the series · book 5 of 5 · published 2023 Anthology · Robin Furth
The Secretary of Dreams Volume 2
Latest in the series · book 2 of 2 · published 2010
One Past Midnight: The Langoliers (Four Past Midnight)
Book 18 of 45 · published 1989
A Face in the Crowd
Book 83 of 107 · published 2012 Co-authored · Stewart O'Nan
Low Men In Yellow Coats (in Hearts in Atlantis)
Book 97 of 107 · published 2018
Graveyard Shift: and Other Stories from Night Shift
Book 11 of 22 · published 1999
Secret Windows: Essays and Fiction on the Craft of Writing
Book 13 of 22 · published 2000
Road Rage
Book 19 of 22 · published 2012 Co-authored · Joe Hill,Richard Matheson,Chris Ryall
The Talisman: Road of Trials
Book 3 of 5 · published 2009 Co-authored · Peter Straub,Tony Shasteen
American Vampire, Vol. 1
Series opener · book 1 of 9 · published 2010 Co-authored · Scott Snyder
American Vampire 1976
Latest in the series · book 9 of 9 · published 2022 Anthology · Scott Snyder
Bare Bones: Conversations on Terror with Stephen King
Book 3 of 9 · published 1988 Co-authored · Chuck Miller,Tim Underwood
Feast of Fear: Conversations with Stephen King
Book 5 of 9 · published 1989 Co-authored · Chuck Miller,Tim Underwood
Charlie the Choo-Choo
Series opener · book 1 of 2 · published 2016 Pen name · Beryl Evans
Hansel and Gretel
Latest in the series · book 2 of 2 · published 2025 Co-authored · Maurice Sendak
Storm of the Century: An Original Screenplay
Series opener · book 1 of 2 · published 1999
Ghost Brothers of Darkland County
Latest in the series · book 2 of 2 · published 2013 Co-authored · T. Bone Burnett
The Best Horror of the Year: Volume One
Series opener · book 1 of 19 · published 2009
The Best of the Best Horror of the Year: 10 Years of Essential Short Horror Fiction
Book 11 of 19 · published 2018
Best Horror of the Year, Volume Eighteen
Latest in the series · book 19 of 19 · published 2026
Dark Screams: Volume One
Series opener · book 1 of 9 · published 2014 Co-authored · Kelley Armstrong,Richard T. Chizmar,Ramsey Campbell,Bill Pronzini,Simon Clark,Brian James Freeman
Dark Screams: Volume Two
Book 2 of 9 · published 2015 Anthology · Brian James Freeman,Shawntelle Madison
Dark Screams: Volume Three
Book 3 of 9 · published 2015 Anthology · Brian James Freeman
Dark Screams: Volume Four
Book 4 of 9 · published 2015 Anthology · Brian James Freeman
Dark Screams: Volume Five
Book 5 of 9 · published 2015 Anthology · Brian James Freeman
Dark Screams: Volume Six
Book 6 of 9 · published 2017 Anthology · Brian James Freeman
Dark Screams: Volume Seven
Book 7 of 9 · published 2017 Anthology · Brian James Freeman
Dark Screams: Volume Eight
Book 8 of 9 · published 2017 Anthology · Richard T. Chizmar,Brian James Freeman,Frank Darabont
Dark Screams: Volume Nine
Latest in the series · book 9 of 9 · published 2018 Anthology · Kelley Armstrong
Legends
Series opener · book 1 of 3 · published 1998 Co-authored · Anne McCaffrey,Robert Silverberg
Legends II: Dragon, Sword, and King
Book 2 of 3 · published 1998 Anthology · Diana Gabaldon,George R.R. Martin,Orson Scott Card,Terry Brooks,Robert Silverberg,Neil Gaiman,Elizabeth Haydon
Legends 3
Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 1999 Anthology · Terry Pratchett,Tad Williams,Robert Jordan,Robert Silverberg,Ursula K. Le Guin
Volume III:A Fabulous, Formless Darkness
Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 1991
Captain Trips
Series opener · book 1 of 6 · published 2009 Co-authored · Mike Perkins,LauraMartin,Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
American Nightmares
Book 2 of 6 · published 2009 Co-authored · Mike Perkins,LauraMartin,Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Hardcases
Book 3 of 6 · published 2010 Co-authored · Mike Perkins,Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Soul Survivors
Book 4 of 6 · published 2010 Co-authored · Mike Perkins,LauraMartin,Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
No Man's Land
Book 5 of 6 · published 2011 Co-authored · Mike Perkins,Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
The Night Has Come
Latest in the series · book 6 of 6 · published 2012 Co-authored · Mike Perkins,Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2010 Edition
Series opener · book 1 of 15 · published 2010
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2011 Edition
Book 2 of 15 · published 2011
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy and Horror, 2012 Edition
Book 3 of 15 · published 2012
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2013 Edition
Book 4 of 15 · published 2013
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2014 Edition
Book 5 of 15 · published 2014
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2015 Edition
Book 6 of 15 · published 2015
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2016 Edition
Book 7 of 15 · published 2016
The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2017 Edition
Book 8 of 15 · published 2017
The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2018 Edition
Book 9 of 15 · published 2018
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2019 Edition
Book 10 of 15 · published 2020
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy and Horror, Volume 3
Book 13 of 15 · published 2022
The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, Volume 5
Latest in the series · book 15 of 15 · published 2024
Transgressions
Series opener · book 1 of 4 · published 2005 Co-authored · Lawrence Block,Anne Perry,Jeffery Deaver,Sharyn McCrumb,Ed McBain,Donald E. Westlake,Bonnie Jeanne Perry,Joyce Carol Oates,Walter Mosley,John Farris
Transgressions, Vol. 2
Book 2 of 4 · published 2006 Co-authored · Lawrence Block,Ed McBain,John Farris
Transgressions, Vol. 3
Book 3 of 4 · published 2006 Anthology · Anne Perry,Sharyn McCrumb,Ed McBain,Donald E. Westlake,John Farris
Transgressions, Vol. 4
Latest in the series · book 4 of 4 · published 2006 Anthology · Anne Perry,Sharyn McCrumb,Ed McBain
Dark Forces: New Stories of Suspense and Supernatural Horror
Book 8 of 127 · published 1980
The Seventeenth Fontana Book of Great Ghost Stories
Book 11 of 127 · published 1981
Fear Itself: The Horror Fiction of Stephen King
Book 17 of 127 · published 1982
The Best Horror Stories from the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
Book 30 of 127 · published 1988
I Shudder at Your Touch: Twenty Two Tales of Sex and Horror
Book 42 of 127 · published 1991
Year's Best Fantasy & Horror: Ninth Annual Collection
Book 52 of 127 · published 1996
Eternal Lovecraft: The Persistence of HPL in Popular Culture
Book 60 of 127 · published 1998
The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Twelfth Annual Collection
Book 64 of 127 · published 1999
The Best American Mystery Stories of the Century
Book 67 of 127 · published 2000
The Wavedancer Benefit: A Tribute to Frank Muller
Book 72 of 127 · published 2002
Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Seventeenth Annual Collection
Book 77 of 127 · published 2004
First Words: Earliest Writing from Favorite Contemporary Authors
Book 88 of 127 · published 2009
The Year's Best Dark Fantasy and Horror, 2012 Edition
Book 101 of 127 · published 2012
Hard Listening: The Greatest Rock Band Ever (of Authors) Tells All
Book 103 of 127 · published 2013
The End of the World As We Know It: New Tales of Stephen King's The Stand
Latest in the series · book 127 of 127 · published 2025
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Stephen King?
Stephen King is a prolific American author who is known for his suspense and fantasy novels. King has written several novels since his first short story sale in 1967 that have become pop cultural signposts. Every Stephen King reader has a favorite tale or series, from Christine to Cujo.
Which Stephen King series should I start with?
The best place to start is The Shining series, the earliest of Stephen King's multi-book series: it opens with Before the Play (1977) and runs to 3 books across 1977–2013, ending with Doctor Sleep (2013). Stephen King's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.
How many books has Stephen King written?
Stephen King has 443 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1971 and 2026. 124 of them belong to 21 named series — the largest being The Dark Tower series with 9 books — and 319 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Stephen King's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Stephen King's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are The Shining (1977–2013, 3 books), The Dark Tower (1982–2012, 9 books) and Talisman (1984–2026, 3 books), plus 13 more.
How are Stephen King's books organised into series?
This guide splits Stephen King's 443 books into 21 named series and 319 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: The Dark Tower (9 books, 1982–2012); American Vampire (9 books, 2010–2022); Dark Screams Anthology (9 books, 2014–2018); Holly Gibney (7 books, 2014–2025); The Dark Tower: Beginnings (6 books, 2007–2017), plus 16 further series.
How are Stephen King's books organised into series?
This guide splits Stephen King's 443 books into 21 named series and 319 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: The Dark Tower (9 books, 1982–2012); American Vampire (9 books, 2010–2022); Dark Screams Anthology (9 books, 2014–2018); Holly Gibney (7 books, 2014–2025); The Dark Tower: Beginnings (6 books, 2007–2017), plus 16 further series.