Csak sötéten szereted

Cujo / Rattlesnakes

by Stephen King, Zoltán Pék (Translator), Adrienn Neset (Translator)

Stephen ​King pályája kezdete óta igazi mestere nemcsak a lebilincselő regényeknek, hanem a rövidebb prózai műfajoknak is. Ennek ellenére jóval ritkábban van lehetőségünk a lélek sötét mélységeiről sűrített formában nyilatkozó, a borzongás klasszikusait megidéző írásait olvasni. Most viszont egy rendkívüli gyűjteményt ad közre, tizenkét olyan novellával, amelyek nagyobb része egészen új – sőt van, ami még soha nem jelent meg –, és kétségtelenül a legjobbak között fogjuk majd emlegetni őket.
„Csak sötéten szereted? Jó. Én is” – írja az utószóban, és a tizenkét elbeszélés valóban az élet sötétebb oldalát tárja fel, szó szerint és átvitt értelemben egyaránt. Ugyanolyan tartalmasak, lebilincselőek, ugyanúgy súlyos traumákat dolgoznak fel, és hatalmas élmény olvasni őket, akár a regényeit. A nagy sikerű Cujo folytatásaként íródott „Csörgőkígyók” a gyászoló özvegy férfiról szól, aki Floridába utazik pihenőre, de ahelyett váratlan örökséget kap, miközben rejtélyes kígyótámadások áldozataira derül fény. A „Két tehetséges suttyó” azt a régóta rejtegetett titkot tárja fel, hogyan szerezték meg tudásukat a címadó férfiak egy különös erdei kiruccanás során. A „Danny Coughlin rossz álmá”-ban több tucat ember élete fordul fel, miközben Danny csak egy gyilkosság áldozatát akarta bejelenteni a rendőrségen egy rémálom hatására. „Az Álmodók” című írásban egy hallgatag vietnámi állatorvos válaszol egy álláshirdetésre, és megtudja, hogy az univerzumnak vannak olyan szegletei, amelyek legjobb, ha feltáratlanul maradnak. „A Válaszember” azt pedzegeti, hogy vajon az előrelátás jó szerencsét vagy rosszat jelent-e, és arra emlékeztet, hogy az elviselhetetlen tragédiák sújtotta élet mégis mindig értelmes lehet. És még sorolhatnánk a változatos ötleteket. Elbeszélések a sorsról, a halandóságról, a szerencséről, a jelenkorról és a valóság gyűrődéseiről, melyekben bármi megtörténhet.
King azon képessége, hogy egyszerre döbbentse és rémítse meg olvasóját, illetve hozzon vigaszt neki, továbbra is felülmúlhatatlan. Saját bevallása szerint azért ír, mert általa „magunk mögött hagyhatjuk a hétköznapi életet”, és az olvasó biztos lehet abban, hogy a Csak sötéten szereted lapjain újra és újra érezni fogja ezt az örömet.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Fiction, Audiobook, Thriller, Mystery, Fantasy

528 pages, Hardcover

First published May 21, 2024

About the author

Stephen Edwin King was born the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his father left them when Stephen was two, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Parts of his childhood were spent in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father's family was at the time, and in Stratford, Connecticut. When Stephen was eleven, his mother brought her children back to Durham, Maine, for good. Her parents, Guy and Nellie Pillsbury, had become incapacitated with old age, and Ruth King was persuaded by her sisters to take over the physical care of them. Other family members provided a small house in Durham and financial support. After Stephen's grandparents passed away, Mrs. King found work in the kitchens of Pineland, a nearby residential facility for the mentally challenged.

Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS. He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.

He met Tabitha Spruce in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University, where they both worked as students; they married in January of 1971. As Stephen was unable to find placement as a teacher immediately, the Kings lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loan and savings, with an occasional boost from a short story sale to men's magazines.

Stephen made his first professional short story sale ("The Glass Floor") to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men's magazines. Many were gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.

In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching English at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.

Reviews

[Justin Tate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hell yes! A new collection of Stephen King stories is here, including five never-before-published chillers promised to go as dark as a crocodile-shaped peninsula—or is it a peninsula-sized crocodile?? Amongst the darkness is a sequel to his masterpiece, Cujo. I'm reviewing each story as I read them. For the few I’ve read before, my original review will accompany a revised opinion based on the second experience.

Two Talented Bastids
Previously unpublished!

5/5 - A compelling, poignant opener with memorably creepy moments. Can't say much without spoilers, but I can say the story returns to themes which have seemingly plagued King for some time. That is, the complexity of being a prodigy writer. What causes some artists to possess great talent while others, those who devote their lives to the same goal, never achieve the same success? I believe this has concerned him at least as far back as the invention of Richard Bachman, which King has said was created to see if he could do it again. Was Carrie a right-place-right-time situation, a fluke, or was it him? And if it was him, was he chosen? A pre-destined product of fate?

The issue of "Fate" shows up in this story, though King also provides another explanation for talent—a bizarre, creepy explanation. The characters include a son and his recently deceased famous father, an author of many bestsellers. It's hard not to compare these characters to real-life King and his writer sons Joe and Owen. At 77 years, it's clear death has been on King's mind a lot lately based on several of his recent books.

While I am terrified at the thought of a world without Stephen King, I am loving how impending death is informing his fiction. In many ways, this era is scarier than his killer clown and rabid dog era. It's more real. It's more personal. I love every word of this story! We're off to a great start.


The Fifth Step
Previously published in March, 2020, issue of Harper's Magazine.

4.99/5 - A marvelous example of pacing and sleight of hand. Reminds me of the best of Shirley Jackson. Almost perfect except there's a few lines of dialogue at the end which are perhaps too campy. Loads of fun though, and classic King that could easily have been written during his Nightmares & Dreamscapes years.


Willie the Weirdo
Previously published in the Spring 2022 issue of McSweeney's.

4.99/5 - Same energy as "The Fifth Step" though the world-building here is more complex and fascinating. The ending is perhaps too ambiguous, but I like its unsettling effect. And it made me go back through the earlier pages to find the appropriate clue. A great short story usually invites closer inspection. King offers some masterful dialogue of bickering between adolescent children. Overall, memorable, creepy, and excellent delivery.


Danny Coughlin's Bad Dream
Previously unpublished!

100/5 - F*cking mesmerizing. One of King's best novels—it's about 200 pages—in recent years. "Belief is hard" he writes, and that's a good premise for the story because it tackles the difficulty of believing in the supernatural and difficulty in changing one's beliefs in light of new information.

Feels like allegorical commentary on the current state of mental health in America, but it's also a propulsive thriller that's as tense as The Outsider (and comparable in many ways) but even better because there's no bloat. Written in 68 micro chapters, with each scene moving the plot closer to impending doom, it's ideal for on-the-go reading. I found myself lustily devouring chapters at every spare moment. Worth the price of the book for this one alone. Don't miss it!!


Finn
Previously published, May 25th, 2022, as a one-off story exclusive to Scribd.

3/5 - King again showing interest in the horrors of being falsely accused. This story takes a surreal, and European, approach to the subject. The handful of pages turn easily and it's one to devour in a short twenty minutes or less. The ending goes for ambiguity which is appropriate for the tone, but will likely leave many readers unsatisfied. Possibly greater meaning is hidden in metaphor somewhere that's over my head. Anyway, it's fine. Off to the next!


On Slide Inn Road
Previously published in the Oct/Nov 2020 issue of Esquire Magazine.

3/5 - A slow-burn vignette (if that's even possible) concluding with a message that crazy old grandpas can be badasses. Otherwise, it's a standard car-trouble-turned-nightmare story. Characters aren't necessarily developed, but they do feel real. The context is never fleshed out, but the reader can fill in the fuzzy areas without much trouble. Not exceptional, but accomplishes a lot within a short space. Next!


Red Screen
Previously published, Sept. 2021, as a $5 limited edition eBook by Humble Bundle. Proceeds were donated to the ACLU.

4/5 - Original Review from 2021: A breezy, creepy story that requires no more than 15 minutes to read. Set in modern day, its themes explore how easily conspiracies can hatch and gnaw at the brain, while at the same time suggesting a possible reality of unknown horrors. We are in the Stephen King universe, after all. It is a "subtle" horror story, and subtleness is in fact King's major observation about modern day anxieties.

The unresolved conclusion leaves us pondering thanks to a set-up beautifully designed to create uncertainty and unease. Our logical brain knows there's nothing going on, and yet we can't help but wonder. Clues allow for the argument of both sides, making it an excellent short story for discussion.

4.5/5 - Second Reading Review: Still good. Better within the context of this story collection. It meshes particularly well with "Two Talented Bastids" and "Willie the Weirdo." Very short, though. Shorter than I remember. Was it edited down for this collection? I thought I remember more evidence in favor of the conspiracy. Love the concept of supernatural explanation for why our personalities change over time, which I glossed over before. Is becoming cranky really a natural process of aging, or can it be a case of being body snatched? Despite being a very short vignette, it crawls into the brain and lingers there.


The Turbulence Expert
Previously published in Flight or Fright (2018).

4/5 - A fun, high-concept Twilight Zone mind-boggler. The logic isn't clearly explained but if you companion it with other plots in the King Universe, like The Institute, you can just go with it. The Twilight Zone episode "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" still haunts the minds of airplane travelers, and that episode came out in 1963. King's story may not infect your mind quite as strongly, but there's a good chance you'll think of it the next time you experience turbulence.


Laurie
Previously published as a StephenKing.com freebie and also included as a bonus on the audio version of Elevation.

4/5 - On its own, "Laurie" is a nice but unexceptional King short story. However, within You Like It Darker it serves a more complimentary purpose. This is largely due to noteworthy revisions from the original version which King published on his website back in May, 2018.

"Laurie" refers to the name of a dog in this story, a name selected "as if it came from a dream." This newly-added sentence is, of course, a reference to Danny Coughlin's Bad Dream. Laurie is also a name used in that story, further connecting the two. Other revisions include a sign reading WATCH FOR ALLIGATORS which is spray painted over to say ALIENS, a recurring menace in this collection. In the original story, it was spray painted to say DEMOCRATS.

"Rattlesnake Key" is a location reference in Laurie not in the original version, an obvious preamble to "Rattlesnakes," the Cujo-sequel included in this collection. The eerie alligator/crocodile imagery on the cover also seems to be inspired by this story.

With these added elements, Laurie serves as a world-building connection between the tales. Otherwise, it is merely a charming story of an older man whose health improves after he adopts a puppy. The horror twist isn't all that horrific and not all that twisty. Again, however, it sets the mood for what's to come.


Rattlesnakes
Previously unpublished! Noteworthy for being a sequel to Cujo.

100/5 - SCARY!!! King's recent thrillers and mysteries have been great, but he hasn't written much lately that I would consider scary. Rattlesnakes is classic, old-school horror that'll give you nightmares just like Pet Sematary, The Shining and, of course, Cujo.

The less you know the better, but I will say this Cujo follow-up works on every level. I'd go so far as to say it's brilliant. King masterfully places Vic Trenton, and all his psychological baggage, in a brand-new situation custom-made for supernatural monsters. Among the creepiest monsters in King's entire bibliography, I will add.

It is important to know that this novella does address major plot elements from Cujo and probably won't be nearly as good if you aren't familiar with the book. The movie isn't a great substitute because they made a significant change to the ending.

There are also numerous references to Duma Key, which I have not read yet. It didn't bother me not fully understanding these references. If you have read it, I'm sure you'll be in for an extra treat.

Overall: Rattlesnakes is f*cking incredible! Do not miss it!

The Dreamers
Previously unpublished.

5/5 - Once again, King contemplates the great beyond. Given how prophetic he can be, I do not like his vision of afterlife one bit! Super creepy. The story will remind readers of Revival, though I actually find The Dreamers more satisfying and more chilling. Something along these lines would've been a far superior ending to Revival.

The Answer Man
Previously unpublished.

4/5 - A character-driven, birth-to-death story with supernatural elements. Some slower moments, but overall excellent. For a while I worried it would sully the superb thematic connections all the previous stories shared. Not to worry, however. The ending is unexpectedly satisfying, and a clear enhancement to the overall completeness of You Like It Darker. Particularly with regard to King's literary (and likely personal) interest in the afterlife.

Fun bonus fact, as discussed in the afterward, King started this story in the 1970s. It was discarded for decades until recently, when his nephew suggested it was too good not to finish. Given the full life cycle of the plot, it's fascinating to imagine King finishing a story at age seventy-five that he started writing at age thirty. Often authorial context is meaningless, but this behind-the-scenes detail adds significant intrigue.

Bonus: The Music Room
Previously published in the November 16, 2016, issue of Playboy and later collected in the 2016 anthology In Sunlight or in Shadow: Stories Inspired by the Paintings of Edward Hopper. Also included as a bonus story on the Gwendy's Button Box audiobook. Included ONLY in the paperback edition of You Like It Darker.

4/5 - Set during the Great Depression, we meet a pleasantly married couple who rob and then lock away helpless victims until they starve to death. The couple are seemingly moral individuals who don't consider starving people murder since that is a result of unfortunate happenstance, not directly caused by their hand as a knife to the throat would be. If caught, the wife feels confident they would be let free due to the desperation of their circumstances. Without stealing, they might starve themselves.

The prose reflects the era and can be generally described as whimsical. Still, there is a dying man trapped in the closet which is a noticeable contrast to the couple's light banter. Constant readers will notice some thematic comparisons to King's later novel Holly. This story was not included in the hardback edition of You Like It Darker because King "forgot about it." It is, regretfully, fairly forgettable. As a short vignette, we're unable to really understand these characters and aren't sure if we should laugh or not. Still, the image of seemingly wholesome people resorting to murder is fascinating. I can see why it lingered in King's mind and eventually transfigured into a premise for Holly.

The story is also fascinating for its interaction with the Edward Hopper painting "Room in New York." Much like his iconic "Nighthawks" painting, which depicts the ordinary situation of folks sitting at a diner, "Room in New York" depicts an unremarkable couple sitting in a room. Bizarrely, a door consumes the painting and leads the viewer to wonder what's behind it, or why it is worthy of so much canvas real estate. King's macabre imagination of what's behind the door is quite fun.

Overall...
I'm a total King fan, but I've also been critical of his recent efforts Sleeping Beauties and Fairy Tale. This collection, however, blew me away. Partly because each story is so good, but more broadly because of how superbly they spoke to each other. The subtle revisions to previously published fiction really showcase just how much thought went into this collection as a thematic vision, broken up in different parts. In a way, it's so cohesive it reads like a single novel. Anchored, perhaps, by the two standouts—Rattlesnakes and Danny Coughlin's Bad Dream—but every story, even the very short ones, present dark visions of a supernatural reality.

Required reading for King fans and even a great entry point for King virgins—just do yourself a favor and read Cujo first.

[LTJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You Like It Darker: Stories” by Stephen King was one of the most anticipated novels I’ve been waiting for in 2024. Besides having 12 new short stories, the most hype was “Rattlesnakes,” a sequel to his legendary novel “Cujo.”

Before I start my review, I found a bunch of trigger warnings while reading. Here they are:

- COVID
- Masking
- Pandemic
- Politics
- Vaccinations
- Suicide
- Breast Cancer
- Drugs
- Alcoholism
- Domestic Abuse
- Rape
- Torture
- Homophobic slurs
- Widowed
- Tumors
- Cancer
- Sandy Hook
- 9/11

If any of these trigger you, please do not read this novel. Moving along, I loved all the references in this new anthology. I lost my mind when I saw references to Derry, Maine, the Suicide Stairs from Gwendy’s Button Box Trilogy, the New York Yankees, Breaking Bad, Duma Key, and my hometown of Queens, NY.

Besides that, this is an incredible collection of new short stories that checks many boxes. There’s a great mix of horror, excellent storytelling, terror, and everything you’d come to expect of how excellent King is at fleshing out memorable characters. “Two Talented Bastids” kicks things off and is primarily a slow burn but then picks up nicely at the end, in case you're starting this and wondering when the twist hits.

Don’t worry, I’d never ruin or spoil anything, but out of all 12 stories, these were my favorite since they told a great story but also had some crazy good horror, which made my soul happy:

- The Fifth Step
- Red Screen
- Laurie
- Rattlesnakes
- The Dreamers
- The Answer Man

If I had to pick my favorite short story from "You Like It Darker: Stories,” it would easily be “Rattlesnakes” since that could be a separate book. To see what Vic has been up to after all these years after what happened in “Cujo” was an awesome reading experience. This was scary, creepy, and the best snake and ghost horror I’ve ever read.

Finally, “The Answer Man” was a fantastic ending to this anthology. It blew me away and connected with me so much. I won’t get into any specifics, but over the last few months, I’ve been dealing with several personal issues. I haven’t been able to read as much as I wanted to or even write these reviews that I love doing.

I’ve always felt for years now that reading is powerful. Reading books of the genre you love and authors you adore can help you get through some of life’s toughest battles. This happened to me since it took me over a month and a half to finish this anthology. Finishing this helped me more than words could ever describe since it distracted me from what I was going through. As always, Uncle Stevie helped me through it, as he’s done a few times throughout my life.

I’m in a much better place now, both mentally and physically, while getting my regular routines back on track. Not just reading and writing horror book reviews but also in life. It’s incredible to correlate this novel with some of the toughest and most challenging times I’ve ever faced. I will never forget how this book was there for me when I needed it most. I’m out of the dark, and best of all, brighter days are ahead.

"You Like It Darker: Stories” by Stephen King gets a 5/5 for being one hell of an anthology. There is plenty of horror here on top of magnificent storytelling. I loved all the characters, scenarios, blood, gore, ghosts, and more. This is worth it for “Rattlesnakes” alone if you want to know what happens in the aftermath of “Cujo,” as it was such an exhilarating read. The numerous plot twists you’ll find while reading all these stories are wild since they hit when you least expect them. I have to see what the rest of the year is like, but this will likely be my favorite novel of 2024. It’s that good, and with everything I’ve gone through over the last few months, it came out when this Constant Reader needed it most.

Squeak, pause. Squeak, pause. Squeak, pause.

[Trisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

"That's how it works for me sometimes - a story will arrive fully formed, just waiting for the right trigger to declare itself. It's a very cool thing."

It's no secret - I would read his shopping lists. I will read EVERY story Stephen King will bless us with. Because I know, when I grab one of his books, that it's going to be amazing and I'm going to love it.

In this one, King gives us 12 new stories. Two of these stories are longer - one will be from a character we haven't heard from in a very long time. Many others are medium length and only 1 or 2 are very short. But they all pack Stephen King's typical punch - a character you get to know, a scenario you could never imagine, and an outcome that makes you smile for its twist and ingenious route to it.

"But think of the adventure you had."

Spoil yourself with these 12 new stories, but don't get any spoilers. They are original stories and all just wonderful. And don't skip that author note at the end. I always love reading Stephen King just writing to us, the readers.

Soon, I will buy the audio too and listen to them again. They are THAT good!

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

The older Stephen King gets the better his stories are. Here we have 12 outstanding pieces of fiction, shorter and longer ones. His characters often are old, near death, they look back on a long life full of experience and everyday horrors. You'll meet a man who dreamed of a dead body and found her in reality. An obsessed cop tries to prove he's the murderer. Then we meet Tad's father Frank again after so many years (do you remember King's Cujo?). Or we have The Answer Man. Dreams can be dangerous as we learn in the Mad Scientist story. Is this the right stuff for younger readers? Well, I have my doubts as whole lives pass by in most of the tales. The older you are the more you will like the stories offered here. Stephen King is on top of his game here. If you think one of the longer tales is over he surprises the reader with yet another twist. What can I say as a lifelong Stephen King reader since the 80s? One of his very best story collections. A true highlight. Even though a massive tome, it could have been longer is the only thing I can add to the title. Very impressive. Hard to beat highlight of the year!

[chantalsbookstuff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! Yes, it’s a bit slow in places, and some stories don’t shine as brightly as others, but overall, it’s a captivating read that keeps you hooked. My only gripe? I wished it was darker, but hey, I can still appreciate the thrills it delivered.

One highlight for me was the sequel to Cujo but my absolute favorite, though, was “Danny Coughlin's Bad Dream.” It had me glued to the pages.

So, thank you, Mr. King, for another sleepless night! You never fail to entertain, and I can't wait for more. If you're looking for a collection that offers a mix of chills and great storytelling, this one’s a solid choice.

[Rebecca Mann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two Talented Bastids - 4⭐
The Fifth Step - 3⭐
Willie the Weirdo - 4⭐
Danny Coughlin's Bad Dream - 5⭐
Finn - 3.5⭐
On Slide In Road - 4.5⭐
Red Screen - 4⭐
The Turbulence Expert - 4⭐
Laurie - 3.5⭐
Rattlesnakes - 4.5⭐
The Dreamers - 5⭐
The Answer Man 4.5⭐

This was an excellent collection! Overall I am going to rate it five stars due to how much I enjoyed my favourites. The stories that I rated 3 stars were still enjoyable and they tended to be the shorter stories in the collection. My absolute favourite was Danny Coughlin's Bad Dream, which at around 150 pages is the longest in this collection. I would have been happy to pay the price of this book just for that story alone! I think Constant Readers will really enjoy this collection, the best he has done in years!

I alternated between reading and listening to the audiobook and really enjoyed the narration by Will Patton and Stephen King. For the story Laurie, I listened and read at the same time and noticed that a lot of the words and phrases were different in the narration to the book in print, some sentences were missed out, some different ones added in. It was quite frequent, on almost every page of the story. I only did that with the one story, so not sure if it is the same for the rest of the book.

[Taufiq Yves · Rating 4 out of 5]

You Like It Darker is a collection of 12 short and medium-length stories by Stephen King. The writing’s super casual - like, really laid-back and slangy - and feels more like something you'd read online than in a fancy novel. The characters talk like they’re from the streets, swearing and throwing around American slang that’s sometimes hard to get unless you’re from the U.S. Still, you can totally tell why King is called a master of suspense. His imagination is wild. He takes normal life - going for a walk, chatting in the park, hanging out with your dog - and suddenly throws in aliens, psychic powers, time travel, you name it. And somehow, it feels believable. The stories are gripping and really well-paced. Honestly, with stories like these, it’s not about elegant writing - it’s about hooking you and not letting go.

Here’s a super chill breakdown of each story and how it felt:

1. Two Talented Bastids
Two lifelong buddies randomly become super famous in middle age. Is it talent or... aliens? Weird, smart, with a dash of philosophy. Probably my favorite.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

2. The Fifth Step
Guy asks a stranger to help him with a weird self-help ritual in the park. Twist happens - kinda obvious though.

Rating: 🌟⭐️

3. Willie the Weirdo
A kid who collects dead bugs and asks his grandpa about death. Gets creepy fast. Unexpected twist.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟½

4. Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream
Man dreams of a murder... and it turns out real. Classic “is-he-the-killer-or-not” thriller. Tense and moody.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

5. Finn
This guy’s just unlucky from the start. Then meets his exact double. Ends badly. Cool idea, rushed execution.

Rating: 🌟🌟

6. On Slide Inn Road
Family crashes near an old motel. Kids find creepy stuff inside. Familiar setup, but it works.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

7. Red Screen
Aliens in disguise are invading Earth. Only the “red screen” can reveal them. Feels like a B-movie.

Rating: 🌟🌟

8. The Turbulence Expert
Some people are meant to experience airplane chaos to save others. Cool concept, kinda empty.

Rating: 🌟🌟

9. Laurie
Lonely guy gets a dog and slowly finds joy again. Sweet, calm, then bam - gator attack.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟½

10. Rattlesnakes
Neighbor pushes an empty stroller, says her stillborn twins are alive. So heartbreaking.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟

11. The Dreamers
Vietnam vet joins a weird science experiment and falls into a Lovecraft-style nightmare. Trippy and immersive.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

12. The Answer Man
Man meets a mysterious guy who predicts his future. Full of life’s ups and downs. Poetic and hopeful.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

If you’re into strange twists and love that creepy-yet-cosy King vibe, this collection’s pretty solid.

4 / 5 stars

[Brittany’sBoundByBloodBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stephen King really “nailed” it this time,
straight into the coffin lid.



As a huge fan of King’s short story collections, You Like It Darker might just be my new favorite. With twelve tales that creep under your skin and linger in the shadows of your mind, King delivers exactly what he promises: the darker side of life, both literally and metaphorically. Each story feels iconic, balancing terror, tragedy, and King’s signature surprises.

My absolute favorite was "Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream", talk about a nightmare you don’t want to wake up from. One brief psychic vision turns dozens of lives upside down, especially poor Danny’s. It’s haunting in the best way, showing King’s unmatched ability to blend fate and catastrophe. The twists kept me guessing, and the ending stuck with me like a shadow at midnight.

Close behind was "Rattlesnakes", a real “fang-tastic” sequel to Cujo. The return to that chilling universe had my heart racing. King proves that sometimes the past has more bite than we expect, especially when an unexpected inheritance comes with venomous strings attached. It was a brilliant mix of nostalgia and new terror, with that slow build dread King does so well.

Other standout stories include "Two Talented Bastids," which peels back the layers of a long-hidden secret, and "The Dreamers," where exploring unknown corners of the universe might be a worse fate than staying home. And don’t sleep on "The Answer Man", or do, but don’t expect sweet dreams. It asks big questions about luck, fate, and whether knowing your future is a gift or a curse.

King’s afterword says it best: “You like it darker? Fine, so do I.” And honestly, so do I, especially when it’s this good. This collection hits all the right notes: eerie, thought-provoking, and absolutely unputdownable. For fans of King’s short fiction, You Like It Darker is a must read. After all, when it comes to short stories, King is still the king.

👑👑👑👑👑- 5 out of 5 crowns,
long live the King of Horror.

[Dave Edmunds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Initial Thoughts

This is going to make me unpopular, but I hate those geeky labels that Stephen King fans come out with. Like 'constant reader.' But the funny thing is, I am without doubt one of those constant readers. In a two year span I read pretty much all his books. And what a glorious two years it was!

A lot of King's books are absolute bangers, while some are just really good. But the guy writes at such a high level and in such an effortless way that even the ones that don't quite hit the mark are still a worthwhile read.

But here's the thing you guys. Recently King has been branching off into areas I haven't been in a rush to read about. In fact I haven't even read his last two outings. Fairy Tale just didn't sound like my type of story and Holly, as well as being one of my least favourite characters of his, was way too focused on that virus that caused such a meltdown in 2020. Don't get me wrong, if I'd have heard reports that these two were must reads then I wouldn't have been able to resist. But that's just not the case. Maybe I'm just not the constant reader I thought I was.

So it was with great relief that I discovered he was making a return to his dark and nasty routes with some spine chilling suspense and a little dash of horror. That's the horror that made him such a star in the eighties. And I, for one, am peeing my pants at the prospect of getting my gruby mits all over it. Believe you me, if it was a choice between this and Margot Robbie I'm choosing the book all day long.

Plus, I'm a huge fan of these short story collections. Twelve stories makes up the book, with one of the longest being about ninety pages. So bring it on.

Anyway, enough of the chit chat. It's time for you, me and the King to get acquainted. Let's go!

The Stories

Two Talented Bastids 4.25 ⭐'s -

You Like it Darker gets off to a bang with a pretty fantastic tale of the son of a famous writer who has recently passed away. While digging through his office he discovers a document detailing the secret behind his father's success and how he went from a landfill owner to a world famous author. It centres around a hunting trip in the local woods and has strong vibes to another King novel, which I won't mention. But dare I say this one does it slightly better.

The Fifth Step 4 ⭐'s -



If the first entry wasn't exactly dark, this one certainly is as Stevie boy cranks it up a level. We have a random meeting on a park bench between an older gent, Harold Jamieson, and a recovering alcoholic.

The younger man is working his way through the AA program, and you guessed it...he's on the fifth step. This one he can't do on his own and he needs help. And when Harold eventually agrees to help things are looking peachy. But with this being a Stephen King story, we'll...I'm saying no more about it.

Willie the Wierdo 3.75 ⭐'s -

This one felt very similar to a story from Skeleton Crew, not saying which one that is either. I'm evil like that. Not one to give the game away. Certainly not intentionally anyway.

A ten year old boy, who's a bit of a weirdo...and funnily enough called Willie, is obsessed with his grandfather's war stories. Bloody, violent and a touch disturbing, who can really blame the young lad. We've all been there.

The rest of the family thinks he's a bit of a misfit. Makes them feel a touch uncomfortable. But not grandpa. He sees something special in Willie. And you're going to find out exactly what that is.

A bit like Danny De Vito, this one's a touch on the short side. But what's there is pretty decent with an air of suspense.

Danny Coughlin's Bad Dream 5+ ⭐'s -



The absolute star of the show. This one is worth the price of admission alone. It just has everything I look for in a King story. Suspense, great characters, a little bit of the supernatural and a touch of emotion all wrapped up in a gripping tale. Yeah, I liked it quite a bit.

So what's this one about? Guess what? It starts with Danny Coughlin having a bad dream. One that shows him a location that's going to send him on a wild journey. He's your average working man, but his life is going to get anything but average. I honestly want to tell you what happens in this one, because it's so f'in good. But I won't, so pop along a read it right now!

Finn 3.75 ⭐'s -

I remember this one originally appeared on something called Scribd. But having absolutely no idea what that is I never got round to reading it. So believe you me, I was chuffed to see it appear in this collection.

It's about a ridiculously unlucky teenager called Finn, who is on his way home when he predictably lands himself bang in trouble. Talk about wrong place, wrong time!

There's a lot of people who say King doesn't know how to finish a story, and to be honest, sometimes that's true. I guess it comes with his style of not beginning with the end in mind and just seeing where the story takes him. Like here for instance. It did loose it's way a bit toward the end and fizzled out.

However I loved the idea for this character and would love to see him in a feature novel. Rather than another Holly Gibney yarn. Another one of those planned apparently...bugger!

On Slide Inn Road 4.25 ⭐'s -

This one was really good and for me delivered on the darker part of the books title.

Grandpa's family is driving to Derry, Maine, to visit his sister, when they take a detour down "Slide Inn Road." With this being a horror story they should have known better. We all know how these detours end up...badly.

Grandpa is foul mouthed, not politically correct and a giant pain in the ass as far as his son is concerned. But boy are they happy to have him along for the ride. A good reminder not to discount the elderly simply because they seem out of touch.

Red Screen 4 ⭐' s-



This one is brief and a little bit on the vague side...but that doesn't put me off and I ended up really liking it.

It follows a detective who's been having marriage trouble. And he's talking to a prisoner who confessed to killing his wife. But the reason is shocking! Could it be true? Guess you're going to find out.

It's short but pretty intense. A bit like a night with yours truly. At least that's what I like to tell myself.

The Turbulence Expert 3 ⭐'s -

Probably my least favourite of the bunch. I'm not going to lie, it's a great idea. But it just fell a little bit flat.

It starts with a guy getting a mysterious phone call about a job he wants no part of but is railroaded into taking. He ends up taking a flight, and guess what? There's going to be some turbulence.

This one definitely could have done with being expanded on. I finished with the feeling of "is that it?" A crying shame because the potential was definitely there.

Laurie 3.75 ⭐'s -

More sentimental than dark, which isn't usually my cup of tea. But it was a well written and fairly enjoyable yarn.

It chronicles an aging widower, who receives a new canine companion when his sister thinks it's the perfect antidote for his loneliness. At first he's far from impressed but a reluctant bond begins to form that blossoms into a heart warming friendship. For those of you that have hearts anyway.

It's a nice story, but I'm not here for the nice stories. Plus I'm not a huge fan of dogs like everyone else seems to be. Including Stephen King. Which is why this story is included.

Thats not saying I didn't enjoy it. But it certainly didn't blow my socks off. Or even my shoes for that matter.

Rattlesnake 4 ⭐'s -

This one's a sequel to another classic King story. Should I tell you what it is? I'll give you a clue and say it was one of those set in his fictional town of Castle Rock. This one isn't though and takes place in Florida.

We follow Vic, who is looking to move on from past trouble while looking after an old friend's condo. It's set in 2020 and of course everything is in lockdown. The place is like a ghost town. But despite this Vic meets Allie Bell, a haunted woman who lives nearby. She has a bizarre habit involving the empty pram she pushes about. One that's going to get hold of Vic's life.

It's tinged with sadness, with grief playing a big role. I'd have almost certainly scored it a little higher if it weren't for King's obsession with Covid running away with itself and distracting me from the main story at times.

The Dreamers 5 ⭐'s -

This was a goody. One of the darkest and most disturbing in the collection, with some fantastic imagery.

A Vietnam veteran answers a job advertisement from the local rag involving conducting experiments with an affluent scientist. And what exactly are these experiments? Are you sure you really want to know?

The vet soon learns that there are some corners of the universe best left unexplored as things are about to get a touch terrifying. This one could have been plucked straight out of the brain of HP Lovecraft. I loved it.

The Answer Man 5 ⭐'s -

So this collection finishes strongly with two bangers. Going out on a high is always a good idea. But where The Dreamers had you by the throat this one pulls at the heart strings just a little bit and really gets you thinking.

A lawyer finds himself at a number of crossroads in his life, and just at those very moments a strange guy shows up to answer any questions he may have. And he has some big ones. But are you better not knowing some things?

It's filled with tragedy, while still having a sense of hope. Can a life still have meaning when awful events come about? It's a fantastic story and a perfect way to end the collection.

The Writing

It's Stephen King. Of course the writing is bloody excellent. It's just so bloody effortless, while perfectly painting the picture my little brain needed to visualise these excellent stories. Honestly, this guy doesn't get enough credit amongst those snooty expert critics for how good he really is. But I digress. I could literally go on all day about it, but I've already talked enough. And my fingers are sore from all this typing.

Final Thoughts

Honestly, my reading performance has been absolutely diabolical in 2024. You know how it is when you have a lot of stuff going on with work and the family? Nothing negative, just not having a lot of free time to site down and read a good book.

But I found myself making time for You Like it Darker. It was so bloody good. Best book I've read this year? Absolutely no doubt in my mind. It reminded me why I'm such a big fan of the King.

It really is a sumptuous collection of short stories from one of the masters of horror and short fiction. Did you really expect anything else?

Yes it does get dark at times, but not in a full on, balls to the wall way. It's certainly nowhere near the grimmest he's written. I'd go Pet Semetary for that. But it fully delivered on the suspense and fantastically written characters I was looking for.

For me it contains some of King's best short stories. All of them are good but some are fantastic. Absolute belters. You'd be a fool to pass this one up. So you know what to do. In fact, why aren't you in that book shop right now?

Thanks for read and....cheers!

[chan ☆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

i don't think a single one of these short stories had a decent ending. i don't understand how one can be considered the king of a genre if they can't write endings.

[Court Zierk · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Like a warm blanket on chilled flesh, King once again provides solace to an aching soul. This is just what I needed at this moment, and this stands out as one of his stronger short story/novella collections — maybe his best since Everything’s Eventual.

Although not entirely congruous with its title, most of these stories were not in fact of a dark nature, but rather they were of a literary, introspective inclination.

Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream is the standout among the bunch, but there are some incredibly memorable stories that can stand their ground among King’s best. Here is the definitive ranking, and I will accept no other order:

1. Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream
2. The Dreamers
3. The Answer Man
4. Willie the Weirdo
5. Rattlesnakes
6. Two Talented Bastids
7. The Fifth Step
8. Finn
9. Red Screen
10. Laurie
11. On Slide Inn Road
12. The Turbulence Expert

And now we count down the days to Never Flinch…

[Ginger · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this new collection of short stories called You Like it Darker by Stephen King, I found myself really enjoying the wide selection of thrills and chills.
I don’t think there’s a bad plot in the collection. Each one was entertaining, and I was engaged when I started the short story.

It’s got a bit of everything in the book from paranormal horror, cosmic horror to humanity being evil.

You Like it Darker also has some tales that weren’t dark at all, and they just made me feel good. I’m looking at you Laurie!

For me, some plots worked better than others but that’s due to my own sense of horror and what truly scares me. I think this collection will be subject to the reader’s taste and what horror resonates with them.

Case in point, I have paralyzing dreams, and they happen a few times a month. Yes, they f’ing suck and I’ve had them since I was a kid.
When I got to The Dreamers, it did a number on me!

I think the lowest grade that I gave was to Finn and Red Screen and both felt a bit unfinished to me. All other short stories ranged between 3 to 5 stars.

My favorites include:

Two Talented Bastids – 4 stars
Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream – 5 stars
On Slide Inn Road – 4/4.5 stars
Rattlesnakes – 5 stars
The Dreamers – 5 stars
The Answer Man – 4/4.5 stars

I’m happy that King did this collection!

I’ve been wanting some tales like his older books and take a break from Holly Gibney.

Yes, I’m sure the Holly fans are booing at me and throwing popcorn, but I do have a limit on OCD and hypochondria with characters in a book. 👀 hahaha

But you know what? He still threw some of this in with our boy Inspector Javert and I ended up loving it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Damn you King! 😂🤣

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stephen King’s "You Like It Darker" is a masterful collection of twelve short stories that delves deep into the unsettling corners of life, blending themes of fate, mortality, and the uncanny twists of reality. True to its title, the anthology embraces the shadows, exploring both literal and metaphorical darkness in ways that only King can deliver. Each story offers its own unique brand of intrigue and horror, ranging from slow-burning mysteries to fast-paced tales that grip you from the first page. Whether you’re a seasoned Constant Reader or a newcomer, this anthology provides a thrilling showcase of why King remains one of the greatest storytellers of our time.

The standout stories include "Rattlesnakes," a chilling sequel to Cujo, which revisits the haunting aftermath of the original and expands on its terrifying legacy, and "Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream," a gripping tale of psychic visions and their devastating ripple effects. "The Answer Man" delivers a poignant exploration of prescience, tragedy, and the weight of difficult choices, leaving a lasting emotional impact. Meanwhile, "Two Talented Bastids" kicks off the collection with an engaging blend of small-town charm and an undercurrent of otherworldly mystery.

One of the collection’s greatest strengths is King’s ability to craft complex, unforgettable characters, even in short form. Readers will find themselves immersed in their struggles, fears, and quiet moments of hope. The stories are peppered with references to King’s expansive universe—Derry, Maine, The Suicide Stairs from Gwendy’s Button Box, and more—which offer delightful Easter eggs for longtime fans while standing firmly on their own for new readers.

Beyond the scares, these stories tackle heavy themes like grief, addiction, and aging, making them deeply relatable and emotionally resonant. King’s exploration of the human condition feels more poignant than ever, offering moments of reflection amidst the suspense and terror. With its blend of riveting storytelling, sharp twists, and King’s unmistakable voice, "You Like It Darker" is a must-read. It’s not just a collection of stories; it’s a reminder of the enduring power of storytelling to transport us, terrify us, and, ultimately, bring us closer to understanding ourselves. A triumph from start to finish, this anthology is a gift for Constant Readers and a testament to King’s unmatched legacy in literature.

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[Mike's Book Reviews]

My story by story review and discussion with guest Jaime en Fuego: https://youtube.com/live/YpKpvjtEOyg

Probably my favorite short story collection from King since all the way back to Nightmares & Dreamscapes. So happy to see him get away from Holly and more crime/detective stories. This almost feels like a return to form.

[Bill Riggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent collection of King’s short fiction. A few standouts (Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream, The Dreamers, The Fifth Step, On Slide Inn Road), others not so much.

Two Talented Bastids- considering the title, I expected the first story in this collection to be much darker (or at least somewhat dark). Nope, no darkness here. What do have is a very interesting tale of a young man discovering his father’s long held secret. Thoughtful and intriguing, it will grip you and have you reading straight to the end. Unfortunately, it is dated with references to Trump and Covid, but that is expected with King’s unending obsession with both.

The Fifth Step - here we go! This one is short, quick, and dark! This’ll teach ya to talk to strangers.

Willie the Weirdo - all families have their secrets. Some are darker than others, this family’s is one of the darkest. This one’ll have you guessing where it’s leading as you learn more and more of the family dynamics.

Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream- one of the best so far. Full of tension, mystery and dread. This one sucks you in from the beginning wondering where it’s going to lead and you know it’s going to take you someplace dark. A few Covid mentions throughout seem pointless except to feed King’s obsession. Overall it’s a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Finn- a story of a kid with bad luck. Not really sure what the point of this one is but at least it’s short. One Covid reference for those keeping track. :)

On Slide Inn Road - a shortcut takes a dark turn for a family road trip.

Red Screen - a detective’s interview with a man who killed his wife ends up having dark consequences for his own marriage. One random Covid comment seemingly thrown into the story for no reason.

The Turbulence Expert - I’ll be checking out the middle seat off the starboard wing side of the plane next time I’m flying…

Laurie - a grieving man receives a dog and has a very dark encounter. Interesting short story but doesn’t really seem to have a point.

Rattlesnakes- the sequel to Cujo. Probably the reason so many were interested in this collection. It does have some truly creepy moments. However, the references to Cujo seem to be added after the fact as well as the various mentions of Covid. Neither were needed for the story. Honestly it would have been better without either.

The Dreamers - this seemed very reminiscent of those 80’s horror films starring Jeffrey Combs based on Lovecraft tales. Specifically, The Beyond. I wouldn’t doubt that this will soon be optioned for a movie, if not already.

The Answer Man - an interesting story. What if you could get answers to any question you asked. What would you ask and why? All in all a very melancholy ending to the collection.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a Stephen King fan for a long, long time & although I haven't enjoyed much of his recent work I found You Like It Darker to be one of the best things he's written in years.
These twelve short stories (some of them are quite long!) open with the superb Two Talented Bastids, which is a wonderful mix of small town life & science fiction.
I won't go over each story here, as I'm sure my fellow readers will have already done this & far better than I could ever manage. All I will say is that there is one weak story in this collection, while the rest of them are nothing short of excellent. This really is old school writing from Stephen King, with excellent characterisation & tales that you can completely absorb yourself in. For me reading these King stories was an absolute joy....just like the old days!

[Scott Rhee · Rating 5 out of 5]

12/5/2024 addendum: Winner of the 2024 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Horror

I have found, as I get older, that what I found scary in my childhood is not what I find scary in my 50s. I realize that this is simply a part of maturity and aging. This is not to say that childhood fears ever go away. They simply change.

Stephen King’s latest book of short stories, “You Like It Darker”, illustrates this point wonderfully.

King’s early books of stories (“Night Shift”, “Skeleton Crew”, “Nightmares and Dreamscapes”) were exciting exercises in horror: things that lurk under beds, shapes in the shadows, haunted objects, creatures that have no right to exist in real life. Most of the stories were the literary equivalent of cinematic jump scares. It’s the cat leaping out of a closet. It’s the figure rising from behind the couch as the babysitter blithely watches TV. It’s the (insert here: rabid dog/possessed car/killer washing machine) that the hero must confront in the end.

And, as anybody who loves horror movies knows, jump scares are great. But they aren’t very fulfilling. They get the blood flowing, sure, but they don’t linger in the subconscious the way true horror does. True horror is often subtle. It’s often more nuanced. It sneaks up on you, like old age.

The stories in “You Like it Darker” are like that.

Take, for example, “Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream”, the book’s longest (let’s be honest: this is definitely more of a novella than a short, but whatevs) and perhaps best story. In this story, Danny, an ordinary man, has an extraordinary psychic flash—-his first and only. He has a vision of a dead body and where it is buried. He decides to do the right thing and takes the info to the police. It turns out to be completely accurate. Unfortunately, the police now consider him the prime suspect. One of the detectives becomes obsessive in his quest to find evidence to convict Danny, beyond all reason. Now, Danny’s good samaritan deed is biting him in the ass as the psychotic detective slowly but surely destroys his life.

I’ll be honest: if I had read this story thirty years ago, I probably wouldn’t have liked it. There is nothing really supernatural or scary about the story, other than the psychic flash, and that happens in the very beginning. It’s basically a noir thriller about an innocent guy being pursued by a psycho, who happens to be a cop.

But I wasn’t really smart thirty years ago. Or, rather, my 20-something-year-old mind hadn’t fully developed. I was interested in self-gratification and the NOW. You don’t fully develop a sense of empathy and a worry for the future until you’re about my age. Hell, some people never develop it.

Danny’s story is terrifying—-moreso at age 50 than 20-something—-because it works on the adult fears of aging: what have I done with my life? What kind of legacy am I leaving my kids? How do I know that what I’m doing is the right thing? You know: stuff a 20-something-year-old doesn’t give two shits about.

And King tackles these themes in several stories throughout the collection.

Standouts:
“Laurie”: in which a widower who has given up on life finds hope in a new puppy.

“On Slide Inn Road”: in which a disastrous family road trip is saved by the quick thinking of the only member of the family that nobody would have ever expected to be heroic—-grandpa.

“Rattlesnakes”: a sequel to “Cujo”, in which the father who lost his son so many years ago to a rabid dog, is forced to deal with the ghosts of two other dead children who have latched on to his loneliness.

Don’t get me wrong: I loved the other stories in this collection, too. And King still does a great job with those jump scares. But it’s clear that King’s fears have turned away from the childish fears of youth to the more nuanced and dread-filled horrors of those of us who worry less and less about the minor scares in life and more about the kind of world we’re leaving for our children.

[Велислав Върбанов · Rating 5 out of 5]

„Разбираш ли какво имам предвид, когато казвам, че е лесно да задаваш въпроси, които не помагат за разбирането? Те обезценяват целия процес на питането, нали? На задълбаването във въпросите.“


„Харесвате го по-мрачно“ е поредният превъзходен сборник на Стивън Кинг! Творбите в него са много силни и мрачни, атмосферата определено е тягостна, обаче същевременно са страшно увлекателно поднесени... Чичо Стиви отново и още по-убедително се е утвърдил като един от най-великите майстори на разказите и новелите, разказвайки ярки и запомнящи се кратки истории с умерени, но и незабравими свръхестествени елементи.

Абсолютен фаворит от новелите ми е великолепната „Кошмарът на Дани Кохлин“! Главният герой в нея има изключително странен сън, който го въвлича в страховити неприятности... „Две талантливи копелета“ и „Гърмящите змии“ също се оказаха отлично изградени и вълнуващи новели. В едната постепенно се разкрива мистерията как две обикновени момчета са се превърнали в доста успешни писател и художник, а пък в другата главният герой се премества да живее във Флорида, където го очаква напрегната свръхестествена загадка... Въпреки че се явява продължение на „Куджо“, „Гърмящите змии“ спокойно може да се прочете самостоятелно, а и ми се струва много по-добра от романа. Любимият ми разказ е „Човекът отговор“, в който умело са повдигнати много значими теми за размисъл, а пък „На Слайд Ин Роуд“ и „Сънуващите“ също силно ме впечатлиха!






„Той се разсмя, после погледна изненадано... сякаш не беше знаел, че може да се смее.
- Не може да ви бъде дадено нещо, което не съществува вътре във вас. Това е аксиома.“


„Разказва им всичко, но не може да предаде яснотата на съня, онова чувство за пълна реалност.“


„- Не криеш никакви пушки, нали, дядка? – пита Гейлън.
- Не, те са за момчета като вас...“


„Вярно беше. И с падането на нощта стената между истинските неща и цялата друга равнина на съществуване може да изчезне напълно.“


„Нещо се беше случило с мен. Бях станал любопитен. Това беше едновременно добре дошло и страховито. Беше чувство, а в моя свят чувствата не се срещаха в изобилие.“


„Духна вятър, увисналите краища на червения чадър заплющяха, а прошарената коса на Човека отговор се разроши. Той погледна пустия път с дълбока меланхолия.
- Есента се точи бавно за мен, а октомври е най-бавният месец от всички. Мисля, че през есента повече хора са в състояние сами да намират отговорите на въпросите си.“

[William Gwynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

BookTube channel with my awesome brother, Ed - The Brothers Gwynne
My personal BookTube channel - William Gwynne

The more King the better, so I dived into his latest release, You Like It Darker! It delivers on its title....

This is a fantastic short story collection. Stephen King still has it, and he demonstrates that seemingly with ease. His skill at crafting character and tension is just wonderful, from terrifying people who could be real in Willie the Weirdo, to exploring the supernatural with Danny Coughlin's Bad Dream, there is such an array of intriguing and engaging stories.

There was only one that did not click with me, whilst all the rest were so enjoyable in different ways.

Short story collections are perfect for dipping into when you have time, or when you want a little break from longer stories, and in You Like it Darker, King gives quality aplenty that you can dive into.

4.5/5 STARS

[s.penkevich [hiatus-will return-miss you all]]

This gets cool points simply for being a reference to that Leonard Cohen song.

[Helga چـو ایـران نباشد تن من مـباد · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

This is a collection of 12 stories:

Two Talented Bastids 4 ⭐
No violins. Until there was a whole orchestra.
How did a couple of country men living their simple country lives become an overnight success.

The Fifth Step 5 ⭐
Never talk to strangers!

Willie The Weirdo 5 ⭐
A blood chilling story about a strange boy who loves to study dead birds and has collections of dead bugs.

Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream 4 ⭐
No good deed goes unpunished.

Finn 4 ⭐
Is it a case of mistaken identity or something more sinister?

On Slide Inn Road 4 ⭐
A road trip gone wrong.

Red Screen 5 ⭐
The Exorcist or the Invasion of the Body Snatchers?

The Turbulence Expert 3 ⭐
Do not read this if you intend to travel by air!

Laurie 4 ⭐
Should he keep the puppy or not?

Rattlesnakes 5 ⭐
See us. Roll us. Dress us.
This one was creepy as hell!

The Dreamers 4 ⭐
Beware of dreams! They’re dangerous!

The Answer Man 5 ⭐
Tempus fugit
A melancholic story!

[NENA COLUNGA · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm pretty sure this is just a compilation of all of King's stories he decided weren't good enough and had laying around.

& The only dark thing about these stories is how bad they are. Goosebumps is darker.

[Ellie Hamilton · Rating 3 out of 5]

To me this felt like Stephen King's 'I want to read his grocery list analogy' amazing writing but just things that entered his head vibes😂Most not for me X but overall it suited me alright x. There were some 5 🌟stories for me x Shame as I loved his recent short story analogy If It Bleeds x

Two Lucky Bastids 3 🌟
The Fifth Step 3🌟
Willie The Weirdo 3 🌟
Danny Coughlin's Bad Dream 3🌟
Finn 3.75
On Slide Inn Road 4 🌟
Red Screen 3 🌟
The Turbulence Expert 5 🌟
Laurie 5 🌟
Rattlesnake 3 🌟
The Dreamers 5 🌟
The Answerman 5 🌟

[Krysta ꕤ · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a pretty solid short story collection overall. usually there’s a couple stories that i won’t like but in this one they were all 3 stars or above so can’t complain. there were a couple stories in here that connected to some of King’s other previously published works and a few brand new ones. im glad i read this!

top 4 stories: the fifth step, willie the weirdo, danny coughlin’s bad dream and red screen

[Ruben · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps one of the most difficult things a writer faces when writing is not knowing whether the final product will get to their audience and achieve the desired outcome on it. Being a great fan of SK's books, I feel this new short stories book really fulfilled what was expected from it. It made me imagine, smile, fear, empathize, feel sad...and more.

It should be true that the first one to convince is oneself, the job of a writer is tough, even more so when what's been written is a work of fiction. But even if it's a work of fiction, it should all feel plausible by containing elements of true. A good writer must do their homework by doing research on what they are writing about so that when the book gets to their readers they can get to believe what their author has written for them.

This is the first book on short stories I've read this year, and I really loved it. Throughout 12 stories SK covers a diverse series of topics.

The ones I loved most were

- Two Talented Bastids
- Danny Coughlin's Bad Dream
- Laurie
- Rattlesnakes (Super fave)
- The Dreamers...and finally...
- The Answer Man

Rattlesnakes has been by far my most favorite story as it incorporates Vic Trenton 40 or so years later. In the past it was Donna (his wife) and Tad (his son) who lived such an ordeal when attacked by a rabid St. Bernard (Cujo). It is now his turn to face some horror of his own. Will he defeat whatever is coming his way?

But what about the other stories? Well, if you're really even a little interested, I'll let you be the judge to it by allowing you to read it and decide by yourself.

In my opinion SK did a superb job and left me with the feeling of having read one of the best books this year (already on my favorites list).

[Mª Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Colección de 12 relatos cortos con el sello del maestro. Aunque no todos tienen el mismo nivel no me ha parecido malo ninguno. Los hay buenos, muy buenos y alguno algo más flojo. Destaco "El mal sueño de Danny Coughlin", "Serpientes de cascabel" y "El hombre respuesta", los tres que más me engancharon y que tienen ese toque tan personal, tan a lo King.
En uno de los 12, sus lectores habituales se reencontrarán con un personaje de una de sus novelas más icónicas. Me gustó ese reencuentro y por más de un motivo. Imprescindible leer el epílogo/nota final del autor.

❇️ "Dos cabrones con talento". La idea está bastante trillada, pero la manera en que construye a los personajes principales es de nota. Me gustó el final. 3,5⭐️

❇️ "El quinto paso". Con toque de negra y criminal. El giro final me cogió totalmente por sorpresa. 4⭐️

❇️ "Willy el friki". Me faltaron relato y final . Si King lo hubiera continuado habría podido ser una gran novela. 2,5⭐️

❇️ "El mal sueño de Danny Coughlin". Menudo enganche con este relato. No lo podía soltar. Muy buena trama, buen desenlace y pedazo de personajes. 5⭐️

❇️ "Finn". El que me resultó más asfixiante. El final no me convenció. 3⭐️

❇️ "En la carretera de Slide Inn". También con toque de negra. Bien resuelto y buen final. 4⭐️

❇️ "La pantalla roja". Como en el primero de todos, la idea está muy trillada. El relato es correcto sin más. 3⭐️

❇️ "El experto en turbulencias". Muy original. Me quedé con ganas de más. 4⭐️

❇️ "Laurie". La cachorrita para comérsela. 4⭐️

❇️ "Serpientes de cascabel". Un relato con ese terror muy muy King. De los que más me gustaron. 5⭐️

❇️ "Los soñadores". De los que menos me gustaron, está bien construido, pero no terminó de llegarme. 3⭐️

❇️ "Hombre respuesta". El más original de todos. Otro que no podía soltar. 5⭐️

En conclusión, un conjunto de relatos con los que los lectores de King disfrutarán sin duda alguna. Para los menos fans o los que tienen problemas con el ritmo narrativo del maestro, recomiendo empezar por el cuarto relato, que es de los más ágiles y engancha cosa mala.

[Theresa (mysteries.and.mayhem) · Rating 4 out of 5]

**July 7, 2024** I mentioned in my original review below that I might come back with a more thorough review and this is my addition. I've seen some grumblings about how this collection isn't "dark" at all, leaving some readers disappointed. I went into it with an open mind.

The word dark is open to so many different interpretations and expectations. In my opinion, an author can fill a story full of gore, body horror, disgusting and disturbing images. Does that make it darker? Maybe. It depends on the reader. I believe what Stephen King intended to be "darker" here dwelled on the themes of the stories. Let's look at those themes: aging, death, disease, fear, loss, mourning the loss of a loved one, or worse yet - mourning the loss of a child. Yeah. Those themes are all quite dark to me. I think You Like it Darker was plenty dark when taken from that perspective.

My rating will remain 4 out of 5 stars. Most of the book hit just right for me. Now back to my original notes below ...

I love Stephen King's short story collections. I devour them. You Like it Darker, while not the absolute best collection of his short work, was right up there among the best.

I may come back to give a more thorough review in a couple of days. For now, I'll say that my favorite story of the bunch was "Rattlesnakes." My least favorite was "Finn."

I give the collection as a whole 4 stars. I highly recommend this book to any fan of Stephen King's short fiction. I feel that's where he's always done his best work.

[Beata · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seems like I have been reading Stephen King non-stop, still, no regrets there. How is it that I never get tired of his characters and writing?
This collection is dark even though not as dark as some of his other works. Yes, I enjoyed all of them, especially the one featuring Danny and his dream which he ultimately does not regret dreaming despite being that close!

[Panda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook (20+ hours) narrated by Will Patton and the author, Stephen King

Will Patton knocks this one out of the park!
I wasn't expecting King to narrate more than the afterword. Just starting The Turbulence Expert and he narrates this one. Surprisingly there's a bit of a fuzzy type or grainy texture background noise. Not sure that explains it correctly, but it isn't as pin drop clear as Will's narrated stories.
King also narrates Laurie, although the audio for this narration is pin drop clear. Both stories that King narrates had been previously published and released on audio, narrated by King. I suspect that these narrations were dropped in, rather than re-recorded.
All other stories in this compilation are narrated by Will.

The narration is fantastic! I highly recommend going with the audiobook for this read or pick up both if you like to follow along in print.
Narration and audio are high quality, unless otherwise noted there are no distortions, erroneous noise or obvious edits.
A good listening speed seems to be between 1x and 2.25x speed.

Two Talented Bastids (2.5 hours) - 5 stars
It seems fitting that the opening story takes place in the state of Maine.
Will Patton, the narrator, may be from South Carolina, but he does a great job with the Maine accent. I'm from Boston and I believe him!

The Fifth Step (21 minutes) - 5 stars

Willie the Weirdo (26 minutes) - 5 stars
A story about a grandson and his grandpa

Danny Coughlin's Bad Dream (6+ hours) - 5 stars
This story is stressful! At one point I was feeling deeply sad and anxious for Danny, at the verge of tears. Not finished with it yet. Fingers crossed. I mean it's King and all, but f...
Yeah, I cannot tell you all how this one turns out, but it's pretty great.

Finn (55 minutes) - 5 stars
King mentions three BBC shows in this one, including Doctor Who. 5 stars for that alone!

On Slide Inn Road (48 minutes) - 5 stars (I mean Yaz, so obv, right?)
The rules of king include, when there's an opportunity to mention baseball, ⚾ Yaz is never a bad option!

Red Screen (20 minutes) - 4 stars
This is a short but not sweet, creepy vibing story, so yeah it was the last one I read before bed!

The Turbulence Expert (30+ minutes) - 5 stars
Was shocked to hear King's voice narrating this one! I don't mind King as a narrator, however this one's background audio isn't pin drop clear like the others. Disappointed about that.
This one is an artfully descriptive flight from Boston to Sarasota. Probably don't read this one too close to any planned airline travel. It isn't pretty!

Laurie (50+ minutes) - 5 stars
This one is also a King narration, but is pin drop clear! I wonder if the previous story is an older recording that they decided to drop into the book rather than re-record it, since it had previously been seen in the anthology Flight or Fright.
This short story was actually seen before in Elevation. I thought it sounded familiar! I had previously stated "Elevation was just OK, but Laurie was such an awesome short story. I felt the story from the moment it started to it's end. It's worth the read just for the second story." To add a bit of context, the story starts off when Beth gives her older brother, Lloyd, a puppy. Lloyd names this puppy, Laurie.


Rattlesnakes (3 hours 47 minutes) - 10 out of 10!
As a sequel to Cujo, this story is awesome. If you haven't read Cujo there are spoilers, however it's possible to enjoy this story without having read it's prequel. It's also possible to know the spoilers and enjoy Cujo after the fact. The enjoyment in both stories are in the journey more so than the destination.
So.
Much.
Good.

Edit (8/21/24): After reading Cujo I revisited this story, and I'm glad that I did.
Cujo, as I stated in my recent review (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) was much bigger than I had remembered. The intimate personal details of the characters and how everything came together in this horrible, ugly, mess that was a rabid dog is such an incredible read. Being able to then jump ahead an entire lifetime and visit Vic Trenton. Being a witness to the obvious and significant impact that Cujo has on another life in turmoil is everything.

The Dreamers (1 hour 24 minutes) - 5 stars
A young Vietnam vet takes a job as a stenographer, a skill he learned from his recently deceased sister.
Hold on! This one is a wild ride!

The Answer Man (2+ hours) - 5 stars
The last and final dark short story of King's new collection.
This was good.

Overall, this short story collection is, as advertised, darker.

The stories are ordered perfectly, with larger and shorter stories laced together, some a bit of scare, others creep, mysterious, or a combination of.

Some of the stories seemed that they had earned a pause before the next, for thoughts and reflections. Others demanded it, as the tales aftershocks or character shadows lurked and lingered until properly laid to rest with a few moments of contemplation, rumination, or perhaps a bit of celebration.

Six or seven of the shorter stories were previously published, two in novels and the others in magazine publications. Constant reader, Justin Tate, did a good job notating where each story was previously published in his review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
(I don't know Justin, but felt it was proper to direct those interested to him, instead of copying his work and giving him credit. This way, perhaps you would be more likely to give him a like for the extra effort he made.)

Overall this is a great piece of work by King and will be added to my favorites list, as I intent to revisit it every so often. I especially look forward to planning a re-read of Cujo, followed by a re-read of Rattlesnakes.

Recommend, with a nod towards the audiobook, as stated about Will Patton didn't play around with this one. He came to win and it shows.

====
Addendum to my review (5/23/2024): After ruminating over this collection for several hours, there's a bit more that I want to say that I really wasn't sure how to make note of, without talking about one of the big fears of humanity that we, as a society, tend to not speak out loud as it pertains to those who we care about.

Stephen King, one of the few Americans born a King. A name that would later be spoken as his status as an author for his skills and talents. This man, who walks around New England, as a regular guy, donating time to local libraries and the wellness and gift of being able to read and reading to those who cannot yet, or cannot any longer; is in his seventy-sixth year of a human life.

One of the things that stood out in this collection, is a shifting focus towards older characters and end of life stories. It makes sense. As we age, if we remain open, we learn so much not just about the world but about ourselves, what makes us tick, perhaps why people do what they do. For those of us who 'people watch' as an interest in similarities and differences of how people act and react, trying to understand why some embrace the realness of our flawed selves that may include past mistakes which were, perhaps embarrassingly stupid, others pretend like that never happened. So much so that some people reject those who have done the same, perhaps punishing children or calling attention in big ways to those who would 'do such a thing.'

King has a gentleness of his approach to some of these 'oddities' and realities of real life, even as he lays them in front of us in a way that can grip us from within.

I theorize that while some of the things that have kept him awake for decades, like his known fear of flying, the new kid on the block is become darker and more pronounced as the shadow of death creeps nearer and nearer to his doorstep.

This is something that I did not want to think about. King has been on this earth, hell living in my little corner of the world, for the entirety of my existence.

The thing is that he is thinking about it.

He is writing about it.

In You Like It Darker, King doesn't shy away from contemplating about life itself. As you read through this collection of stories, you will read different ways that people physically and mentally struggle with the last laps. I was thinking about the darkness of his thoughts in his writing the entire time I was reading this. There's a lot of past themes that show up, some of them his personal fears raw with the lingering stench of reality, that can only come from those who understand it from the inside out, the outside in, red and sore from being tossed, turned and torn apart over and over again.

There's just so much in this book to peel back. A lifetime, literally.

While I think if I was a nicer, gentler individual, that last sentence would ideally be my last thought on the subject. I cannot stop myself from thinking:

As much as this man who has shaped parts of my world and my perception of it through reading his words. As much as I believe that people should be able to have time for themselves and not work until they have taken their last breath.

My greedy self isn't done with King. I do like it darker and I want more.

Side note, if Mr. King ever were to read my review (not that he would but you know in my imaginative mind), Thank you.

[Ulana Rey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unmistakably King. I loved it.

Stephen King’s You Like It Darker delivers twelve stories, each shaped by strange circumstances, layered characters, and mysterious storylines. Some supernatural, some emotional, some philosophical. All carrying the tension that King does so well.

Undeniably, each story stands on its own. Not one that I disliked! A few select favorites:

Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream is a story of a custodian’s nightmare that turns out to be real. I was entirely pulled in by this thriller and its characters, especially Franklin Jalbert, an investigator with arithmomania. Just brilliant.

Rattlesnakes is a creepy follow-up to Cujo. It’s about pain, survival, and disturbing horror in the isolated setting of remote Florida. And the presence of a squeaky stroller.

The Turbulence Expert starts off as a quirky story about flight anxiety but evolves into one of destiny, responsibility, and fear. As a person who flies frequently, I enjoyed how eerie and absurd this was.

Laurie is a quiet piece about the slow return to life after loss and the unexpected companionship of a dog.

The Answer Man is based on the simple and irresistible premise: what if you met someone who could answer a select set of questions—about your life, your future, your fate—and the answers were guaranteed to be true?

The Fifth Step revolves around a conversation on a park bench between two strangers that slowly drips of dread. You know something is off, but you’re not quite sure what.

Each story in this Stephen King collection delivers. Every single one. I highly recommend.

5/5.