# Favorite Stephen King Novel? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 2, 2009, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-stephen-king-novel/512330 "2009-10-02T11:40:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-stephen-king-novel/512330/81 "2009-10-05T15:44:46Z")
Yeah, _Tommyknockers_ is pretty forgettable. I like _Firestarter_ but in some respects it feels a lot more dated than some of his other books that were written in the same time period. I’d probably start with _IT_, just because that’s the first King book I ever read (when I was 9 years old!) and it hooked me. ---
**Author:** ![wonderlust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonderlust/32/7237_2.png) [@wonderlust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonderlust)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-stephen-king-novel/512330/82 "2009-10-05T15:57:40Z")
Seeing the results of this poll, I ran to order \*\*The Stand \*\* in ebook form (great for those long, heavy books), only to find that it costs $35 (for an ebook?!). Dang, the Kindle version sells for $7. Boo. ---
**Author:** ![gurujulp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ba9def/32.png) [@gurujulp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gurujulp)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-stephen-king-novel/512330/83 "2009-10-05T16:21:35Z")
> [@Cugel](#): > > I chose _The Tommyknockers_, just cuz everyone bags it. _The Stand_ is ruled out due to unaccepatble levels of Religious Crap I really liked the TommyKnockers, but it just didn’t grab me the way IT, or some of the others did. ---
**Author:** ![Rhodes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhodes/32/273_2.png) [@Rhodes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhodes)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-stephen-king-novel/512330/84 "2009-10-05T16:34:01Z")
I kinda liked _Tommyknockers_. Much better than _Duma Key_ or _Buick 8_. But it was nowhere near as good as _The Stand_ (extended). Now I’m working on _The Shining_, and I need to catch up on some more of His classics. I still have a long way to go. I’ve read 12 of the 28 books in the poll, plus most of the collections and a few of the Bachmans and collaborations. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-stephen-king-novel/512330/85 "2009-10-05T17:22:54Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Same here. I grew up on _Skeleton Key_ and _Night Shift_, and didn’t pick up one of his novels until my teens. [nitpick]It was _Skeleton **Crew** _. [/nitpick] Since we’re discussing a lot of his short-works here, was anyone else as delighted as me about Everything’s Eventual’s Dinky Earnshaw showing up in the final DT book? ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-stephen-king-novel/512330/86 "2009-10-05T18:31:07Z")
**The Stand** ; edging out \*\*Wizard and Glass \*\*(which wasn’t even in the poll.) The ending of \*\*The Stand \*\*was perfectly in line with the rest of the novel and build-up. I mean, seeing that there was an obvious supernatural (God) element at work in the first 1000 pages, I’m not sure why that being manifested near the end is so surprising or off-putting. And the last part “in the desert” when Tom Cullen (M-O-O-N, that spells “great novel”) meets up with Stu and they make their way back to Boulder is a great send off to two great characters who will stick with me always. And King was even able to work Nick Andros (another great character) into those scenes. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Credible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@Justin\_Credible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Credible)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-stephen-king-novel/512330/87 "2009-10-05T18:42:02Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > I haven’t voted because I’ve never read a Stephen King Novel. A friend at work recommended IT. I pretty much decided I’ll start reading Stephen King. > > Where should I start? The Stand? IT? Chronological order would be good, but if you don’t want to do that, I’d recommend starting with 'Salem’s Lot or The Shining and then continuing on with his older works. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Credible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@Justin\_Credible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Credible)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-stephen-king-novel/512330/88 "2009-10-05T18:44:31Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > I’m curious about what would come in second. Is _The Stand_ perhaps the second choice of a sufficient number of the folks who picked something else as their first that it would make a solid showing? I think Desperation would be my second favorite. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-stephen-king-novel/512330/89 "2009-10-05T19:37:35Z")
> [@NajaNivea](#): > > ETA: are there any of his books that anyone is purposely avoiding? There are a few of the newer ones I haven’t gotten around to and am not in a particular hurry to do so, but there are two that I have tried repeatedly to read and never been able to get through: _Firestarter_ and \*The Tommyknockers. \* I started both several times as a kid and never could get into either one. I ended up ditching them not-very-far in every time, which is pretty rare for me. It’s been years, but I remember really liking _Firestarter_ and thinking _Tommyknockers_ was just okay. The one I’m avoiding is _Lisey’s Story_. I’ve heard that there’s a great story buried in there but the slang (especially the “smucking”) annoys me no end. If I could get somebody to take my copy and mark it up, replace smucking with fucking, I might be able to finish it. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-stephen-king-novel/512330/90 "2009-10-05T20:37:59Z")
I hated that euphemism so bad I can’t even remember the plot, or the ending to _Lisey’s Story_. ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-stephen-king-novel/512330/91 "2009-10-06T03:01:03Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > I haven’t voted because I’ve never read a Stephen King Novel. A friend at work recommended IT. I pretty much decided I’ll start reading Stephen King. > > Where should I start? The Stand? IT? If only there were a poll where people voted for their favorite Stephen King novel. I bet that would help. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-stephen-king-novel/512330/92 "2009-10-06T03:22:12Z")
_Stand By Me_ has got to be his most endearing, most culturally recognizable work. It’s just such a great story with really identifiable characters. Sheer scariness for me has got to be both _'Salems Lot_ and _1408_. Jesus those stories are scary as shit. I actually really liked _Hearts In Atlantis_, too, and the inevitable tie-in with the ending of the DT series. Face it, the guy is a gifted writer with an uncanny ability to capture not only the macabre but the popular culture aspect that renders his tales so believable. I like and have read pretty much everything he’s ever written. My biggest disappointment has to be _The Eyes Of The Dragon_. It just didn’t function on any level for me. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-stephen-king-novel/512330/93 "2009-10-06T04:05:23Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > I went with “Other”. A Stephen King poll that leaves out the Dark Tower books is woefully incomplete. Seconded. My second choice would have been _The Running Man._ I hope someday they’ll make a movie of it. But that has never yet been done. Never, do you hear me?! _sob_ **NEVER!** ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-stephen-king-novel/512330/94 "2009-10-06T09:28:09Z")
> [@norinew](#): > > [nitpick]It was _Skeleton **Crew** _. [/nitpick] > > Since we’re discussing a lot of his short-works here, was anyone else as delighted as me about Everything’s Eventual’s Dinky Earnshaw showing up in the final DT book? No. The appearance of characters from other books - and of King himself - struck me as self-indulgent and unimaginative (and not done very well either). Ruined the whole damn series for me. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-stephen-king-novel/512330/95 "2009-10-06T10:54:04Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > No. The appearance of characters from other books - and of King himself - struck me as self-indulgent and unimaginative (and not done very well either). Ruined the whole damn series for me. Oh, well, different strokes and all that. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![judikium](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@judikium](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/judikium)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-stephen-king-novel/512330/96 "2009-10-06T13:43:49Z")
_The Long Walk_. I’ve read it four or five times. It’s absolutely gripping and brilliant in so many ways. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-stephen-king-novel/512330/97 "2009-10-06T16:57:24Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > My second choice would have been The Running Man. I hope someday they’ll make a movie of it. But that has never yet been done. Never, do you hear me?! _sob_ NEVER! “Get me the Justice Dept, entertainment division”😉 The Body, Shawshank, Misery & The Langoliers. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2009, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-stephen-king-novel/512330/98 "2009-10-07T03:26:27Z")
I voted for Gerald’s Game. Misery and the Dark Half were second and third. ---
**Author:** ![eveanyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@eveanyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eveanyn)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2009, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-stephen-king-novel/512330/99 "2009-10-07T08:50:24Z")
This is a tough question since I’m a big King fan and many of his books draw me back to re-read them. I chose The Stand as my favourite book to have read and recommended to others, but Insomnia is the best audiobook I have ever heard. This is one that, for me may go unread in paper form. The gentleman who did the reading did an extraordinary job and the characters King created are so vivid. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-stephen-king-novel/512330.md?page=4)