What is the one King book you'd recommend a new reader?

[lisaki]

"Green Mile" is a safe choice
My absolute favorite book, apart of the DT series is "IT".
I'd recommend it more often to people who like horror if it wasn't that

Spoiler:

children gangbang scene

which shocks so many, including me

I also recommend "Misery". Never met a person who didn't like that. Pure suspense.

[Spawn]

Carrie is a very good book to start. I also would recommend It to a SK beginner...but well, I recommend "It" to everybody.

[Jean]

"Green Mile" is a safe choice

It may be a great choice, even the right choice, but not really a safe one. I personally could never finish Green Mile, and don't think I ever will.

[lisaki]

Why Jean? Is it the drama or you just can't get into it?

[Jean]

I don't know. I know it bored me to death. I couldn't care less about any of the characters, with the single exception of Mr.Jingles, and the story didn't touch anything in my soul.

[lisaki]

That happened to me with Salem's Lot. Took 3 tries to read it. I now love it though

[Jean]

hmmm

hmmmmmm

maybe I should, some day........

[deanmc27]

The Shining! first SK book i ever read and i loved it!

[pathoftheturtle]

You know, as someone who read him as a a sort of contemporary, I would actually probably reccomend "Carrie". I remember that as a kid reading SK's original "off the beaten track" (at least at the time remember Blatty and such were out around then) approach to the Horror or scary story was a major turnabout from the traditional horror stuff. Psychic angle was kinda new and un-tested in this genre (at least as I recall for mainstream) and he kinda followed up that theme for the next few books (remember the Psychic residue of the Marsten house) At the time it was kinda "funky fresh" (pardon my old-time vocabulary) and really got me interested, along with his ability to develop characters in a unique way.

I know that later he sort of abandoned that theme and then sort of picked it up again on a regular basis in DT but, it was his fresh approach and character driven writing I think that first hooked me. Now he could just about write a "bathroom Book" and I would probably read it and most likely (given his craft and devotion) Love it!!!!
For what its worth, I personally recall a certain call it "DT connectivity" throughout his first 4 or 5 books with that "Pyschic/Paranormal" theme throughout that was kinda cool and fresh (Carrie, Shining, Dead Zone, Christine, Firestarter and even Salem's Lot and The Stand.) It was Different at the time, sort of like how we viewed "Halloween" when it first came out as compared to now. Different conventions, thought processes and morals were in play back then.

Anyone out there know what I mean sort of?

Also, "Carrie" was a relatively short book as opposed to "The Stand", (which I would rather reccomend first) which is a much more daunting task. Carrie kinda lets a folken get an "appetizer so to speak rather than asking to eat the "entree" (How's that for a metaphor?) and then progress as if the reader were discovering SK along the original timeline and thought progression. Make sense?
Just some, how you guys say? "Old School" thoughts to marinate!

But there's lots of other great choices now, if you're trying to introduce someone who somehow never caught on to SK. Carrie, maybe, if the hypothetical first time King reader is a teenager. (Can't say for sure if it still appeals to modern kids, though. I'm too old-fashioned, myself.)

[stone, rose, unfound door]

But there's lots of other great choices now, if you're trying to introduce someone who somehow never caught on to SK. Carrie, maybe, if the hypothetical first time King reader is a teenager. (Can't say for sure if it still appeals to modern kids, though. I'm too old-fashioned, myself.)

I may not be a teenager anymore but I read it only a few years ago when I was 12 or 13 and I thought it was gripping. I guess modern kids, especially girls, would still like Carrie.

[jack12k6]

For first book reference, I would prob. suggest a mainstream SK book(not one of the real long novels), like The Shining or Firestarter to get the flavor. One could argue that reading one of his early short story collections like Night Shift might get one started.

[sofaki]

For a new reader, I would recommend Everything's Eventual, although my all times favorite books are the Dark Tower (of course!) and Insomnia

[<ô> bango skank <ô>]

Long Walk. I read that when i was a kid and it messed my head up. Its not horror and is quite short, with only a few characters, so its an easy read. perfect for a person who doesn't read much.

I lured my friend,(who hadn't read abook since school) into reading the DT books, with bachman books and hearts in atlantis. he now texts me for recommendations. He's reading cycle of the werewolf at the moment, and loving it.

[sofaki]

Long Walk. I read that when i was a kid and it messed my head up. Its not horror and is quite short, with only a few characters, so its an easy read. perfect for a person who doesn't read much.

I lured my friend,(who hadn't read abook since school) into reading the DT books, with bachman books and hearts in atlantis. he now texts me for recommendations. He's reading cycle of the werewolf at the moment, and loving it.

Long Walk! It was the first Stephen King' book I read! Perfect! As you said, it messed my head up too

[nocny]

IT

it has everything what is the best in King's writing. on the second hand it's so long so some people can be afraid of it

[cody44]

I wouldn't recommend IT to a new reader. I think that its size and scope would put off a lot of people. I also think that it would be enjoyed more once somebody has become familiar with King.

I think jumping in somewhere earlier would be easier on new readers.

[TLC]

My husband who's mostly into fantasy books recently notified me that, since he didn't currently have any books ready from the library, he stole one of my books to read which happened to be Stephen King's book Duma Key. He's always stated that King was not his type of author (despite what I've said) so I was super surprised to find this out!! Anyways, he stated that he absolutely loved it and want to read more. What should I recommend next?!

[BROWNINGS CHILDE]

Thats a tough one. Duma Key was unlike most of his other books. For some reason, Insomnia comes to mind as a good follow up.

[<ô> bango skank <ô>]

i tried to get my folks to read King. my mam read Duma key and loved it, so i gave her The stand, which she quit... too much too fast. i then thought, whats the most abstract book i could give her? Rose madder... she loved it. shes now reading buik 8 but i dont think she likes it.

as for my step-dad... he dismissed King. but he's a dick. His fav author his dan brown.

[Ste Letto]

If they have a taste for horror it would have to be Salem's Lot or The Shining.
If they have a taste for a thriller I'd say The Dead Zone.
If they want something epic and apocalyptic then it's The Stand.

If I had to pick one I'd say Dead Zone.

[pathoftheturtle]

My husband who's mostly into fantasy books recently notified me that, since he didn't currently have any books ready from the library, he stole one of my books to read which happened to be Stephen King's book Duma Key. He's always stated that King was not his type of author (despite what I've said) so I was super surprised to find this out!! Anyways, he stated that he absolutely loved it and want to read more. What should I recommend next?!

Thats a tough one. Duma Key was unlike most of his other books. ...

In some ways, maybe, but it does revolve around a basic "Team Journey into Lair of Evil Nemesis" narrative structure, as seen in such works as Black House, It, Desperation, and 'Salem's Lot. On the other hand, it has a mature style, so if you don't want to give him The Talisman before Black House, a way to further shore up by his respect for SK might be with Misery or Bag of Bones. After one or more of any of these, I'd recommend Hearts in Atlantis to test if he's ready for TDT.

[craig85br]

I would recommend Black House. Although it was written with Peter Straub I think it has King stamped all over it and is one of my favourite books. I thought the characters were excellent and encompasses a lot of aspects of King; the fantasy genre including links to TDT, the horror/thriller/suspense aspect and more. This was the book that got me in to reading TDT series so its a great way to get a newbie interested in TDT as it worked for me!!

[MonteGss]

My husband who's mostly into fantasy books recently notified me that, since he didn't currently have any books ready from the library, he stole one of my books to read which happened to be Stephen King's book Duma Key. He's always stated that King was not his type of author (despite what I've said) so I was super surprised to find this out!! Anyways, he stated that he absolutely loved it and want to read more. What should I recommend next?!

I'd suggest Eyes of the Dragon.
Not what I would call "typical King," it's certainly fantasy-like and will also test to see if he might be interested in TDT.

[nocny]

I wouldn't. Eyes Of The Dragon is rather for younger readers.
and besides it is VERY diiferent to "normal" King so TLC's husband can have wrong idea about King If he loved Duma Key so much maybe Bag Of Bones could be a choice but then again, isn't it too similar and the man can have wrong idea about King again?

[MonteGss]

To each his own. I didn't find EotD to be for young readers. Different perspective, I guess. You asked, I gave.