Stephen King‘s Never Flinch is one of the most exciting horror books coming out in 2025, and it should lean into the best element of his 2024 release, You Like It Darker. While some of You Like It Darker‘s stories are stronger than others, the 2024 collection is one of the best additions to King’s lineup in recent years. In part, this is because the book feels like a return to form for the author, capitalizing on themes that defined King’s most iconic novels and stories from earlier in his career.
The success of You Like It Darker puts pressure on Never Flinch, even though King’s 2025 book is a very different publication. Another addition to his Holly Gibney universe, Never Flinch will see its characters investigating a killer — and it’s unclear if there will be any supernatural elements to speak of. It’s also a larger, more contained work than You Like It Darker, which is obviously the compilation of multiple narratives. However, even if Never Flinch is quite different from King’s 2024 collection, it should lean into one of the best things about it.
Never Flinch Should Lean Into The Existential Horror Of Stephen King’s You Like It Darker
The Author’s Reflections On Grief & Purpose Are Powerful
There are many great things about You Like It Darker, but the existential horror featured in many of its stories is undoubtedly the best aspect of the collection. So many tales within You Like It Darker feature reflections on grief, loss, and purpose, from Two Talented Bastids to The Answer Man. King’s musings toe the line between bleak and hopeful, and they pack a powerful punch throughout You Like It Darker. This gives the 2024 horror book a strong emotional core, and that’s something Never Flinch could benefit from.
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With one of Never Flinch‘s main plots centering a women’s rights activist, the 2025 novel is bound to feature poignant social commentary. But it’d be nice to see some of the existential musings that made You Like It Darker so successful, even if they’re brief. King seems to have leaned into such topics in his recent works, and Never Flinch‘s killing spree opens the door for reflections about life and death. However, there could be challenges to including these in the upcoming story, depending on King’s approach.
Stephen King’s 2025 Book Could Have Trouble Replicating This Strength
Its Plot & Characters May Not Lend Themselves To Such Explorations
There’s little doubt that Never Flinch will be a thrilling ride, but it may have trouble replicating You Like It Darker‘s greatest strength. For one, its central narratives fit more closely into the crime thriller category, and Holly’s pursuit of answers may not leave time to dwell on life’s meaning, regrets, and other existential topics. Additionally, Holly herself is still fairly young to be looking back on life and pondering such things — and she seems to have found her calling.
Never Flinch comes out on May 27, 2025.
Of course, this doesn’t mean King can’t find a way to include existential horror through other characters — or even dig deeper into Holly’s feelings about the atrocities her job exposes her to. So, while including this element of You Like It Darker in Never Flinch might take some work and creativity, it’s something a seasoned author like Stephen King is more than capable of. Hopefully, he’ll continue to sprinkle these musings into his new work, as they’ve been a highlight of his recent projects.
Stephen King
Discover the latest news and filmography for Stephen King, known for The Dark Tower series, The Stand, IT, The Shining, Carrie, Cujo, Misery, the Bill Hodges trilogy, and more.
- Birthdate
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September 21, 1947
- Birthplace
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Portland, Maine, USA
- Professions
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Author
, Screenwriter
, Producer
, Director
, Actor
