Reading time: 14 min.

It’s not so easy to find a fascinating book with a non-standard plot. Perhaps that is why many people liked the work of Stephen King. After all, each of his literary works is a fascinating intricacy of mystical and real events, and it is difficult to stop reading such a work without fully experiencing the final chords. This review is a small guide to some of the author's key works that make you feel the whole gamut of emotions from genuine horror and oppressive tension to empathy and admiration. So, the Big Rating magazine presents the best books by Stephen King in the TOP-15 ranking.

The Dark Tower series (1982-2004)

The series of novels tells the story of the fearless knight Roland, who travels across the boundaries of time. He is the last hero, yearning to restore harmony in a world of destruction, epidemics, famine, disease and war. His mission is to find the focus of the Force, the cornerstone of the entire universe - the Dark Tower. In the midst of world evil, the hero must enter into a battle for lost ideals with the main enemy. On a dangerous and difficult journey, Roland's companions become people from the real world: former drug addict and thief Eddie Dean and a legless woman with a split consciousness, Odetta Holmes. The travelers are confronted by a “man in black” - a powerful sorcerer who previously predicted Roland’s fate on Tarot cards. The heroes of the book must make a difficult journey through intricate meridians and parallels, light years and unimaginable retrospectives.

Under the Dome (2009)

The small town of Chester Mill was surrounded by a glass dome on a clear autumn day. You cannot leave the city, leave or fly away. When attempts to break the dome are unsuccessful, people try to get used to the idea of ​​isolation from the outside world. But how to survive if fuel and food supplies are not unlimited? Panic is growing among the townspeople and psychosis is spreading. And there are also plenty of madmen ready to kill for the sake of power or entertainment in Chester Mill. People create riots and strive for power. The once quiet city turns into a hellish theater, where the leading roles belong to rapists, murderers and cannibals. Will the townspeople be able to overcome the chaos or destroy the mysterious dome when time is against them?

Dead Zone (1979)

Young teacher Johnny's date with his girlfriend at an amusement park ends in a car accident and a five-year coma. The guy's father and his girlfriend are losing hope for his recovery. Only his religious mother is waiting for her son to come out of his coma. And Johnny returned to life, but now it’s hard to call it normal. A head injury received in childhood, aggravated by the consequences of an accident, awakens the hero's gift of clairvoyance. The book is a real revelation about how a person can control destiny, live and fight based on superpowers. The “Dead” Zone is read in one breath, evokes a storm of emotions and leaves behind stunning impressions.

11\22\63 (2011)

What would you do if you had the opportunity to change the past? On the pages of his science fiction novel, Stephen King touches on one of the main tragedies of the United States in the twentieth century - the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The main character of the work “11/22/63” is an ordinary teacher who has an unusual opportunity - he can save the leader of the state. Jake Epping's terminally ill friend Al tells him that there is a door to the past in the storeroom and asks him to go back in time and prevent the assassination of President Kennedy. Jake agrees out of personal motive to save the mother of his friend Gary's brothers and sisters, who died at the hands of the head of the family at the same time. The hero will live 5 years in Kennedy-era America, trying to change the future. But what price will you have to pay for deforming an entire page of history?

Green Mile (1996)

There are a huge number of metaphors for naming the short inevitable path from life to death. For example, in prison for the most notorious villains this road is called the “green mile.” And this path ends with the electric chair. The story is narrated by a former prison warden, Paul Edgecombe. About half a century ago, Paul worked on the death row, one of whom was a certain John Coffey, an African-American of gigantic stature. Coffey was on his deathbed for raping and killing two little girls. The unit's employees witness unique events that not only prove Coffey's innocence, but also reveal that the suicide bomber has a supernatural gift of healing. But should we expect justice from the law enforcement system?

Christina (1983)

The meeting of seventeen-year-old loser Ernie Cunninghame with a retro Plymouth Fury car becomes love at first sight. The car owner easily agrees to sell the car to the guy, but will forgive him for calling the car by the name “Christina”. Ernie dotes on his acquisition, but his enthusiasm is not shared by his parents, his best friend Dennis, or the guy’s beautiful school girlfriend. Always meek, bullied by his classmates, Ernie becomes angry and aggressive. Persuasion to sell the car does not work on the guy, and everyone who asked him to sell will greatly regret it. After all, “Christina” is not a simple car, but a death machine generated by the forces of evil, and it’s clearly not worth crossing its path.

Insomnia (1994)

As everyday experience shows, insomnia is a passing phenomenon. This is just what will happen to a person who has not slept for many months. The death of his beloved wife becomes a real tragedy for Ralph Roberts. An elderly person begins to suffer from severe insomnia, reaching the point where he almost stops sleeping. Over time, severe lack of sleep begins to be supplemented by hallucinations. Ralph imagines human auras and short bald people taking lives. How real are the bloody visions of sleepless nights? Ralph is not entirely sure about this. But he is clearly aware that a little more time will pass and madness is inevitable.

Lot (1975)

The disappearance of one person without a trace is always a topic of speculation and gossip. But what can we say when entire families are sold, and even as if they had never lived next door to you? When residents began to disappear in one of the US cities, a whole swarm of questions that no one could answer depressingly hung over the townspeople. The sadness and dying hope of the relatives was replaced by surprise when all the disappeared returned back to the city. But who are the returnees now? Stephen King considers “The Lot” one of his best works: the pages of the book are saturated with grave cold, and its characters are evil and bloodthirsty vampires, without the slightest hint of glamor. Before reading the novel, it is recommended to stock up on crucifixes and lay out garlic.

Misery (1987)

What writer doesn't need fame, recognition, fans and positive criticism? But for the main character of the novel “Misery” they turned into a real nightmare. When the famous romance novelist Paul Sheldon was the victim of a car accident, a longtime fan, forty-year-old Annie Wilkes, took care of him. The injuries received seriously limited the writer’s ability to move independently, and with a clear consciousness comes the terrifying understanding that he was locked in the house of an insane savior, far outside the city. Misery is a psychological thriller where the fear and despair of the main character, faced with limitless obsession, screams from every page of the novel. And death from an accident is already beginning to seem like a more merciful outcome.

Carrie (1974)

One of the most frequently filmed works of Stephen King. Carrietta White is a schoolgirl from a dysfunctional family, raised by a fanatical religious mother. At home, Carrie is tortured by her mother, who hates the girl from birth, because she sees in her the fruit of her sinfulness. At school, Carrie is bullied by her classmates. Their main draw was to elect Carrie as the school's prom queen. But when the girl was doused with pig’s blood, no one knew that the downtrodden schoolgirl had the gift of telekinesis. An enraged Carrie sets the school on fire and almost all the high school students and teachers die in the fire. And at home, her mother is already waiting for the girl, armed with a table knife. On the pages of the novel you will not find either forgiveness or compassion. The monsters here are not fictional or fairy-tale characters - these are real people we meet every day.

Pet Sematary (1983)

The Creed family moves into a house on the outskirts of a small town. They immediately make friends with new neighbor Jude Crandall, who tells the Creeds that the path behind their house leads to a pet cemetery. This is where local children have buried their dead pets for decades. But this place turns out to be not so harmless. Beyond its borders lie Indian lands possessed by the evil spirit of Wendigo. Pets buried on holy ground are resurrected and returned home. When the Creed daughter's beloved cat is killed by a truck, Jute takes Louis to an Indian cemetery. The pet came to life, but became cruel and aggressive. It is also strictly forbidden to bury people in this cemetery. But the father, driven by the call of grief, cannot be stopped by prohibitions.

It (1986)

Schoolchildren Mike, Beverly, Richie, Ben, Stan and Eddie were united by the constant bullying of classmate Henry and his friends into the Losers Club. But the kids will have to confront not only school bullies, but also a dark entity that has settled in the sewers of the city of Derry. The monster can change its appearance, kidnaps and kills children. After the death of Billy's younger brother, friends go down into the sewers wanting to destroy the insidious monster. Children do not yet realize how brutal and lengthy this fight will be. The cyclical nature of terrible events brings old friends together again after many years. In the work, King reveals the impact of childhood trauma on adult life, the meaning of memory and the power of friendship.

Rita Hayworth or The Shawshank Redemption (1982)

This book is unique for the author himself, since it was written in an unusual genre for him, and the film based on it has become a classic of world cinema. The calm and measured life of Andy Dufresne turned into a nightmare in just one evening. His unfaithful wife and her lover were found dead. The police suspect the deceived husband of double murder, and a quick trial brings Andy to the darkest prison in the country - Shawshank. Overnight, the hero’s family and professional well-being was swept away by two life sentences and solitary confinement. The harsh rules and thick walls of the prison leave no chance for prisoners to escape. But Andy is confident of success, because for this he has stocked up with everything necessary: ​​a poster with a luxurious beauty and a very saving Bible.

Shining (1977)

How well can we know and understand the person related to us by marriage? And will the human mind survive if understatement and uncertainty are subjected to the powerful influence of an otherworldly force? Jack Torrance is trying to realize himself as a writer, but so far he can barely make ends meet, trying to feed his family. When Jack gets a job as a caretaker at a closed hotel in the mountains, he moves there with his wife and son. The raging winter elements block the roads, isolating the Torrance family from the outside world. Now temporary residents will have to be left alone with hidden hotel guests. The Shining is King's first best-selling hardcover novel.

A fascinating novel, in which the plot is a fascinating interweaving of mysticism and very real events, is quite difficult to find among works of modern literature. In an effort to get a book that cannot be closed without feeling the final chords, it makes sense to turn to a famous author. The literary works of Stephen King won a devoted readership when the author, according to American laws, had not yet reached the age of majority. Subsequently, the writer presented new works with enviable frequency. Each successive novel deservedly and justifiably became a bestseller. However, the author constantly had doubts, strived for perfection, constantly refined the finished original, and completely threw one of the popular novels into the trash because of uncertainty about the power of the main storyline. Despite all the torments of creativity, Stephen King's talent and his best books received appropriate laurels. The current review will become a miniature guide to the key pillars of the work of an outstanding master, who can make one feel admiration, sympathy, genuine horror, and oppressive tension with just a word. The emotions will last much longer than the time spent reading. So, top 10 best books by Stephen King.

10. Lot

The list of the best books by Stephen King opens with “The Lot.” The mysterious disappearance of a person always leads to a heap of the most disconcerting guesses. When there is not the slightest reason to build a chain of events that unfold sequentially and logically from the point of view of common sense and psychology, space opens up to create versions that do not obey the laws of reality. In a small city in one of the American states, residents begin to disappear. Sometimes individual families are lost sight of as if they had never lived in the neighborhood. Sadness and a huge number of unanswered questions are depressing. The fading hope of the relatives is replaced by surprise when the missing return to their homes, and then by horror from the realization of who has actually returned to the city.

11/22/63 is an excellent science fiction novel by Stephen King, the pages of which allow us to appreciate the scale of one of the main world tragedies of the twentieth century - the assassination of American President Kennedy. A bold idea allowed the author to incorporate an exclusive idea into his most popular novel. The main character is an ordinary teacher. What is unusual is the resource of knowledge that unexpectedly opened up to him. Access to time travel has become for the teacher not a blessing and an outlet, but a tremendous responsibility: now he is able to save the life of a person, the leader of a world power. But what is the cost of deforming an entire segment of the country’s history?

The list of Stephen King's best works continues with Misery. Every writer dreams of fame and recognition, fans and positive criticism. However, for the hero of the novel, popularity became a real nightmare, real and inevitable. After getting into a car accident, a famous author of love stories finds himself in the house of his longtime fan. The consequences of his injuries prevent him from moving and caring for himself. Clear consciousness returns to the hero with a simultaneous terrifying understanding that his savior is deprived of the ability to reason sensibly, and her house, where the woman lives alone, is located far from the city. King masterfully conveyed the fear and despair of being alone with madness and the absence of forbidden boundaries. Even death in an accident would bring the hero less pain than trying to survive in a house shrouded in uncontrollable obsession.

“Carrie” is a famous book by Stephen King, which brought its creator a fabulous fee and was filmed many times. It is noteworthy that the writer was not confident in the success of the plot and several times refused to bring the work to completion, trying to forget about the idea forever. Readers and viewers were lucky: the story of a girl from a dysfunctional family was published. It resonated with the audience, who perceived the creation as something personal and therefore intimate. The paranormal abilities discovered by the main character allowed her to enjoy the fulfillment of her secret desires. She begins to cruelly take revenge on everyone who constantly subjected her to ridicule and humiliation. Compassion and forgiveness do not live on these pages. The role of monsters and beasts are played by real people who meet every day at school, in houses, on the streets, in shops. Stephen King demonstrates a brilliant knowledge of teenage psychology, warning: you should be afraid not of fictional characters, but of living people who cultivate and feed the true evil in the soul with every unkind word and glance from the outside.

6. It

King takes the theme of a small town and its inhabitants, real and elusively present, as the basis in this work. Maine is the writer's home state. Combined with his comprehensive knowledge of the history and geography of this region, King’s talent helped him create a truly infernal description of the atmosphere of one of the provinces, gripped by the power of a dark entity that changes appearance for many centuries. The reader begins to follow the events of the chronicle of the city of Derry, when many young children there are kidnapped and found dead. The locals act aloof and cold-blooded, as if not noticing the horror happening in the neighboring houses. The main characters are teenagers who intuitively feel that numerous murders were committed by a man in a clown costume who periodically appears on the streets. But is this a person? Monstrous events that cyclically repeat in their hometown force the friends to gather again after many years to confront eternal evil and cruelty together. But how many more people must die for the eternal chaos and bloody curse that has penetrated every nook and cranny to disappear into oblivion?

In fifth place in the ranking of the best books by Stephen King is “Pet Sematary.” Pets living next to a person become members of the family, and their untimely departure is a real tragedy. Stephen King experienced a similar kind of drama when his beloved cat died. Against the backdrop of emotional shock, work began on an outstanding mystical novel, which subsequently frightened the creator himself so much that he thought about abandoning publication. The main character around whom the causes and consequences of nightmarish phenomena accumulate is Doctor Creed. After moving to a new place of residence, the hero was faced with a blow of Fate - the death of a cat under the wheels of a car. Obeying the voice of grief, the doctor decides to say goodbye to his pet with all honors. Creed's new house is located far from the others in a small settlement, nearby is an old burial place of animals that belonged to an Indian tribe. Having decided that the long-dead animals will not object to the new neighbor, Creed buries the cat on the territory of the ancient cemetery. Paying for what you have done will not make you languish in anticipation for long.

The Shining is one of the most popular works written by Stephen King. Sometimes it is not possible to fully recognize and understand the person with whom you have a strong relationship and marriage. When omissions under the influence of external forces turn into a destructive force, a threat to life and sanity is formed. The head of the Torrens family has long been striving to realize himself in the literary field, but so far he does not have enough money even to provide for his wife and son. During the winter, a couple with a small child goes to a closed hotel where a caretaker is needed. Due to the forces of the elements, the roads to this place are inaccessible, and the family is isolated from the outside world. Now the hotel is ready to present its hidden guests to the temporary employee, and the real face of the husband to the caring and faithful wife.

The Dark Tower opens the top three books by Stephen King. This is a full-fledged series of novels about a knight traveling through time boundaries. Its main purpose is to restore the previous harmonious order in the world, for now it is dominated by destruction, epidemics, famine, disease and war. The picture of the end of the world is quite comprehensive, but irreversibility has not yet embraced this once populated space. If you get to the center of the world's evil, there is a chance to meet the main enemy and engage in a righteous battle for lost ideals. But the path to the Dark Tower is a tangled tangle of meridians and parallels, light years and unimaginable retrospects.

2. Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption

“Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption” is the most famous book that Stephen King wrote in an unusual genre, and its film adaptation has been leading the ratings of the best films in the history of cinema for many years. The unpredictability of Fate sometimes leads to fatal disasters. The life of a successful bank executive collapses in just one evening. His unfaithful wife and her lover are discovered by the police, and both are killed. The suspect is a deceived husband, who, after a quick trial, is placed in one of the most restrictive prisons in the country. Andy's prosperous professional and family life instantly finds itself buried under the ashes of the betrayal of a loved one and a senseless murder to which he has nothing to do. Now his immediate future is solitary confinement and lifelong imprisonment. However, the hero decides to fight. Among the primary and necessary things that will be useful to him on the path to freedom is a poster with the image of a stunning beauty and the Bible, which is life-saving in all respects.

"The Green Mile" tops the top 10 best Stephen King books. The short path from life to inevitable death can be called differently, looking for suitable metaphors. In one of the prisons where the most notorious villains are kept, this road is called the Green Mile. She leads straight to the electric chair. The poignant story about a man sentenced to death gained many fans when it was released as a feature-length film. Numerous awards from the Film Academy and prestigious nominations have become another eloquent confirmation of the writer’s talent. The author carefully outlined not only the character of the main character, John Coffey, but also skillfully wove other characters into the story, including the main narrator, the death row guard. The leitmotif of not always triumphant justice brings the audience back to the realities of modern morals and the law enforcement system, making them understand once again that everyone will eventually walk their own mile, and for some it will be longer than for the big man Coffey.

Everyone remembers the young one Drew Barrymore, who with her gaze “lit up” houses and gas stations or the monstrous time-wasters of the Langoliers. AiF.ru remembered the most beloved books by Russians from the American “classics” of the horror genre.

"Carrie"

A girl named Carrie White is a classic example of an underdog. At school she is bullied and her mentally ill mother despises and humiliates her. Not life, but torture. But Carrie has a secret gift of telekinesis. Superpowers came to her at the age of three after she was caught in a meteor shower. However, the downtrodden poor thing was not really able to use her wonderful gift until her 16th birthday. The climax of the novel is the prom, which first turns into a fairy tale for Carrie, and then into a terrible torture. As a joke, she is doused with pig's blood, and the girl ceases to control her gift - she kills all her enemies, destroys her hometown almost to the ground and dies from a wound inflicted by her mother.

"Shine"

Dad, mom and boy Danny move to a mountain hotel. Danny's father gets a job there as a security guard - in order to calm his nerves in silence and finish his book. However, the hotel turns out to be the least suitable place for these purposes - it is chosen by ghosts and demonic forces. The family's dangerous situation is aggravated by the fact that all the staff have left the hotel for the winter season, and the three of them are left alone with the ominous building that holds secrets. True, the hotel cook, African-American Dick Holloran, whom Denny met on the day of his arrival, maintains a connection with the boy with superpowers. As a result, the father of the family, under the influence of the infernal “Hotelkeeper,” goes crazy and tries to kill his wife and son. The boy and mother are saved by Halloran, who comes for them in a car and, risking his own life, takes them away from the crazy dad and the ghosts.

"Inflammatory with a glance"

Student Andy agrees to take part in a secret experiment of the American government services: a new hallucinogen is tested on him and other experimental subjects, which allows one to awaken superpowers in a person. During an experiment that turns out to be unsuccessful (many of the experimental subjects go crazy, and the acquired superpowers have a bad effect on their health), he meets a girl and falls in love with her. The experiment is wound up, the young people go home, get married, and have a daughter named Charlie, a girl with the extraordinary ability to ignite objects. Charlie turns eight years old, and then government services remind themselves - they show up to pick up the child. Andy takes his daughter and tries to hide her, but in the end he and his daughter are caught and sent to prison. The employees of the secret office want the girl to comply with their demands, but she refuses. Andy strains the remnants of his abilities and takes possession of the minds of his employees - they become obedient tools in his hands and free the prisoners. While trying to steal a helicopter, he is killed by one of his pursuers. In desperation, Charlie starts a fire in desperation and goes into town to tell the world the truth about the machinations of the secret service.

"The Steel Rat" of Fiction: The True Life of Harry Harrison.

"Pet cemetery"

Doctor Louis, along with his wife and two children, moves from a big city to the province. Everything goes well, but suddenly a student appears in his dream, whose corpse Louis dissected during the day. The student takes him through a pet cemetery where local children bury their pets and stops at the border of an ancient Indian burial ground. The dead student warns Louis to never cross this line - beyond it begins the territory of evil. But Louis breaks the ban: when his daughter’s cat dies, he takes its corpse to a cursed place and buries it there. As a result, the cat comes to life and comes home, but becomes angry and aggressive. Louis realizes that he has made a fatal mistake. Then a terrible misfortune befalls the family - the youngest son is hit by a truck. Distraught with grief, Louis digs up the child's body and takes it to the ancient burial ground. The boy comes to life, but becomes completely different from what he was before - the kid kills his neighbor and his mother with his father's scalpel. All this leads to a series of other terrible events.

"It"

In a small provincial town, small children disappear, this happens every 27 years. Adults are looking for a maniac, and seven eleven-year-old children - six boys and one girl - find the true killer: an evil creature that came to earth from another world. It can take on any form, but most often lures children in the form of a cheerful clown. Having had its fill of murders, It goes into hibernation somewhere in the labyrinths of the city's sewer system. It feeds not so much on flesh as on the fear of victims, which is why it attacks the most defenseless - small children.

"Tommyknockers"

A resident of a provincial town named Bobbie finds a spaceship buried in the ground in the forest and begins to dig it up. As the ship “grows up” from the earth, terrible changes begin to occur to the residents of the town and Bobbie herself - they turn into “Tommyknockers,” creatures with human bodies that have been possessed by alien intelligence. Former lover Bobb Guard kills his girlfriend, who has become the leader of the Tommyknockers, boards a dug-up ship and flies off Earth into the unknown, sacrificing himself for the good of humanity.

"Green Mile"

The story of a prison guard who encountered mysticism. Paul Edgecombe guards the death row. Moreover, he not only protects, but also accompanies them along the “green mile” to the electric chair. One day, a huge African American named John Coffey is brought to prison. He turns out to be a unique person - a healer, seer and medium. Having cured the terminally ill wife of the prison warden, he tells everyone that he is not guilty of a crime, but wants to die because he is tired of the evil and cruelty of the world.

The already elderly Paul remembers this whole story and tells it to his neighbor in the hospital, who is amazed not so much by the story as by the longevity of the narrator himself. Paul admits that his life was extended by communication with the miracle worker Coffey, but his long life turned into a punishment for him. All his relatives and friends have long been dead, but he still will not part with the sinful world.

"Langoliers"

A novel about the mysteries of time. A passenger plane crosses the Northern Lights. As a result, all those who were asleep at the moment of crossing this “black hole of time” find themselves in the past. The pilot lands the plane on an empty runway, and the passengers try to figure out what happened. Strange creatures appear out of nowhere and begin to devour everything around them - the “erasers” of time, the Langoliers. People are trying to escape by returning by plane to the fatal line in order to find themselves back in their time. And one of the passengers sacrifices himself to save the others - after all, only sleeping people can cross this invisible line.

"Robbie". Excerpt from a story by Isaac Asimov.

"Losing weight"

King published this novel under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. Fat lawyer Billy knocks down a gypsy woman to death. Using his connections, he gets away with it, but cannot escape the revenge of the old gypsy, who places a curse on him. Billy begins to lose weight, and at the same time eats even more than usual. Believing that all the troubles are from the gypsies, Billy begins to rush around in search of salvation, promising the camp money and other benefits, but they flatly refuse to help him. Then Billy goes to a gangster he knows and tells him about his problem. The gangster threatens the gypsy with violence, and he removes the curse from Billy by “walling” him in a pie. To finally get rid of trouble, Billy must feed the evil pie to someone else. The lawyer brings it home and leaves it in the kitchen, hoping that the pie will be eaten by his wife, who has long been tired of him. However, Billy’s beloved daughter, who unexpectedly returned, also eats the pie with his wife...

The Dark Tower series

Eight novels united by a cross-cutting plot about the travels of gunslinger Roland Deschain. Roland is the last member of an ancient order fighting evil. The action takes place in a fictional world that King populated with various characters who wander from novel to novel. The main task of the Shooter is to find the mysterious Dark Tower, rising to the top of which you can meet the one who controls the Universe and ask him a couple of questions about why everything is so poorly organized here and when it will all end.

Return to The Dark Tower: an excerpt from Stephen King's new novel.

After a terrible accident in 1999, Stephen King announced that he was retiring from literature, and since then he has published only 15 novels, 1 non-fiction book, 13 short stories, 3 comic series and has become a screenwriter for more than a hundred films and short films, 3 TV series and 5 mini-series.

Yes, in America King is considered an analogue of Dontsova, but, fortunately, he churns out books that you want to read and films that you want to watch. And while those in the tank are watching the series “11.22.63” with James Franco, and true fans are waiting for the film adaptation of “ Dark Tower“, we decided to recall 15 King film adaptations from the “must-see” category.

The Shawshank Redemption, 1994

Let's start with, perhaps, Stephen's most famous film adaptation - the story of Andy Dufresne, undeservedly accused of the death of his wife. Instead of giving up and putting up with cruelty and lawlessness, the seemingly soft-bodied mattress comes up with and implements a daring escape plan. Interestingly, the film, which has been ranked first in the top 250 best films for many years, and received seven Oscar nominations, is based on a 120-page story.

The Green Mile, 1999

No less popular drama (like “ The escape"filmed by Frank Darabont) about the everyday life of a department of an American prison in which death row inmates are serving their last days. There are many religious references in the film: the main character is the innocent John Coffey (his initials - J.C. - are, of course, no coincidence), who looks for only the good in everyone, is able to heal the sick and forgive the most notorious reptiles, and ultimately dies for the sins of others. The film received 9 different nominations and three Saturn statuettes.

The Shining, 1980

The idea for a novel about writer Jack Torrance, who goes crazy within the walls of the Overlook Hotel, came to King during... a family vacation at the picturesque Stanley Mountain Hotel. Perhaps only Stephen could be inspired by massive doors, blood-red carpets and hedges and create one of the most iconic films (with the help of Kubrick), scenes and frames from which are used by every third director and recognized by every second viewer.

A film about an inadequate fan of a romance novelist who brought Kathy Bates an Oscar, a Golden Globe and world fame. There are practically no “creepy” moments or “screams” in the film - the episode of “breaking” legs was not shown to the viewer, and the heroine’s hysterical fits occur in complete silence. Most of the action takes place within the walls of a room, but despite the “homey” setting, the picture is imbued with an enveloping fear.

Dolores Claiborne, 1995

Another King adaptation starring Katie. The plot of “Dolores” has neither mysticism nor horror - it is a classic American drama in which King’s gigantic writing potential was revealed in all its glory. The story of an elderly housekeeper accused of murdering her mistress was turned into a minor thriller with a crowd of skeletons in the closet, which is still interesting to watch.

One of the most profitable and recognizable films based on King’s work tells about the writer Mike Enslin, who writes his novels while in the “worst” hotels in America. 1408 is one of the few film adaptations that King likes.

“This is a claustrophobic perfection that clearly reflects the tone of the story,” says the author himself.

A small town is covered in thick fog, cutting off people from the outside world. A group of people who find themselves in a supermarket at that moment have to engage in an unequal battle with monsters living in the fog. The same Darabont dreamed of filming King’s “The Fog” since 1980, when he first read it. And when Frank finally got his hands on the film adaptation, he said that he wanted to make a completely different movie, different from what he was doing, and it was he who came up with that very heartbreaking ending that King himself approved.

Under the Dome, 2013 - 2016

An unremarkable town suddenly finds itself cut off from the outside world by a huge transparent dome, through which even sound and radio signals do not pass. In 1979, Stephen began writing a novel called Cannibals (originally called Under the Dome), about people trapped in an apartment building who would eventually have to eat each other. Despite the fact that the author himself considered the book uninteresting and drawn-out, and the Showtime channel considered the idea of ​​the series a failure, thanks to Ninna Tassler, director of the CBS television channel, the series received approval and a budget for 13 episodes.

The Dead Zone, 1983

In his memoir How to Write Books, King writes: “I am very proud of this book. It's about serious things - the political structure and attitude of America."

The story of a man who, after an accident and coma, discovers unique psychophysical abilities in himself, resulted in “Saturn” for “Best Horror Film,” two films and a TV series.

King's first novel and its first film adaptation. And immediately a breakthrough. In the leading roles in the story about a downtrodden religious teenage girl with superpowers, viewers saw Sissy Spacek and a very young John Travolta. Later, the author spoke with gratitude about how Travolta recreated his controversial character on the screen; in the writer’s opinion, this largely contributed to the success of the film.

Cat's Eye, 1985

The film combines three short stories, the main link of which is a stray cat, who acts as a witness to the events taking place and takes a direct part in them. Since the novellas are based on short stories, retelling them is pointless and fraught with spoilers. Let us just note that the story “The Stop Smoking Corporation” is one of King’s best.

The Langoliers, 1995

A low-budget production, but one of the most accurate adaptations of King. While flying over the northern lights, the plane enters an unusual space-time portal, leaving only a few passengers on board who were asleep during the flight. The film is based on the story “The Langoliers” from the collection “Four After Midnight.” Thanks to the same collection, we later saw “ Secret window"with Depp, which, unfortunately, King disliked.

Another filmed story from the collection “Four Seasons” (along with “ Shawshank Redemption », « Body" and "Breathing Method") tells the story of an unusual schoolboy. Brian is the best student in his class, a caring son and a responsible employee. When they talk about the Holocaust in history class at school, he becomes seriously interested in the topic and accidentally discovers that his elderly neighbor is a Nazi war criminal. The main roles in the film were played by young Brad Renfro and Sir Ian McKellen, who at the time of filming was not yet a regular guest of all kinds of blockbusters, but was among the English acting elite.

A truly scary book and a truly scary movie. In the two-part television adaptation of King's novel of the same name, Pennywise the clown, personifying the childhood fears of the main characters, commits monstrous murders. Having united, the guys cope with the evil monster, but many years later the events begin to repeat themselves. The hero Tim Curry, a killer clown, has a real prototype - serial maniac John Wayne Gacy, who lured his victims at children's parties in the form of Pogo the clown.

The Running Man, 1987

If you've ever wondered what inspired the authors of " hunger games" And " The Maze Runner", then we can say without a doubt - " Running man"1987 with Schwartz in the title role. At the center of the story is a television reality show, the participants of which are hunted live. The fate of the film is sad - the film failed at the box office, the filmmakers were sued for plagiarism (the film is similar to “The Price of Risk” of 1982), and King was so embarrassed by this film that he was listed in the credits under his pseudonym “Richard Bachman.”

In this collection we have collected the best books by Stephen King - rating and list of his books. The TOP is headed by the most interesting ones, for example, “The Dark Tower”. We have arranged all the books in order by series.

Mascot

Mascot

Teenager Jack and his mother leave home to escape his late father's former partner. By the will of fate, they find themselves in a hotel, where Jack learns from a stranger a wonderful story about a magical place that can be reached by drinking a special potion. Suddenly it turns out that Jack's mother is terminally ill. And only a certain Talisman can save her. Jack decides to find him. Further

Black House

A series of brutal murders of children take place in a small provincial town. The people called the killer Fisherman. Finding a maniac turns out to be extremely difficult. Lieutenant Jack Sawyer begins the investigation. It turns out that these crimes are the work of the Scarlet King, who wants to destroy the Dark Tower. Further

Wind through the keyhole

The path to the Dark Tower is not easy. Roland and his friends are hiding from the weather in a deserted town. Here Roland decided to tell the story of days gone by. Once upon a time, he and Jamie Decarry had to save the city from a terrible werewolf. It was not easy, it took a lot of effort. And the result was unexpected. Moreover, his personal history, his and his mother’s, was also connected with these events. Further

Shooter. Extracting three. Badlands

The book consists of three volumes. Knight Roland strives to preserve the remnants of the past world. That world was filled with love, kindness, light. To do this, he must find the Dark Tower. There, a brave knight wants an answer from a man in black robes. Roland spends a long time looking for him, following behind him. Will he be able to overtake him and fulfill his plans? Further

Colorado guy

1980 Maine. Early April morning. Teenagers found a body on the beach. No signs of violent death. The man's suspected cause of death is asphyxiation. It was possible to find out who the unknown person was only a year later. It turned out that a few hours before the murder he was seen on the other side of the country. How did he manage to end up several kilometers away in such a short time? Many years later, journalist Stephanie McCann is trying to figure this out. Further

Dark tower. Birth of a shooter

This series of novels follows the exciting adventures of Roland Deschain. The famous marksman travels the world in order to find the way to the Dark Tower. She, according to legend, is the center of power that can save many worlds. The forces concentrated in it must protect the worlds from darkness and destruction. Further

• Everything is to the limit (collection)
• Blaze (collection)
• Cujo. The Werewolf Cycle (collection)
• Running Man. Losing weight (collection)

Shooter

A very unusual work that manages to combine the incongruous. There is dystopia, the realism of the Wild West, mysticism and the usual squabbles of the modern world. The line between eras, lives and even universes is blurred. Global philosophical things are mixed with vain little things, joy with pain, hopes with disappointment. Further

Extracting three

Roland managed to find a man in black robes. The much-desired and important night conversation took place. After awakening, the hero has to fight a huge lobster. As a result of the battle, he is left without fingers. However, even in this state, the hero will have to find the door to our world. Three should come out from there - Death, the Prisoner and the Lady of Shadows. Only with this composition should they continue further searches for the Dark Tower. Further

Badlands

Almost two months later, the heroes are moving towards their goal, making their way through the forest thickets of the Outer World. Suzanne married Eddie. Jake resists the madness that overtook him after his resurrection. The friends will have a battle with a huge cyborg bear. They will have to cope with madness and overcome evil forces. The two worlds will be connected by two objects - a rose and a key. Further

Sorcerer and crystal

It's time to travel back into Roland's past and get acquainted with the story of his childhood. Roland will tell you about his first adventures. About how he became a shooter. About the first tasks, mistakes and tests. About how true love for Susan arose in his heart, which he will carry in his heart all his life. Bright, pure love for this girl made him who he is now. Further

Wolves of Kalya

Scary evil wolves pose a serious threat to a small town. When twins are born in the city, they come and steal one of them. This happens at night. Instead of the stolen child, they leave a runt - a physical shell without a mind. Roland and his friends are trying to figure out who these wolves are and why they are raiding the city at night. Further

Song of Susanna

Mia finds a way to control Suzanne's body. Her plans are to deliver the girl to the domain of the Scarlet King. Mia wants Suzanne to have her baby there. Jake and Father Callaghan try to save Suzanne. But will they make it? Rolland and Eddie will have to make an effort to become the owners of the vacant lot with the rose. Further

The last shooter of this world - Roland and his allies are heading to the very center of all worlds. His goal is the Dark Tower. They will have to cope with trials, go through worlds and entire eras. Each temporary journey reveals to them something new, valuable, which brings them closer to the final goal. Will Roland be able to reach the Tower and restore harmony and restore the balance of the worlds? Further

Four after midnight

Milkman

Danny Torrance

Writer Jack Torrence arrives at the Overlook Hotel to work as a caretaker. He checks into a hotel with his family. When hired, Jack was warned that his predecessor had gone crazy and then committed the murder of his wife and children. This fact did not cause any concern to the new caretaker. However, after the family checks into the hotel, strange things begin to happen. Further

Many years after the events described in the previous book, Danny Torrance helps people. He is a resident at a small hospice. His main help is to prepare people for death. He has magical powers that he uses in his work. One day he meets little Abra, who gives off a powerful glow. Some monstrous creatures are hunting for the girl. Now his main task is to protect the girl. Further

Bill Hodges Trilogy

Mister Mercedes

Former police officer Hodges is depressed. A message from an elusive criminal brings him out of this state. The cop starts investigating. What secrets will he reveal? Teenage Brady, who dreams of fame and wants to achieve it at any cost... What vile, evil plans and unpleasant secrets are he and his family hiding? Further

Whoever finds it takes it for himself

Morris Bellamy, a desperate admirer of John Rothstein's work, was not satisfied with the outcome of his novel. Morris kills the writer and takes the manuscripts. He is soon arrested for another crime and sentenced to life imprisonment. But after more than 30 years he was released under an amnesty. Maurice now wants to find the stolen manuscripts he hid many years ago. Further

Post passed

A man confined to a wheelchair suddenly turns out to be an evil maniac. It is difficult to discern the criminal behind this weak, innocent appearance. Former police officer Bill Hodges is investigating unexplained murders. How does a frail disabled person commit such brutal murders? Who can stop him? Further

Tek

Hopelessness

The small town of Beznadega. Policeman Colley Entregian sends the Carver family to prison for no apparent reason. Some time later, the Carver daughter accidentally dies at his hands. Another family goes to jail because of drugs planted by a cop. The same thing happens with writer John Marineville. Some of the people he put behind bars disappear. The collie often says “tek”, after which bleeding wounds open on his body. What evil has taken over the policeman, and who can help the city residents? Further

Regulators

A novel-tragedy of an autistic boy, Seth. Having lost his parents, he was left to be raised by his aunt. Seth has special telepathic abilities. One day, using them, he attracts Tek, the incorporeal embodiment of evil. Strange creatures that look like people appear in the city. But this is only at first glance. Further

King for all time

It

Murders occurred in the small American town of Derry. Children are dying by the dozens, and the police can do nothing. The killer is acting too smart - no traces, no clues. Eleven-year-old teenagers decided to find the maniac themselves. It turned out to be the ominous It - a monster that embodies childhood fears. It will come to each of the children in due time. Further

Misery

Paul Sheldon is a writer. One day he had an accident, but was lucky to survive. An experienced nurse began to look after him, who was always delighted with Sheldon’s creativity. But the woman turned out to be crazy, almost insane. She hid the writer in her house and demanded that he finish the novel. Further

How to write books

Stephen King talks about how he wrote books and what he encountered. In the first part you will learn about facts from the biography, and the second contains practical advice from the master. You will learn how King's thinking was formed and what preceded his emerging talent. Further

Gerald's Game

Gerald brings his wife Jessie to their country house for some romantic alone time. A married couple decided to experiment in bed - Gerald handcuffed his wife to the bed and took a pill. But at the most inopportune moment, her husband had a heart attack, and Jessie remained bedridden. How can he get out of such a trap? And who is this ghost in the corner of the room? Further

Hearts in Atlantis

In the collection you will find 5 stories, connected by characters and sequence of events. It’s also about how the characters grow up, how they make friends and betray. Sometimes people have to make difficult choices, and then spend their whole lives trying to atone for their sins. Further

The right things

A demon arrives in an American town and opens a store there. He offers all the guests what they passionately dream about, but in return he asks for a small favor - for the dream, the buyer needs to play a prank on his neighbor. But people don't understand that an innocent prank can turn a city into a real nightmare.