# What are Stephen King’s five worst books/stories? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 10, 2010, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-stephen-king-s-five-worst-books-stories/553312 "2010-09-10T17:56:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-stephen-king-s-five-worst-books-stories/553312/61 "2010-10-07T06:05:47Z")
1. The Plant. – Finish it, dickhead. 2. The Regulators 3. Desperation 4. The Regulators 5. Desperation &c… ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-stephen-king-s-five-worst-books-stories/553312/62 "2010-10-07T06:54:06Z")
> [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](#): > > I > **The Dark Tower** - read the first book when it first came out, and never read any more of them. Didn’t see what he fuss was about. That was a long time ago, and maybe my tastes have changed, but after the outrage over the last book, I’ll not try it again. I think you should consider it. The first book was one of the driest ones for me. It was written long before the others in a different format by a young inexperienced King. He’s since revised and re-released _The Gunslinger_ to make it more cohesive, consistent and less tedious. Books 2-4 are flat out excellent. Book 5 is a bit of a mixed bag and the hubbub about the ending is really overwrought. I thought the ending was nearly perfect and couldn’t have really worked any other way. Anyways, if you like King I think not reading the series based on the original publication of the first book is a bad choice. It’s not really indicative of what got most people hooked. > [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > I propose a (dis)honorable mention for everything written after he got hit by the van. > > The all-time worst is Susannah’s Song. I know three people who are/were stuck on the Dark Tower series because of that book. I took an afternoon and just banged it out and yes, it did hurt a little. Yeah, that was easily the least favorite of the group but it still had some redeeming stuff. The book _Song of Susannah_ spent far too much time on my least favorite character and the jive-talk dual personality was downright painful, but most of the story elements are good. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-stephen-king-s-five-worst-books-stories/553312/63 "2010-10-07T07:08:34Z")
I remember that long ago King wrote something about how he knows he can’t write black people or women very well. And yet he keeps on doing it. It gives me a feeling of (in the words of Lileks) “I’ve suffered for my art, and now it’s your turn.” ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-stephen-king-s-five-worst-books-stories/553312/64 "2010-10-07T13:01:03Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > I haven’t read much of his recent stuff, but I seem to remember some commenting that getting hit by a van also afffected his writing somehow. Not sure when it happened - I have the vague impression it was just recently, which at this time in my life usually translates to about fifteen years ago, give or take. Maybe that’s it, or at least that too. Although I thought _On Writing_ was after the van hit, and it is pretty good. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Dunkelheit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dunkelheit/32/248_2.png) [@Dunkelheit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunkelheit)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-stephen-king-s-five-worst-books-stories/553312/65 "2010-10-07T15:24:27Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > Anyways, if you like King I think not reading the series based on the original publication of the first book is a bad choice. It’s not really indicative of what got most people hooked. I agree. I didn’t know he’d upgraded The Gunslinger, I’ll have to see if I can find a copy to read. There were some inconsistencies between it and the following books, probably due to the length of time and difference in experience between the first and second installment. I wasn’t terribly keen on it but when the second one came out I devoured it many times, and just took the first as an inferior sort of introduction to the story. ---
**Author:** ![Scubaqueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@Scubaqueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scubaqueen)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-stephen-king-s-five-worst-books-stories/553312/66 "2010-10-07T16:47:42Z")
Dark Tower series - never finished. gave up. Cell - never finished. gave up. in fact it’s sitting right next to me in the bookcase, mocking me. Dreamcatcher - never finished. gave up. Cujo - yawn Rose Madder - wtf? i guess i’m the only one on here who actually \*liked \*‘from a buick 8.’ ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-stephen-king-s-five-worst-books-stories/553312/67 "2010-10-08T00:34:06Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > > [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](#): > > > > I > > **The Dark Tower** - read the first book when it first came out, and never read any more of them. Didn’t see what he fuss was about. That was a long time ago, and maybe my tastes have changed, but after the outrage over the last book, I’ll not try it again. > > I think you should consider it. The first book was one of the driest ones for me. It was written long before the others in a different format by a young inexperienced King. He’s since revised and re-released _The Gunslinger_ to make it more cohesive, consistent and less tedious. Books 2-4 are flat out excellent. Book 5 is a bit of a mixed bag and the hubbub about the ending is really overwrought. I thought the ending was nearly perfect and couldn’t have really worked any other way. > > Anyways, if you like King I think not reading the series based on the original publication of the first book is a bad choice. It’s not really indicative of what got most people hooked. ‘Tedious’ was the word that came to mind when I thought of the first book, and I read it on release, so I didn’t have the revised version. I’d say, “I’ll think about it.”, but I know my voracious appetite for books. I’ll be giving it another go the next time I’m momentarily stumped for something to read. ---
**Author:** ![rolandgunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cdc98d/32.png) [@rolandgunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rolandgunslinger)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-stephen-king-s-five-worst-books-stories/553312/68 "2010-10-08T01:03:50Z")
> [@Scubaqueen](#): > > Dark Tower series - never finished. gave up. > Cell - never finished. gave up. in fact it’s sitting right next to me in the bookcase, mocking me. > Dreamcatcher - never finished. gave up. > Cujo - yawn > Rose Madder - wtf? > > i guess i’m the only one on here who actually \*liked \*‘from a buick 8.’ ☹ I loved “From a Buick 8” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-stephen-king-s-five-worst-books-stories/553312.md?page=3)