Many are surprised to learn that most of Stephen King’s work is part of a larger Stephen King Multiverse. That is why we assembled the best reading order that we could come up with. We hope you enjoy!
What’s on the Stephen King Multiverse Timeline?
So, there’s a lot to unpack in this timeline. And we had to make a number of decisions on how to assemble everything on the timeline. Most of the stories take place in a few fictional towns in Main, like Castle Rock and Derry. They’re all mostly seperate stories, so it’s hard to know what chronology is appropriate. In most cases, if there isn’t chronology information available online, we place the story in the year it was written.
Important note: this timeline DOES NOT include adaptations. There are just too many adaptations that adding them would be a mess. We do however include stories from other mediums if they offer new story material. For example, we include the Dark Tower film because it’s not an adaptation, it’s a continuation of the Dark Tower series. It’s a sequel. That is also why we include the Castle Rock series. It’s new story set in Stephen King’s universe.
It’s also worth noting that not all of Stephen King’s books really work in their continuity. You can get around this when you realize that this is a multiverse. There are alternate realities included, and the Dark Tower series is kind of the linch pin between all of reality.
Where to Start Reading Stephen King?
This is a very difficult question to ask. There are many jumping off points for Stephen King’s work. If you want a general overview of the entire universe, then using this timeline in order might be your choice. Otherwise, we’d suggest a few of the good books to start with: Carrie, Salem’s Lot, The Shining, IT, or any of his brand new novels. You could also start with the Dark Tower books, which are listed here, and on their own timeline.
