To celebrate the release of Stephen King’s next masterpiece, Revival, we’re taking a look back over the years of his reign as the King of Horror.

Can you believe Carrie was released 40 years ago? Since then, Stephen King has reached Number 1 on the New York Times Bestseller List a whopping 35 times! As such, it can be daunting for new readers to decide where to start. At QBD the Bookshop, we have you covered. Our blog staff have dived headfirst into Stephen King’s immense backlist, and have emerged with a fool-proof Beginner’s Guide to Stephen King.

‘IT’ and The Stand‘: Want to dive right into the deep end? These two are not for the faint of heart. ‘IT’ is an epic horror will chill you to the bone. Follow the intertwining stories of a group of children whose terrifying nightmares are brought to life by IT, and the adults that these children become, brought back to their hometown for a final showdown. ‘The Stand’ is the apocalyptic tale of the disease that destroys the world, and the evil which rises from the ashes. Follow the survivors as they travel America searching for salvation, and form their sides for the upcoming battle for the new world.

‘Stephen King Goes to the Movies’: If you want to start with something a bit more comfortable and familiar, start with this collection of five King stories which have been adapted for the big screen. As we all know, the book is always better. Including the classics behind The Shawshank Redemption, Hearts in Atlantis, and Children of the Corn, this is a fantastic place to commence your newfound love for Stephen King. Don’t forget to also check out ‘The Green Mile’, ‘Hearts in Atlantis’, and Stand by Me (released as The Body in the short story collection ‘Different Seasons’).

‘Just After Sunset’: If you prefer to carefully dip your toe into the Stephen King pool, and see how you like the temperature, this collection of short stories might be just the thing. While some of these stories are King’s signature white-knuckled-gripping-the-arms-of-your-chair style, others are delightfully macabre in the tradition of Roald Dahl’s tales for adults. Just wait until you read ‘N.’ and ‘The Cat from Hell’ – these are stories that are sure to stick with you long after the book is closed!

The ‘Dark Tower‘ series: This is a fantastic introduction to King for fantasy fans, who usually prefer the works of authors like Raymond E Feist or Robert Jordan. An epic tale of the journey of Roland Deschain and his unlikely friends as they travel endlessly closer to the Dark Tower, the centrepoint connecting all worlds and dimensions.

Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg. For a full list of King’s titles, click here.

Good luck, and welcome to your new addiction.