T O P

  • By -

Gullible_Somewhere_7

IT. I was like 11/12, it was the first grown ups book I ever read, most of it went over my head but enough got through to make me fall in love with horror.


My_Relevant_Self1313

Same! I was a little older... 13 I think. Had to choose a book over 400 pages to read in 8th grade and this was my choice. Still can't believe they let me choose it.


Gullible_Somewhere_7

Haha fantastic (and what a contrast to what's happening to books these days). I read it because the mini series had just premiered here (England) and my friend and I were convinced we could see Pennywise in a stained glass window of a building opposite our houses, lo and behold I found the book in the local library not much later and here we are.


Immoracle

Kids today can't even spell "400 pages" let alone read 400 pages.


garrioch13

That’s crap man. My son read like two million words last year. Thousand and thousands of pages of books. My daughter is 6 and is reading books about Greek mythology and retaining the knowledge. Don’t generalize.


Immoracle

My children are also exceptional readers but by and large children just aren't reading books as much as they used to. I've been a teacher for 17 years, I see it everyday.


garrioch13

I agree kids don’t read as much, on the specific way you have chosen, books. The “kids today” thing is patently false in many ways because the world they’re growing up in is so different than any generation before them.


RithianYawgmoth

Going through IT. Crazy shit


lalauna

Carrie. When it first came out. (Yes I'm older than dirt.) I knew I'd found a new favorite author


Mynameisearlhicky

That makes you royalty in my eyes. So cool you’ve been there since the beginning!


joeybagels69

STAND. Then it was years before I revisited anything, picked up Billy Summers in a CVS and since then I have knocked out most the classics. Currently on Drawing of Three and Mizz Holmes…


Atomicdagger

Dang, I wish I could go back and read Drawing of the Three for the first time again. Enjoy it!


ArtWrt147

Shining. I heard a lot about it and decided to try. Then I went for Carrie and Cujo, and I was hooked for good.


Ok_Pomegranate_2436

It.


strangedazey

Cujo. It was my dad's and I'd read it when he wasn't around. Think about 10yrs old? There's a reason why I'm like this. 😆


valor592

The Gunslinger


guitarokx

Night Shift. I bought it specifically to read the original story after watching The Lawnmower Man movie. Oh boy that was a confusing introduction to SK.


jcclinemusic

Salem’s Lot — I was about 13 years old. It absolutely terrified me and I was hooked to SK books for life.


leeharrell

Carrie, in 1978.


Ok-Location3244

In 79.


leeharrell

What? No..pretty sure I read Carrie in 1978.


JeremyBreitenbach

Carrie.


theylivewesleep42

Salem’s Lot


Open-Sea8388

Salem's Lot


Diabloceratops

The Stand.


cardinaljayy

The institute


twofold48

Woah that’s cool! Late start! My fiance started at Fairy Tale (I LIKED IT BACK OFF) and then The Institute. How’s it going? What have you read since? Did you like the institute? Sigsby made me want to rip my hair out.


CarcosaJuggalo

Carrie. I wasn't going for chronological order (I still don't do that), and it was the 90's so that wasn't exactly a new book. My mom was a King fan, when I was around 11 or 12 I decided I wanted to read a "grownup book," and Carrie was the shortest King book around the house. I immediately followed it up with Fire Starter, Four Past Midnight, Christine, and It. ​ Before that, I was a huge RL Stine fan (I'm sure he hates this comparison, but he is literally Stephen King for kids), K.A. Applegate, and Engle & Barnes. I had seen some King movies at that point (and was already mostly watching 80's horror movies). ​ I'm 37 now, and I've been a fan since I was like, 12. I would go far enough to say King is probably my favorite author, even if he isn't my only reading interest. Part of it is the amount of books he wrote, but also the consistent greatness regardless of what kind of story he's telling. Obviously he's known for his horror, but the sheer range this man has absolutely blows my mind.


magic_123

Just began my King journey with Salem's Lot, and absolutely loved it. Finished Pet Sematary and Cycle of the Werewolf, currently reading The Shining.


Abeyita

22-11-1963


suefaunt

Carrie. Hooked ever since.


CantSTFUaboutCheese

Dreamcatcher. I think I was 12? I know it gets a lot of hate, but I really enjoyed it and it got me hooked on Stephen King for life!


metalfatigue604

I had to scroll really far to find someone who says Dreamcatcher! It was my first as well and I loved it. Never see it mentioned anywhere though.


CantSTFUaboutCheese

I’m glad I’m not the only one!!! Haha


These-Background4608

Night Shift


scottymac87

My boyfriend at the time had me start at the beginning. Carrie


LaughingSartre

I believe it was *From a Buick 8.* I think the monster car on the front is what compelled me to pick it up, but I fell in love with how Lovecraftian-esque King is.


shweenerdog

Misery, I read it in once sitting


BGR04401

Night Shift. I might have been 11 years old.


Confusedandreticent

Night shift, probably about 12 years old.


dpanim

Salem's Lot, about 4 months ago.


snobpro

The long walk. I was horrified and hooked.


Glum_Material3030

Firestarter. Followed very closely by Carrie. Became a Constant Reader!


Hungry_Perception_43

Carrie or Salem’s Lot


leblancQ

I'm pretty sure it was the stand, in french (le fléau) because that was the only way that 12 year old boy i was could convince my mother to let me read Mr king. That or the long walk, again in french (marche ou crève). Either or, these were my first two for sure. Just to add for comedy effect, they were read at band camp. Lol


Ornery-Cheesecake-45

Firestarter


chadbrochillx

The Dark Half.


Hemenucha

Thinner


Traditional_Candy569

Firestarter


ReverieJC

Firestarter, about the time the Drew Barrymore movie came out, so I have a 'movie tie-in' paperback somewhere in my stacks...need to find it for a re-read.


justme052

The Shining


pinkcrush

Night shift! Loved it so much! The Stand was next. That set the obsession in motion


DrW0lf

Fairy Tale in January of this year


thegtargaryen

The Dead Zone


BLARG13

It was either Misery or Eyes of the Dragon. I can't recall, it was probably around 1987, Just searched and both came out in 87.


XDariaMorgendorferX

The Shining, my freshman year. That book really got to me…I was scared to turn my back on the bathtub for ages, and I wanted the shower curtain to be left open.


Dleon1967

I read The Shining in 1983 when I was in 6th grade


RithianYawgmoth

The Dark Tower I: Gun Slinger


ajfromuk

Gerald's Game when I was 12!


Tell_On_Your_Uncle

The Stand. I was in the army and was going to be in the field for a few weeks, saw how large of a book it was so I picked it up.


Horrorwyrm

The Shining


Krispyoddbal--

Pet Sematary at the age of 15. Fucked me up. Went and bought my next King book the day after.


barebonesbarbie

The Eyes of the Dragon when I was 12ish


TheCreativeAspect

Cycle of the Werewolf I think. I saw Silver Bullet very young. It’s cause a lifelong interest to read books that have a movie counterpart. Pretty sure I went straight from this to The Stand in middle/early High School.


Tesla0927

Cell. I read it because it was my sister's favorite and she would always talk about how it's a great book... It wasn't.


ThatGuyOnTheCouch7

Different Seasons


Da5ftAssassin

IT


Rick988

End of watch


[deleted]

Tricky for me... Which book did I read to full completion? IT. I read it in 2 weeks, as a way to prepare myself for the new IT movie. But The Running Man was a book I was allowed to read after begging my dad and stepmon when I was 11 years old. I got about halfway through before I realized I wanted to read the OTHER books--Pet Sematary, Dolores Claiborne, The Stand--I wanted to read those!!! But alas, The Running Man it was. As an adult, I can say that I will probably go back and re-read The Running Man.


painfullyawkward3

I read a lot of his short stories when I was about 14, The Mist (title?) really stuck out to me. First full novel was IT when I was 24. Since then I’ve read The Shining, Dr. Sleep, Misery and I’m reading Gramma and The Stand right now. I’m flying through the Stand, it’s amazing.


Yasuru

Christine. Sophomore year in HS.


thebirdisthewordd

The Shining


Tight_Strawberry9846

The Shining. Couldn't put it down.


TrashNovel

The Stand. I’d seen the miniseries in the 90s and loved it. It was Christmas and my dad got the book from his brother. I read the introduction to the complete and uncut version sitting in my grandfather’s easy chair. To this day it’s the most magical experience I’ve had reading a book in my life.


astropastrogirl

I was 11 when I read salems lot


imagine-a-boot

Carrie. I would have been around eleven years old in the mid eighties.


NinetiesSatire

Rose Madder. I was vaguely aware of his works, mostly IT with Tim Curry, but... My god, that was one HELL of a book to actually start reading him on. Definitely a certain evil in that book that makes you uncomfortable.


eppsilon24

The Gunslinger


Auglicious

Needful Things. I believe I was in late middle school/early high school at the time. Instant fan!


RosesareAllie

It. I was 14. Obsessed with the original mini series and found out my mom owned the book and several others of his. Didn’t understand a lot of things in it since I was young and naive but I reread it several times as an adult and it was interesting to learn the things I didn’t understand then 😆


stratticus14

The Shining, assigned in my 12th grade English class. Read the whole book over a weekend


HumanBirder

Under the dome


PB174

The Shinning - I was 14


melaneesmom

Gerald’s Game. It was a gift from a relative. I was 12-13 years old.


CatsPolitics

Christine. A 21st birthday gift from a guy who I thought was the love of my life. He turned out to be a real shitter.


Chelseus

Needful Things. It didn’t particularly impress me 😹😹😹


Karelkolchak2020

I loved Needful Things, as an exploration of human evil, prompted by Beelzebub. “What’s your needful thing?”


Greeney_1999

Misery


EmperorXerro

Pet Sematary when I was a freshman in high school.


Specialist-Site1274

I read carrie in 5th grade, immediately asked my parents for more of his books and read a bunch of his classics to the point my grades started dropping because I was reading in class instead of doing my work


snarkisms

Misery. It was so incredible


el_t0p0

Carrie when I was 15. Some hardcore fucking kids in here reading IT at the age of like 10.


honkeydave

Pretty sure it was Firestarter; my older brother & his friends went to see it for his 13th(?) birthday, and one of the his gifts was the novel. I don’t think he gave much of a shit about it- his tastes ran more to science fiction- but I picked it up and the rest is history.


Karelkolchak2020

Salems’ Lot.


poopdickz

The talisman. I read it when I was about 11 or 12, similar to jack’s age, so the book just felt that much more magical and adventurous to me. I know everyone loves to hate on it but I’ll always love it… the book got me into both Stephen King and CCR so double win


VampedTayturz

It was either The Shining, Carrie, or Christine. I can’t remember which since I read all three pretty much back to back to back, then I went along and read The Deadzone, Duma Key(this was around the time it came out), and another one I can’t remember, I read a lot in my teen years.


princevegeta951

The Shining in 2016 or 2017 when I was like 22ish, I've now read or 50 SK books and counting :)


M0rtrek_the_ranger

The Shining, at around 12 years old. No wonder I grew up the way I am rn lol


The_Guff_Puncher

Salems Lot, because I’d just finished Bram Stokers Dracula and wanted to read another vampire story and it’s the only other one they had in the prison library 😆


riverofchex

Christine


RisingRapture

The Shining. I was 18 and quite proud of myself that I finished this book to restart my reading journey, which took a slog during the teenage heat. Never stopped since then.


Chunkyisthebest

The Shining when I was around 12.


MellifluousRenagade

Hearts in Atlantis


CharlesLoren

Funny enough it was Dreamcatcher. Given, I had already seen both IT movies and miniseries, and the Shining and Carrie. But I wanted to see what his writing style was like. As wacky as Dreamcatcher was, it gave me a great dose of how he writes; the interrupted thoughts (BACON SANDWICH— iykyk), the character development, etc, and I was instantly hooked. Since then I’ve read IT, Four Past Midnight, Dark Half, Needful Things, Different Seasons, and currently working on Night Shift and The Stand.


lukesiferr

The Stand.


Maskedhorrorfan25

carrie


Creativecalla

The shining


MagHagz

Salem’s Lot. I’ve been hooked ever since.


cls1088

Pet Sematary and I was about 11 years old. About to read it again at 35 ☺️


Queasy_Astronaut2884

Tommyknockers in the 5th grade


kmcp1

Pet Sematary at age…12? Scared me good lol but also fueled my love for The King.


savy07

Pet semetary…I googled the scariest King book and that was a front runner. Still one of my faves.


afterlife_music

The Stand


PhilosopherBright602

Read Dead Zone at 14. Have read very many SK since!


Jack915

Cujo when I was in 6th grade.


garrioch13

I watched IT, The Stand and The Shining when I was a kid but didn’t actually read an SK book until 11/22/63 about 5 years ago.


TiredReader87

The Running Man


Indigo3001

Full uncut copy of The Stand. At recommendation from my father, it took me two years of on/off reading to finish but I adored it


certifiedbruh1737272

carrie


LosXorbos

Christine, back in the middle 90's 🌹


CBSP14

11/22/63


Reasonable-Yellow900

Firestarter when I was 13.


BlackJackBulwer

The Shining.


Steve_Kuntz

Thinner. Late to the party


NocturnOmega

Pet Semetary in the 5th grade. Still my favorite.


CorwinJovi

Eyes of the dragon. I really enjoyed this book. This might have been the first non childrens book I read that I picked myself. I was probably 12. I wish there were more done with these characters.


feefeeka

Needful things stolen from my brothers library


JediMasterPopCulture

Night Shift


theMaroonWave

*Rage* and I was 21. Read it in a collection of his works under Richard Bachman


_rose_budd_123

Pet Sematary. Read it when I was around 9 or 10. Loved it immediately and been a king fan ever since :)


NostalgicTX

Loved NOLA then trash after that.


[deleted]

Salem’s Lot


Ok_Witness_5437

It. I didn’t get into SK until the last couple years but I’d seen the new It movies and figured I’d give the book a try! Needless to say, the book was WAAAYYY better!


kaycole69

IT. Scared the crap outta me, but I knew I was going to read everything this man wrote after that.


stowRA

Four seasons


Ok-Location3244

Carrie. In the late 70s.


ddbxlady

Fire Starter, my aunt gave it to me - I was like 12 and I was hooked, from there I read all the SK books I could get. Fire Starter still holds a place in my heart!


Mynameisearlhicky

Funny enough “From a Buick 8.” Always been a fan of King’s film adaptations since I was a kid. But no book really called out to me if that makes sense. I did read a few of his short stories which I loved but “from a Buick 8” was a full book of his I read from end to end. For some reason it was the one that called out to me. And I loved it. Still love it. It’s opened the gates and I’m looking forward to reading more.


GrumpyOlBastard

My first King was The Shining, the year it came out, 1977. I was 16. I quickly found 'Salem's Lot and Carrie and have been a Constant Reader ever since


puhpowsplat

Christine. Loved it so I went for The Stand next. Blew my mind so went to Carrie. Haven’t looked back!


Robotboogeyman

Misery. After having seen the movie, which I hate to do. Then a long time later, On Writing, then The Gunslinger at which point I was hooked. Just finished The Institute the other day, thought it was excellent!


Venom2012

The Gunslinger. I was 13, 1991


FacialArtMuseum

The shining!!! Scared the absolute shit out of me when I was 16 and I haven’t looked back.


SirHistory

Night Shift.


FuriousGeorge0417

Fairy Tale. I am late to the party but playing catch -up the best I can. Since then I’ve finished IT, Salem’s Lot, Dark Tower, Pet Semetary, 11/22/63 (twice). I am currently going through Mr. Mercedes now.


maddisonlynn505

The Shining. I was 12 and my mom gave it to me since she figured I would like it.


Aggravating_Cut_4509

Christine


pjv2001

Carrie, followed by The Stand at 9 yo.


Scurvy2

I think I was 15 & it was blaze.


MarkAndrewSkates

Night Shift when I was about 6 or 7 (81 or so). My father had the trade paperback with the amazing gauze wrapped hand with eyes cover. I figured whatever was inside was different than anything I'd read, and so happy I did! I spent the rest of my birthdays and Christmases by asking for a new skateboard and the new King hardcover. Usually I'd just get the book, but that was cool. 😁 I still have all the original hardcovers and most of the special editions (growing up in Massachusetts made it easy to get to Bangor or Boston, where I scored things like My Pretty Pony silver case.) Still a bibliophile. Still have King as my favorite all time. 🙂


Main_Force_Patrol

My Aunt bought me the institute for Christmas a few years back. Got me hooked on the books, the institute is one of my top three books. Other favorites are the running man and the Tommy knockers.


CreativeNameCosplay

*Desperation*! I was 9 and I’m surprised I kept reading King after that. I reread *Desperation* recently and it all came back to me how horrific it is, and reminded me why it’s one of my favorites!


WaitingToBeTriggered

IT’S A DESPERATE RACE AGAINST THE MINE


OrangeStock3517

Everything's Eventual


BradyBunch12

3rd grade my mother gave me Eyes of the Dragon


Unholydiver919

Carrie oh so many years ago.


Cisru711

The Drawing of the Three. It was a Christmas or birthday present (they are close together). Also got Four Past Midnight.


laurawho7

Cujo


Pepsimus-Maximus

Pet Sematary at age 12. Then IT. Then Four Past Midnight. Then Salem's Lot.


RolandDeshain19

Cujo, and even though it started my love of Stephen King works, it is one of the few I only read once.


Nandsmum

Misery.


mandoaz1971

The mist followed by IT 12 years old


CyanCicada

I read *The Gunslinger* along with [these fellas ](https://www.doofmedia.com/kingslingers/) about a year ago. When I finish Christine tonight, I will have read or listened to 49/83 King books.


WDTHTDWA-BITCH

The Gunslinger and I was confused the whole way through.


FurryBison

The Gunslinger earlier this year


babyletmedecompose

The Talisman. Dark Tower series is my favorite. I’m trying to read all his books. I’m hooked.


Tasha0705

“Christine” at the age of 13 and never looked back


myleswstone

Carrie. When I get into a new author, I read all of their work in chronological order to see how their writing style changes over time.


Lostturtlelady42

Thinner. I think I was 12 .


Agitated-Ad-6918

The Shinning was my first SK book only about 4 years ago. I've lost count of how many I've read since then. About to finish Billy Summers.


ConfidenceOk2143

Christine, in 2018.


wsbboston

Night shift


Ashton_Garland

Misery


just-_-trash

Pet Sematary back in 2020 when I’d just started my A-Levels (I was late to the King game, I know). I raved about it for weeks and then read Carrie a couple months later. Been hooked on his books ever since. Kinda want to reread Pet Sematary though, I feel it might hit a lot harder now that I’m a bit older


AttemptOk8978

Rose Madder, which you never hear about


therankin

I think it was The Institute. Loved it.


eln1ad

Firestarter


millertime52

Desperation in like when I was 11/12, and for the past 20+ years I’ve been grabbing every one of his books I can get my hands on.


SimpsonMcKay

Duma Key. Not one of his popular ones but I enjoyed it nonetheless.


fidgit17

I honestly cant remember which one I read first. I'm 40 ish and have been reading King for 30 years. I've read so many, and most multiple times, I don't know what was first. Best guess is Cujo.


the-Katoteshimo

The shining. A couple of months ago I got interested in Stephen King so I googled what's the best Stephen King book to start with. The rest is history.


UpAndAdam80

The Stand


Sufficient_Ad2222

The Gunslinger, followed immediately by books 2-7 of the Tower


1dkwh4tn4m3

pet sematary


LazySignificance7924

Carrie! My parents gave it go me for Christmas when I was 11. I remember that I started to read it during the lunch breaks on the 25th (I am from Italy, we eat a lot). I finished it the night between 25th and 26th. I loved it.


Kitchen-Pipe-4223

I haven’t seen anyone say the green mile, my librarian introduced me when I was 14 and I never looked back


SarahRiastrad

Tommyknockers.


Uhlman24

The shining. Then about halfway through that I also started Firestarter