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indoorg1rl 's review for:
You Like It Darker
by Stephen King
'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.
As someone who doesn’t generally like short stories, I went into this book with trepidation. But read it I did, because it was a King book and it had won Goodreads Choice Award 2024.
Not gonna lie, some of the stories ended up working better for me than others. But I guess this is always the case with any short story collection. The Turbulence Expert caught my attention, but then it ended when I wanted more. Some others were either straight jumpscare story or straight action suspense, with or without body gore.
My favourites were Two Talented Bastids and Rattlesnakes (what a beautiful classic SK horror). They both packed more substance than fleeting short stories and could stand on their own as novellas. A close second position would be The Answer Man. I thought it was very suitable to be the last story in the collection, the closer.
My final verdict: an objectively good mixed bag selection of all SK varieties. It had everything for everyone across a wide range of tastes - jumpscares, body horror, classic horror, delusions, and lighter suspense. A good reflection of the author’s writing range!