Stephen King Books in Order
Stephen King has written 223 books, published between 1971 and 2026. The first book is The Blue Air Compressor (Short Story) (1971) and the newest is Other Worlds Than These (2026). Publication order is the reading order below.
Stephen King also publishes as Richard Bachman.
- Books
- 223
- Published
- 1971–2026
- Confirmed
- 195 of 223 titles
- Pages on record
- 46,542 in 107 of 223 books
Horror fiction is the field most closely tied to Stephen King, an American author born on September 21, 1947, and nicknamed the "King of Horror". King's work also reaches into suspense, crime, science fiction, fantasy and mystery, and includes roughly 200 short stories, most later gathered in collections. Carrie (1974) was the debut that set King in horror; Different Seasons (1982), four novellas in one volume, marked the first major step outside it. The catalogue lists 223 books from 1971 to 2026, starting with The Blue Air Compressor, a short story, and reaching Other Worlds Than These (2026). Series on file include Holly Gibney, the Bill Hodges Trilogy, Green Mile, Shining and Talisman.
How many Stephen King books are there?
Stephen King has 223 books, released between 1971 and 2026. They include 13 series and 6 titles listed outside any series.
Stephen King Books in Publication Order
The table lists all 223 Stephen King books in the order they were released, with the release year, the page count where one is on record, and how many independent book listings confirm each title. Catalogue data as of September 2026.
- 11971–1/4
- 219742724/4
- 319754964/4
- 41977–2/4
- 51977–1/4
- 619775124/4
- 719779923/4
- 81977–3/4
- 91978–3/4
- 101978–1/4
- 11197811534/4
- 121978–3/4
- 131978–3/4
- 141978–3/4
- 151978–1/4
- 161978–3/4
- 171978–3/4
- 181978–3/4
- 19The Long Walk (As: Richard Bachman)Stephen King Standalone Novels #51979 · 370 pages · confirmed 4/419793704/4
- 2019795134/4
- 211979–3/4
- 2219804014/4
- 23Modern Masters of Horror1980 · 288 pages · confirmed 1/419802881/4
- 2419802574/4
- 2519802304/4
- 2619802863/4
- 2719814004/4
- 2819814594/4
- 291981–4/4
- 3019813044/4
- 311981–3/4
- 321981–4/4
- 331982644/4
- 3419822244/4
- 3519826884/4
- 36The Running Man (As: Richard Bachman)Stephen King Standalone Novels #101982 · 336 pages · confirmed 4/419823364/4
- 371982754/4
- 3819825604/4
- 391982–1/4
- 4019835034/4
- 4119835604/4
- 421983–4/4
- 431983–3/4
- 4419835604/4
- 4519831284/4
- 4619832554/4
- 4719846524/4
- 4819843184/4
- 491984–3/4
- 50The Ballad of the Flexible Bullet (Short Story)Stephen King Short Stories/Novellas #271984 · confirmed 1/41984–1/4
- 511985–1/4
- 521985–3/4
- 53198611204/4
- 541986–1/4
- 551986–3/4
- 5619868974/4
- 5719874324/4
- 5819873264/4
- 5919873704/4
- 6019879924/4
- 611987–1/4
- 621987–3/4
- 63Bare Bones: Conversations on Terror with Stephen KingStephen King Non-Fiction #31988 · 211 pages · confirmed 4/419882114/4
- 64Nightmares in the Sky: Gargoyles and GrotesquesStephen King Non-Fiction #41988 · 128 pages · confirmed 4/419881284/4
- 651988–1/4
- 66Feast of Fear: Conversations with Stephen KingStephen King Non-Fiction #51989 · 282 pages · confirmed 3/419892823/4
- 67One Past Midnight: The Langoliers (Four Past Midnight)Stephen King Standalone Novels #181989 · 1 pages · confirmed 4/4198914/4
- 6819894683/4
- 691989–3/4
- 701989644/4
- 7119891004/4
- 721989–4/4
- 731989–3/4
- 74Feast of Fear1989 · confirmed 1/41989–1/4
- 7519909604/4
- 761990–4/4
- 7719902084/4
- 7819914224/4
- 7919917904/4
- 801991–4/4
- 811991–3/4
- 821992–4/4
- 8319923724/4
- 841993–3/4
- 851993–4/4
- 861993–3/4
- 871994–4/4
- 8819947924/4
- 891994–3/4
- 901994–4/4
- 9119955953/4
- 921995884/4
- 931995–1/4
- 941996924/4
- 951996–4/4
- 961996–4/4
- 971996904/4
- 981996–4/4
- 9919961444/4
- 10019965474/4
- 101The Regulators (As: Richard Bachman)Stephen King Standalone Novels #261996 · 400 pages · confirmed 4/419964004/4
- 10219978964/4
- 10319975364/4
- 1041997–3/4
- 1051997–3/4
- 1061998–3/4
- 10719987324/4
- 10819993764/4
- 10919992913/4
- 1101999–4/4
- 1111999–4/4
- 11219992724/4
- 11319996404/4
- 114Secret Windows: Essays and Fiction on the Craft of WritingStephen King Short Story #132000 · confirmed 3/42000–3/4
- 1152000–4/4
- 1162000–3/4
- 117Secret Windows2000 · 431 pages · confirmed 1/420004311/4
- 11820016724/4
- 11920018964/4
- 1202001–3/4
- 12120023564/4
- 12220039254/4
- 12320045604/4
- 12420043844/4
- 125200410724/4
- 1262004–3/4
- 12720057834/4
- 12820051843/4
- 1292005–3/4
- 13020062904/4
- 13120063044/4
- 13220064804/4
- 13320065134/4
- 1342006–4/4
- 1352006–3/4
- 13620072854/4
- 1372007–3/4
- 1382007–1/4
- 1392008–3/4
- 14020086114/4
- 14120085604/4
- 1422008–3/4
- 1432008–3/4
- 1442009–4/4
- 1452009–4/4
- 1462009–4/4
- 1472009–4/4
- 148200910744/4
- 1492009–3/4
- 15020091134/4
- 15120095124/4
- 1522010–3/4
- 15320102604/4
- 15420101364/4
- 1552010–4/4
- 15620101444/4
- 1572010–3/4
- 1582010–3/4
- 1592010–4/4
- 16020111364/4
- 16120118493/4
- 1622011–4/4
- 163The Little Green God of Agony (Short Story)Stephen King Short Stories/Novellas #752011 · confirmed 1/42011–1/4
- 1642011–1/4
- 1652012–4/4
- 1662012–4/4
- 1672012–4/4
- 1682012–3/4
- 1692012–4/4
- 170201224/4
- 171Batman and Robin have an Altercation (Short Story)Stephen King Short Stories/Novellas #792012 · confirmed 1/42012–1/4
- 1722012–3/4
- 1732012–4/4
- 1742012–4/4
- 1752012–4/4
- 17620131104/4
- 17720135344/4
- 178The Dark Man: An Illustrated PoemStephen King Graphic Novels with Marc Guggenheim #42013 · confirmed 4/42013–4/4
- 1792013–4/4
- 18020132854/4
- 1812013–1/4
- 1822013–1/4
- 1832014–4/4
- 18420144054/4
- 1852014–4/4
- 18620154344/4
- 1872015–1/4
- 1882015–4/4
- 1892015–3/4
- 1902016–3/4
- 19120164324/4
- 19220163734/4
- 19420171764/4
- 19520179174/4
- 19620185764/4
- 1972018–3/4
- 19820181464/4
- 19920191284/4
- 20020191284/4
- 2012019–4/4
- 2022019–3/4
- 2032020–4/4
- 2042020–4/4
- 20520204364/4
- 206Sleeping Beauties, Vol. 1Stephen King Graphic Novels with Marc Guggenheim #52020 · 120 pages · confirmed 4/420201204/4
- 2072020–1/4
- 2082020–3/4
- 20920212644/4
- 21020215284/4
- 2112021–1/4
- 21220224084/4
- 21320226084/4
- 2142022–1/4
- 2152023–3/4
- 2162023–3/4
- 217You Like It Darker2024 · 512 pages · confirmed 1/420245121/4
- 218American Vampire 12024 · confirmed 1/42024–1/4
- 2192025–3/4
- 2202025–3/4
- 2212025–4/4
- 222The End of the World As We Know It2025 · confirmed 1/42025–1/4
- 2232026–3/4
Stephen King series and characters in order
Each link below opens a reading-order page with every book in publication order.
- Holly Gibney books in order 4 books
- Green Mile books in order 6 books
- Shining books in order 3 books
- Dark Tower books in order 26 books
Stephen King books grouped by series
Each title below is a row in the publication-order table above. A group whose heading is a link has its own reading-order page; the other groups have no page of their own on this site.
Stephen King Short Stories/Novellas
93 books93 titles published under this heading without a numbered place in a series.
Stephen King Standalone Novels
45 books45 titles published under this heading without a numbered place in a series.
Stephen King Short Story
11 books11 titles published under this heading without a numbered place in a series.
Stephen King Non-Fiction
9 books9 titles published under this heading without a numbered place in a series.
Dark Tower books in order
9 books by Stephen KingStand: Graphic Novels in order
6 booksStephen King Graphic Novels with Marc Guggenheim in order
5 booksTalisman in order
3 booksBill Hodges Trilogy in order
3 booksStephen King Plays in order
2 booksTransgressions in order
2 booksSecretary of Dreams in order
2 booksDark Tower: The Drawing of the Three in order
2 booksDark Tower: The Gunslinger in order
2 booksJoe Hill Short Stories/Novellas
2 books2 titles published under this heading without a numbered place in a series.
Legends in order
1 book- 1. Legends
American Vampire in order
1 bookBeryl Evans Picture Books as Beryl Evans in order
1 bookStephen King Children's in order
1 bookJoe Hill Short Story
1 book1 title published under this heading without a numbered place in a series.
Dark Tower: Beginnings in order
1 bookStandalone books
6 books6 Stephen King titles here are not listed as part of any series.
Stephen King Books in Chronological Order
By publication date, the Stephen King books run from The Blue Air Compressor (Short Story) (1971) to Other Worlds Than These (2026), the sequence in the table above. No separate story order is recorded for Stephen King in the book listings this catalogue merges, so publication order is the only order on record.
Do you have to read Stephen King books in order?
You only need to read Stephen King books in order within each series: the books listed here span 13 separate series, and each series has its own publication order.
What order should you read Stephen King books in?
Read Stephen King one series at a time, each in its own publication order: Holly Gibney starts with The Outsider (2018), Green Mile starts with The Two Dead Girls (1996) and Shining starts with Before the Play (1977). The earliest catalogued title overall is The Blue Air Compressor (Short Story) (1971).
What is the newest Stephen King book?
Other Worlds Than These (2026) is the newest Stephen King book released so far.
Is there a new Stephen King book coming?
No next Stephen King book is announced in the catalogue, which is a gap in the listings it merges rather than a sign that the run has ended.
Awards Stephen King has won
Wikidata records 39 awards and 102 nominations for Stephen King. The most recent 12 are listed here. Each row states whether the title won or was shortlisted, and the year the award was given.
- Goodreads Choice Awards2019Wonfor The Institute
- Edgar Awards2016Wonfor Obits
- Edgar Awards2015Wonfor Mr. Mercedes
- Shirley Jackson Award for Single-Author Collection2015Wonfor The Bazaar of Bad Dreams
- Hammett Prize2014Wonfor Mr. Mercedes
- Bram Stoker Award for Novel2013Wonfor Doctor Sleep
- Bram Stoker Awards2011Wonfor Herman Wouk is Still Alive
- British Fantasy Award for Best Collection2011Wonfor Full Dark, No Stars
- Bram Stoker Award for Short Fiction2011Won
- Bram Stoker Award for Best Fiction Collection2010Wonfor Full Dark, No Stars
- Shirley Jackson Award2009Won
- Bram Stoker Award for Novel2008Wonfor Duma Key
Printable Stephen King Books in Order Checklist
A printable checklist of all 223 books in publication order is on the Stephen King reading checklist, with a tick box beside each title.
Stephen King at a glance
- Still publishing
- Stephen King published a book as recently as 2026.
- Release pace
- Stephen King books have appeared more than one a year on average.
- Length
- 46,542 pages across the 107 of 223 books with a recorded length, a median of 400 pages each.
- Busiest decade
- Most Stephen King books, 53 of 223, were published in the 1980s.
- Corroboration
- 136 of the 223 titles appear in all four independent book listings, and 195 in at least three.
What the Stephen King books are about
127 of the 223 Stephen King books carry subject tags in Open Library's catalogue. The subjects below are the ones that recur across them, most frequent first: horror is tagged on 34 of 127. The subjects are cataloguers’ headings, not a plot summary.
- Horror 34 of 127 books
- Suspense 23 of 127 books
- Thrillers 13 of 127 books
- Murder 9 of 127 books
- Psychological fiction 8 of 127 books
- Science fiction 8 of 127 books
- Fantasy 7 of 127 books
- Prisons 7 of 127 books
- Death row inmates 6 of 127 books