Stephen King’s new book, You Like It Darker, has proven to be a smash hit in only a matter of days.
The critically acclaimed author is known for novels such as The Shining, It, and Carrie, which have all been turned into major motion pictures. King is no stranger to publishing short stories, with his new release delving “into the darker part of life.”
You Like It Darker—released May 21—is a collection of 12 short stories, with “Rattlesnakes,” reintroducing readers to Vic Trenton, the father of Tad, the boy who was killed by the rabid dog in King’s hit 1981 book Cujo. “The Answer Man” is a short story that has taken King 45 years to write. The first few pages were written when the critically acclaimed author was 30. After long forgetting about the pages he wrote, it was rediscovered by his nephew, leading to King eventually finishing it when he was 75.
Some of the other stories included are “Two Talented Bastids,” “The Fifth Step,” “Willie the Weirdo,” “Red Screen,” “The Turbulence Expert,” and “The Dreamers.”
Even though the collection hasn’t been available for long, it has already received a variety of rave reviews from readers. Newsweek emailed a spokesperson for King for comment on Friday.
John Lamparski/WireImage
On Amazon, the book only has 5-star ratings so far, with it being the #1 bestseller in the “Occult Horror” category at the time of writing.
“I feel this is vintage Stephen King. I have read every book he has ever written , and while he has a number of superb full-length books. I feel he is the absolute master of the short story great book highly recommended,” one of the reviews reads.
Another reviewer said they “highly recommended to all Constant Readers, and newcomers alike.”
It’s not only on Amazon where the collection of stories is receiving excellent reviews from readers. On Goodreads, it sits at 4.34 out of 5 with over 230 ratings and 58 reviews.
The majority of reviewers, 56 percent, have given the book 5 stars.
“Stephen King is the absolute master of writing. I couldn’t put it down. The writing is magic. I am immediately transported to wherever Mr. King leads me. I was captivated from the first paragraph. Stephen King does not disappoint,” one person wrote.
“Always love Stephen King’s collections of short stories and this one is great too! Interesting, thought-provoking and dark. My favorites were The Answer Man, Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream, Two Talented Bastids and Rattlesnakes, now you go read this book and find your favorites!” said another.
At the time of writing it had 5 1-star ratings, with the only written review being from someone who hasn’t even read it. “If fans can rate it 5 stars without having even read the thing I can give it 1,” the person posted.
However, a person who gave the book a 2-star rating wrote: “His worse [sic] collection of shorts IMO [in my opinion]. Rattlesnakes was good but I think that was mostly due to the constant Cujo references. Sadly, I found the rest of these stories forgettable.”
Often referred to as the “King of Horror,” King has authored numerous bestselling novels, short stories, and novellas that have captivated readers worldwide.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
