Even though he’s been writing for half a century at this point,Stephen Kingis never one to rest, and he has multiple books in the works right now. Of course, there aremultiple Stephen King movies and TV show adaptationsin development, but it begins and ends with his books, so it’s exciting to know that he has a few intriguing and wildly different book projects in the works. King has been trucking along in recent years, releasing at least one book a year, and some years seeing two books released, and Hollywood is adapting them as fast as he writes.
Considering that, the next few years will be exciting ones asit feels we’re in something of a Stephen King renaissance.It’s not to say that his popularity has ever waned, as it really hasn’t, but it seems like he’s found a new gear and been reinvigorated to try new things in his writing while also returning to old, familiar characters and worlds. Thanks to that balance, 2025 has a little something for everyone, whether fans ofStephen King’s classic, terrifying horror booksor of his contemporary crime thrillers. Either way, his upcoming books mean Constant Readers will be eating well this year and beyond.
3Never Flinch
Release Date: June 08, 2025
Stephen King’s upcoming book,Never Flinch, is great news for those who have loved his crime-thriller era of the past decade. The book will see the return of thecontroversial character Holly Gibney, who has become a stalwart of King’s books in recent years,and it’s set to continue his crime series, though whether this will be a straightforward thriller like theMr. Mercedesseries, or incorporate some supernatural elements, likeThe Outsider, is unknown.
Never Flinch Has A Holly Gibney Challenge To Overcome After Stephen King’s 2023 Book
Stephen King’s upcoming novel Never Flinch has a challenge when it comes to Holly Gibney that needs to be overcome for the sake of her overall story.
What is known is thatNever Flinchwill weave together two different storylines. In one, Buckeye City Police Department detective Izzy James receives a letter from a person threatening to kill over a dozen people in an act of deranged atonement and, at a loss,she turns to Holly for help. In the other, women’s rights activist Kate McKay is on a nationwide tour but is being pursued by a stalker who is growing bolder, and Holly is hired to be her bodyguard. Those stories will twine together in the climactic finish, and it will be interesting to see how Holly Gibney handles her biggest threat yet.
2The End Of The World As We Know It
Release Date: June 03, 2025
TheanthologyThe End of the World As We Know Itwill be a first for Stephen King, being the first time an anthology book contributed to by other writers will be based on and happening in a world he created. In this case, the short stories in the anthology will feature some incredible contemporary horror and fantasy writers offering up their own fresh, unique takes onThe Stand.The list of writers contributing to it is both extensive and impressive:
While King himself won’t be contributing one of those stories - after all, he already wrote the epic that is the inspiration for it all -he will be writing the forward to the book.King is undoubtedly one of the most influential authors of the modern era, perhaps of any era, and it should be a fascinating exercise to see how so many writers who have been influenced by him over the years try their hand at writing in his world. The anthology will give his contemporaries so much room to play withThe Stand, picking up where Stephen King left off with the endingwhile also exploring other facets of the post-Captain Trips world.
1Untitled Talisman Sequel
Release Date: TBD
Of Stephen King’s upcoming books,it’s the one we know about the least that is the most intriguing.Last October, King gave a cryptic tease on Twitter, tweeting, “I’m back in Mid-World…and the Territories. Don’t know if it will develop into anything–I never know–but it’s good to be back.” At the time,some speculated it would be a newDark Towerbook, but the more logical option was that he was finally working on a thirdTalismanbook. A few weeks ago,King confirmed that it was indeedThe Talisman 3that he was working on, based on a story idea hisThe TalismanandBlack Houseco-author, the late Peter Straub, had given him before he died.
Even though it’s King working on it by himself this time,The Talisman 3is likely to be just as long an epic as the previous two books. Of course, it will see the return of protagonist Jack Sawyer, as he grapples with having the Talisman and being able to jump back and forth between our world and that of The Territories. On an episode of theTalking Scaredpodcast in 2024,Stephen Kingalso revealed that the story idea Straub had sent him in his letterrevolved around serial killer Charles Starkweather. If that’s the case, it will continue the thread set forth byBlack House, where Jack chases down another serial killer dubbed “the Fisherman.”
The Talisman 3likely won’t be released this year, but it’s possible we could see it hit bookshelves in 2026.
