Renowned as the ‘King of Horror’, Stephen King, with his illustrious career chock-full of bestsellers including The Shining, Carrie, and It, once revealed his all-time favourite novels during the Goodreads Turns Ten festivities back in 2017, albeit with a pinch of skepticism about the list’s constancy. Stephen mused over the ever-evolving nature of such compilations: “Of course, any list like this is slightly ridiculous.
On another day, ten different titles might come to mind, like The Exorcist, or All the Pretty Horses, in place of Blood Meridian. On another day, I’d be sure to include Light in August or Scott Smith’s superb A Simple Plan. The Sea, the Sea, by Iris Murdoch. But what the hell, I stand by these.
Although Anthony Powell’s novels should probably be here, especially the sublimely titled Casanova’s Chinese Restaurant and Books Do Furnish a Room. And Paul Scott’s Raj Quartet. And at least six novels by Patricia Highsmith. What about Patrick O’Brian? See how hard this is to let go?”
After much thought, Stephen ultimately settled on a top-ten roster, featuring celebrated classics such as 1984 by George Orwell, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, and Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy, alongside the epic fantasy series The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, reports the Mirror US.
The last of these was a huge inspiration for his own epic fantasy series The Dark Tower, which he describes as his “magnum opus.” Alongside Tolkien, he was also inspired by the “spaghetti westerns” that were popular during his childhood and the poetry of Robert Browning.
On his own Goodreads, Stephen shared a review of The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson, which has made its way onto his top ten list.
He wrote: “In a stunning feat of imagination, Johnson puts us inside Jun Do (yep, John Doe), a North Korean orphan who stumbles from poverty to a job as body double for a Hero of the Eternal Revolution.
“The closed world of North Korea revealed here-where businessmen are conscripted to work in the rice fields and the ruthless Kim Jong-il is still the Dear Leader-goes beyond anything Orwell ever imagined. The Orphan Master’s Son veers from cold terror to surrealistic humour with ease, and succeeds as both a thriller and a social satire. Put it on your shelf next to Catch-22.”
Other titles on his list include Richard Adams’ Watership Down, Ship of Fools by Katherine Anne Porter, Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, The Hair of Harold Roux by Thomas Williams, Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison and American Pastoral by Philip Roth.
Stephen King’s top ten books:
- Lord of the Flies by William Golding
- Ship of Fools by Katherine Anne Porter
- Watership Down by Richard Adams
- The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson
- The Hair of Harold Roux by Thomas Williams
- Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
- Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
- 1984 by George Orwell
- American Pastoral by Philip Roth
- The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien