Lovecraft Lite: For all the nasty things going on, King's heroes often manage to defeat the Eldritch Abomination, sometimes by The Power of Friendship, sometimes by telling it "I'm not afraid of you", and sometimes just by punching out Cthulhu. Cluster F-Bomb: In On Writing, he cites his frequent use of foul language as an example of writing what you know.

The Dead Zone (1979) — The protagonist is plagued by visions of a terrible future. Notable as a prominent American novel containing the "lone gunman" assassin figure as the main hero/protagonist; King has stated that his original concept was, "Could you make Lee Harvey Oswald the good guy?" Made into a movie starring Christopher Walken (and directed by David Cronenberg, no less), and then served as loose inspiration for a TV series. Also notable as the only one of the few books where King planned out the whole story from the start rather than his usual Writing by the Seat of Your Pants where he liked the end result. Carrie (2002): A Made-for-TV Movie; while more faithful to the novel than the 1976 adaptation, the ending features major Adaptation Deviation as the creators intended to follow it with a TV series, which wound up being rejected by the network. Announcing the Winners of the 2016 Goodreads Choice Awards!". Goodreads . Retrieved February 27, 2021.Night Shift (1978) — Anthology of short stories, all of which have now been adapted into movies or TV series: Beahm, George (1998). Stephen King from A to Z: An Encyclopedia of His Life and Work. Andrews McMeel Publishing. pp.7–8. ISBN 978-0836269147. It (1986) — A small Maine city is infected by an Eldritch Abomination disguised as a Monster Clown, and only the children know. Made into a TV miniseries most notable for Tim Curry's horrifying portrayal of said clown, and a two-part film adaptation (released in 2017 and 2019 respectively) starring Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise. Tied into The Dark Tower saga.

Hendrix says: “For a woman constantly criticised by her mother, alienated by her husband, and isolated by her neighbours, the worst answer of all is: ‘No one’s.’”

Table of Contents

He describes terror as "the finest element" of the three, and the one he strives hardest to maintain in his own writing. Citing many examples, he defines "terror" as the suspenseful moment in horror before the actual monster is revealed. Cycle of the Werewolf (1983) — A small Maine town is menaced by a werewolf over the course of a year. A sort of combination short novella and Graphic Novel, featuring illustrations by Bernie Wrightson (of Swamp Thing fame). Made into a movie, Silver Bullet. Announcing the Winners of the 2017 Goodreads Choice Awards!". Goodreads . Retrieved February 27, 2021.

The form of the book takes the shape of a conversation with the reader and is a combination of autobiography and genre study. The tone of Danse Macabre, which is reminiscent of a familiar discussion with an acquaintance or student in a classroom, departs from that of most genre studies. In fact, King notes that at the time he was teaching a course on the genre at the University of Maine and “field testing” with his students the theories and perceptions set forth in this volume. In terms of overall structure, the book is loose; many times King will begin a discussion of a topic only to digress when the book, story, or film under consideration reminds him of a personal experience or other marginally related material. Because of its digressive and fairly personal nature, Danse Macabre can be considered a sort of Rorschach inkblot study of King himself as well as of his preferences as a writer of horror fiction.

Non-fiction

N." — A psychiatrist finds himself pulled into his dead patient's delusion. Adapted into a multi-part cutout-animated video series before publication. The answer seems to be that we make up horrors to help us cope with the real ones. With the endless inventiveness of humankind, we grasp the very elements which are so divisive and destructive and try to turn them into tools—to dismantle themselves.” ― Stephen King, quote from Danse Macabre Gone Horribly Right: If an outlandish scheme actually works out in a King story, you can bet it won't be in the way the characters had hoped.

Edgar Awards winners announced". Mystery Writers of America. Archived from the original on November 8, 2015. a b Pagan, Amanda (October 24, 2019). "Where to Start with Stephen King". The New York Public Library . Retrieved February 25, 2021. Lisey’s Story (2006) — A love story with a horrific edge; King's examination of what his wife's life might have been like if he had been killed in the car accident. King's personal favorite . Blaze (2007) — A mentally deficient conman kidnaps a millionaire's child. Marketed as a "posthumous" work of Bachman; actually a rewritten and edited version of a lost King manuscript that predates even Carrie.

TV screenplays and other works

These first four were originally released individually, and then reprinted in an omnibus titled The Bachman Books. Past Nominees and Winners – International Thriller Writers". International Thriller Writers . Retrieved March 1, 2021.