8 Stephen King Audiobooks That’ll Scare Your Pants Off

Tomorrow is Stephen King’s birthday, so why not celebrate the King of Horror by highlighting some of his most terrifying audiobooks. These are just eight of his freakiest tales, but you can find over 100 audiobooks on Audiobooks.com by King or featuring King.

From the staple King classics to some of his newer releases, pick up one of these if you’re in the mood for a good scare.


Pet Sematary by Stephen King, narrated by Michael C. Hall

Pet Sematary by Stephen King

When Stephen King himself considers a novel he has written as taking things too far, then you know it’s going to be real freaky. Pet Sematary is a classic from King, and the audiobook is a gripping listen with Michael C. Hall putting on a very convincing Maine accent if you ask me, ayuh!

In Pet Sematary, Dr. Louis Creed gets a new job and moves his family to Ludlow, Maine – a seemingly normal little town. It’s only when he feels a pull to venture to a burial ground that lay just beyond a children’s pet cemetery that he sees why sometimes dead is better.

Read more and sample the audio →


It by Stephen King, narrated by Steven Weber

It by Stephen King

This beast of an audiobook is not for the faint of heart. Emphasis on beast… The reason that It has held up all these years and now has three motion pictures and even a mini series to its name is because the monster in this listen isn’t just Pennywise the Clown, it’s fear itself. This one has a major creep-factor, so buckle in and prepare to immerse yourself in the world of Derry, Maine and become a member of The Losers’ Club.

Seven kids get caught up in an evil that resides in their hometown of Derry, Maine. Now, they’ve grown up, moved away, and found success, but they feel that pull back to their hometown to finish what they started.

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The Shining by Stephen King, narrated by Campbell Scott

The Shining by Stephen King

I’m sure you’re all familiar with The Shining. Whether you’ve listened to the audiobook, you’ve caught the 1980 film adaptation starring Jack Nicholson, or maybe you’ve just heard people quoting, “Here’s Johnny!” for the past 40 years (give or take) – The Shining is one of King’s most popular and most frightening releases.

If, for some reason, you don’t know what The Shining is about, it follows Jack Torrance and his family as they move to the remote and idyllic Overlook Hotel. It seems like just the getaway that the family needs until winter creeps in and weird things start happening that only Danny Torrance seems to notice.

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Misery by Stephen King, narrated by Lindsay Crouse

Misery by Stephen King

We’ve all been there…when our favorite character or series plays out in a way that we don’t agree with. It can certainly be frustrating, but my first thought isn’t to go out, kidnap the creators, and force them to right their wrongs like Annie Wilkes does in Misery. This listen will give you a glimpse into how fandom can take a seriously dark turn.

In Misery, Paul Sheldon takes a risk in his writing career and kills off the main character of his romance series, so that he can move on to something new. He later ends up injured in a car crash and who should rescue him, but his number one fan, Annie Wilkes. She is not happy with what Paul has done to her favorite series, so she demands that he resurrect both the character and the series. He has no excuse…as Annie’s prisoner, he has all the time in the world.

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Salem’s Lot by Stephen King, narrated by Ron McLarty

Salem's Lot by Stephen King

King blessed us with ‘Salem’s Lot back when vampires were actually vicious and terrifying monsters as opposed to sparkling in the sun, and using their super speed to play baseball. Being the second release from King after Carrie, it’s been quite a while, but this suspenseful audiobook will still keep you on the edge of your seat after all this time.

In this spooky tale from King, we follow fiction writer Ben Mears as he moves into this big mansion in Jerusalem’s Lot to gather inspiration for his new novel. After two boys enter the woods near his house and only one returns he gets the feeling that something dark and sinister is lurking in his small town.

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The Mist by Stephen King, narrated by Will Patton

The Mist by Stephen King

If you’ve seen the film adaptation of King’s The Mist, then you know what it’s like to be filled with hopelessness and to ugly cry at the TV screen. Don’t let that deter you from giving the audiobook a listen. The story definitely plays out a little differently, but still gives you the same claustrophobic feeling.

In The Mist, David Drayton, his son Billy, and their neighbor head over to the local grocery store following a storm. While there, a mysterious mist overtakes the whole town. Holed up in the grocery store with an array of characters, they have to decide whether it’s better to deal with people they may not trust or face the unknown.

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The Outsider by Stephen King, narrated by Will Patton

The Outsider by Stephen King

Take a look at that cover. Need I say more? The Outsider is part mystery, part horror, and it definitely has that “give-you-the-chills” factor. Plus, if you frequent Stephen King’s audiobooks, then you’ll recognize the narrator, Will Patton, who has lent his voice to many of King’s novels.

The Outsider opens with the corpse of a little boy being found in town. It seems all evidence points to the local Little League coach as the main suspect. The detectives believe that they have this case in the bag, but as the coach reveals his alibi and they unearth more about the crime the story gets kicked into high gear. Did they get the right guy?

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The Institute by Stephen King, narrated by Santino Fontana

The Institute by Stephen King

The Institute is Stephen King’s latest release and even though there are supernatural elements to the story, the monsters in this listen are real people, which make it that much scarier. After listening to this audiobook you’ll surely wonder what terrible things people are truly capable of.

In The Institute Luke’s parents are killed and he is kidnapped and taken to The Institute. He and other gifted children are being used for their extranormal talents and if they cooperate all is fine, but if they refuse the punishment is severe. The really bad kids get sent to the “Back Half,” which the other children want to avoid at all costs. Their only hope is to escape and get help, but no one has ever escaped The Institute.

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Page to Screen in April 2019

Thinking of going to see a movie this April? Get the best experience by listening to the books they were based on before seeing the film & TV adaptations.

Pet Sematary by Stephen King, narrated by Michael C. Hall
Expected Release Date: April 5

When Dr. Louis Creed (Jason Clarke) takes a new job and moves his family to Ludlow, Maine, this new beginning seems too good to be true. There’s an undercurrent of danger that lingers…like the graveyard in the woods near the Creed’s home, where generations of children have buried their beloved pets. Behind the “pet sematary,” there is another burial ground, one that lures people to it with seductive promises and temptations. A blood-chilling truth is hidden there—proving to the Creeds that sometimes, dead is better. After you listen the novel you’ll be yearning to see the film on the big screen.

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The Best of Enemies: Race and Redemption in the New South by Osha Gray Davidson, narrated by Keith Sellon-Wright
Expected Release Date: April 5

Rich with details about the rhythms of daily life in the mid-twentieth-century South, The Best of Enemies (released on Amazon this April) offers a vivid portrait of a relationship that defied all odds. By placing this very personal story into a broader context, Osha Gray Davidson demonstrates race is intimately tied to issues of class and that cooperation is possible—even in the most divisive situations— when people begin to listen to one another.

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Quicksand by Malin Persson Giolito, narrated by Saskia Maarleveld
Expected Release Date: April 5

Crime drama Quicksand is coming to Netflix on April 5th, and is based on the 2016 novel of the same name. A mass shooting has taken place at a prep school in Stockholm’s wealthiest suburb. Maja Norberg (Hanna Ardehn) has just spent nine horrible months in jail and is now on trial for her involvement in the massacre where her boyfriend and best friend were killed. The time has come for her to enter the courtroom.

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Native Son by Richard Wright, narrated by Peter Francis James
Expected Release Date: April 6

Right from the start, Bigger Thomas (Ashton Sanders) had been headed for jail. It could have been for assault or petty larceny; by chance, it was for murder and rape. Native Son tells the story of this young black man caught in a downward spiral after he kills a young white woman in a brief moment of panic. Wright’s powerful novel—set in the 1930s—is an unsparing reflection on the poverty and feelings of hopelessness experienced by people in inner cities across the country. The film adaptation is set to debut on HBO Films on April 6.

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After by Anna Todd, narrated by Elizabeth Louise & Hero Fiennes Tiffin
Expected Release Date: April 12

Could this be love for Tessa (Josephine Langford) and Hardin (Hero Fiennes-Tiffin)? Soon to be a major motion picture, Anna Todd‘s sensational novel is now available with a bonus chapter read by Hero Fiennes Tiffin and a letter to listeners read by the author.

Tessa is the good girl with a sweet, reliable boyfriend back home. Hardin is the bad boy with tattoos and a bad attitude. Hardin is the polar opposite of her sweet boyfriend back home. He is mean and rude, but as soon as they kiss, it ignites a passion within her she’s never known until now. Each time he pushes her away, she only feels pulled in deeper by her desire to find the real Hardin beneath his lies.

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I’m Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves by Ryan O’Connell, narrated by Ryan O’Connell
Expected Release Date: April 12

From the beloved blogger turned voice of an online generation comes an unforgettable and hilarious memoir-meets-manifesto exploring what it means to be a millennial gay man living with cerebral palsy. Ryan shares his story of how, through extensive trial and error, he figures out how to take his life from bleak to chic.

The TV adaptation called Special will be released on Netflix April 12 and there will be eight episodes in total for Season 1.

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The Breakthrough: The Miraculous True Story of a Mother’s Faith and Her Child’s Resurrection by Joyce Smith, narrated by Elisabeth Rodgers
Expected Release Date: April 17

Coming to a theater near you on April 17, Breakthrough is the impossible true story about the powerful impact of prayer starring Chrissy Metz, Topher Grace, Dennis Haysbert, and Josh Lucas.

When Joyce Smith’s fourteen-year-old son, John, fell through an icy lake, he lay lifeless at the hospital for more than sixty minutes. But Joyce was not ready to give up on her son. She gathered all her faith and strength and cried out to God to save him. This is an extraordinary story of the death and resurrection of the Smith’s son.

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Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin, narrated by Roy Dotrice
Expected Release Date: April 18

Winter is coming. Who will win the battle, fire or ice? The long anticipated wait is almost over for season eight of Game of Thrones. While you wait for the show to return to HBO, you can make the wait more enjoyable by listening to Games of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire (Book One) to set the mood for what is about to come.

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Selection Day by Aravind Adiga, narrated by Sartaj Garewala
Expected Release Date: April 22

Did you see the Original Netflix series Selection Day last year? If you did, we have good news for you: part 2 of the show is finally arriving this month! It’s a brilliant novel about two brothers in a Mumbai slum who are raised by their obsessive father to become cricket stars, and whose coming of age threatens their relationship, future, and sense of themselves. Many fans can’t wait to see how the story of the Kumar brothers concludes.

Read more and sample the audio →

New to Audiobooks.com? Get a free audiobook when you sign up for our one month free trial. Digital audiobooks make audible stories come to life when you’re commuting, working out, cleaning, cooking and more! Listening is easy with our top-rated free audiobook apps for iOS and Android, which let you download & listen to bestselling audiobooks on the go, wherever you are. Click here to get your free audiobook!