Anyone who knows me knows I love Stephen King. His novels comprise a pretty good chunk of all the books I read every year, but how can they not when he's written over 50 novels? When you've got so much to read from just one person, it can feel like you don't even need to try a new writer. But if you are looking for something new, Stephen King would approve if you took a look at these writers next time you stop by your local bookstore.
1. Paul Tremblay
Tremblay is the author of several books and many short stories, specializing in horror and dark fiction. He has won the Bram Stoker Award for Novel, was nominated as Goodreads Choice Awards: Best Horror, and is a juror for the Shirley Jackson Awards. His incredible book A Head Full of Ghosts was reviewed by the King of Horror himself, he said it "...scared the living hell out of me, and I'm pretty hard to scare." With a review like that, can can not pick up this guy's work?
2. Richard Adams
Richard Adams is most well-known for his survival/adventure novel Watership Down. While Adams' work is not similar to King's in genre, the writing style is somewhat similar and Adams wasn't afraid to push boundaries. His most famous work is far more exciting and gripping than a book about rabbits sounds and he used that to his advantage. Like King's, his characters are plagued by misfortune and they spend the book in exciting and even frightening situations. King also told Goodreads that Watership Down is one of his top ten favorite books and when you're looking for books to take a break from King, his own favorites wouldn't be a bad place to start.
3. Shirley Jackson
A master of horror in her own right, Shirley Jackson would be another great author to check out if you're looking for something Stephen King-esque. Some of her most popular works include the short story "The Lottery," and the books We Have Always Lived in the Castle and The Haunting of Hill House. All her works were very new for the time of their release and I think she does a fantastic job creating an original and shocking narrative. The Haunting of Hill House was also a huge inspiration for King when he wrote The Shining which I think speaks volumes about how much he respects her writing and has been influenced by it.
4. Richard Chizmar
Richard Chizmar doesn't write many novels of his own, he does a good deal of collaboration work. He has written several novels and compilations of his numerous short stories though. He writes mostly horror novels and crime fiction, which is bound to appeal to Stephen King fans. Chizmar even collaborated with on the novella Gwendy's Button Box which is basically a stamp of approval.
5. Richard Bachman
Richard Bachman is famous for his horror and suspense novels, and published them until his death in 1985. His books were mainly grounded in science fiction, dystopia, psychological thrillers, and horror.
Stephen King fans will love him because he is Stephen King.
King used the now well-known pseudonym from 1977 to 1985 when a bookstore clerk realized how similar the writing was between the two authors and contacted King's editor saying he knew. His famous book Misery was supposed to be a Bachman novel, but his real identity was revealed when he was writing it. King began using the pseudonym because he wanted to publish more than the industry standard of one book a year. When he was outed he said Bachman had died of "cancer of the pseudonym."
Now you can add even more for that TBR (To Be Read) list! Happy reading!!
