Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Stephen King’s “Two Talented Bastids” from You Like It Darker and The Tommyknockers.
Summary
AlthoughYou Like It Darker’s first novella is reminiscent of a classicStephen Kingnovel, viewers should be warned that the earlier book has a nastier twist.Stephen King has written many books, including some of the most influential short story collections in contemporary American horror literature. His most recent collection,2024’sYou Like It Darker, sees the writer revisit some of his own work by including a sequel to his 1981 novelCujo. King also riffs on the work of other writers in the collection, with one tale rewriting an iconically bleak Flannery O’Connor short story.
SinceYou Like It Darkerfinds King in such a self-referential mood, it is perhaps no surprise that the collection features a callback to another one of his novels. However, this one isn’t as straightforward as “Rattlesnakes,” a directCujofollow-up. The collection’s first story relates the tale of two artists who find acclaim later in life, only for the strange secret of their success to be revealed after their deaths. The novella “Two Talented Bastids” is occasionally creepy, but it is more of an offbeat sci-fi story than a horror, despite its similarity to an earlier King novel.
One Of Stephen King’s Scariest Stories From You Like It Darker Really Needs A Follow-Up
One of the scariest stories from You Like It Darker left so many questions that it would greatly benefit from a follow-up or expansion.
Two Talented Bastids' Themes & Sci-Fi Elements Are Reminiscent Of The Tommyknockers
The Tommyknockers Also Centers On Artists Who Encounter Aliens
“Two Talented Bastids” is similar to 1987’s underrated King novelThe Tommyknockersas both stories center on artist characters whose talents are unlocked by an encounter with aliens. While the aliens ofThe Tommyknockersare a lot less benevolent than those seen in “Two Talented Bastids,” both plots use an encounter with the supernatural as a metaphor for the transcendent experience of artistic inspiration. “Two Talented Bastids,” likeKing’s satisfying spin on O’Connor’s classic story, offers viewers a sweeter, more life-affirming take on extraterrestrial artistic intervention thanThe Tommyknockers, which is comparatively cynical and grim in its plotting.
InThe Tommyknockers, the human inhabitants of a small town become creatively inspired, but also ruthless and amoral, after a buried alien spacecraft is unearthed outside of town. In “Two Talented Bastids,” the titular antiheroes uncover their latent talents when the pair stumble upon an alien and revive it. The alien’s companion gifts the pair access to their unrealized potential, telling them that it can’t provide them with talent but can activate their dormant skills. The two become a renowned artist and writer after this encounter and keep the alien a secret in an optimistic spin onThe Tommyknockers’ basic setup.
Stephen King’s 1987 Book Feels Like A Darker Version Of You Like It Darker’s Opening Story
The Tommyknockers Is A Bleaker, Darker Spin On Two Talented Bastids
In King’s 1987 novel, things don’t go so well. There is a reason thatThe Conjuring’s James Wan wanted todirectThe Tommyknockers’ movie adaptation, since the small town soon goes the way of the similiar settings seen in other King novels likeSalem’s Lot,Needful Things, andDesperation. King wroteThe Tommyknockersduring a dark time and the novel’s alien influence has clear parallels with the author’s drug problems, with the extraterrestrials providing invaluable inspiration at a huge personal and ethical cost. Thus,Stephen King’s earlier novel offers a far darker spin onYou Like It Darker’s opening story.
