Underrated Stephen King Stories

The master of the thriller has certainly written some heavyweight novels, but not all of them were met will critical acclaim or commercial success. Here are three underrated Stephen King stories that are certainly worth revisiting.

The Long Walk. Originally published under King’s pen name Richard Bachman, the novel initially received little attention. It was King’s first novel, and lacked some of the polish of his later efforts, but remains a disturbing tale of a dystopian future that’s worth dissecting. The Long Walk tells the story of a walking contest run by the totalitarian US government in which 100 teenage boys must continuously walk and maintain a steady pace, lest they meet their death, with the last boy standing being declared the winner.

The Man in the Black Suit. Originally published in an issue of The New Yorker, The Man in the Black Suit may be one of King’s best short stories. It tells the story of a young boy meeting the devil by a river and won many industry awards, but many readers may not even know of its existence as much of the focus tends to be on King’s novels. Available in a number of different collections, it’s a must-read for any true horror fan.

Doctor Sleep. Although there was no particular desire for a sequel to the Shining, King wrote one anyway, and though the novel paid little lip service to fans it was a very well written tale of PTSD and alcoholism in the wake of the events of The Shining. Doctor Sleep certainly stands out among King’s more modern works, and is certainly deserving of more attention.

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Rules For Writing Thrillers

New York Times bestselling author David Morrell is certainly no stranger to penning thrilling reads. With his 1972 debut novel First Blood, Morrell introduced the world to Rambo, and brought us an enduring franchise that would deliver thrills for decades to come. Morrell isn’t one to keep secrets, and he offered up the five following rules for writing a good thriller:

1. Know your motives. Morrell often escaped the reality of his troubled childhood by imagining himself as a hero overcoming adversity. He has a personal connection to thrillers, and advises you to have the same.

2. Know the genre’s history. You may think your idea is original, but you’ll only know for sure if you do know the genre’s history.

3. Do your research. Details matter, and while you don’t want to overload your audience with them, you also don’t want to distract them with mistakes. Read up on your intended topic, and seek out experiences in person when possible.

4. Be yourself. Morrell preaches innovation over imitation. You’re better of being a first rate version of yourself than a second rate version of someone else.

5. Avoid the genre trap. Audiences care about the quality of the content, not the category. Forget about the fact that you’re writing a thriller and concentrate on writing a good book, it will fall into whatever category it may.

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