Stephen King

If You Like Stephen King
Try These Authors

Stephen King is the master of the contemporary horror story. His novels bring a horrific sense of “otherliness” to everyday, ordinary situations and things. His descriptive prose is simple, often entering his characters’ trains of thought. King’s popularity over the past 30 years has opened the door to greater success for numerous other horror writers.

This list below includes many of King’s stylistic contemporaries, as well as a few classic horror writers who may have provided the inspiration for King’s own career.

V.C. Andrews
Jay Anson
Clive Barker
Ambrose Bierce
Algernon Blackwood
William Peter Blatty
Robert Bloch
Poppy Z. Brite
Ramsey Campbell
Mary Higgins Clark (psychological suspense, not supernatural)
John Coyne
Frank DeFelitta
Tananarive Due
Max Ehrlich
Ken Eulo
John Farris
Christopher Fowler
Charles L. Grant
Muriel Gray
Thomas Harris
Joe Hill (King’s son)
Andrew Klavan
Dean R. Koontz
Richard Laymon
Tanith Lee
Fritz Leiber (also writes fantasy and science fiction)
Ira Levin
H.P. Lovecraft
Graham Masterson
Richard Matheson
Robert R. McCammon
Marlys Millhiser
Edgar Allan Poe
Douglas Preston (often co-writes with Lincoln Child)
Anne Rice
John Saul
Hank Searls (also writes staight thrillers)
Steve Shagan
David Shobin
Dan Simmons
Bram Stoker (more “gothic” than King, but still may appeal)
Peter Straub
Whitley Strieber
Thomas Tryon
F. Paul Wilson
Bari Wood
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

If you’re a fan of King, you may also appreciate the authors on our Essentials of Horror booklist!

Printed Bookmark created October 1992
Updated and expanded for the Web October 2003 sdc
Last updated March 2018 sdc