Most non-fans of Mr. King think of him as a horror writer (usually thinking of gore - which he does very well), and are unaware he gave the world The Green Mile, (Rita Hayworth and) The Shawshank Redemption, Dolores Claiborne, and (The Body) Stand By Me. When I was a bookstore owner, I used those as a comeback to the countless customers who told me they did not like King's writing. In this set of stories "Two Talented Bastids" is wonderful literature masquerading as a bit of SciFi. I wish I were very wealthy so I could buy movie rights to this one, as that would be an excellent investment.
I'm sure many "friends of Bill" will not like what Mr. King has done for the 12 Steps in "The Fifth Step," but I found it to be an extremely funny look at an idea. The main character here is going to have real problems when it comes to making amends, though.
"Willie the Wierdo" actually is a horror story, but it is also close to Jacob's hundred-plus year old classic "The Monkey's Paw".
"Danny Coughlin's Bad Dream" is another I would love to have enough money to invest in the movie/TV rights. It is going to be an excellent production. I could see exactly the right actors for the cast all the way through it. It is also the second story here that felt to me like exquisite writing.
The story "Finn" reminds me very much of a Faustian idea I once had for writing a book, but I never got around to writing it. Thank you, Mr. King for doing the hard work for me.
There is no horror or supernatural in "On Slide Inn Road". It is just a very good, very tight action short story that is very satisfying. Mr. King gives a nod to O'Connor, so I guess I'll have to try reading some.
"Red Screen" is a brief glimpse into a world and some characters that you know how things are going to be, but you want it to go on anyway to find out how right or wrong you are.
I have to say "The Turbulence Expert" is one that just did not impress me all that much. It was an interesting idea, and I liked the characters, but it just did not take me anywhere.
"Laurie" is a nice story that moves a little slowly, but that's ok because it doesn't seem to have anywhere that it wants to go. It just introduces you to some diverse characters that are very much like people in your neighborhood and family. There is a bit of excitement, but no horror or supernatural to it.
"Rattlesnakes" is another that will be a good production, either movie or TV. Again I would be willing to invest in the rights for it. It comes with a tip of the hat to John D. McDonald, who is another writer whose every work I read voraciously. This one does drift into the world of supernatural and good versus evil, but not as heavily as some of Mr. King's gargantuan novels. It brings back a character from Cujo in a setting close-by Duma Key, but you don't need to have read either of those to enjoy it (to be honest, I did not recall the character actually making an appearance in Cujo). The TV/movie script will be enormously bolstered by the very real, likable ancillary characters that work throughout this novella.
"The Dreamers" was an interesting idea, but for whatever reason it did not do it for me. I really liked, and felt for the narrator, but the story left me flat. I did not grasp Mr. King's reference to Cormac McCarthy, whose beautiful prose in horrific, sometimes painful to read stories, I love.
The advice to performing artists is to "Always leave 'em wanting more." And Mr. King certainly does that with "The Answer Man" as the finale for this publication. As a better reviewer remarked this story "reminds us that a life marked by unbearable tragedy can still be meaningful." At the conclusion of this beautifully written piece, you definitely want more while at the same time it gives a great feeling of satisfaction. And that is good writing!
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“When intelligence outraces emotional stability, it’s always just a matter of time.”Highlighted by 1,294 Kindle readers- Well, I tell myself, we call it a gift and we call ourselves gifted, but gifts are never really earned, are they? Only given. Talent is grace made visible.Highlighted by 973 Kindle readers
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The Best Short Story book I've seen in years. Period.
I'm proud to say I read over fifty Stephen King books, and this one is absolutely in the top five. I often wondered if the 'creativity well' runs dry but apparently not. Quite the contrary. Stephen King has only improved. You Like it Darker proves this. I'm a fan of short stories rather than novels and the stories in this book, while totally different from each other, instill the same mind-bending but somehow believable situations that prevented me from putting it down. I read this in record time and now I have to wait until May 27 for Never Flinch. What's a Constant Reader to do???
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2024
- Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2024
Top reviews from other countries
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ArdentReviewed in Mexico on March 29, 2025
¿Pasta dura?
Creo que es uno de los libros más bonitos que tengo, acabados matte con relieves muy bien hechos, es un libro grande y creo que la pasta dura me dificultará un poco la lectura pero para colección es una belleza.Ardent¿Pasta dura?
Reviewed in Mexico on March 29, 2025
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KTReviewed in Japan on July 12, 2024
ほとんどが、ここ数年に書かれた作品でコロナ禍の出来事も書かれている怖い中短編集。(怖くないのもある。)
- Helen B.Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 14, 2025
Compilation of short stories. A very good read. Stephen King is a fantastic author.
