Stephen King's Favorite (and Least Favorite) Stephen King Novels

Stephen King is recognized as one of the greatest writers of all time, alongside literary icons like Dickens, Tolstoy, Rowling, Shakespeare, and more. 

He’s the undisputed king (pun intended) of horror, bringing works of fantasy, suspense, thriller, crime, and science fiction to life since the 1970s. Many of his most popular stories have been adapted into award-winning films that speak to generations of fans, from the opening credits through the final scene. 

We know King through Carrie’s telekinesis, Annie Wilkes’ obsession, Pennywise’s chilling stare as he haunts the dark streets of Derry, Maine, and Jack Torrance's apparent madness brought on by the Overlook Hotel.

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, but what about King? Every so often he reflects on his work with satisfaction. Other times he wishes he’d scrapped the draft entirely and gone in a different direction.

Let’s turn the page on one of the most revered authors of our time to find out which novels he loves and which he would rewrite if given the chance. 

STEPHEN KING'S FAVORITE STEPHEN KING NOVELS

In 2021, King (sometimes Richard Bachman) spoke with The Late Show's Stephen Colbert and highlighted a few favorites among his collection. 

One of his longtime favorites, a short story titled Survivor Type, published in 1982, follows a doctor stranded on an island who is ultimately forced to eat himself "piece by piece."

The novelist also expressed fondness for Misery, published in 1987. Three years later, Columbia Pictures adapted the novel into a film starring Kathy Bates as an obsessed fan who holds an author captive, resulting in a tumultuous battle for survival.

King also praised 2006’s Lisey’s Story and 1982’s The Body, later adapted into the beloved film “Stand by Me,” directed by Rob Reiner. 

Interestingly, some of King’s most popular works are also among his personal favorites, which is seemingly rare for creatives. 

STEPHEN KING'S LEAST FAVORITE STEPHEN KING NOVELS

In 2014, the author discussed his career with Rolling Stone and singled out a novel he now considers "awful": 1987’s The Tommyknockers.

King struggled with alcohol and cocaine addiction from the late ’70s through the mid-’80s, and he attributes what he considers poor writing during that era to his addiction.

"[The] Tommyknockers is an awful book. That was the last one I wrote before I cleaned up my act...I've thought about it a lot lately and said to myself, 'There's really a good book in here, underneath all the sort of spurious energy that cocaine provides, and I ought to go back.' The book is about 700 pages long, and I'm thinking, 'There's probably a good 350-page novel in there.'"

In June 1999, King was severely injured in a car accident and was prescribed "a lot of OxyContin" for the pain. Following the accident, he wrote Dreamcatcher, another book he believes was ruined by his use of painkillers.

"I don't like Dreamcatcher very much. Dreamcatcher was written after the accident. I was using a lot of OxyContin for pain. And I couldn't work on a computer back then because it hurt too much to sit in that position. So I wrote the whole thing longhand. And I was pretty stoned when I wrote it, because of the Oxy, and that's another book that shows the drugs at work."

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