If It Bleeds by Stephen King
I have come to the conclusion over the last year or so that the so-called sub-genre of Weird Fiction has been hiding in the shadows for too long and many square books have been hammered into the round genres of horror, fantasy and so forth. While enough hammering will get said book into said hole, it never quite fits. To wit, we should just embrace it as a genre in its own right and fill it with books that belong there. Will using “Weird Fiction” as a defining tag turn people off? Maybe, but not this guy (points thumbs at self).
Anyway, If It Bleeds fits beautifully into the weird fiction category. None of the quartet of stories could be considered scary or fantastical, but they are somewhat out to lunch. The quartet of stories is definitely King territory and while not mind-blowingly original, are definitely worth your time.
Disclaimer – I read this in July, so forgive me if I’m a little hazy on some of the details.
So, what’s it all about?
Mr Harrigan’s Phone – A young boy, Craig, gets a job helping out local eccentric and avowed Luddite Mr Harrigan as he ages. After a couple of years of saving, Craig has earned enough money and buys Mr H an I-Phone for his birthday. At first, the man is resistant, but with a little coaching from Craig, Mr Harrigan discovers that he can find real-time stock information and sets out to spend his retirement becoming even richer. Then one day Craig comes to see him and finds his dead body awaiting. The poor kid is devastated, and at the funeral, he slips the I-Phone into the corpse’s pocket. That night he sends a message to the phone and is shocked when he gets a reply. He tries calling, but unsurprisingly there’s no answer. From here on, Craig calls when he’s struggling with something. When he starts getting bullied in school, he calls Mr Harrigan’s phone and spills his guts. When something bad happens to the bully, Craig wonders if it was a coincidence, and so on. This was my favourite of the four stories, by the way.
The Life of Chuck – Told in a trio of events in reverse order, it tells the story of the titular Chuck. The first part is an end-of-the-world scenario, as a group of people ponder the sudden presence of billboards congratulating one Charles “Chuck” Krantz on his great 39 years as the world crashes and burns around them. The second part sees boring but likeable accountant Chuck take a trip down Memory Lane as a busker brings back memories of his youth. The third part sees Chuck as a boy who moves in with his grandparents after his parents die. He is stricken with grief at first (obviously), but with the help of his loving grandparents, he overcomes his sadness sufficiently to move on with his life. There is a caveat to their care – there is a room in his grandparents’ attic that Chuck is utterly forbidden to enter. Telling a kid not to do something is like waving a red flag at a bull (or really waving anything at a bull) and despite his guardians’ wishes, Chuck goes inside.
If It Bleeds – The titular short story is a sequel of sorts to The Outsider (I have not read it yet) and follows the adventures of Holly Gibney, the likeable friend and assistant of Bill Hodges. This time, for those who don’t know, she has her own detective agency, although she doesn’t tend to leave the office much. However, she receives a mysterious package from a friend containing a flash drive with some curious photographs and spectrograms. When Holly learns of an explosion at a high school that shocks the nation, she begins to suspect one of the on-site reporters has something to do with it. This turns out to be a rabbit hole that could have dire consequences (sorry, I like saying that). It’s great and almost reads like a full – if short – novel. I imagine it’s a good follow on for fans of The Outsider, and maybe a good intro for those who haven’t read it or the Bill Hodges trilogy (I have watched some of the TV show – pretty darn good).
The Rat – Seriously, who doesn’t love rats? Well, I like them. Anyway, a somewhat renowned author of short stories always struggled to write a novel, and his last effort almost ended with dire consequences (sorry, I won’t say it again). Having recovered somewhat from his breakdown, he decides to repair to his dead father’s secluded cabin to get away from the distractions of everyday life. His family naturally think this is a terrible idea, but he is adamant, so they let him go with the caveat that he contacts them every day. Cue author arriving at said cabin. The night he gets there, naturally the storm to end all storms hits, cutting off all contact with the outside world. He injures himself, developing some nasty symptoms, and begins to hallucinate about a talking rat. As one does.
Is it any good?
As I said – weird fiction. Also, great weird fiction. Fans of King have probably read this already, but anyone who likes stories with a spectral bent (should be a sub-genre) will get a kick out of this too. The author’s writing chops are well on display here, with rich characters, interesting and somewhat weird stories and best of all, not a rambling ending to be seen. I’m on a bit of an SK renaissance lately after quitting during the sloppy 90s, and I’m (mostly) enjoying his current efforts.
Verdict
Well worth your time, people. Not the finest short story collection I’ve read this (actually last) year (that would be Joe Hill’s Full Throttle ironically), but very enjoyable.
The Science Bit
Format: Hardcover
Obtained from: Library (support your public library people)
Print length: 436 pages
Publisher: Scribner
ISBN: 9781982137977
