Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for “Willie the Weirdo” and “Gramma” by Stephen King.
Summary
You Like It Darkercontains a combination of recently released and brand-new stories byStephen King, andthe collection even calls back to one of the author’s tales from 40 years ago.King’s short story collectionsalways feature impressive new additions to his lineup, so it’s no wonder thatYou Like It Darkeris one of thebiggest horror books of 2024. It marks a return to the author’s roots, featuring the dark types of horror narratives that launched his prolific writing career.
Some of thebest stories fromYou Like It Darkerare wholly original, butthe collection does contain a few nods to King’s previous works.Rattlesnakes,the scariest story inYou Like It Darker, is a loose sequel to 1981’sCujo.It offers someclosure forCujo’s Trenton familyand the readers invested in their plight. King’s new book also calls back to one of the author’s well-known stories from 40 years ago, featuring an eerily similar narrative and twist.
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You Like It Darker Features A Surprising Connection To Stephen King’s Story “Gramma”
This Horror Tale First Debuted In 1984
“Willie the Weirdo” is one of the most distinctly disturbing additions toYou Like It Darker,andits ending will remind longtime King fans of a former short story: “Gramma.“This horror story initially made its debut inWeirdbookin 1984, and it later appeared in King’s 1985 collection,Skeleton Crew.“Gramma” follows a young boy named George, who’s forced to watch his sickly grandmother while his mother and brother go to the hospital. As George awaits their return, he recalls unsettling things he’s witnessed and heard about Gramma. After these memories surface, he realizes she isn’t moving.
Determining that his grandmother is dead, George tries to contact his family — but he’s taken by surprise when he hears Gramma Bruckner summoning him. She manages to embrace him, and the story’s ending implies that she possesses George or even fully takes over his body. It’s an eerie turn of events, andit’s one that’s repeated inYou Like It Darker’s “Willie the Weirdo.”
How “Willie the Weirdo” Calls Back To Stephen King’s 40-Year-Old Short Story
Its Setup & Twist Are Eerily Similar To “Gramma”
You Like It Darkercalls back to “Gramma” 40 years later, as “Willie the Weirdo” features the same setup and twist as King’s previous horror tale. Like “Gramma,” the newer story starts with a young boy spending time with a grandparent — this time, a grandfather who enjoys telling violent war stories. Willie thinks his grandfather is making it all up, as he wasn’t around for the conflicts in question. However, the story’s ending implies that Willie’s grandpa has actually lived for a long time. Just like the grandmother in “Gramma,” he seems to accomplish this by jumping into other people’s bodies.
You Like It Darkercalls back to “Gramma” 40 years later, as “Willie the Weirdo” features the same setup and twist as King’s previous horror tale.
King’s narrative in “Willie the Weirdo” is incredibly similar to that of “Gramma,“right down to the unsettling descriptions of the grandparents in question. Like George, Willie believes his grandfather is dead — though he’s more fascinated by the body than King’s previous protagonist. Willie’s fascination allows his grandfather to grab his wrist, and the story’s ending suggests he’s now living in Willie’s body. It’s obvious that this tale fromYou Like It Darkerdraws inspiration fromStephen King’s earlier narrative. It may even feature the same type of monster.
