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Carrie was King’s breakout debut, putting his distinct style of writing and horror genius on the map. Published in 1974, the 199-page novel is about social outcast Carrie, a bullied high schooler who discovers she has telekinetic powers. After her classmates pull a cruel prank on her at prom, Carrie uses her abilities to inflict some horrific (and seriously gory) pain on them in turn.
While Carrie is considered a horror classic by many, not everyone was thrilled with King’s tale of teenage torment, rage and revenge. It’s a frequently banned book in schools across the United States, given the book’s vivid description of violence and other themes. However, others were captivated by King’s debut—so much so that Carrie was made into a film starring Sissy Spacek in 1976. You can pick a side after giving it a read.
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Ah, IT—the book that introduced us to Pennywise the Dancing Clown and undoubtedly inspired a case or two of coulrophobia. 1986’s IT is one of the best Stephen King books out there, taking readers on a nightmare-inducing trip for 1,000-plus pages (seriously). The novel tells the story of seven adults who come back to their hometown of Derry, Maine, to face off against an evil force known as IT, an entity they bravely battled as children.
IT has several elements that make it a horror masterpiece, but two stand out. First, King’s incredible attention to detail, which brings the terrifying events easily, and clearly, to life. Second, the theme at the center of the story: good versus evil, in more ways than just the supernatural. Horror fans couldn’t get enough of this spine-chilling story. In fact, the Losers Club and Pennywise made their way to both small and big screens over the years, first with a 1990 miniseries, then with a 2017 box office success and its 2019 sequel (both are great Halloween movies to stream). Before you watch the films, though, read the ominous tale and let your mind bring it to life.
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1983’s Pet Sematary is one of King’s scariest, most disturbing works to date. It’s about a family that moves to Maine and discovers two graveyards near their property—one for pets that have passed, and the other a Native American burial ground with seemingly unreal powers. When tragedy strikes the family, the patriarch debates using its powers to bring back the dead … but as he learns the hard way, going against nature has dreadful consequences.
Pet Sematary expertly combines supernatural terror with authentic horror, like unimaginable loss and pure desperation. The story is so good it was nominated for a World Fantasy Award in 1984. And of course there were movie adaptations, one in 1989 and one in 2019. Rumor has it, King himself had trouble finishing it because the story was so frightening. Think you can handle a few chapters before bed?
