If you enjoy reading novels by Stephen King then you might also like the following authors:
Dean Koontz is a popular writer known for suspense and horror stories, often blending elements of mystery and the supernatural. Readers who enjoy Stephen King’s style might also appreciate Koontz’s book “Watchers.”
The story centers around Travis Cornell, a man who finds a special dog named Einstein. Einstein is an intelligent animal with amazing abilities, but he is being pursued by a dangerous creature escaped from a secret lab.
The plot follows Travis and Einstein as they try to survive and uncover the truth about what the creature is and why it hunts them. Koontz creates characters readers care about and fills his story with action, suspense, and emotional connections between humans and animals.
Clive Barker is an author known for writing horror and dark fantasy stories that draw readers in. If you enjoy Stephen King’s books, you might also check out Barker’s novel called “The Hellbound Heart.”
It features a mysterious puzzle box that becomes a gateway to another reality. When Frank Cotton finds the box, he unintentionally opens a door to terrifying creatures from another world.
Later, Frank’s brother, Rory, and his wife, Julia, move into the same house, unaware of the evil that awaits them. Barker creates vivid and unsettling scenes. Readers who like spooky stories with memorable characters often find this book fits their taste.
If you’re a Stephen King fan and you enjoy strange stories that keep you up at night, you might want to check out H.P. Lovecraft. Lovecraft wrote plenty of scary tales about creatures from other worlds and realities beyond human understanding.
In his short novel “The Shadow Over Innsmouth,” the main character arrives at a quiet fishing town where something very strange is going on beneath the surface. People there have unusual appearances and they act as if they’re hiding some terrible secret.
Lovecraft creates a creepy feeling of dread, and soon you’ll see how the townsfolk are tied to something much older and darker than you might expect.
Joe Hill is an author who writes eerie stories with a style similar to Stephen King. His novel “NOS4A2” is a good place to start for King fans. It follows Vic McQueen, a woman who can travel instantly to places through a unique bridge that shouldn’t exist.
She discovers a terrifying enemy named Charlie Manx who kidnaps children and transports them to a strange place called Christmasland. The story includes creepy elements, supernatural occurrences and characters that feel real.
Readers who enjoy King’s stories will probably appreciate the unsettling atmosphere Hill creates in this novel.
Peter Straub writes horror and suspense stories that build atmosphere gradually and pull you into their mysteries. If you enjoy Stephen King, Straub’s “Ghost Story” might catch your interest.
In this book, a group of older friends meets regularly to exchange mysterious, spooky tales. When something from their past returns, these old friends face a dark secret that threatens each one of them.
The creeping sense of dread and the careful revelation of secrets are elements Straub handles well.
If you like Stephen King, Robert McCammon might be an author for you. He writes horror novels that share King’s style, with relatable characters and dark secrets hidden beneath everyday life.
McCammon’s book “Boy’s Life” introduces readers to twelve-year-old Cory Mackenson, who witnesses a mysterious event in his hometown of Zephyr, Alabama. The incident pulls Cory into strange experiences and dangerous discoveries about the people of the town.
This combination of small-town mystery and suspenseful storytelling makes McCammon’s novels worth exploring for any Stephen King fan.
Anne Rice is an author best known for her vampire novels. Her writing style makes supernatural themes feel real and believable. One of her books, “Interview with the Vampire,” tells the story of Louis, a gentle man who becomes a vampire in New Orleans in the late 1700s.
Louis struggles with questions about good and evil as he adjusts to his new life as a vampire. The atmosphere of New Orleans comes alive throughout the story, filled with mystery and the supernatural.
Anne Rice combines horror and thoughtful storytelling in ways readers of Stephen King’s work will appreciate.
Bentley Little is an author well-known for writing horror stories with everyday settings that suddenly turn dark. In his book “The Store,” people in a small Arizona town feel pleased when a new mega-store opens nearby.
At first, the low prices and convenience seem good for the community. But soon, strange things start to happen in town, and residents notice the store has an unusual amount of control over their lives.
If you like Stephen King’s ordinary towns that become scary, Bentley Little might be worth your time.
Richard Matheson writes stories that blend everyday life with eerie situations. One of his best-known novels is “I Am Legend.” In this story, Robert Neville is the last surviving human after a pandemic turns people into vampires.
Neville barricades himself at home each night, and by day he searches the empty city for supplies and answers. If you enjoyed Stephen King’s “The Stand,” you’ll notice a similar lonely feel in “I Am Legend.”
Matheson shows readers exactly what it means to survive alone against impossible odds.
Ramsey Campbell is a British author who has written a large number of horror novels and short stories over several decades. Readers who enjoy Stephen King’s style of horror may find Campbell’s work appealing as well.
One notable book is “The Influence,” which deals with the dark and strange happenings surrounding a family reunion in a quiet English village.
In this story, young Rowan spends Christmas with his relatives and soon notices frightening changes in his aunt’s behavior after her death. Events quickly become eerie, tense, and filled with mysterious occurrences.
Campbell builds a quiet dread throughout the novel and brings ordinary family situations into unsettling focus.
Brian Lumley is a British author known for writing horror stories with vivid supernatural themes. His novel “Necroscope” introduces Harry Keogh, a man gifted with the ability to talk to the dead.
Unlike typical vampire stories, Lumley’s vampires come from another dimension, making them even more frightening. In the novel, Keogh must fight these dangerous creatures to protect humanity.
Readers who enjoy Stephen King’s imagination and original take on horror might also appreciate Lumley’s fresh ideas in scary fiction.
Thomas Ligotti is an author worth checking out if you like Stephen King’s horror stories. His book “Teatro Grottesco” is a collection of strange and unsettling tales that explore fears and anxieties hidden in ordinary life.
In the story called “The Red Tower,” he describes a mysterious factory built in a remote place, where unseen workers produce weird and creepy objects that have no clear purpose. Ligotti’s writing creates a curious sense of dread without relying on typical horror clichés.
Readers familiar with King’s darker short stories may find something surprising here.
Jack Ketchum writes stories that share a similar sense of unease and horror as Stephen King’s work. One of his well-known books is “The Girl Next Door.” The story focuses on a young boy named David who witnesses troubling events in the house next door.
These events become darker as the neighbors isolate a girl named Meg in their basement. David’s situation places him in a complicated position where he struggles with whether or not to trust the adults around him.
Ketchum’s direct way of storytelling presents human cruelty and courage side-by-side. Readers who enjoy Stephen King’s sharp character portrayals and uneasy atmosphere often find Jack Ketchum’s novels appealing.
Tananarive Due writes horror and supernatural fiction. For readers who enjoy Stephen King’s stories, her style offers vivid settings and believable characters. One of her best-known novels is “The Good House.”
It tells the story of Angela Toussaint, a woman who returns to her grandmother’s home in Washington state after tragedy strikes her family. The house holds something mysterious and dangerous, an evil presence connected to her family’s past.
Angela must understand this darkness to save herself and the people she cares about most.
Jonathan Maberry writes horror novels with engaging characters and suspenseful storylines. His book “Ghost Road Blues” follows the small town of Pine Deep, originally famous for its cozy charm but now known for its spooky legends. Each October, these legends seem to come alive.
This year, something darker returns, turning fictional fears into nightmarish reality. Fans of Stephen King’s realistic settings and believable characters may find Maberry’s style enjoyable.