Summary
- In Stephen King’s latest collection, “You Like It Darker,” the short story “The Music Room” is missing, which can simply be attributed to forgetfulness.
- “The Music Room” is featured in the 2016 anthology “In Sunlight or in Shadow,” which contains stories inspired by Edward Hopper’s paintings.
- King’s forgotten story is about a couple who kidnap people for money. An unexpected twist reveals a monstrous secret hidden beneath the normality.
In his latest book of short stories You like it darker, Stephen King admitted that he forgot to record a story – but for those curious, there is still a way to read it. You like it darker was released in May 2024 and is the twelfth collection of short stories and novellas that King has published. King has a particular fondness for short stories. In fact, in the introduction to You like it darkerKing explains the challenge of writing short stories: “I am proud of my short stories, probably because they have always been difficult for me.”
Naturally, King makes it look easy, even when it’s hardincluding writing short stories. You like it darkerThe stories of, like so many of his other stories, have callbacks and connections to earlier works, and one short story, “Rattlesnakes,” even serves as a sequel to Cujo. While some stories are completely standalone, as with many Stephen King collections, it’s clear he had some themes in mind while writing, such as the Florida Keys, the COVID-19 pandemic, and grief after loss. However, one overlooked Stephen King short story is “The Music Room” — but there are still ways to find it online, for those curious enough to read it.
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All short stories in Stephen King’s book “You Like It Darker”, ranked
You Like It Darker contains a number of captivating stories by Stephen King, but some of these tales are more memorable than others.
“The Music Room” is missing in You Like It Darker (but is still worth reading)
It plays to one of King’s greatest strengths as an author
The short story “The Music Room” first appeared in the November 16, 2016 issue of playboy; It has long been common for Stephen King to publish individual short stories in various publications before later compiling them into a collection. While some older short stories and novellas have been revised over the years to become full novels, such as The Gunslingermost have subsequently appeared in collections. Unfortunately, The Music Room is not one of those collected short stories, which is a shame because it is a great, spooky little read.
Set in 1930s New York, The Music Room follows Mr. and Mrs. Enderby, a respectable upper-class couple who are relaxing in their titular music room when they hear a strange noise coming from the closet. The story quickly reveals that the strange noise is coming from a man named George Timmons, whom the Enderbys have kidnapped and blackmailed for money. As it turns out, he is not the first person the couple has kidnapped for money and goods; the rest are buried in the remote Jersey Pine Barrens. It’s a short but powerful story that uses Stephen King’s greatest strength, albeit in a different setting: the monstrous that hides just beneath a seemingly idyllic, normal environment.
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Stephen King’s You Like It Darker is a story that builds on an iconic piece of American Gothic poetry and offers a more cathartic and satisfying ending.
Why Stephen King’s 2016 story won’t appear in his new short story collection
Sometimes things fall through the cracks
The reason why “The Music Room” does not appear in Stephen King’s latest collection, You like it darkeris simple and more than just funny: To be honest, he just completely forgot. Speaking to the Talking Scared podcast (episode 201), King revealed that there was no major reason other than himself for it not to be released: “There’s a story called “The Music Room” that I completely forgot about. It’s not even in the book. But I think it will be in the paperback edition as a hidden title, if you will..”
It turns out that if you’re a typewriter that’s still spitting out novels and short stories because you have too many ideas, you’re bound to forget a story here and there over the decades. That’s the case with Stephen King, who is known for cranking out a few short stories every year. It’s understandable that one published years ago would fall through the cracks. That’s the case with The Music Room. However, as he said: it might be included in an upcoming paperback edition of You like it darkerbut that’s not the only place where curious people can find it.
Where to find Stephen King’s story “The Music Room”
It is available in another anthology
If “The Music Room” is not included in an upcoming reprint and you do not happen to have a copy of the November 16, 2016 issue playboyit can still be found in one place. It is also included in the 2016 anthology book In sunlight or in the shade: stories inspired by the paintings of Edward Hopper (about Stephen King), which is available from various online booksellers.
The book contains stories by authors from Stephen King to Joyce Carol Oates and a number of genres. The only common thread is that they are inspired by the great American painter. “The Music Room” is included because it was inspired by Hopper’s painting Rooms in New York. For those who do not want to wait for a possible update of You like it darkerThe best reading for “The Music Room” is probably this anthology.
