What to Read Next: Early '80s Stephen King

Issue #322

Happy Friday, readers!

In April 1974 — 50 years ago — Stephen King’s Carrie hit bookstore shelves and alerted readers and critics alike to a unique new voice. Though King had been writing for a long time before that, Carrie was his first published novel. Since then, his output has been prodigious, averaging more than one book per year.

The 1980s were a particularly productive time; King published 19 books in that decade, many of them counted among his best work: Cujo, Different Seasons, Pet Sematary, It, and Misery are especially noteworthy.

I’m reading King’s catalog chronologically and have spent the first months of the year enjoying his early ‘80s titles. Today’s newsletter is focused on a few of my favorites from that period.

Though King isn’t for everyone, if you’re at all into horror or thrillers, these books should all be on your must-read list.

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The Running Man (1982)

Published under King’s “Richard Bachman” pseudonym, The Running Man isn’t very well known but has become a cult hit among his loyal fans. (I certainly count myself in that group.)

The near future is a gamified dystopia. Ben Richards is out of work and has a sick toddler who needs medicine. He knows that only the most desperate men head to the Network Games HQ, where willing participants subject themselves to depraved and violent reality game shows for the chance to win life-changing money.

The most popular primetime event? The Running Man. This show pits a lone man against a highly trained group of assassins. Contestants always get caught. The question is merely how long it takes, which then correlates to how much money the family receives upon the contestant’s death. Richards makes it through various qualifiers and finds himself as the unlucky star of the show. How long will he survive? How much money will his family get? Is there possibly a way out?

Over the course of 101 short, blisteringly-paced chapters, King brings us on an action-packed ride like no other. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever read such a propulsive thriller.

If you want a version of Stephen King with none of the horror or supernatural elements, The Running Man is a great story to jump into. It’s pure dystopian octane from start to finish.

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Pet Sematary (1983)

Stephen King himself has said multiple times that Pet Sematary is the story that scared him the most. I listened to the audio version — narrated *perfectly* by Michael C. Hall — and have to agree that it has some of scariest, most memorable scenes I’ve come across in a horror/thriller novel.

Pet Sematary follows the Creed family as they move to a rural town in Maine, so that Louis (dad + husband) can start his new gig as an on-campus university doctor. They soon discover a mysterious burial ground hidden in the nearby woods. When tragedy strikes and their beloved cat dies, Louis learns of the cemetery’s sinister powers of resurrection. Eventually, though, he must confront the terrifying consequences of defying the natural order.

Louis and his elderly neighbor Jud — our two primary protagonists — are superbly drawn characters whose believability I never questioned. And although there is inevitably some violence, the scares come more from the mood than anything else. The creepy rural Maine setting, the inevitable feeling of dread as Church the cat comes back to life (not much of a spoiler, I promise), the sense of impending doom as Louis’s life begins to spin out of control . . . the knot of tension gets twisted harder and harder all the way to the final lines of the book.

If you’re looking for a scare, Pet Sematary is where to look. Good luck sleeping.

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Cycle of the Werewolf (1983)

This crossover novella + comic isn’t a King title that you hear much about. Even among diehard fans, there’s not much chatter. (It’s worth mentioning here that the Stephen King subreddit is a really fun and engaging community to be part of and explore.)

So I was really pleasantly surprised when I sped through all 128 pages (many of which feature outstanding illustrations) in a single day and relished every bit of the story. Each of the 12 chapters — one for each month — offers a short tale about what happens in Tarker’s Mills, Maine during the full moon.

Residents catch on to the fact that something weird is going on, but it takes a 10-year-old wheelchair-bound boy to put the pieces together and do something about it.

Illustrated by the legendary comics/graphic artist Bernie Wrightson, the text and the art work together to create a story that’s more than just the sum of its parts. Cycle of the Werewolf is definitely one of his most underrated novels — give it a shot!

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Thanks so much for the time and inbox space — I deeply appreciate it!

-Jeremy