Stephen King has been writing horror novels for over 50 years. Works like Carrie and ‘Salem’s Lot were published 50 years ago, and The Shining is approaching its 50th anniversary. Thanks to these first three books and many others that followed, King has become synonymous with the horror genre. However, he has also penned significant works in fantasy, science fiction, and thriller genres.

The thriller genre is often associated with horror, and thus King’s iconic thriller novels attract as much attention as his horror works. Misery strikes a beautiful balance between the two genres, while 11/22/63 stands out more as a science fiction/thriller novel. If you’ve read all of King’s thrillers or love thriller novels but aren’t a huge fan of Stephen King, then the books below might pique your interest. While these may not be the best thrillers outside of King, they are all respected works.

Dean Koontz’s works are often compared to Stephen King’s. Both are nearly the same age and highly prolific writers. They both write horror/thriller novels, but they are not alone in this genre. Koontz is not as well-known as King; the reason being that his works are not adapted as frequently as King’s. Nevertheless, he still has a large fan base.

While it may be difficult to determine Koontz’s best or most important book, Watchers stands out in this context. This work is considered Koontz’s most characteristic book and contains emotional depth. These emotional elements create an interesting contrast with the thrilling moments. Additionally, the book features an unusual dog; Koontz’s love for dogs is also evident in this work.