Stephen King, one of the most renowned figures in horror literature, has released a new novel titled *Other Worlds Than These*. The book, arriving just in time for Halloween, serves as a conclusion to both his collaborative *The Talisman* series with Peter Straub and his expansive fantasy saga *The Dark Tower*. Alongside the release, King shared a curated list of what he considers some of the most frightening books worth reading this season.
King’s list begins with William Golding’s *Lord of the Flies* (1954), a seminal novel about a group of British schoolboys stranded on a deserted island. Their attempts to self-govern devolve into tribalism and violence, exploring primal human instincts under extreme circumstances. Next on the list is William Peter Blatty’s *The Exorcist* (1971), the story of a 12-year-old girl possessed by a demonic force and the Catholic priests involved in her ordeal, including one wrestling with a crisis of faith. This novel is widely recognized both for the book itself and its adaptation into a classic horror film.
At number three, King highlights Thomas Tryon’s *The Other* (1971), a psychological thriller rooted in 1930s New England. The novel follows identical twin brothers, one gentle and the other malevolent, living on a rural farm. King’s fourth recommendation is Thomas Harris’ *The Silence of the Lambs* (1988), the sequel to *Red Dragon* that launched FBI trainee Clarice Starling’s encounters with the notorious Hannibal Lecter. Like *The Exorcist*, it is known for its impactful film adaptation.
Rounding out the list are two recent releases. King singles out Sarah Langan’s *Trad Wife* (2026), which he describes as “the best horror novel of 2026.” The story involves a journalist investigating the darker realities behind a traditional wife influencer. He also mentions Caro Claire Burke’s *Yesterday*, noting its thematic similarities and a surprising plot twist reminiscent of M. Night Shyamalan’s style. King praised both books for their sharp storytelling, though he found *Trad Wife* to be particularly unsettling.
Discussing what elements most deeply unsettle him as a reader, King distinguishes between different kinds of fear—fear for the body, the mind, and notably fear for the soul. He cited the struggle for Regan’s soul in *The Exorcist* and for Clarice’s in *The Silence of the Lambs* as especially haunting moments. King also reflected on the moral battles in *Lord of the Flies*, where characters like Jack grapple to avoid succumbing to savagery. For him, these conflicts resonate because they draw readers fully into the narrative, temporarily dissolving the barrier between audience and story, which he identifies as the ultimate goal in effective horror writing.