For over fifty years, author Stephen King has been the master of modern American horror. Many of his novels, screenplays, and movies have become iconic. Everyone knows stories like The Shining, It, Misery, Carrie, Stand by Me, The Shawshank Redemption, The Dark Tower, and The Green Mile. But among King’s many novels and screenplays are some lesser-known works that deserve recognition. Some of them are ones you may have never heard of, and some you may know, but didn’t know King had anything to do with them. Here are six underrated, and often obscure, Stephen King works you should check out this Halloween season.
Cycle of the Werewolf (1983)
By 1983, Stephen King had already conquered ghosts, vampires, and the apocalypse. So he felt it was finally time to tackle werewolves. But, unlike his previous books, this was King’s first illustrated novella, with illustrations by none other than iconic Swamp Thing and Frankenstein artist Bernie Wrightson. The story covers a full year, with each chapter devoted to the time during each month when the moon is full and the werewolf strikes. King adapted his own book with the screenplay for the film Silver Bullet, but we think the original novella is superior.
Cujo (1981)
Famously, Cujo is the novel that Stephen King says he doesn’t remember writing at all, since he says he wrote it at the peak of his own struggles with alcohol and cocaine addiction. And, to be honest, a novel about a St. Bernard who contracts rabies and goes on a killing spree in a small town does sound like it’s the product of a drug binge. But Cujo is actually a really fun read, and better than any book about a killer dog should be. Cujo really proves that at this point in his career, King could make any premise work. The novel was inspired by a news report about a St. Bernard killing a young child in Maine that King read as a boy. This underrated Stephen king story proves that no one is better at spinning their childhood trauma into gold on the printed page.
The Eyes of the Dragon (1987)
Ask most people what their favorite epic fantasy story by Stephen King is, and nine out of ten times, they’ll say The Dark Tower series. But adjacent to that series is King’s standalone novel The Eyes of the Dragon, a medieval fantasy story about a dark sorcerer who frames a young prince, who is the rightful heir to the throne, for murder. The villain in this novel is none other than Flagg, a.k.a. Randall Flagg from The Stand, tying it into one of King’s most beloved works. Somehow, Eyes of the Dragon remains unadapted into film or television, even in a post-Game of Thrones world. But the book is still out there and well worth a read.
1408 (2007)
Stephen King’s most famous haunted hotel room will always be at the Overlook from The Shining, probably to his chagrin. But many forget that King has another excellent story about a haunted hotel room called1408. It was based on one of his short stories from the audiobook collection Blood and Smoke. The film, directed by Mikael Håfström, stars John Cusack as Mike Enslin, a professional skeptic who travels to haunted locations. He meets his greatest challenge when Samuel L. Jackson invites him to his notoriously haunted hotel, specifically the very haunted room 1408. What happens over the course of the film in that room is genuinely unsettling and trippy, and while it’s no The Shining, it’s definitely worth a watch during spooky season.
Michael Jackson’s Ghosts (1996)
King of Pop Michael Jackson was behind the greatest musical ode to the horror genre ever with “Thriller.” We think that’s always going to be the consensus. Almost no one on Earth hasn’t heard that song, or seen the video, which has become a Halloween staple. But fewer people know that MJ tried to follow Thriller with a spiritual sequel called Ghosts. And Stephen King actually wrote it, along with frequent collaborator Mick Garris. The late special effects legend Stan Winston directed it.
This project cost 15 million dollars, making it the most expensive music video ever. MJ plays a bizarre character called “The Maestro,” who lives in a spooky mansion and is hated by the “normal” townsfolk, who come for him with torches and pitchforks. MJ plays five parts in this film, including an old white guy. There is even a truly bizarre dance sequence where MJ takes off his own skin. Look, it’s no Thriller, but it’s still a wild watch. There’s a version up on YouTube, but it’s not an official upload. Which is wild, given its pedigree.
Cat’s Eye (1985)
In the 1980s, horror anthology films were having a moment, with films like Twilight Zone: The Movie and Creepshow. The latter is a film that King was actually involved with. So in 1985, Stephen King got in on the action himself. He wrote the screenplay for an anthology film comprised of two adapted stories from his own 1978 Night Shift collection. It included one new story for the movie. The best story in this anthology is the one where a stray cat named General protects a child (a young Drew Barrymore) from a troll that lives inside the walls. Just like it sounds, it’s bonkers. We’re not sure this movie is “good” in the strictest sense, but it’s pretty darn entertaining.
Nerdist’s Take: Spooky Season Is the Best Time to Explore King’s Most Underrated Work
There are many other underrated Stephen King books and films, such as Dolores Claiborne, Doctor Sleep, and Bag of Bones, among others. That’s just what happens when you’ve written 67 novels, as Stephen King has. And now is as good a time as any to do a deep dive into his works that aren’t household names, especially with Halloween fast approaching.
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