You Like It Darker

Title: You Like It Darker

Author: Stephen King

Published in: 2024

Date read: 4th July 2024

Score: 5/5

Genre: Horror, Thriller, Fiction, Supernatural

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"You Like It Darker," published in 2024, is a collection of twelve new short stories by Stephen King. Rather than a single narrative, the book is a series of standalone tales that explore a wide range of his signature themes, from the supernatural to the darkest corners of the human psyche.

The collection's stories include:

"Two Talented Bastids": This story explores the long-hidden secret behind how two lifelong friends from Maine suddenly and mysteriously became successful artists in their middle age, touching on themes of talent and luck.

"Rattlesnakes": A direct sequel to his classic novel "Cujo," this tale revisits a grieving widower, Vic Trenton, who is forced to confront new and terrifying supernatural forces while on a trip to Florida.

"Danny Coughlin's Bad Dream": A man has a vivid, psychic dream that leads him to a buried body. When he reports it, he becomes the primary suspect in the murder, caught in a nightmarish web of suspicion and injustice.

"The Dreamers": A Vietnam veteran finds a job that involves observing a mysterious reality from a hidden bunker, only to learn that there are some things humanity was never meant to witness.

"The Answer Man": A man with a tragic past has a series of encounters with a mysterious figure who can answer any question, forcing him to confront the nature of fate and the true meaning of his life.

In the book's afterword, King himself addresses the title, telling the reader, "You like it darker? Fine, so do I," setting the tone for a collection that delves into the more menacing and unsettling aspects of life. It’s a showcase of his continued mastery of the short story form, with each tale offering its own unique blend of terror, suspense, and emotional depth.

Comments:
Another fantastic collection. I say that because there were some earlier ones that I didn't enjoy. This one, however, is excellent. I am always keen to avoid prejudicing people's thoughts on books and always welcome comments from others and I hate spoilers. Needless to say, my favourite is "Rattlesnakes". Despite it picking up where one of the most famous King stories left off, it also brings a new story to life that has its own magic. Please read this collection but, as always, read these books in order or some of the links will be lost on you.

Books that we've read by Stephen King (68):
Carrie (1974), 'Salem's Lot (1975), The Shining (The Shining, #1) (1977), The Stand (1978), Night Shift (1978), The Dead Zone (1979), Firestarter (1980), Cujo (1981), The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, #1) (1982), Different Seasons (1982), Christine (1983), Cycle of the Werewolf (1983), Pet Sematary (1983), The Talisman (The Talisman, #1) (1984), Skeleton Crew (1985), It (1986), The Drawing of the Three (The Dark Tower, #2) (1987), The Eyes of the Dragon (1987), The Tommyknockers (1987), Misery (1987), The Dark Half (1989), Four Past Midnight (1990), The Waste Lands (The Dark Tower, #3) (1991), Needful Things (1991), Dolores Claiborne (1992), Gerald's Game (1992), Nightmares and Dreamscapes (1993), Insomnia (1994), Rose Madder (1995), The Green Mile (1996), Desperation (1996), Wizard and Glass (The Dark Tower, #4) (1997), Bag of Bones (1998), The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (1999), Hearts in Atlantis (1999), On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (2000), Black House (The Talisman, #2) (2001), Dreamcatcher (2001), Everything's Eventual (2002), From a Buick 8 (2002), Wolves of the Calla (The Dark Tower, #5) (2003), Song of Susannah (The Dark Tower, #6) (2004), The Dark Tower (The Dark Tower, #7) (2004), The Colorado Kid (2005), Cell (2006), Lisey's Story (2006), Duma Key (2008), Just After Sunset (2008), Under the Dome (2009), 11/22/63 (2011), Full Dark, No Stars (2011), The Wind Through the Keyhole (The Dark Tower, #4.5) (2012), Dr. Sleep (The Shining, #2) (2013), Joyland (2013), Mr. Mercedes (Bill Hodges Trilogy, #1) (2014), Revival (2014), The Bazaar of Bad Dreams (2015), Finders Keepers (Bill Hodges Trilogy, #2) (2015), End of Watch (Bill Hodges Trilogy, #3) (2016), Elevation (2018), The Outsider (2018), The Institute (2019), If It Bleeds (2020), Billy Summers (2021), Later (2021), Fairy Tale (2022), Holly (2023), You Like It Darker (2024)