Here are 16 of the very best horror stories from Stephen King!
Hes done it all, with no sign of stopping.
Youll always find something to give you the chills.
Make a note: this is a list ofshort stories, not novellas.
And on top of that, stories that are genuinely scary.
I didnt forget The Mist or N. or Secret Window, Secret Garden or any of those other goodies.
Those deserve their own article, dont they?
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Enjoy!
Hell, many of the stories have even become cult films themselves.
This is one of his early ones and features a bit of science fiction as well.
An astronaut returns from a mission to Venus after coming into contact with a strange alien mutagen.
Upon his return, he discovers that eyeballs are growing out of his hands!
No, I dont know where the hell this guy comes up with all this stuff.
King has a way of turning ordinary blue-collar life into grisly death.
Yes, its as bad as you think.
Trucks
Youve probably heard of this one, too.
Because King tried to direct a movie based on this story.
Motor vehicles have inexplicably come to life and decide to murder all humans who disobey them.
The doomed characters in this story suffer a very tragic end thats almost poetic.
Sometimes They Come Back
Okay, youre probably wondering why I totally skipped Children of the Corn.
That said, yes, read it or whatever.
A teacher is haunted by three psychotic greasers from his childhood.
you might buy Night Shift right here!
And it has nothing to do with the Ray Bradbury story of the same name.
Because of course theres a tiger waiting in a bathroom.
King has said that this was one of his earliest stories, written when he was in high school.
The Monkey
This a weird one.
A diabolical cymbal-banging monkey toy torments several characters through the years.
How does a toy cause such dread in its owner?
Well, every time it bangs its little cymbals, someone or something dies.
The conclusion to this one is quite fun.
Maybe not a traditional scary story, but the story circle format really lends it that Halloween feel.
Gramma
You might know this one.
A little boy is left alone with his gramma, a bed-ridden old woman who frightens him deeply.
As youd expect, he indeed has a lot to be frightened about.
Lovecraft, one of Kings idols.
you’re able to buy Skeleton Crew right here!
Kings other zombie tale, a book calledCell, is also worth a read.
This is the first King story I ever readin a school textbook, no less!
!and it remains one of my favorites.
A woman receives a very strange call from a distressed woman, who cant quite deliver her message.
The message and the outcome of this story are really heartbreaking.
you’ve got the option to buy Nightmares & Dreamscapes right here!
Yet, its still exceptionally terrifying.
A good story for those looking for lighter fare on Halloween.
The story isnt so much horror as it is a rumination on mortality.
The monster in this story isnt out to get you.
Instead, it wants to let you know its there and its waiting.
Still, this ones plenty of fun, if you like a little camp with your horror.
This one stars Mike Enslin, a guy who writes about haunted places hes visited.
He arrives to the Hotel Dolphin in New York City after he hears about the infamous room 1408. you’ve got the option to buy Everythings Eventual right here!
you might buy Bazaar of Bad Dreams right here!
A version of this article originally ran on Oct. 30, 2015.
