by Anthony_Conty: Someone smarter than I am described Stephen King’s work as horror with heart, so the short-story collection “You Like It Darker” walks a tightrope, and it mostly succeeds. “Two Talented Bastids” opens the book like a great mixtape opener, with a taste of the paranormal. “Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream,” the longest one, blends a legal trial and psychic vision and serves as the collection’s true page-turner.
The “Bad Dream” story reminds you of a great “Law & Order” episode, or (obscure reference coming) “The Pledge,” starring Jack Nicholson, when you think you know the ending. “Finn” has a deeper meaning about luck, fortune, and cruelty that tugs at your heartstrings, with visions of torture and misunderstanding in horrifying detail and imagery.
“The Turbulence Expert” really played into my fears as an infrequent flyer, but it takes a turn and delivers a completely different message with King’s patented, sinister, uncertain ending. “Rattlesnakes” is a COVID-era sequel to “Cujo,” a book I had mostly forgotten, but it holds your attention quite nicely. I needed a little refresher, but it came back efficiently.
Personal note: I used to read Stephen King and David Baldacci exclusively, but I DNFed several and started seeking out different authors. Maybe I should go back to King’s efforts. His novels succeed because some are legal, while others are supernatural. The short stories don’t let you know which is which. “The Answer Man” fits this description to a T.
A true genius doesn’t need to tell you about his greatness, and reading the afterword reminded me how some of the best manage to stay humble. Some ideas just come to him, and his creativity knows no peer. “The Answer Man” especially left me with wonder and awe, and the sadness only the master himself could create yearly, like clockwork.
