With dozens of books to his name, the legendary horror authorStephen Kinghas had plenty of short works for those looking for a brief novella to add to their reading list. While King is known for writingsprawling narratives such asItandThe Stand, his prolific nature means that he also has several sub-200-page works for those who want to enjoy his writing without needing to commit to a more than 1,000-page epic. In fact, some ofKing’s most compelling workswere on the shorter side, as he never needlessly extended stories just for the sake of it.
While some of King’s best shorter novellas, likeThe BodyorRita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, are incredibly well-loved, these were published underthe collectionDifferent Seasons, and this run-through is focused on works that were originally published individually. Although a select few can boast that they’ve read every single King book, for others, this is just too difficult, and it’s important to know whether his short works are worth checking out. From his extraordinary debut novel to later e-book releases,there’s a whole world of excitement to explore when it comes to King’s shortest books.
10Carrie (1974)
199 pages
While Stephen King would later earn a reputation for writing mammoth books whose page count sometimes exceeded 1000 pages, this was not the case for his debut novel,Carrie. Although it takes some writers a few books to find their feet, the truth was that King’s exceptional talent was on display right from the beginning, and this story of a psychic teenager was also one of his greatest works. Telling the story of a friendless 17-year-old girl dealing with a religious fanatic mother and bullying classmates,Carriecaptured the worst aspects of the high school experience.
As a blend of supernatural and gothic fiction, King explored the dark side of ostracism in this richly imagined coming-of-age story that saw Carrie’s powers unleashed after being subjected to a cruel prom-day prank. With an iconic film adaptation from Brian De Palma starring Sissy Spacek,Carriehas earned its place among King’s must-read works. At a brief 199 pages, King fans have no excuse not to have readCarrie.
9The Colorado Kid (2005)
184 pages
The Colorado Kidwas Stephen King’s first book for the specialist publisher Hard Case Crime. With a classic Maine setting, this mystery novel began on a tiny island with a dead body lacking any identifications or clues toward what happened. While every attempt to solve the case leads to a dead end, the two-person staff of the island’s newspaper develop a fascination with the case, and 25 years later, a rookie reporter finds himself on the trail of discovering what actually happened.
WhileThe Colorado Kidwas a brief novella from King, it was no less intriguing than his longer works and even served as the basis for the TV seriesHaven. As a quick read that highlighted that King was just as adept at crime mystery stories as he was in horror or fantasy, this was a fascinating character study into the nature of simply not knowing something. While the ending was divisive among some readers,The Colorado Kidis definitely worth reading.
8Gwendy’s Button Box (2017)
175 pages
Stephen King collaborated with theCemetery Dancemagazine editor Richard Chizmar on the horror novellaGwendy’s Button Box, a story that takes place in King’s fictional Castle Rock, the town that first appeared inThe Dead Zone. Focusing on 12-year-old Gwendy Peterson’s encounter with a mysterious stranger in dark clothes and a black hat, this nightmarish story was just the first in a trilogy.
At a swift 175 pages,Gwendy’s Button Boxpacked a lot of interesting and creepy ideas into its restricted page count. As the fascinating truth behind the titular black box is slowly revealed, King and Chizmar hook readers with a tale of mystery, suspense, and thrills. While Chizmar authored the second book in the series alone, King returned as co-author for the final installment,Gwendy’s Final Task, in 2022, but this entry was much longer at 422 pages.
7Elevation (2018)
114 pages
The suspenseful novellaElevationreturns to Stephen King’s fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine, for a mysterious story about an illness’s bizarre effects on Scott Carey. With an affliction that causes Scott to lose weight without actually getting thinner, despite knowing he’s suffering from some type of disease, Carey appears otherwise healthy. As Scott’s weight continues to decrease, he’s forced to ponder the terrifying consequences of what will happen when he reaches zero.
Elevationhad some clever ideas at its core, but the truth was its story was a little bit weak when compared to King’s greatest works. While King’s shorter books usually have the same depth and intrigue as his longer fiction,everything about the wayElevationprogressed felt overly heavy-handed, and the political messaging came across as forced. With excessive stereotypes and overly sentimental characterization,Elevationwas a minor work in the grand scheme of King’s bibliography.
6Nightmares in the Sky (1988)
128 pages
While Stephen King is known for his fictional horror stories, he stepped outside his usual style in 1988 to author the text of this architectural coffee table book about gargoyles and grotesques. With photos by f-stop Fitzgerald (Richard Minissali), King wrote the accompanying text for the 24 full-color photos and 100 duotones included in the book. As a glimpse into art, history, and monstrosity,Nightmares in the Skywas just one of many fascinating offshoots in King’s careerthat showcase his eclectic interests and inspirations.
The imagery fromNightmares in the Skywas even used as the textures for monsters in several acclaimed video games, includingDoomandThe Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall. The haunting and beautiful nature of this book will appeal to those with a love for art, history, and mythology, although the appeal is more about Fitzgerald’s contribution than King’s minor input. Those who go into this book expecting a spooky story from King will certainly be left disappointed.
5Cycle of the Werewolf (1983)
127 pages
Cycle of the Werewolfwas a short horror novella from Stephen King that also featured illustrations by comic-book artist Bernie Wrightson. Telling the story of a small town haunted by a werewolf who appears at the monthly full moon, each chapter in the novella was presented as its own short story. With each chapter set during a different month in the town of Tarker’s Mills, Maine,Cycle of the Werewolfwas a supernatural tale thatKing later adapted himself into the screenplay for the 1985 movieSilver Bullet.
Addressing themes of domestic violence, sexually transmitted diseases, and violence against animals, King really made use of a brief page count to tell a fully realized story. The pairing of text and Wrightson’s illustrations also added the creepy appeal ofCycle of the Werewolf. As a perfect creature-feature-style story, this short novella was just as worthy of a reader’s attention as any of King’s longer work and could be devoured by a reader in just one sitting.
4Blockade Billy (2010)
112 pages
Stephen King combined his lifelong love for baseball and unmatched ability to conjure suspenseful stories in the short novellaBlockade Billy. At just 112 pages, King wrote Blockade Billy in just two weeks (viaNew York Times) as he paid tribute to his fascination with old-school baseball. Following the story of the fictional baseball catcher William “Blockade Billy” Blakely, this novella was set during his brief stint with the New Jersey Titans during the 1957 season.
Presented as the story of the greatest baseball player that nobody remembers,Blockade Billyexplored the reason that Blakely was erased from the history books. With a blend of baseball and horror, this book will definitely appeal to those with a love of the sport but can be equally enjoyed by those most unfamiliar with catchers and pitchers. With an interesting narrator and an intriguing premise,Blockade Billywas one of King’s most enjoyable shorter works.
3Mile 81 (2011)
81 pages
The brief novellaMile 81was first published as an e-book by Stephen King in 2011, although it was later featured in the short story collectionThe Bazaar of Bad Dreams. With a blend of horror and sci-fi, this 80-page novella was set at the boarded-up rest stop on Mile 81 on the Maine Turnpike and the supernatural happenings that occurred there after young Pete Simmons found a bottle of vodka and drank enough to pass out.
With a classic coming-of-age setup, things take a turn as a strange vehicle appears at Mile 81 and a sentient, extraterrestrial entity starts to lure in unsuspecting victims.Mile 81was a short and sweet horror story delivered in a way that only King can. Although it may not be as well known as other King works,this novella would have been a perfect addition to the author’sCreepshowanthology series, and it is well worth reading for fans of the original George A. Romero film.
2A Face in the Crowd (2012)
50 pages
Stephen King reunited with the author Stewart O’Nan, with whom he had previously co-authored the non-fiction bookFaithful, chronicling the 2004 Boston Red Sox season, for another baseball-related release. However, this time, it was in the realm of fiction and told the story of an elderly widower named Dean Evers who has nothing to do but waste his days away watching baseball on TV. Then, one day, when watching a game, Dean spotted a face from his past, that of his deceased childhood friend, sitting in the stalls, and was soon confronted with countless figures from his past.
Asa novella that grew out of King’s idea for a story called “Spectators,”A Face in the Crowdhas a fascinating history as the author spoke openly about the story before publication and revealed he did not know how to finish the story. O’Nan was in the audience when King discussed this idea, and the two reconnected to finish the book (viaFear Net.) As one of King’s shortest books,A Face in the Crowdwas an enjoyable read and the perfect choice for someone looking to read a King book but only has about an hour to spare.
1Charlie the Choo-Choo: From the World of The Dark Tower (2016)
28 pages
Readers won’t readily associate Stephen King with children’s fiction, and even this child-centered story has an eerie history. Published under the pseudonym Beryl Evans, the story ofCharlie the Choo-Choowas included in King’sThe Dark Tower III: The Waste Landsand was intended as a creepy reading experience to give children nightmares. Exploring a sentient train,Charlie the Choo-Chootook the horrific implications ofThomas the Tank Engineto its absolute extreme.
At just 28 pages,Charlie the Choo-Choowas not only the shortest addition toThe Dark Towerseries but was also the shortest complete book that King ever wrote. With creepy accompanying art from illustrator Ned Dameron, those who have not yet caught up withThe Dark Towerseries would be best avoiding this outrageous addition until they have familiarized themselves with it. More so than anything,Charlie the Choo-Chooproved that even whenStephen King’sbooks are incredibly short, they are still totally unique.
