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Reading KING In Order
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Most if not all King novels are standalone. Except The Dark Tower, which needs to be read in order. I would start wherever you like. I suggest starting with earlier works and progressing that way, because his style changes over the years. Especially after his accident. That way you can see that progression.
I have read it all, with the exception of his Non Fiction works, and possibly a few short stories.
Carrie’Salem’s Lot
Rage (as Richard Bachman)
The Shining
Night Shift (stories)
The Stand
The Dead Zone
The Long Walk (as Richard Bachman)
Firestarter
Cujo
Road Work (as Richard Bachman)
The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger
Different Seasons (novellas)
The Running Man (as Richard Bachman)
Christine
Pet Sematary
Cycle of the Werewolf (illustrated by Bernie Wrightson)
The Talisman (written with Peter Straub)
Thinner (as Richard Bachman)
Skeleton Crew (stories)
The Bachman Books (novel collection)
It
The Eyes of the Dragon
Misery
The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three
The Tommyknockers
Nightmares in the Sky (gargoyle photo book with text by King; photos by f-stop fitzgerald)
Dark Visions (also known as The Skin Trade, Night Visions and Dark Love) (cowritten with George R. R. Martin and Dan Simmons)
The Dark Half
Dolan's Cadillac (limited edition)
My Pretty Pony (limited edition)
The Stand: The Complete & Uncut Edition
Four Past Midnight (stories)
Needful Things
The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands
Gerald's Game
Dolores Claiborne
Nightmares & Dreamscapes (stories)
Insomnia
Rose Madder
Umney's Last Case
The Green Mile (originally published as a monthly serial consisting of six parts: The Two Dead Girls, The Mouse on the Mile, Coffey's Hands, The Bad Death of Eduard Delacroix, Night Journey, and Coffey on the Mile)
Desperation
The Regulators (as Richard Bachman)
Six Stories (stories)
The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass
Bag of Bones
Storm of the Century
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
The New Lieutenant's Rap (limited edition)
Hearts in Atlantis
Secret Windows
Dreamcatcher
Black House (sequel to The Talisman; written with Peter Straub)
From a Buick
Everything's Eventual: Dark Tales (stories)
The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger (revised edition)
The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla
The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah
The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (pop-up book)
The Colorado Kid
Trangressions (cowritten with other authors, edited by Ed McBain)
Salem's Lot: Illustrated Edition
Cell
Lisey's Story
Blaze
Just After Sunset
Duma Key
Under the Dome
That's a list in publication order. I would suggest reading the short stories in the order they were published as compilations. It will be easier for you, and honestly not make that large a difference.
I will agree with Lynne about reading the DT series in order, and if you're able, reading them one after the other.
I read the books out of order except the Dark Tower ones which need to be read in order. I unfortunately had to wait 20 odd yrs for The Dark Tower to be finished! If you look in the front of Under the Dome there is a list of his books which are usually in date order.
Yes, they do have the list in the books in front. I love that. I use it to figure out which books came 1st in a series.
Lynne wrote: "Most if not all King novels are standalone. Except The Dark Tower, which needs to be read in order. I would start wherever you like. I suggest starting with earlier works and progressing that way,..."While many of his books stand well alone, if not read in the order in which he wrote them, you will miss out on many connections.
True, Salem's Lot can be read as a stand alone, and *almost* fully comprehended. What you would miss if you read this after say some of the DT series, would be the first appearance of some of his characters.
The intertwining of characters throughout most of King's work can only be fully appreciated when read in chronological order. Many websites will expound on this; see http://www.stephenking.com/darktower/... for one.
Thank you to both Lynnes for the information and feedback.Kandice, you are a goddess! Thank you for the list.
Tom, I appreciate the additional information and will follow the link shortly. :o)
For Dark Tower, I will read them all together. Should I choose to read them first (before others) or at the time in the above listing where the first DT appears?I'm guessing it doesn't really matter, but would love opinions from the SK gurus. :o)
Many thanks!
Just my two cents, but if you are really looking to read his books in order, I would suggest waiting to read the entire DT series until after Everything's Eventual. I have the original Gunslinger, but at that point he went back and made changes that incorporated more of his work and made the entire series "flow" a little better.And, thanks.
*blushes*
Kandice, thanks for the list of books! I am also a new King fan and all the information discussed in this thread is very helpful.
I also believe you should try to read the books in publish order, and luckily you know ahead of time that characters will carry thoughout the books, in small ways. There is a group on Amazon, I think, that can thread all the stories together, and how they all revolve aroudn the Dark Tower series.Anyway, you are in for a treat.
Dana wrote: "Here it is:http://www.amazon.com/FULL-Dark-Tower......"
If I am understanding this right, if I am starting to read the Dark Tower book, will this be the order? It has some other books in between, all related, is that it?
Elena wrote: "Dana wrote: "Here it is:http://www.amazon.com/FULL-Dark-Tower......"
A great many of King's books contain characters that are in the DT series, and in other books as well. As the DT series spanned over 20 years of King's career, a LOT of his books were written between installments.
Elena,This is just one person's thoughts on how to read the books in order. But it looks like they went to a lot of trouble to put events in order. I think that this person's premise is that the Dark Tower is the central point of many of King's books, and that you can put the stories in a chronologibal order by events that take place in the books. There are related characters in all of King's books.
That said, I personally believe you can just read DT series all by itself.
I just think it is interesting that someone mapped it out this way.
Thanks Dana. I have had the first one for a while and look forward to reading it. I feel more inclined to read just the DT series just by itself. But it is good to have this as reference in picking future King's books.
I might go through someday and read all his books in order, but I'm still working on getting them all read once through. I love them! Enjoying them either way!
Thank you for the continued thoughts and feedback. I started Carrie and am slowly progressing through this quick read in my spare time (which is never). :o)Dana, thank you for the link. I'll check it out as well!
Kandice wrote: "Carrie’Salem’s Lot
Rage (as Richard Bachman)
The Shining
Night Shift (stories)
The Stand
The Dead Zone
The Long Walk (as Richard Bachman)
Firestarter
Cujo
Road Work (as Richard Bachman)
The Dark T..."
A dear coworker was getting rid of some books and basically handed me an ENTIRE and nearly complete collection! Lucky me!!!
So, now that I've made it through my first novel (and LOVED it), I'd like to read the rest.
On to the questions:
- Where do I start?
- How do I determine the "correct" order, if I want to do as was suggested in this other thread?
- Does the order include the short stories? Are the short stories considered by full "collection book" or by "each individual story?"
- How will I ever remember all the characters and notice them when they make a reappearance?
I appreciate your consideration and knoweldgeable response. Feel free to offer any other tips you think might be beneficial.
THANK YOU!