To mark his virtual appearance at this year’s Cheltenham Literature Festival, we’re going to be ranking five of Steven King’s most spine-chilling stories. He caused a storm this Saturday with his virtual call, and ramped up the excitement for this year’s Halloween talking about his spooky tales. Twitter user @georgielkeeno shared our thoughts on Stephen as she was “overjoyed” to see him.
Number 5: Carrie (1974
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Since 1974, we have seen Carrie White seek revenge on her school bullies, its no doubt that she has become a fan favourite. A shorter read with only 199 pages, Carrie White, gets back at her school bullies with her telekinesis abilities after a cruel prank at the school prom. Because the novel dealt with adult themes such as violence, religious stigma and superhuman abilities, it was banned in a lot of libraries and schools making it more sought after. The first film adaptation was a massive success and was met with critical acclaim, gaining many award nominations, making it a definitive Stephen King novel.
Number 4: The Green Mile (1996)
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A thrilling and captivating story that tells us the story of John Coffee, it’s no wonder that the film adaptation was made only three years after its initial publication. Through the eyes of death row supervisor Paul Edgecomb, King shows us the story of inmate John Coffee, who was put on death row for the murder of two children. As the novel unravels, we find out that John has some very rare supernatural healing abilities, and he may be more innocent than we think! The film adaptation grossed over 286 million at the box office and has become a classic. It stars Tom Hanks and the late Michael Clarke Duncan.
Number 3: The Dark Tower series (1982)
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Might be a stretch to include a whole series in this list, however, not including a series spanning 8 novels long would be a crime; the success of the first novel speaks for itself after having 7 sequels. In its first edition, The Gunslinger, we follow Roland as he sets out to hunt down the ‘man in black’ and along the way he encounters Jake Chambers, in which they become an unlikely duo. Its film adaptation made in 2017 stars academy award winners Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey. Most of the books have become best sellers, cementing its popularity with fans.
Number 2: The Shining (1977)
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A true cult classic. The Shining has been etched into pop culture for decades. Set in Colorado in the 1970s, the novel centres around the Torrance family where Jack, who is a caretaker of a hotel, slowly descends into madness after several haunting events and attempts to hurt his own family. A film adaptation was made in 1980 which was directed by Stanley Kubrick, and the film has become a staple in cinema. The film spouted the famous “Here’s Johnny”, which has become one of the most well-known film quotes of all time.
Number 1: IT (1986)
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An absolutely horrifying novel, IT is a massive reason why people are so scared of clowns today! Most likely Stephen King's most famous work, IT tells us the story of a group of outcast kids called the losers club, who take on a shapeshifting evil with supernatural powers, which usually takes on the form of Pennywise the clown. Pennywise usually emerges from the sewers every 27 years to unleash on the people of Derry, resulting in a trail of missing children. When they become adults, the Losers return to Derry to rid the town of Pennywise once and for all. The novel has been adapted into a 10-part mini-series in the 90s and two films, where the first was released in 2017. IT became a number 1 best seller and King received nominations for the Locus and World Fantasy awards in 1986.
Although these are our top five, King has written and published more than 60 novels throughout his successful career. Let us know in the comments which are your favourite.
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