If It Bleeds

Stephen King has authored over sixty books, all of which have been worldwide bestsellers. His recent works include the short story collection You Like It Darker, Holly, Fairy Tale, Billy Summers, If It Bleeds, The Institute, Elevation, The Outsider, Sleeping Beauties (co-written with his son Owen King), and the Bill Hodges trilogy: End of Watch, Finders Keepers, and Mr. Mercedes (an Edgar Award winner for Best Novel and a television series streaming on Peacock). His novel 11/22/63 was named a top ten book of 2011 by The New York Times Book Review and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller. His epic works The Dark Tower, It, Pet Sematary, Doctor Sleep, and Firestarter are the basis for major motion pictures, with It now being the highest-grossing horror film of all time. King is a recipient of numerous awards including the 2020 Audio Publishers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2018 PEN America Literary Service Award, the 2014 National Medal of Arts, and the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Bangor, Maine with his wife, novelist Tabitha King.

If It Bleeds is a collection of four novellas that explore themes such as the uncertainty of old age and approaching death, the vampiric nature of the 24-hour news cycle feeding the public’s appetite for pain and disaster, and signs of the end times. The titular novella, "If It Bleeds," is about an Outsider masquerading as a television reporter. King's choice to have an Outsider masquerading as a television reporter makes for an adroit vehicle to showcase the trite nature of evil.

The collection has been praised for its mastery of the form, with each novella covering a surprising amount of emotional territory but still being able to be read in a sitting. The results are stories that cover a wide range of themes and emotions but can still be enjoyed in one sitting.

King's work continues to draw from a rich and varied reservoir of stories, making him a beloved author for many readers. His ability to explore the darker side of life while still maintaining a sense of wonder about the world is what makes his writing so compelling. If It Bleeds is a collection filled with startling, sometimes unsettling pleasures that will keep readers engaged from beginning to end.