Stephen King Returns To Short Fiction With "You Like It Darker"

I always look forward to Stephen King’s books. In particular, his short stories got me into the horror genre, so I was excited he’s made a return to short fiction in You Like It Darker. Based on the title, it’s no surprise these twelve new tales explore the darker parts of life.

“Two Talented Bastids”

Mark tries to make sense of how his father (a writer) and best friend (an artist) who came from the same rural Maine town managed to achieve fame and success in their fields. This is classic King tale exploring the origins of talent, writers, and otherworldly events. Although the second half lost me a little by venturing into sci-fi territory, it’s a great start to the collection.

“The Fifth Step”

While a retiree takes his usual walk through a park when stranger pays him to confess his wrongdoings. This was a classic horror short story with an unpredictable plot and a killer snap ending.

“Willie the Weirdo”

Willie is a weird kid obsessed with death and has a close relationship with his grandfather who tells stories about past lives. This was a strange story with some fascinating ideas even though I wasn’t sure if it had a clear direction.

“Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream”

After Danny dreams about a body buried at a gas station he’s never visited, his vision upends his and others’ lives. Coming in at over 150 pages, not only was this the longest story, but it was also the highlight of the collection. It hooked me with its suspenseful premise, and reminded me of the Bill Hodges Trilogy.

“Finn”

Finn gets kidnapped while walking back from his girlfriend’s house. I feel like I’ve read this type of kidnapping and torture story before. While it kind of shares the emotional tension of “Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream” with being wrongfully accused, it didn’t have the same impact.

“On Slide Inn Road”

A family takes a road trip to visit grandpa’s dying sister, only to regret taking a shortcut. King manages to create vivid characters and a believable family in such a small space. I enjoyed the relationship dynamics and the suspense. Inspired by Flannery O’Connor, if you’ve ever read “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” then you’ll see the parallels.

“Red Screen”

A detective interviews a murderer who claims he killed his wife because she was an alien. While it was an interesting idea to draw parallels to aliens and the detective’s marriage, it was kind of predictable.

“The Turbulence Expert”

A man gets assigned the job of saving a plane from a fatal tragedy. Despite the unique idea, I didn’t have any strong feelings about this story. I could see where the story was heading once I got a sense of the protagonist’s role.

“Laurie”

A widower’s sister brings him a puppy after his wife dies. I first read this years ago online. It’s a a heartwarming contemporary story about grief, death, and older adulthood with a moment of realistic horror.

“Rattlesnakes”

After the death of his wife, Vic Trenton travels to Florida and receives an unexpected inheritance. I enjoyed Cujo, so this was one of my most anticipated stories. While there’s some resemblance to “Laurie,” it also reminded me of Bag of Bones with its great characterization and subtle, psychological horror. While I liked the references to Cujo, this story didn’t draw me in with the same force of the novel.

“The Dreamers”

A veteran turned stenographer takes up a job with a man who is researching dreams. The narrator and concept grabbed me from the start. Although the fascination with dreams wasn’t new, King’s idea felt pretty original and captivating.

“The Answer Man”

Phil finds a stranger on the side of the road who claims to have answers to his questions about his life. Even though I didn’t feel much connection to the characters, I liked the exploration of what it’d be like to know the future and how we can find meaning in tragedy.

While You Like It Darker doesn’t have much of a unifying theme aside from the darkness in life, it’s an enjoyable read. King sets a high bar, so unlike a typical short story anthology or collection, none of his offerings here are terrible, though they’ll vary based on your personal tastes. However, when you consider the standouts like “Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream,” “Two Talented Bastids,” and “The Answer Man,” some of them weren’t as memorable. Overall, if you’re a fan of King or like horror short stories, check out You Like It Darker.

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Originally published on Medium