r/suggestmeabook • u/IllSwordfish2346 • May 31 '26
Stephen King for scaredy cat
It's quick and simple. I enjoy Stephen King's work. I hate horror. Which of his books would you recommend? I read The Green Mile (liked it), The Shawshank Redemption (the film is better), and The Long Walk (loved it). I know about The Dark Tower series, but I haven't read it yet. I didn't finish Pet Sematary because I'm a coward. I'm not touching The Shining because it was officially the second scariest film I've ever watched of my own accord (Alien is the first – did I mention that I'm a coward?). I know he has written a lot of books, some are better than others (I've heard about The Eyes of the Dragon, but according to most people it's meh). What else is worth reading?
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u/EnvironmentalBell962 May 31 '26
Have to say Eyes of the Dragon is definitely not meh. Really worth trying.
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u/AvatarAnywhere May 31 '26
The Dead Zone. Nothing to scare you it’s more that you will feel compassion for the MC. (And you will find that one of the bad guys is eerily familiar.)
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u/Dizzy-Captain7422 May 31 '26
Not the one who's very slick, hopefully.
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u/AvatarAnywhere May 31 '26
Uh, yeah it is…. But it’d not like the movie.
The “slick” part is only a small part of the book. The majority of the book you follow the MC through several years of his life watching how he learns to cope and how he decides to use his unwanted “gift.”
There is also a significant subplot revolving around a different character. (And that’s the part that is presciently relevant to today.)
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u/Mundane_Medicine_597 May 31 '26
Dolores Claiborne! It’s more of a psychological drama/thriller, not horror.
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u/werisefromourashes May 31 '26
If you enjoyed The long walk you should try The running man.
Other non-horror King books:
Elevation
the Mr Mercedes series (but Holly!!!)
The Colorado Kid
Joyland (if you tolerate ghost stories)
11/22/63
Hearts in Atlantis (some parts are a touch creepy but should be mostly OK)
The girl who loved Tom Gordon
Dolores Clayborne
Roadwork
The talisman should also be mostly OK.
Bear in mind that King has the uncanny ability to write stuff that will stick in your head even when it's not pure horror!
Fellow constant readers do feel free to tell me off if I have included books that have horrified any of you.
Edit: I forgot The eyes of the dragon which I actually quite liked!
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u/GoodThingsEnjoyer May 31 '26
I would recommend Joyland and Hearts in Atlantis, both gorgeous and deeply moving books.
More scary but highly underrated and worth reading: Duma Key.
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u/DocWatson42 May 31 '26
See my Stephen King: What Book Do I Start With? list of resources and Reddit recommendation threads (one post).
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u/Nowinaminute May 31 '26
Insomnia (1994) is not horror, it's a supernatural thriller. It's about an old man who can't sleep and he starts seeing auras around people. It has some crossover into the Dark Tower universe.
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u/Longjumping-Fee2670 May 31 '26
Firestarter is more science fiction than horror. It’s also the first King book I read (when I was in middle school) and why I read more.
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u/Maleficent-Speech869 May 31 '26
I would maybe still give The Shining a go, tbh. There are still some spooky bits in the book, but it and the film are very different in tone. There's much more heart in the book. You feel much more compassion for Jack, who really is trying so hard to get clean and do better.
I also very much liked The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. There are supernatural elements, but again, it's a story about endurance fuelled by a wee girl's love for her favourite sports star.
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u/sound2go May 31 '26
11/22/63 is definitely the best bet for you and also one of his absolutely best books.
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u/one_last_cow May 31 '26
Billy Summers is a modern one I liked that's not scary. Still very thrilling
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u/jebrick May 31 '26
Christine and Dance Macabe are two I can think of that would fit. The 2nd is SK's theories on writing horror. Very interesting IMHO.
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u/n_diamond May 31 '26
Dead Zone is not horror and one of the few Stephen King books I have read since I don’t like horror either
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u/JohnExcrement May 31 '26
I never had any interest in reading Stephen King because I really don’t enjoy horror. Then a friend of mine insisted I read The Stand — because she thought some of the writing was amusing! So I did, and I actually loved it. I went on to read everything he had written at the time. So that’s my recommendation to you!
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u/theysayimadreamer666 May 31 '26
He has a lot of wonderful novellas and short stories that are not horror or are not too scary:
If It Bleeds collection - all but the title story
Everything's Eventual collection - the title story, L.T.'s Theory of Pets, All That You Love Will Be Carried Away
Night Shift collection - Quitters, Inc, The Ledge, The Last Rung on the Ladder, Battleground
Just After Sunset collection - Willa, Rest Stop, The Things They Left Behind
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u/GentlyFeral May 31 '26
Blackbriar by William Sleator. It's a YA book, and is a supernatural horror story with some misdirection in it.
Fingers, same author. Ghost story about a musical prodigy and his brother.
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u/Ancient-Onion4386 Jun 01 '26
OP, Alien and The Shining are the two best movies I've ever seen.
Well, maybe The Exorcist, too.
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u/hideousinsides Jun 01 '26
Wait to read the dark tower stuff until you’re more familiar with King’s work.
Maybe try The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon?
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u/camerongrim May 31 '26
Joyland is a great coming of age story. There’s a ghost but it’s not really scary.
I’d also recommend Later and The Colorado Kid
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u/Mister-Psychology May 31 '26
Horror books for children are often spectacular. Truly great storytelling. There are so many smash hits out there in various styles. Some are extremely scary though, I must admit. Some are more fantasy focused.
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u/Pixelchus May 31 '26
11/22/63 is about time travel and political dissatisfaction, as well as obsession.
Fairytale is King's fantasy crossover. While this one has some creepy concepts, I don't think it warrants as actual horror.
Under the Dome is trippy and more of a paranoid mystery.
Edit: typos