Book Review: You Like It Darker by Stephen King

You Like It Darker by Stephen King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Stephen King is a workhouse. While many writers rest on the laurels of their earlier successes, King has kept plugging away for five decades(!) now, never slowing down or taking a break. Defying the odds, King has continued to grow as a writer during that time, fine-tuning his craft and exploring nuanced subtleties that he might have overlooked in the eras of Carrie, Cujo, Christine, or The Colorado Kid. Somehow - inexplicably - King is a better writer now than he was in his 20s. That is a testament to his dedication and determination, as well as his weathered wisdom and cultivated craftsmanship.

With his newest collection of stories and novellas, You Like It Darker, King is edging closer to Flannery O'Connor than H.P. Lovecraft - and that's a compliment. Of course, the tales are mostly tried-and-true King territory: in the collection, he incorporates alien invaders, psychic activity, cold-blooded murderers, and ghosts galore. However, a few stories ("Laurie," "Finn," and "On Slide Inn Road") bypass the supernatural entirely in favor of real-world settings. That's not to say that these are fluffy, heartwarming tales: King refuses to mellow out with Chicken Soup for the Soul fare and opts for boiling cauldrons instead.

It's worth mentioning that one of King's spookiest stories EVER appears in this collection: "Rattlesnakes." I rarely get spooked reading horror, but I legitimately felt my pulse quickening while I worked my way through this ghost story. The fact that I had a physiological reaction to this piece speaks volumes about King's ability to conjure creepiness from the timid page. Shirley Jackson would be proud.

You Like It Darker is a fine addition to King's massive oeuvre, full of memorable tales with well-developed characters and novel twist endings. Drawing on influences as diverse as the aforementioned Flannery O'Connor, O. Henry, Edgar Allan Poe, and Ambrose Bierce, the author of this collection flexes his literary muscles while reflecting on mortality, grief, existentialism, and art. Not bad for an author who gets pigeonholed as a one-trick pony. As You Like It Darker shows, Stephen King isn't just the "King of Horror" - he's established himself as true royalty in the world of short stories, as well.

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