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Cover of Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen KingFull Dark, No Stars
Modern · Fiction, Horror

Full Dark, No Stars

by Stephen King
2010 · 453 pages · Fiction
Lifetime bestseller
≈ 11 hours to read · about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

Four novellas about what pushes ordinary people over the edge. A Nebraska farmer turns to murder when his wife threatens to sell the family land. A cozy mystery writer plots revenge after a brutal assault. A dying man gets a cure if he'll pass his misery on to an old rival. And a wife discovers a box in the garage that reveals who her husband really is.

Why it's worth reading

It was one of the ten best-selling books of 2010. Some of King's darkest and most gripping short fiction, it asks how well we can ever know anyone.

You'll love it if you liked

Good to know

These are long stories, each readable in a sitting. They include graphic violence, including sexual violence.

By the numbers

71.6Must-Read Score
  • Readers48 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Bestseller72 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Why it made the list

Bestseller
One of the ten best-selling books of 2010 (Publishers Weekly)24 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists since 2010

Reads as

Dark, Gripping

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

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Explore the best-of lists

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Quick answers

Is Full Dark, No Stars worth reading?

Yes. It was one of the ten best-selling books of 2010. It ranks #1,123 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 71.6 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is Full Dark, No Stars about?

Four novellas about what pushes ordinary people over the edge. A Nebraska farmer turns to murder when his wife threatens to sell the family land. A cozy mystery writer plots revenge after a brutal assault. A dying man gets a cure if he'll pass his misery on to an old rival. And a wife discovers a box in the garage that reveals who her husband really is.

How long does it take to read Full Dark, No Stars?

About 11 hours (453 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after Full Dark, No Stars?

If you liked it, try Different Seasons by Stephen King, The Shining by Stephen King or Misery by Stephen King.