Which of Stephen Kings novels do you feel are the best for sheer terror?

I would be interested in seeing which of Stephen Kings novels terrified people the most. The novel frightened me the most would have to be IT. The villain of that novel a other-worldy presence which kills children and is not seen by adults because they either stopped believing or just allowed it to happen kept me up a lot of nights as a kid. Other thoughts on which novel is his scariest.

Hi,

He himself considers Pet Semetary as the scariest, I believe, and I agree with him, although a few others (Salem's Lot for instance) come close.

And FDNS is pretty darn scary IMO.

Long days and pleasant nights

I think The Stand, or The Long Walk did it for me...portions of those reads are just downright horrifying...

I'll agree with It being the scariest. Pet Sematary definitely up there, too. Would also like to throw in Salems Lot as third.

Pet Sematary was scary. But any of his books hasn't scared me very much. Not yet. But I like them anyway, because if I have a bad day, they always bright up my day with a smile. :smile2:

i cannot comment on pet semetary as that is one of Stpehens books i have not read. my top five would have to go
It
The Shining
The Stand
Night Shift
and i most agree with GNTLGNT that The Long Walk was pretty scary.

When I first read The Shining and Salems Lot I thought they were both really scary - and they are, but scary in the very traditional horror story way. Misery is the one I always felt was the most terrifying (in that if-I-was-a-famous-writer scenario). He's totally trapped, in a shattered body, with a loon who tortures him and makes him write. I could barely read some of it, with my hands over my eyes and all.

For me it would be Pet Sematary followed by 'Salem's Lot. I read Pet Sematary while on holiday and every night would go to sleep thinking that Gage was gonna creep up on me!

Sheer terror? Besides It, (shudder) I offer up portions of Gerald's game, I.e. getting out of cuffs. Also the sight of Skeleton Crew jacket circa ratty old paperback I have. I can't even Look at it!

shining was freaky...but also pet semetery...