Whether you’re a seasoned sci-fi reader or a new duckling just waddling your way into the vast, deep, leviathan-housing ocean of the genre, Stephen King has something for you. He could also be classed as his own genre in some cases, but for the sake of this article, we will look at some of the best of Stephen King’s books for science fiction fans.
Stephen Kings’ best Sci-Fi books
Stephen King is a prolific writer and has a canon of literature to match the best. He writes on multiple different genres, often blending and melding them into something completely new. This list will try to incorporate Stephen King books for the new sci-fi reader and a few for the well-initiated.
The Stand
Science Fiction doesn’t need to be all about vast space warfare and first contact with alien species. Sometimes it can be relatable, not too unimaginable situations where our current scientific process tweaks reality. In Stephen King’s science fiction novel, The Stand, we see an all too familiar virus released from a high-security lab. This sweeps the land, killing over 90% of the population in a very short time.
Current real-world conspiracies and deep-state lies aside, the relevance of a pandemic being released on the population is a gripping read. Stephen King digs deep into the idea of a population-obliterating virus in a way science fiction is best suited to. He has a remarkable knack for illustrating the desperation of unwinnable situations, and The Stand is a fine example of this. It is a great science fiction thriller for any reader.
The Tommyknockers
Stephen King actually slates this science fiction book as one of his worst. He looks back on the time he wrote it with disdain due to his heavy narcotics use, but it still holds up, in my opinion. Stephen King’s style, although instantly recognisable, has changed over the years, and there is no denying experimentation and growth. All things considered, I think The Tommyknockers, although odd, is still a great piece of fiction.
After a spaceship crash lands in a town, the folks surrounding it are possessed with alien knowledge. They gain the ability to build the inventions of the aliens, but in payment, give up their autonomy. They become psychotic in some cases and are unable to leave the vicinity of the ship. However, one man is able to resist the draw of the alien mind control due to a metal plate in his head. It is up to him to save the population.
The Dark Tower collection
This collection of books could easily be slotted into pretty much any genre under the sun. The vast, winding narratives cover everything from coming-of-age to romance, horror, and, of course, science fiction. These books, I would say, aren’t for the reader new to either fantasy sci-fi or Stephen King novels, but don’t let that stop you. They’re solidly on the list for best science fiction series of all time.
The incredible tale told by Stephen King spans generations and many different worlds as the Gunslinger and his merry band make their way to The Dark Tower. On their journey, they must address issues of their own past and the pressing issues in the very loosely named ‘present’. Although these books don’t delve into space, the time travel elements, along with the many alien species, definitely class this as one of Stephen King’s best science fiction books.
From a Buick 8
I picked this book up while travelling around Europe from a free bookshelf in a hostel simply because it was a Stephen King novel. I was hesitant to choose it over anything else as I had never heard the title before. It didn’t take me long to get through it, and it has stuck with me ever since, as many of Stephen Kings‘ science fiction horror books do.
The premise is pretty simple, really. What if the Buick left in the barn was not a car at all but instead some kind of interdimensional, undestroyable entity just pretending to be a car? The novel revolves around the fear and fascination of a group of state troopers as they try to fathom just what the Buick is and how much of a threat it poses. Obsessions and fear surround the mysterious vehicle and result in a gripping science fiction tale that can be read quickly.
Dreamcatcher
Again, this science fiction novel by Stephen King isn’t regarded by him as one of his finest works for the same reason as The Tommyknockers. He was under the influence of Oxycotin during its writing, and honestly, it is kind of obvious. He has always had a weird and wonderful mind, but Dreamcatcher is way out there, and I personally love it. As a work of science fiction, it is total madness, implementing body-eating creatures, mind-controlling aliens, and a telepathic Down Syndrome hero.
Whatever you expect to happen in Dreamcatcher is probably going to be wrong. At every twist and turn, the book subverts expectations. Although it isn’t highly regarded by the author, it is a wild ride and fun from end to end. Alien invasion and mind control are the name of the game in this book, as two friends pursue their body-controlled friend across the US in a desperate attempt to save the world.
Firestarter
Government drug experimentation, telekinetic powers, and a father-daughter pair on the run make for a magnificent concoction in this Stephen King science fiction book. The novel is wrought with paranoia and desperation in a way so key to King’s writing. The immense potential of both the father and daughter causes them to be the object of constant pressure and hassle from a secret government organisation.
Stephen King has played around with the ideas of telekinetic powers a number of times in his book, and I think this is one of the best. In this science fiction novel we get to see a desperate father doing everything he can to protect his daughter. He has lost his wife, and almost nothing will stop him from protecting his daughter to the best of his enhanced abilities. The book moves wonderfully through a seemingly helpless situation until they both learn to harness the powers imposed on them by the very people who keep them captive. It speaks of love, addiction, hopelessness, and mystery.
11/22/63
Time travel is a trope in science fiction that I will never get bored of when done well. Stephen King’s attempt at multi-timeline, future-altering time travel is very satisfying to read. The problem with writing about time travel is the number of petty readers out there who will try to pick it apart with quantum theories and logic rather than just enjoying the narrative. I am not one of those.
This story opens a portal from 2011 to 1958. Of course, the characters in the book try to use it for good, deciding to attempt to stop the assassination of John F Kennedy. In the process, our protagonist gets wound up in many other narratives, falling in love, trying to save other friends from tragedy, and altering the timelines of many. However, sometimes changing the past isn’t always in the best interest of the future, as we find out.
The Mist
I can’t write a list of Stephen King’s science fiction novels without mentioning The Mist. Although only a novella, The Mist inspired a fantastic film of the same name. This short story is a wonderful delve into the sci-fi horror genre that Stephen King is so adept at writing.
A killer mist, maybe created by a military unit, drifts across the land. Mysterious tentacles grab folks, pulling them into it, never to be seen again. The story follows the mist as it moves over a small American population, unleashing untold horrors, the likes of which even Lovecraft would baulk. As the mist gradually envelops the terrified people, all hope is lost. Interestingly, I actually possibly prefer the way the film ends this short story, but I won’t give it away.
Cell
The whole ‘What if phones were evil’ trope is a classic, but because of Stephen Kings’ excellent apocalyptic storytelling, I’ll let him off. King has a fantastic way of painting the world with no hope left, leaving whatever population is left to struggle in desperation. Cell, although using the ‘phones are bad’ idea, is a real dive into the horrors of a violent zombie apocalypse.
In this book, we see a group struggling against the hive mind called the Phoners. King isn’t afraid to kill them en masse, along with the main characters, too. The book is a great insight into the fear and paranoia that surrounded the increasing use of cell phone technology. Many fun and typically science fiction theories are raised in the book such as computer worms, and mind control programming. What he didn’t predict is that cell phones would turn us into zombies, but mindless rather than violent ones.
The Running Man
If you have already seen the classic movie, you know this book is going to be a brilliant work of science fiction by Stephen King. Despite the film going in a slightly different direction, the book is absolutely worth a read. It maintains brutally high tension, nail-biting stakes, and the wonderful gloomy hopelessness that King is so good at manufacturing.
America, in 2025 is a totalitarian dystopia. This is also the case in the book, interestingly enough, as King once again predicts the future. In this horrible situation, it is up to one man to enter a game show in order to earn the money to pay for his gravely ill daughter. For every hour he survives, he earns money; for every hunter or cop he kills, he earns money; if he survives 30 days, he becomes a billionaire. However, the baying crowds are paid to give away his whereabouts, forcing him to endlessly more desperate measures.
