In Stephen King鈥檚 world, 鈥淚t鈥� is a loaded word. It鈥檚 hard not to picture Pennywise the Clown haunting the sewers of Derry, Maine, of course, but in the horror writer鈥檚 newest collection of stories, 鈥淵ou Like It Darker,鈥� 鈥淚t鈥� ranges from a suspicious stranger on a park bench, to an extraterrestrial being bestowing a gift that helps best friends realize their potential, to telepaths whose sole job is to keep airplanes from falling out of the sky.
Twelve stories makes up the book, with one of the longest (90 pages), 鈥淩attlesnakes,鈥� reintroducing readers to Vic Trenton, who King fans will remember as the father of Tad, the boy killed by the rabid St. Bernard Cujo in King鈥檚 1981 novel of that name. Now 72, Trenton is riding out the pandemic at a friend鈥檚 waterfront property in the Florida Keys, where he meets a widow who also lost loved ones in a terrible accident. It鈥檚 fairly creepy, featuring long-dead twins trying to haunt their way back to life, but it鈥檚 hardly the darkest here.
I鈥檇 give that honor to 鈥淭he Fifth Step,鈥� which in just 10 pages should scare anyone who鈥檚 been paying attention to the true crime stories splashed across the screens of this country鈥檚 tawdrier news sources. But is it 鈥渄arker,鈥� really than any of the more than 60 books King has written in his illustrious career? Probably not, but perhaps the afterword quote from the author, also featured on the back of the hardcover 鈥� 鈥淵ou like it darker? Fine. So do I.鈥� 鈥� helps sell books in today鈥檚 extreme world, even for a perennial bestseller like Mr. King.
The best of these stories, as is true with the best of King鈥檚 work, feature horror tempered with heart. I really enjoyed 鈥淥n Slide Inn Road,鈥� featuring a grandfather who鈥檚 still pretty accurate with a baseball bat, and 鈥淭he Answer Man,鈥� which poses the question, 鈥淚f you could know anything about the future, what would it be?鈥�
I鈥檇 like to know how much longer we鈥檒l have to enjoy this uniquely American icon, who at the age of 76 continues to write and publish at a furious pace. This collection鈥檚 afterword reads like a recording from King鈥檚 therapist鈥檚 couch, or a confessional on a reality TV series. He admits 鈥渢he only two times I ever came close to getting it all were in two prison stories: 鈥楾he Green Mile鈥� and 鈥楻ita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption.鈥欌�� Here鈥檚 hoping he keeps trying, because like millions of others around the world, I鈥檒l read every word.
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AP book reviews:
Rob Merrill, The Associated Press
