This Hit Netflix Movie Was Based on Stephen King’s Worst Book, Fans Say

Stephen King is arguably the most prolific author of all time. He's written over 60 books, many of which have been turned into iconic must-see movies like "The Shining" and "The Shawshank Redemption."

In 2017, the screen adaptation of King's 1992 novel Gerald's Game came out on Netflix, starring Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood as a kinky married couple who find themselves in an accidentally tragic situation.

Director Mike Flanagan told The Independentthat he always believed the story was "unfilmable," as almost the entire story takes place with its main character chained to a bed. "The book, as it’s written, is really impossible to adapt," Flanagan explained. "We had to find a mechanism to make the story cinematic while being faithful to the story, which is a beautiful story." He added, "Half my life I've been trying to make this movie."

The film garnered generally favorable reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 91% score among critics and a 70% score among audiences. The site even praised Gugino's performance as "career-defining." Even King himself was a fan, tweeting that the film was "horrifying, hypnotic, terrific."

Despite all the hype and hubbub about the movie, the source material has proven to be far more polarizing. Readers on Goodreads ranked Gerald's Game as the worst Stephen King book of all time.

Why Stephen King Fans Think 'Gerald's Game' Is His Worst Book

99 people declared that Gerald's Game is King's worst. Why? Well, for the same reason Flanagan believed it was "unfilmable": virtually the entire story takes place with its protagonist chained to a bed.

"Way too long... He doesn't get my attention that well because he doesn't use enough action or excitement," one voter wrote explaining their choice. "It gets kind of dull."

Another voter agreed, writing, "All idea, no story... Should have been a short story."

For one voter, this book went as far as being the final nail in King's coffin. "This book changed Stephen King from being one of my favorite authors ... to an author that I barely read," they wrote. "I hated everything about this story."

Ultimately, readers got bored by the novel's slow burn. They wanted something more action packed, like The Running Man, a King novel that inspired an adaptation starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.