Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Bookish Wisdom earns from qualifying purchases. This doesn't change our picks or your price.
Quick answer: If you loved Carrie, read Stephen King's The Shining, 'Salem's Lot and Firestarter, then Rosemary's Baby, The Haunting of Hill House, NOS4A2 and Heart-Shaped Box. All are classic horror stories of outsiders, supernatural powers and terror in ordinary places.
Stephen King's 1974 debut novel follows Carrie White, a bullied teenager with telekinetic powers, whose humiliation at the prom leads to catastrophe. It is short, raw and a landmark of modern horror. The books below offer similar horror about outcasts, hidden powers and the dark side of small towns.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Shining | Stephen King | Adult | readers who like ghosts |
| 'Salem's Lot | Stephen King | Adult | small-town horror |
| Firestarter | Stephen King | Adult | gifted child on the run |
| Pet Sematary | Stephen King | Adult | grief and horror |
| It | Stephen King | Adult | childhood horror |
| Misery | Stephen King | Adult | claustrophobic horror |
| Joyland | Stephen King | Adult | carnival mystery |
| Rosemary's Baby | Ira Levin | Adult | readers who like psychological horror |
| The Haunting of Hill House | Shirley Jackson | Adult | haunted houses |
| We Have Always Lived in the Castle | Shirley Jackson | Adult | readers who like odd narrators |
| NOS4A2 | Joe Hill | Adult | modern monster |
| Heart-Shaped Box | Joe Hill | Adult | modern ghost stories |
| Hell House | Richard Matheson | Adult | more Matheson |
| Mexican Gothic | Silvia Moreno-Garcia | Adult | haunted house |
| Bunny | Mona Awad | Adult | readers who like weird fiction |
1. The Shining by Stephen King
Jack Torrance and his family are caretakers of a haunted hotel. A masterpiece of slow fear.
Best for: readers who like ghosts.
2. 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King
Vampires invade a small Maine town. Scary and atmospheric.
Best for: small-town horror.
3. Firestarter by Stephen King
A girl with fire powers is hunted by a government agency. Fast and tense.
Best for: gifted child on the run.
4. Pet Sematary by Stephen King
A family discovers a burial ground with a terrible power. Bleak and frightening.
Best for: grief and horror.
5. It by Stephen King
A group of friends face an evil clown as children and adults. Long, scary and emotional.
Best for: childhood horror.
6. Misery by Stephen King
A writer is held captive by his number one fan. Tense and nasty.
Best for: claustrophobic horror.
7. Joyland by Stephen King
A student works at a seaside amusement park and learns about an old murder. Nostalgic, gentle and haunting.
Best for: carnival mystery.
8. Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin
Rosemary suspects her neighbors want her baby for a dark purpose. Short and paranoid.
Best for: readers who like psychological horror.
9. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
A woman joins a paranormal experiment in a house that seems to want her. Elegant and creepy.
Best for: haunted houses.
10. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
Merricat lives with her sister in an isolated house after a family tragedy. Eerie and darkly funny.
Best for: readers who like odd narrators.
11. NOS4A2 by Joe Hill
A woman fights a man who steals children in a ghostly car. Inventive and dark.
Best for: modern monster.
12. Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
An aging rock star buys a ghost online and is haunted by it. Fast, scary and by King's son.
Best for: modern ghost stories.
13. Hell House by Richard Matheson
A physicist and three others spend a week in the most haunted house in the world. Matheson mixes science and the supernatural again, with real chills.
Best for: more Matheson.
14. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
A young woman visits a decaying mansion in the Mexican countryside. Eerie and atmospheric.
Best for: haunted house.
15. Bunny by Mona Awad
Samantha joins a writing program and is drawn into a clique. Surreal and darkly funny.
Best for: readers who like weird fiction.
How to Choose
For more King begin with The Shining, 'Salem's Lot or Firestarter. For gifted outcasts choose Firestarter or Rosemary's Baby. For gothic suspense pick The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle. For modern horror read NOS4A2 or Heart-Shaped Box. Carrie is short and unsparing, so these picks suit readers who like horror with human drama. Carrie was adapted into a famous 1976 film directed by Brian De Palma, and later versions and a musical followed. King nearly threw the manuscript away and credits his wife Tabitha with rescuing it.
Related: 15 Books Like Wings of Fire Kids Will Love: Dragons, Quests and Animal Adventures · 12 Dystopian Books Like the Hunger Games | Best Books to Read Like Hunger Games
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Carrie about?
A bullied teenager with telekinetic powers takes revenge at her prom.
Who wrote it?
Stephen King.
When was it published?
1974.
Is it a short novel?
Yes, about 200 pages.
Is it graphic?
It contains violence and disturbing scenes.
Was it his first novel?
It was his first published novel.
Are there adaptations?
Yes, films in 1976, 2002 and 2013, plus a musical.
What should I read next?
Try The Shining or Firestarter.
Which book here is best for grief and horror?
Try Pet Sematary by Stephen King, which suits readers looking for grief and horror.
Which book here is best for carnival mystery?
Try Joyland by Stephen King, which suits readers looking for carnival mystery.
Which book here is best for readers who like odd narrators?
Try We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson, which suits readers looking for readers who like odd narrators.
Which book here is best for more Matheson?
Try Hell House by Richard Matheson, which suits readers looking for more Matheson.