The Answer Man (novella)

Last updated
The Answer Man
Author Stephen King
LanguageEnglish
Genre Speculative fiction
Publisher Scribner
Publication date
May 21, 2024
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (Hardcover)

The Answer Man is a novella by Stephen King, first published in King's 2024 collection You Like It Darker .

Contents

Plot summary

In 1937, Phil Parker, a recent graduate from Harvard Law School, stays at his parents' summer home in the small town of Curry, New Hampshire, where he contemplates whether to work at a white-shoe law firm in Boston (where both his father and his fiancé Sally Ann's father are senior partners, but where Phil believes he will be unhappy) or instead to establish his own practice in Curry, which Phil believes will grow rapidly once the Great Depression ends. While driving along Route 111, he sees hand-painted signs advertising the "Answer Man". The signs lead to a roadside stall where Phil encounters the Answer Man, who advertises that he will answer questions for five minutes for $25 (equivalent to $530in 2023). While assuming the Answer Man is a fraud, Phil eventually decides to pay him in an attempt to help resolve his dilemma. After the five minutes begin, the Answer Man stuns Phil by correctly giving his mother's maiden name. In response to his questions, the Answer Man tells Phil that he will marry Sally Ann, that they will live happily in Curry, that Curry will prosper, and that Phil will fight in the impending world war but emerge unscathed. After the five minutes end, Phil's vision goes black, and he awakens in his car to find the Answer Man and his stall gone.

Phil marries Sally Ann in 1938 and establishes his practice in Curry several weeks later. He builds his practice by assisting farmers who have been foreclosed upon by banks. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor and the subsequent hostilities with Japan, Phil enlists in the 22nd Marine Regiment. In 1944, by which time Phil holds the rank of lieutenant, he participates in the Battle of Eniwetok. After Japanese soldiers hidden in spider holes initiate a counterattack on the battalion command post shortly before dawn, Phil foils the counterattack by leading his troops in an attack on their rear, gunning down multiple Japanese soldiers with a Nambu light machine gun while miraculously avoiding injury. For his actions, Phil receives the Medal of Honor and returns to the U.S. to sell war bonds, meeting his three-year-old son Jacob for the first time. By 1950, Curry is growing and Phil's practice is thriving.

In 1951, Phil encounters the Answer Man for a second time while driving home from a meeting with a New Hampshire State Senator about a potential election bid. Despite the fourteen years that have passed, the Answer Man is no older, but his price has increased to $50 (equivalent to $587in 2023) for three minutes. While speaking to the Answer Man, Phil realizes that passing students cannot see them, which the Answer Man explains is due to them being located in a "fold" of reality. After paying the Answer Man, Phil learns that he will not run for the Senate; he is disconcerted when the Answer Man tells him that Jacob will not play baseball at high school. After the three minutes end, the Answer Man's price has changed to $200 (equivalent to $2,348in 2023) for three minutes, and Phil once again loses consciousness. In 1952, Jacob suffers a severe nosebleed and is diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia; he dies eight months later at the age of 10. Sally Ann grows depressed and begins drinking heavily, eventually dying in a car crash in 1960. Phil grows listless and questions whether the Answer Man was merely a figment of his imagination.

In 1964, Phil is approached by Christine Lacasse, a burn victim who wishes to sue the New England Freedom Corporation for $5,000,000 (equivalent to $49,120,000in 2023) for faulty wiring that resulted in a house fire which killed her husband and five children. The case stirs Phil from his listlessness. He continues the lawsuit on behalf of Christine's brother after she dies of pneumonia in 1967, and in 1970 wins a final judgement of $7,400,000 (equivalent to $58,059,000in 2023), of which Phil receives half. Phil subsequently carries out pro bono legal work until retiring, becoming a respected pillar of the community. In 1995, he is diagnosed with a brain tumor, turning down an operation after he learns the odds of surviving are even. Later that year, Phil encounters the Answer Man for a third and final time on the outskirts of Curry. The Answer Man's appearance once again appears unchanged, but his price is now "all answers free". The Answer Man confirms to Phil that there is an afterlife, but cryptically answers "yes" when Phil presses him for details. Phil once again awakens behind the wheel of his car and drives home.

Publication

King began writing The Answer Man in the Millennium Hilton New York One UN Plaza in 1977, but abandoned it after approximately six pages. [1] In the late-2010s, King's finished and unfinished work was comprehensively archived. [2] His nephew, John Leonard, discovered the unfinished typescript of The Answer Man amongst King's papers and convinced him to finish it. [1] [2] [3] King described the process of completing The Answer Man decades after beginning it as "calling into a canyon of time and listening for the echo to come back". [4] Bev Vincent notes commonalities between The Answer Man and King's other works Fair Extension and The Life of Chuck . [1]

The Answer Man was finally published in 2024 as the closing tale in King's collection You Like It Darker. [5] King dedicated the story to his nephew. [6]

Reception

Reviewing You Like It Darker for Bloody Disgusting, Jenn Adams described The Answer Man as "one of the most beautiful and upsetting stories of King's career" that questions "what is the meaning of life and what can we expect at the end of our days?" [7] Eric Eisenberg described it as having "exciting highs and powerful, emotional lows". [8] Writing for Corriere della Sera , Stefano Ferri suggested that The Answer Man was potentially the best work of King's career. [9] Ali Karim of Shots magazine described The Answer Man as "a dark morality tale, written in a beguiling style that starts with whimsy, but soon turns nasty" and as "an EC horror styled narrative that is both incisive and thought provoking". [10] Writing for Popzara, Trent McGee described it as "a modern fable [that] may be one of the best short stories King has ever published" and as "almost a reworking on the story of Job". [11] Bev Vincent described "The Answer Man" as "a beautiful and poignant story that shows how a skilled writer can encapsulate a rich life in a mere fifty pages". [1]

Writing in USA Today , Brian Truitt stated that The Answer Man "weaves together Americana and the otherwordly [...] in a surprisingly emotional telling full of small-town retro charm and palpable dread." [12] Writing for Vulture, Neil McRobert described The Answer Man as having "a flavor of American rural gothic, as if Mark Twain had taken a stab at a fairy tale" and "the kind of otherworldly realism that King has always excelled at, but it benefits from his now senior perspective". [13] Writing for the Star Tribune , Maren Longbella described The Answer Man as an "achingly melancholic, genie-in-a-bottle story" that "echoes many themes King has touched on over his career: nostalgia for a different time, ordinary lives intersecting with the supernatural, loss and grief", quipping "if it had included bullies and dreams, it would have been the perfect embodiment of a King story". [14] Justin Hamelin suggested that The Answer Man "...might be one of King’s greatest works of fiction", adding "the final page of the story is equal parts devastating and sanguine". [15] SFX described the story as "the perfect bittersweet thematic closure to [You Like It Darker], with a healthy dollop of King's trademark nostalgia." [16]

A less positive review was received by Mike Finn, who described The Answer Man as "too abstract and too bio-pic fast". [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen King</span> American writer (born 1947)

Stephen Edwin King is an American author. Called the "King of Horror", he has also explored other genres, among them suspense, crime, science-fiction, fantasy and mystery. Though known primarily for his novels, he has written approximately 200 short stories, most of which have been published in collections.

There have been many books published about Stephen King and his works.

<i>The Dark Tower</i> (series) Series by Stephen King

The Dark Tower is a series of eight novels, one novella, and a children's book written by American author Stephen King. Incorporating themes from multiple genres, including dark fantasy, science fantasy, horror, and Western, it describes a "gunslinger" and his quest toward a tower, the nature of which is both physical and metaphorical. The series, and its use of the Dark Tower, expands upon Stephen King's multiverse and in doing so, links together many of his other novels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Randall Flagg</span> Fictional character created by Stephen King

Randall Flagg is a fictional character created by American author Stephen King, who has appeared in at least nine of his novels. Described as "an accomplished sorcerer and a devoted servant of the Outer Dark", he has supernatural abilities involving necromancy, prophecy, and influence over animal and human behavior. His goals typically center on bringing down civilizations through destruction and conflict. He has a variety of names, usually with the initial letters "R. F." but with occasional exceptions, such as Walter o'Dim and Marten Broadcloak in The Dark Tower series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Javert</span> Fictional character from Les Misérables

Javert, no first name given in the source novel, is a fictional character and a main antagonist of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables. He was presumably born in 1780 and died on June 7, 1832. First a prison guard, and then a police inspector, his character is defined by his legalist tendencies, authoritarian worldview, and lack of empathy for criminals of all forms. In the novel, he persecutes the protagonist Jean Valjean after his violation of parole and theft from the child Petit Gervais.

<i>Cell</i> (novel) 2006 novel by Stephen King

Cell is a 2006 apocalyptic horror novel by American author Stephen King. The story follows a New England artist struggling to reunite with his young son after a mysterious signal broadcast over the global cell phone network turns the majority of his fellow humans into mindless vicious animals.

Bifrost is a French science fiction magazine that is published every three months. It was first published in 1996.

"Herman Wouk Is Still Alive" is a short story by American author Stephen King. It was originally published in the May 2011 issue of The Atlantic magazine.

"On Slide Inn Road" is a short story by Stephen King, first published in the October/November 2020 issue of Esquire. It was collected in King's 2024 collection You Like It Darker.

"The Fifth Step" is a short story by Stephen King, first published in the March 2020 issue of Harper's Magazine. It was collected in King's 2024 collection You Like It Darker.

"Laurie" is a short story by Stephen King, first published as a free download on his website on May 17, 2018. It was collected in King's 2024 book, You Like It Darker.

"The Turbulence Expert" is a short story by Stephen King, first published in the 2018 horror anthology Flight or Fright. It was collected in King's 2024 collection You Like It Darker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Screen</span> Short story by Stephen King

"Red Screen" is a short story by Stephen King, first published as an ebook by Humble Bundle in September 2021. It was collected in King's 2024 collection You Like It Darker.

<i>You Like It Darker</i> 2024 collection of stories by Stephen King

You Like It Darker is a collection of twelve stories by American author Stephen King, published by Scribner in May 2024. The book was announced on November 6, 2023, via Entertainment Weekly, which provided a look at the book's wraparound cover, table of contents, and an excerpt from "Rattlesnakes", a sequel to King's 1981 novel Cujo.

Rattlesnakes is a novella by Stephen King, first published in 2024 as part of King's collection You Like It Darker. It is a sequel to King's 1981 novel Cujo, reintroducing the character of Vic Trenton.

"Finn" is a short story by Stephen King, first published on Scribd on May 25, 2022. It was collected in King's 2024 book, You Like It Darker.

"Willie the Weirdo" is a short story by Stephen King, first published in English in the June 2022 issue of Timothy McSweeney's Quarterly Concern. It was collected in King's 2024 book, You Like It Darker.

Two Talented Bastids is a novella by Stephen King, first published in King's 2024 collection You Like It Darker.

The Dreamers is a novella by Stephen King, first published in King's 2024 collection You Like It Darker.

Danny Coughlin's Bad Dream is a novella by Stephen King, first published in 2024 as part of King's collection You Like It Darker.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Vincent, Bev (May 20, 2024). "Bev Vincent explores You Like it Darker by Stephen King". CemeteryDance.com . Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  2. 1 2 Kelly, Mary Louise; Ryan, Erika; Dorning, Courtney (May 22, 2024). "Stephen King's new story took him 45 years to write". NPR.org . Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  3. ↑ King, Stephen (2024). "Afterword". You Like it Darker. Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN   978-1-399-72509-5.
  4. ↑ Fleming, Greg (May 21, 2024). "New Stephen King novel brings fate and luck into dark relief". The New Zealand Herald . Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  5. ↑ "You Like It Darker". StephenKing.com . 2024. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  6. ↑ King, Stephen (2024). "The Answer Man". You Like it Darker. Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN   978-1-399-72509-5.
  7. ↑ Adams, Jenn (May 20, 2024). "Stephen King's 'You Like It Darker' finds beauty and hope in nihilistic horror". Bloody Disgusting . Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  8. ↑ Eisenberg, Eric (May 30, 2024). "Stephen King's You Like It Darker: a ranking of how much I want to see an adaptation of each story in the new collection". CinemaBlend. Retrieved June 10, 2024– via Yahoo.com.
  9. ↑ Ferri, Stefano (June 9, 2024). "La recensione di 'You Like It Darker', ultimo libro di Stephen King: che grandioso finale…". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  10. ↑ Karim, Ali (2024). "You Like It Darker". Shots. Archived from the original on May 27, 2024. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  11. ↑ McGee, Trent (June 10, 2024). "You Like It Darker (2024)". Popzara.com. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  12. ↑ Truitt, Brandon (May 21, 2024). "Review: Stephen King knows 'You Like It Darker' and obliges with sensational new tales". USA Today . Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  13. ↑ McRobert, Neil (May 20, 2024). "25 essential Stephen King short stories". Vulture . Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  14. ↑ Longbella, Maren (May 13, 2024). "Trust Stephen King. He knows 'You Like It Darker' and his new book includes a 'Cujo' sequel". Star Tribune . Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  15. ↑ Hamelin, Justin (June 21, 2024). "Stephen King's You Like It Darker book review". RavenousMonster.com. Archived from the original on June 21, 2024. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  16. ↑ "You like it darker". SFX . May 15, 2024. Archived from the original on June 28, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024– via Press Reader.
  17. ↑ Finn, Mike (May 31, 2022). "'You Like It Darker' (2024) by Stephen King, narrated by Will Patton". MikeFinnsFiction.com. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.