The Dreamers (novella)

Last updated
The Dreamers
Author Stephen King
LanguageEnglish
Genre Cosmic horror
Publisher Scribner
Publication date
May 21, 2024
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (Hardcover)

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

Contents

Plot summary

In June 1971, Vietnam veteran William Davis is discharged from the military; his wartime experiences have left him "empty", with his "emotions scrubbed". After staying with his mother in Skowhegan, Maine, Davis relocates to Portland and finds work as a stenographer for Temp-O. The following year, Davis responds to a job advertisement posted by Elgin, a self-described gentleman scientist in Castle Rock. Elgin hires Davis as an assistant for his experiments, which aim to "go under" the wall of sleep.

Elgin and Davis begin their experiments, which entail administering the hypnotic drug Flurazepam to a human test subject who is instructed to study a picture of a red house with a green door in a forest. The subject is then instructed to dream of the house, and then to enter the house and attempt to lift up the living room floor and see what is beneath. Elgin and Davis watch the subject through a one-way mirror, with Davis transcribing the subject's remarks.

Davis witnesses the teeth of the first subject, Althea Gibson, grow larger. After awakening, she states that upon lifting the living room floor in her dream, she saw "darkness" and smelled a "stench". Elgin explains to Davis that the drug rendered Althea suggestible, enabling her to access "the reality beneath the dream". Elgin theorizes that dreams are a barrier between humans and the "matrix of existence", and that his experiments will enable him to look past this barrier.

The second and third experiments are unsuccessful, while the fourth test subject does not appear. The fifth subject, Hiram Gaskill, writes "the moon is full of demons" in Vietnamese on a writing pad while asleep. Davis grows apprehensive and advises Elgin to terminate the experiment; Elgin refuses. Davis himself ultimately decides to remain Elgin's assistant, seeing his curiosity in the experiment as a sign that his humanity remains. The sixth subject, Annette Crosby, awakens screaming, having dreamed of opening the green door to encounter a disembodied voice that uttered a word resembling "tantullah" or "tamtusha".

The final test subject is Burt Devereaux. During the experiment, Devereaux's eyeballs turn black, swell and split, emitting black filaments. He is left catatonic. Davis drives Devereaux to a rest area off Route 119 and abandons him there in his car, then hitchhikes back to Castle Rock. When he arrives back at Elgin's house, he finds Elgin in the test room with his head swathed in the filaments. As Davis watches, the filaments spell out his name on the one-way mirror. Davis turns on the house's gas stove and uses his lighter to ignite an explosion that destroys the house.

Davis returns to Temp-O. When he is interviewed by the police, he maintains that he left his job some time before the explosion. In September 1972, Davis relocates to Nebraska, where he begins working on a farm. Davis dreams of standing outside the red house with the green door; he knows that one day he will open the door and enter the house, where "there will be no mercy".

Publication

Paying tribute to author Cormac McCarthy upon his death in June 2023, King previewed The Dreamers, a story he had written while reading McCarthy's 2022 book The Passenger . He described The Dreamers as "very much under the influence of McCarthy's prose" and "very much in McCarthy's style". [1] In August 2023, King noted The Dreamers as a rare example of one of his stories that he himself was scared by, describing it as "so creepy" that he "couldn't think about it at night". [2] The Dreamers was published in 2024 as part of King's collection You Like It Darker. [3] The story was dedicated to McCarthy, and to the fantasy writer Evangeline Walton. [4]

Reception

Jenn Adams (reviewing You Like It Darker for Bloody Disgusting) ranked The Dreamers as the "most classically scary" story in the volume, describing it as "pure Lovecraftian horror" and "shocking horror and nihilism at its best, reminiscent of King's 2014 novel Revival ." [5] Gorian Delpâture (writing for RTBF) described The Dreamers as "both a tribute to Cormac McCarthy (in style) and to HP Lovecraft (in theme)". [6] Sassan Niasseri (writing for Rolling Stone ) also noted the Lovecraftian influence and the resemblance to Revival, as well as noting the influence of Cormac McCarthy and the contrast between McCarthy's "laconic" writing style and King's "flowery" style. [7] Mike Finn suggested that the story "...worked because it focused more on the struggle of a young man who has recently returned from the war in Vietnam and who has grown so used to numbing his feelings that he is now unable to connect with life and the living. His fatalism and his emotional distance gave this story of a scientist meddling with things best left alone a depth that surprised me." [8] Eric Eisenberg described The Dreamers as "one of the scariest stories that Stephen King has written in the 21st century". [9] Ali Karim of Shots magazine described The Dreamers as "a superbly realised cosmic horror piece", [10] while Brandon Truitt of USA Today described The Dreamers as "good old-fashioned cosmic terror". [11] Bev Vincent noted The Dreamers as an example of the "common theme in King's stories [...] that the other universes that abut against ours are not nice places." [12]

A less positive review was received from Justin Hamelin, who stated that The Dreamers "...just missed the honor roll for me", noting "the outright mention of Lovecraft and one of his strongest works pulled me out of the story a bit, even for only a paragraph or so." [13] SFX described the story as "a baffling attempt to merge HP Lovecraft and mad scientist movies." [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">H. P. Lovecraft</span> American author (1890–1937)

Howard Phillips Lovecraft was an American writer of weird, science, fantasy, and horror fiction. He is best known for his creation of the Cthulhu Mythos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramsey Campbell</span> English author (born1946)

Ramsey Campbell is an English horror fiction writer, editor and critic who has been writing for well over fifty years. He is the author of over 30 novels and hundreds of short stories, many of them winners of literary awards. Three of his novels have been adapted into films.

<i>At the Mountains of Madness</i> Novella by H. P. Lovecraft

At the Mountains of Madness is a science fiction-horror novella by American author H. P. Lovecraft, written in February/March 1931. Rejected that year by Weird Tales editor Farnsworth Wright on the grounds of its length, it was originally serialized in the February, March, and April 1936 issues of Astounding Stories. It has been reproduced in numerous collections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Colour Out of Space</span> Short story written by American horror author H. P. Lovecraft

"The Colour Out of Space" is a science fiction/horror short story by American author H. P. Lovecraft, written in March 1927. In the tale, an unnamed narrator pieces together the story of an area known by the locals as the "blasted heath" in the hills west of the fictional town of Arkham, Massachusetts. The narrator discovers that many years ago a meteorite crashed there, poisoning every living being nearby: vegetation grows large but foul-tasting, animals are driven mad and deformed into grotesque shapes, and the people go insane or die one by one.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pickman's Model</span> 1927 short story by H. P. Lovecraft

"Pickman's Model" is a short story by H. P. Lovecraft, written in September 1926 and first published in the October 1927 issue of Weird Tales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lovecraftian horror</span> Subgenre of horror

Lovecraftian horror, also called cosmic horror or eldritch horror, is a subgenre of horror fiction and weird fiction that emphasizes the horror of the unknowable and incomprehensible more than gore or other elements of shock. It is named after American author H. P. Lovecraft (1890–1937). His work emphasizes themes of cosmic dread, forbidden and dangerous knowledge, madness, non-human influences on humanity, religion and superstition, fate and inevitability, and the risks associated with scientific discoveries, which are now associated with Lovecraftian horror as a subgenre. The cosmic themes of Lovecraftian horror can also be found in other media, notably horror films, horror games, and comics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Statement of Randolph Carter</span> 1919 short story by H. P. Lovecraft

"The Statement of Randolph Carter" is a short story by American writer H. P. Lovecraft. Written in December 1919, it was first published in The Vagrant, May 1920. It tells of a traumatic event in the life of Randolph Carter, a student of the occult loosely representing Lovecraft himself. It is the first story in which Carter appears. Its adaptations include the film The Unnamable II: The Statement of Randolph Carter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">From Beyond (short story)</span> 1934 short story by H. P. Lovecraft

"From Beyond" is a horror genre short story by American writer H. P. Lovecraft. It was written in 1920 and was first published in The Fantasy Fan in June 1934.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cosmicism</span> Literary philosophy

Cosmicism is American author H. P. Lovecraft's name for the literary philosophy he developed and used for his fiction. Lovecraft was a writer of horror stories that involve occult phenomena like astral possession and alien miscegenation, and the themes of his fiction over time contributed to the development of this philosophy.

A Cthulhu Mythos anthology is a type of short story collection that contains stories written in, or related to, the Cthulhu Mythos genre of horror fiction launched by H. P. Lovecraft. Such anthologies have helped to define and popularize the genre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">W. H. Pugmire</span> American horror writer (1951–2019)

Wilum Hopfrog Pugmire, was a writer of weird fiction and horror fiction based in Seattle, Washington. His works typically were published as W. H. Pugmire and his fiction often paid homage to the lore of Lovecraftian horror. Lovecraft scholar and biographer S. T. Joshi described Pugmire as "the prose-poet of the horror/fantasy field; he may be the best prose-poet we have" and as one of the genre's leading Lovecraftian authors.

<i>Awaiting Strange Gods: Weird and Lovecraftian Fictions</i> 2015 collection of short stories by Darrell Schweitzer

Awaiting Strange Gods: Weird and Lovecraftian Fictions is a collection of dark fantasy and horror short stories by American writer Darrell Schweitzer. It was first published in hardcover and trade paperback by Fedogan & Bremer in September 2015.

"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. It delves into the darker aspects of life, both metaphorically and literally. Exploring themes such as fate, mortality, luck, and the unexpected turns of reality, the book comprises a mix of new and previously published stories. Each narrative, distinct in its approach, collectively contributes to this volume, marking its first comprehensive assembly. 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.

"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.

References

  1. ↑ King, Stephen (June 14, 2023). "Stephen King: 'There is no way to convey the loss I feel'". The Guardian . Retrieved June 19, 2024.
  2. ↑ Reed, Betsy (August 16, 2023). "Stephen King says he may continue the Talisman series". The Guardian . Retrieved June 19, 2024.
  3. ↑ "You Like It Darker". StephenKing.com . 2024. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  4. ↑ King, Stephen (2024). "The Dreamers". You Like it Darker. Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN   978-1-399-72509-5.
  5. ↑ Adams, Jenn (May 20, 2024). "Stephen King's 'You Like It Darker' finds beauty and hope in nihilistic horror". Bloody Disgusting . Retrieved June 19, 2024.
  6. ↑ Delpâture, Gorian (June 4, 2024). "Stephen King sort un nouveau recueil de nouvelles avec "You Like It Darker"". RTBF (in French). Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  7. ↑ Niasseri, Sassan (June 10, 2024). "Kündigt Stephen King mit „Ihr wollt es dunkler" seinen langsamen Abschied an?". Rolling Stone (in German). Retrieved June 19, 2024.
  8. ↑ Finn, Mike (May 31, 2022). "'You Like It Darker' (2024) by Stephen King, narrated by Will Patton". MikeFinnsFiction.com. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
  9. ↑ 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 19, 2024– via Yahoo.com.
  10. ↑ Karim, Ali (2024). "You Like It Darker". Shots. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
  11. ↑ Truitt, Brandon (May 21, 2024). "Review: Stephen King knows 'You Like It Darker' and obliges with sensational new tales". USA Today . Archived from the original on May 29, 2024. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  12. ↑ Vincent, Bev (May 20, 2024). "Bev Vincent explores You Like it Darker by Stephen King". CemeteryDance.com . Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  13. ↑ 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.
  14. ↑ "You like it darker". SFX . May 15, 2024. Archived from the original on June 28, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024– via Press Reader.
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.