Reviews
Praise for You Like it Darker "King does it again in this collection of stories... there's no doubt that King is still a master." --AARP "King is writing some of the best work of his long career. Could this collection of short stories continue his remarkable winning streak?" -- Seattle Times "Readers will be thrilled by these tales. Some of the stories are darker and more poisonous than others, but they all have that King touch." -- Library Journal, STARRED review "A dozen tales from the master...King gives the reader a host of things to fear...Along the way, he also offers insights about, among other things, the fickleness of talent, the power and pathos of unrealized dreams, the pain and pleasure of relationships, and the meaning and meaninglessness of life and, of course, death... King's conversational prose, relatable characters, and knack for knowing precisely what you are afraid of will draw you in--page by page, horror by horror--and hold you fast." -- Kirkus Reviews , STARRED review "Absolutely spellbinding stories about love, loss, tragedy, resilience, and--this is Stephen King, after all--unearthly creatures and the strange, unpredictable overlap between this world and another. A character from a classic early King novel makes a welcome return, too, in a beautifully imagined tale that will move readers to tears. This book features some of the author's most engaging writing...King's first book, Carrie, was published 50 years ago. He's had a remarkable career, and You Like It Darker proves that he is still at the height of his powers. A triumph. With so many new and exceptional stories, this collection will have King's legions of fans clamoring." -- Booklist , STARRED review Praise for Stephen King's Short Fiction "As classic as King's novels are, his shorter fiction has been just as gripping over the years." -- USA Today "For a writer whose books need a big stage, Stephen King also can turn out shorter stories just as gripping as his epic novels." -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Holly demonstrates that one of the last true rock stars of fiction can continue to grow as a writer, and doesn't define success solely as a continuation of what's worked for him before." --The Washington Post "Stephen King does something amazing in his new novel, HOLLY... King's storytelling skills are not dimming one bit." --Tampa Bay Times "Hugely successful... Holly surely deserves further episodes in the spotlight." -- Portland Press Herald "Holly has a thrilling finish, in which our heroine looks horror in the face. The outcome is most satisfying." --St Louis Post-Dispatch "What makes King's work so much more frightening than that of most other suspense writers, what elevates it to night-terror levels, isn't his cruelty to his characters: It's his kindness." --Flynn Berry, New York Times Book Review "Both intimate and sprawling in its ambitions... Holly is the imperfect but determined angel among all those demons..." --Brian Truitt, USA Today "Holly is the heart of the narrative. Her growth from a shy, muttering mess in Mr. Mercedes to the smart, strong, smoking, slightly better, and much richer woman we see in Holly is tremendous. Please, Mr. King, give us more Holly soon." --Gabino Iglesias, NPR.org "In half a century of writing horror novels, Stephen King has created some remarkable villains. Who can forget the sing-song voice of Pennywise the clown, the devil incarnate Randall Flagg, or the drooling jaws of Cujo? The big bads in King's latest novel, Holly, aren't quite so memorable, but that's part of what makes them terrifying." --Rob Merrill, Associated Press "A deadly folie a deux... Holly pursues this case to the gates of hell, figuratively--there's no supernatural element in this powerful exploration of grief and delusion, just pure, undistilled evil." --New York Magazine, Praise for You Like It Darker "A master class in tension and is full of King's dark humor. He knows what we like, and he delivers. This collection proves King is still king." --The New York Times Book Review "Stephen King knows You Like It Darker and obliges with sensational new tales... thoughtful... intriguing... surprisingly emotional... the author has a long history of exceptional short fiction... He proves once more that his smaller-sized tales pack as powerful a wallop as the big boys." --USA Today "What's obvious is that King's skills as a storyteller remain undimmed, and following him into the dark, the light or anywhere in between is never a bad bet. As if anyone could resist." --Minneapolis Star-Tribune "The best of these stories, as is true with the best of King's work, feature horror tempered with heart." --Associated Press "Stephen King is still writing with the giddy abandon of scribes half his age, and more than anything else, You Like It Darker is evidence of that joy." --Paste "Stephen King keeps it fresh... very entertaining... sometimes, good things come in small packages." --Bangor Daily News "Classic King, stories full of heart, horror, and humanity, each riffing on that eternal question: what if?" --Vulture "The titular darkness promised is as riveting and all-consuming as ever." --New York Magazine "King is writing some of the best work of his long career." --Seattle Times "King does it again in this collection of stories... there's no doubt that King is still a master." --AARP "The bite-sized tales are perfect beach reads." --Variety "King proves he's still a master of short fiction in his sterling seventh collection... This remarkably assured collection will thrill the author's fans." -- Publishers Weekly "King's first book, Carrie, was published 50 years ago. You Like It Darker proves that he is still at the height of his powers. A triumph." -- Booklist , STARRED REVIEW "Readers will be thrilled by these tales. They all have that King touch." -- Library Journal , STARRED review "A dozen tales from the master will draw you in--page by page, horror by horror--and hold you fast." -- Kirkus , STARRED review, Praise for You Like it Darker "King is writing some of the best work of his long career. Could this collection of short stories continue his remarkable winning streak?" -- Seattle Times "Absolutely spellbinding stories about love, loss, tragedy, resilience, and--this is Stephen King, after all--unearthly creatures and the strange, unpredictable overlap between this world and another. A character from a classic early King novel makes a welcome return, too, in a beautifully imagined tale that will move readers to tears. This book features some of the author's most engaging writing...King's first book, Carrie, was published 50 years ago. He's had a remarkable career, and You Like It Darker proves that he is still at the height of his powers. A triumph. With so many new and exceptional stories, this collection will have King's legions of fans clamoring." -- Booklist , STARRED review Praise for Stephen King's Short Fiction "As classic as King's novels are, his shorter fiction has been just as gripping over the years." -- USA Today "For a writer whose books need a big stage, Stephen King also can turn out shorter stories just as gripping as his epic novels." -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Synopsis
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.
