Few writers are as prolific as Stephen King. America’s own Master of Horror has been delighting his Constant Readers ever since he burst onto the scene with Carrie in 1974. King’s body of work can be divided into a few distinct eras depending on which fan you ask. One thing Constant Readers can all agree on, though, is that Stephen King book endings can be a little…hit or miss. Okay, a lot hit or miss. Reading Stephen King is how I learned what, exactly a deus ex machina ending is. Many King novels and stories suffer from these “God from the machine” endings, in which some higher power or unpredictable supernatural phenomenon steps in to tie up loose ends — usually by smiting the Big Bad. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love a good popcorn novel, deus ex machina or no. There’s something fun and silly about reading an engaging book, only to find out that it was aliens the whole time, or something equally absurd. Is it a cop-out? Maybe. But the fun of reading Stephen King is in the journey, not the destination. Below, you’ll find 20 of King’s full-length novels — excluding the Bachman books and those he co-authored (sorry, Gwendy fans) — which rank among the best or worst of King’s work based on their endings alone. If one of your favorite King novels is in the bottom 10, well, take comfort in knowing that mine is, too.
The 10 Worst Stephen King Book Endings, From Bad To Terrible
The 10 Best Stephen King Book Endings, From Good To Great
Want more Stephen King content? Check out this reading guide — for Constant Readers, of course — and these great Stephen King audio books.
