Stephen King
Stephen King is arguably the most talented and prolific writer alive today. His works cover a variety of topics from horror to fantasy, from high art to simple storytelling. There's something in there for everyone.
Discovering Stephen King
Believe it or not, Stephen King was my first "adult" author (other than short-stories) after reading picture books. That's right, I skipped the entire children's section of our local library, other than the myths and legends bit and started on Stephen King when I found a copy of 'Salem's Lot (aged 11). Having missed the premiere of the TV series (my parents thought I was too young), I still managed to get access to the story. I haven't stopped reading since.
I believe that Stephen King's work has three major phases (plus a fantasy streak which runs through all of them).
Phase 1: Blood and Thunder: This phase took us through Stephen King's most gutsy books (Carrie, 'Salem's Lot, The Shining, all the way to Christine and Pet Sematary). To this day, it still remains my favourite phase. Some of Stephen King's later books, such as IT, fit into this phase even though technically, they were written or released after it had ended.
Phase 2: Reality and Violence: Here, Stephen King was writing as Richard Bachman. Even when he stopped writing "As" Richard Bachman, it was still Richard Bachman writing. Not only do the Bachman books and Thinner belong here, but so does Misery, Gerald's Game, Dolores Claiborne and Needful Things. The books in this phase are more violent and rely slightly less on supernatural elements. The key to the horror in these books is often the human factor.
Phase 3: Art and Abstract: This is Stephen King's current phase and it's very abstract and quite difficult to get into. I'm not sure if the Green Mile fits into this phase or if it's reserved only for books since his accident. Certainly Lisey's Story and Duma Key are Phase 3 but I think that most of Everything's Eventual and From a Buick 8 does too. Even his partial-detective stories like Mr Mercedes (and to an extent the sequel to the Shining) are part of this phase.
The Fantasy Streak: The fantasy streak has always been there and it's not simply limited to the Dark Tower Series and Eyes of the Dragon. There is also the Talisman, Insomnia, Hearts in Atlantis and The Stand. Some of Stephen King's books, like Rose Madder straddle the fantasy streak and a phase (in that case Phase 2).
One last thing. If you like Stephen King, why not try reading something by his son, (writing as Joe Hill). The Heart Shaped Box reads almost exactly like a Richard Bachman novel.
The Top Three
What I've Read (and what's left)
Anything in boldface is still outstanding (I haven't read it).
Standalone Novels
'Salem's Lot
11/22/63
Bag of Bones
Black House
Blaze
Carrie
Cell
Christine
Colorado Kid, The
Cujo
Cycle of the Werewolf
Dark Half, The
Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three, The
Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands, The
Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass, The
Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla, The
Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah, The
Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower, The
Dark Tower: The Gunslinger, The
Dead Zone, The
Desperation
Doctor Sleep
Dolores Claiborne
Dreamcatcher
Duma Key
Elevation
End of Watch
Eyes of the Dragon, The
Fairytale
Finders Keepers
Firestarter
From a Buick 8
Gerald's Game
Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, The
Green Mile, The
Gwendy's Button Box
Insomnia
Institute, The
It
Joyland
Later
Lisey's Story
Long Walk, The
Misery
Mr. Mercedes
Needful Things
Outsider, The
Pet Sematary
Rage
Regulators, The
Revival
Roadwork
Rose Madder
Running Man, The
Shining, The
Sleeping Beauties
Stand (Extended Version), The
Stand, The
Talisman, The
Thinner
Tommyknockers, The
Under the Dome
Short Story Collections
Bazaar of Bad Dreams, The
Dark Tower: The Wind Through the Keyhole, The
Different Seasons
Everything's Eventual
Four Past Midnight
Full Dark, No Stars
Hearts in Atlantis
If It Bleeds
Just After Sunset
Night Shift
Nightmares & Dreamscapes
Skeleton Crew
Non-Fiction
Danse Macabre
Faithful
Nightmares in the Sky
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
Secret Windows: Essays and Fiction on the Craft of Writing