by Stephen King
First published 2024
Danny Coughlin experiences a brief psychic vision that tears through his ordinary world like a lightning strike. His unexpected glimpse into hidden reality sends shockwaves through dozens of lives, but Danny bears the worst damage. Meanwhile, two men called the Talented Bastids finally reveal how they acquired their mysterious abilities. A grieving widower seeks peace in Florida but receives a dangerous inheritance that comes with deadly conditions. A quiet Vietnam veteran responds to a job advertisement and discovers that some parts of the universe should remain hidden. An oracle blessed with the power to see the future questions whether knowing what comes next brings fortune or curse. King presents twelve stories that explore mortality, chance, and the thin places where reality bends. These tales ask whether tragedy can coexist with meaning and whether leaving the safety of everyday life behind brings liberation or destruction.
Genres: short-stories, literary-fiction, horror, paranormal, psychological-thriller, dark-fantasy
Vibes: dark, emotional, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: unreliable-narrator
Setting: Florida, Vietnam
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
512 pages · Hardcover · Scribner
Content warnings: death, mental-illness