You Like It Darker

Last updated
You Like It Darker
You Like It Darker by Stephen King.jpg
First edition cover
Author Stephen King
Audio read by
LanguageEnglish
Genre Horror
Publisher Scribner
Publication date
May 21, 2024
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardcover), eBook, Audiobook
Pages502
ISBN 978-1668037713
Preceded by If It Bleeds  

You Like It Darker is a collection of twelve stories by American author Stephen King, published by Scribner in May 2024. [1] 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 . [2]

Contents

Stories

#TitleOriginally published inType [3]
1 Two Talented Bastids Previously unpublishedNovella
2"The Fifth Step"March 2020 issue of Harper's Magazine Short story
3"Willie the Weirdo" McSweeney's 66 (Spring 2022) [nb 1] Short story
4 Danny Coughlin's Bad Dream Previously unpublishedNovella
5"Finn"Finn e-book (2022)Short story
6"On Slide Inn Road"October/November 2020 issue of Esquire Short story
7"Red Screen"Red Screen e-book (2021)Short story
8"The Turbulence Expert" Flight or Fright (2018)Short story
9"Laurie"stephenking.com (2018) [4] Short story
10 Rattlesnakes Previously unpublishedNovella
11 The Dreamers Previously unpublishedNovella
12 The Answer Man Previously unpublishedNovella

Selected stories

Notable stories within the collection include:

Two Talented Bastids

This story unravels a concealed secret that's shared regarding the otherworldly genesis of the artistic abilities and the remarkable careers of childhood friends from a small Maine town: painter David "Butch" LaVerdiere and author Laird Carmody. [2]

Danny Coughlin's Bad Dream

Focusing on the impact of a sudden and unprecedented psychic event, this tale explores the profound upheaval caused in numerous lives. [2]

Rattlesnakes

Serving as a sequel to King's 1981 novel Cujo , this tale follows a grieving widower named Vic Trenton who, in search of solace after the death of his beloved ex-wife Donna, travels to Florida. His journey takes an unexpected twist when he receives a strange inheritance from a new neighbor who tragically lost her twin sons, which is accompanied by King's supernatural contentions. [2] [5]

The Dreamers

A narrative centered on a reticent Vietnam veteran who, upon responding to a job advertisement, discovers that certain realms of the universe are better left undiscovered. [2] Stephen King said that though it's very rare that he scares himself with what he writes, a story in the upcoming collection titled The Dreamers was "so creepy" that he "couldn’t think about it at night". [6]

The Answer Man

This story probes the dual nature of prescience, contemplating whether it constitutes good fortune or a curse, and reflects on how lives marked by profound tragedy can still hold significance. [2]

Publication

The collection was published on May 21, 2024 by Scribner. It is available in physical, digital and audio book formats. [7]

In July 2024, King noted that his 2016 short story "The Music Room" had been omitted from the collection due to him forgetting about it, but that it would "probably" be included in the paperback edition. [8]

Critical response

The book debuted at number one on The New York Times fiction best-seller list for the week ending May 25, 2024. [9]

In his USA Today review, Brian Truitt commends Stephen King's You Like It Darker for its array of twelve dark and engaging stories. The collection is praised for revisiting familiar characters and settings while exploring new horrors, such as deadly snakes, ghosts, and mad scientists. Truitt highlights King's ability to blend horror with deeper themes of talent, unrealized dreams, and existential musings. Despite some less impactful stories, the collection is noted for its gripping narrative and ability to evoke fear. [10]

Kirkus Reviews points out that while some stories might feel less developed, the overall collection remains engaging. The review appreciates the familiar "King staples" and notes that the stories successfully revisit old haunts and characters, providing a mix of suspense and horror. [11]

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. Widely known for his horror novels, he has been crowned 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.

<i>Cujo</i> Novel by Stephen King

Cujo is a 1981 horror novel by American writer Stephen King about a rabid Saint Bernard. The novel won the British Fantasy Award in 1982 and was made into a film in 1983. Cujo's name was based on the alias of Willie Wolfe, one of the men responsible for orchestrating Patty Hearst's kidnapping and indoctrination into the Symbionese Liberation Army. King discusses Cujo in On Writing, referring to it as a novel he "barely remembers writing at all." King wrote the book during the height of his struggle with alcohol addiction. King goes on to say he likes the book and wishes he could remember enjoying the good parts as he put them on the page.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Straub</span> American novelist and poet (1943–2022)

Peter Francis Straub was an American novelist and poet. He had success with several horror and supernatural fiction novels, among them Julia (1975), Ghost Story (1979) and The Talisman (1984), the latter co-written with Stephen King. He explored the mystery genre with the Blue Rose trilogy, consisting of Koko (1988), Mystery (1990) and The Throat (1993). He fused the supernatural with crime fiction in Lost Boy, Lost Girl (2003) and the related In the Night Room (2004). For the Library of America, he edited the volume H. P. Lovecraft: Tales and the anthology American Fantastic Tales. Straub received such literary honors as the Bram Stoker Award, World Fantasy Award, and International Horror Guild Award.

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"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.

<i>Flight or Fright</i> Short story anthology edited Stephen King and Bev Vincent

Flight or Fright is a horror anthology edited by Stephen King and Bev Vincent, published by Cemetery Dance Publications on September 4, 2018. All of the stories within the anthology are about flight-based horrors.

"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>Holly</i> (novel) 2023 novel by Stephen King

Holly is a 2023 crime novel by American author Stephen King. It was published on September 5, 2023, by Scribner. The novel follows Holly Gibney, who made her first appearance in Mr. Mercedes (2014). She also appeared in Finders Keepers (2015) and End of Watch (2016), and later was a major supporting character in The Outsider. She was also the central character in If It Bleeds, a novella in the 2020 collection of the same name. An excerpt from Holly was published in Entertainment Weekly on January 23, 2023. King has confirmed plans for another novel featuring Holly Gibney, titled We Think Not.

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 thriller 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.

The Answer Man is a novella by Stephen King, first published in King's 2024 collection 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. ↑ Pride, Philippa (2024). "YOU LIKE IT DARKER, A NEW COLLECTION OF STORIES, IS COMING IN MAY 2024". Stephen King Books UK. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Collis, Clark (November 6, 2023). "Read the start of Stephen King's Cujo sequel in excerpt from story collection, You Like It Darker". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 2024-01-21.
  3. ↑ Vincent, Bev (May 20, 2024). "Bev Vincent explores You Like it Darker by Stephen King". CemeteryDance.com . Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  4. ↑ King, Stephen. ""Laurie"" (PDF). Retrieved 2024-01-22.
  5. ↑ Lynn Tozan, McKenzie (7 November 2023). "We're Screaming: New Stephen King Short Story Collection & 'Cujo' Sequel: 'You Like It Darker". Lit Shark. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
  6. ↑ Reed, Betsy (August 16, 2023). "Stephen King says he may continue the Talisman series". The Guardian . Retrieved 2024-01-21.
  7. ↑ "You Like It Darker: Stories". Kazoo Books. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
  8. ↑ Lilja, Hans-Åke (July 10, 2024). "Always Holly: new book, Talisman 3 & The Dark Tower". Lijas-Library.com. Retrieved July 15, 2024. He talks about the new book, You Like It Darker and mentions that he totally forgot about The Music Room but that it probably will be in the paperback edition.
  9. ↑ "Combined Print & E-Book Fiction". The New York Times. June 9, 2024. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  10. ↑ Truitt, Brian (May 21, 2024). "Review: Stephen King knows 'You Like It Darker' and obliges with sensational new tales". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
  11. ↑ "You Like It Darker by Stephen King. The disturbing stories in King's latest collection will seep into your psyche and haunt you". Kirkus Reviews. May 1, 2024. Retrieved 2024-05-31.

Notes

  1. ↑ Originally published in French in Bifrost #104 (October 2021)
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