Think You Know Stephen King? These 7 Books for King Superfans Might Prove You Wrong

Part memoir, part how-to guide, Stephen King’s On Writing was named one of the Top 100 Nonfiction Books of All Time by TIME magazine.

In it, King combines stories of his own life, his youth, his writing practice, and more, with direct and relatable advice that can be employed by writers of any skill level.

When you’re finished with this “one-of-a-kind classic” (Wall Street Journal), you may not be able to write like Stephen King, but you’ll have a better understanding of the craft, the written word, King’s own life, and maybe even yourself thanks to “the best book about writing ever written” (The Guardian).

New York Times-bestselling author Stephen Spignesi has been hailed by Entertainment Weekly as the “world’s leading authority on Stephen King.”

In this new book packed with facts and trivia about King and his work, Spignesi takes readers on a deep dive into the life and legacy of one of America’s most successful and influential writers, making the case that King is an “American master” while also inundating readers and fans with all sorts of little-known facts and tidbits drawn from interviews, essays, and much, much more.

On IMDb, Stephen King is credited as the writer on more than 400 films, TV shows, and shorts. In the “most exhaustive analysis of Stephen King on screen that has ever been written” (Cinepunx), author Simon Brown “gathers together the unruly mess of King adaptations,” placing them “within the sociocultural and industrial context of four decades of horror” (Philip L. Simpson, author of Psycho Paths).

Beginning with the earliest King adaptations and continuing through everything from direct-to-video fodder to mainstream blockbusters, Screening Stephen King explores how King’s work has been adapted to screens both big and small through the years.

A prolific author of biographies, Lisa Rogak (author of A Boy Named Shel: The Life and Times of Shel Silverstein, among others) turns her attention to the bestselling writer of the 20th century in this unauthorized biography that is one of the first to take a complete look at the life of Stephen King, from his humble origins through his massive literary success.

Rogak covers all the most significant moments from throughout the author’s long career, and “the facts she marshals will serve King fans not familiar with his life” (Publishers Weekly).

Among the things that make Stephen King’s works so compelling to readers are the small details that tie them all together.

This is just one of the aspects explored in this “Stephen King companion to end all Stephen King companions” (Publishers Weekly), which offers a deep dive into all of the author’s works, from novels and short stories to adaptations, screenplays, teleplays, and more.

If Stephen King wrote it—or if it was adapted from something he wrote—then you’ll find it in these pages, which explore the massive and haunting universe of Stephen King’s fiction.

Part art book, part behind-the-scenes guide, The World of IT showcases the development of one of the biggest horror hits of all time, Andy Muschietti’s 2017 and 2019 two-part adaptation of Stephen King’s classic novel IT.

With insights from some of the creative minds behind the films—as well as the acclaimed ensemble cast—this treasure trove for Stephen King fans includes concept art, storyboards, behind-the-scenes photographs, and so much more, showcasing the unique vision behind one of the most popular adaptations of Stephen King’s work ever to make it onto the silver screen.

In more than 30 interviews that originally appeared in periodicals ranging from Penthouse to the Baltimore Sun, Stephen King reveals his own fears, his work habits, his reactions to his novels and the cinematic adaptations thereof, the frustrations and joys of his success and his failures, and much more.

What scares Stephen King?

You’ll find out in the pages of Bare Bones, as editors Tim Underwood and Chuck Miller showcase some of the most telling interviews conducted with America’s most popular living writer from across more than three decades.