You Like It Darker
Stories
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4.5 • 987 Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
NAMED A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW TOP 10 HORROR BOOK OF 2024
WINNER OF THE GOODREADS CHOICE AWARD FOR HORROR
From legendary storyteller and master of short fiction Stephen King comes an extraordinary new collection of twelve short stories, many never-before-published, and some of his best EVER.
“You like it darker? Fine, so do I,” writes Stephen King in the afterword to this magnificent new collection of twelve stories that delve into the darker part of life—both metaphorical and literal. King has, for half a century, been a master of the form, and these stories, about fate, mortality, luck, and the folds in reality where anything can happen, are as rich and riveting as his novels, both weighty in theme and a huge pleasure to read. King writes to feel “the exhilaration of leaving ordinary day-to-day life behind,” and in You Like It Darker, readers will feel that exhilaration too, again and again.
“Two Talented Bastids” explores the long-hidden secret of how the eponymous gentlemen got their skills. In “Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream,” a brief and unprecedented psychic flash upends dozens of lives, Danny’s most catastrophically. In “Rattlesnakes,” a sequel to Cujo, a grieving widower travels to Florida for respite and instead receives an unexpected inheritance—with major strings attached. In “The Dreamers,” a taciturn Vietnam vet answers a job ad and learns that there are some corners of the universe best left unexplored. “The Answer Man” asks if prescience is good luck or bad and reminds us that a life marked by unbearable tragedy can still be meaningful.
King’s ability to surprise, amaze, and bring us both terror and solace remains unsurpassed. Each of these stories holds its own thrills, joys, and mysteries; each feels iconic. You like it darker? You got it.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
These twelve tales from long-celebrated horror master Stephen King will warp your sense of reality—in the best way. Digging into King’s obsession with the darker side of seemingly normal, everyday life, whether it’s a pair of inexplicably successful small-town artists or a familiar face returning to Cujo country, every loosely connected story here shows that he’s in prime form. Each one weaves a thread between the waking world and the unknown, delving into aging, conspiracy theories, prophetic dreams, and aliens—among other strange and disturbing things.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
King proves he's still a master of short fiction in his sterling seventh collection (after The Bazaar of Bad Dreams). Standouts from the five previously unpublished entries include "Danny Coughlin's Bad Dream," in which the title character has a psychic vision and then accidentally incriminates himself in a murder he didn't commit, and the eerie yet touching "Two Talented Bastids," in which a young man discovers the dirty secret that helped his famous father and successful best friend develop their artistic prowess. Among the notable entries previously published elsewhere are "The Fifth Step," about a recovering alcoholic making amends for his more sinister impulses, and "On Slide Inn Road," which traces a family's wrong turn en route to a family reunion in Maine. Themes of fate, morality, and heartache crop up again and again in these tightly coiled tales, and King expertly utilizes them to make every twist of the knife all the more terrifying. This remarkably assured collection will thrill the author's fans.
Customer Reviews
Quite good. Well worth reading.
There were about 2-3 of the stories that seemed flat, or for which I could see no real sense. It was like they ended when the narrator was taking a breath to finish. But there were a few that were great!
Great Read-Makes me think about what could be
I’ve read every book that he’s ever published and they never let me down. From the short story The Boogeyman at age 12, until now at 56, I’ve been hooked on all of it. I like the way that Stephen King deals with the way his characters act when faced with(sometimes) outlandish circumstances in very believable ways. He can dig deep into the emotions and the psyches and provide some really great stories. Whenever I get a new book by SK, I tell my boyfriend to go do something else because I’m “going to be spending some quality time with Stephen!”
As always, King is King…
…but I hope he is okay and continuing to write. These stories seem a bit too morbid, even for this great horror author.