Summary
- The Great God Pan is deemed one of the best horror stories ever in the English language by Stephen King.
- Invasion of the Body Snatchers remains relevant with themes of fear and identity appreciated by King.
- The Plot is hailed as one of the best novels about writers and writing by King, with high suspense levels.
Stephen King is one of the most acclaimed and prolific horror and thriller authors of all time, and, like the best writers, he is also an insatiable reader who does not hold back on giving recommendations. King’s interests are vast and varied, and over the years, he’s lavished praise on classic novels from bygone eras and contemporary writers just getting started in the book industry. From referencing his favorite books in interviews, providing his thoughts for the blurbs of novels, and even giving shout-outs on his social media, there are many places where readers are likely to discover a recommendation for a great horror or thriller book from King.
Checking out some of the excellent book recommendations by King is a great way for readers to broaden their horizons and discover some works they wouldn’t otherwise have read. For those who love King’s books and are looking for something new, the obvious place to look for recommendations is from the man himself, as he’s been influenced by, thoroughly enjoyed, or even wished he wrote many of these novels. From classic authors who were writing long before King was born to modern writers who grew up reading his work, King recommends many great horror and thriller novels.
10 The Great God Pan (1894)
By Arthur Machen
“One of the best horror stories ever written. Maybe the best in the English language.”
The Great God Pan is a fantasy horror novella by the Welsh writer Arthur Machen that was first published in 1894 and went on to influence everybody from H.P. Lovecraft to Stephen King. A story of sinister woodland rituals, disappearances, and suicides, The Great God Pan was highly controversial when first published but has been recognized as a highly influential work in the horror genre. In an interview on King’s website, he described it as: “One of the best horror stories ever written. Maybe the best in the English language.”
The Great God Pan was a truly terrifying story written well over one hundred years ago. With a story that started as an experiment on a woman, it soon led to countless mysterious events and deaths that forced readers to confront the cosmic horror of the universe. King stated that his novella N. from his story collection Just After Sunset is "a riff on Arthur Machen's The Great God Pan.... Mine isn't anywhere near [as] good [as the original], but I loved the chance to put neurotic behavior—obsessive/compulsive disorder—together with the idea of a monster-filled macroverse."
9 Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1955)
By Jack Finney
Although it was first released almost 70 years ago, Invasion of the Body Snatchers by Jack Finney has not lost any of its incredible relevance. Lauded by Stephen King as a story to be “read and savored for its own satisfactions” (via Simon and Schuster), Finney’s sci-fi horror novel had a lot to say about fear of the other, McCarthyism, and Cold War anxieties at the time of its release, but can be just as easily applied to contemporary fears. With a story about people being replaced with emotionless duplicates, Invasion of the Body Snatchers gets to the heart of humanity's psychological anxieties.
It’s no surprise that King has a soft spot for Finney’s novel, as Invasion of the Body Snatchers’ alien invasion story has much in common with King’s book Dreamcatchers. Originally published under the title The Body Snatchers, Finney’s book has been adapted for the screen four times, which showcases the eternal relevance of its story’s themes. A truly fascinating read, Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a great classic recommendation from King.
8 The Shrinking Man (1956)
By Richard Matheson
Stephen King described American fantasy, horror, and science fiction author Richard Matheson as “the author who influenced me the most as a writer” (via New York Times.) With this in mind, it is no surprise that King is a fan of Matheson’s The Shrinking Man, which, much like King’s The Shining, steps right into the heart of the psychological horror genre. While Matheson is responsible for other acclaimed horror works, such as I Am Legend, The Shrinking Man foreshadows much of the work that King would later write.
The Shrinking Man tells a terrifying story about Scott Carey, who, after ingesting a cloud of radioactive spray, finds himself slowly shrinking every day until he starts to waste away. The slow, unnerving horror of The Shrinking Man powerfully deconstructs American masculinity and middle-class fears during the 1950s. King highlighted the importance of The Shrinking Man and Matheson's work in his non-fiction book, Danse Macabre, which is about the horror genre.
7 The Haunting of Hill House (1959)
By Shirley Jackson
While Stephen King is always quick to praise great contemporary works when he finds them, he’s also a writer with a great appreciation for the history of horror. For this reason, it is no surprise that King is fond of Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House, which he has called one of the finest horror novels of the late 20th century. As one of the best-haunted house stories ever told, Jackson’s novel has been adapted for film numerous times and serves as the basis for Mike Flanagan’s Netflix series, The Haunting of Hill House.
In King’s nonfiction book Danse Macabre, he wrote a lengthy chapter on “Horror Fiction,” in which he praised Jackson’s novel and explained the influence that The Haunting of Hill House has had on the horror genre as a whole. King cited The Haunting of Hill House, along with Henry James’ The Turning of the Skrew, as “the only two great novels of the supernatural in the last hundred years” (via Guardian.) King was also a fan of Flanagan’s adaptation and said that although some aspects of the story were revised, he believed “Shirley Jackson would approve.”