You Like It Darker: Stories

King (The Bazaar of Bad Dreams) provides plenty of thrills and chills in this new short story collection featuring a mix of previously published and never-before-seen works. From the creepy “Rattlesnakes” to the sweet but gory “Laurie” to the terrifying “Turbulence Expert,” King shows off his talent and his ability to offer new takes on familiar characters, places, and stories. Will Patton’s narration perfectly enhances the tense, unsettling tone running throughout the collection; King himself provides an engaging narration of “Laurie” and “Turbulence Expert”; and Sean Patrick Hopkins reads the afterword. King pays homage to his fellow authors, including classic suspense and horror writers like Shirley Jackson, Agatha Christie, and Flannery O’Connor; the latter’s short story “A Good Man Is Hard To Find” inspired King’s “On Slide Inn Road.” King deftly incorporates current events and pop culture, with references to COVID, The Twilight Zone, and plenty of musicians and bands.