Summary
In his latest book of short stories,You Like It Darker,Stephen Kingrevealed he forgot to include one story – but there’s still a way to read it for those curious.You Like It Darkerwas released in May 2024, and it’sthe twelfth short story and novella collection King has released.King has a special love of short stories. In fact, in the introduction ofYou Like It Darker, King explains the challenge of writing short stories: “I’m proud of my short fiction, probably because they have always been hard for me.”
Of course,King makes it look easy even when it’s hard, including penning short stories.You Like It Darker’s storieshave, like so many of his other stories, callbacks and ties to previous works, and one short story,“Rattlesnakes,” even serves as a sequel toCujo. While some stories are wholly standalone, as with many Stephen King collections, it’s clear he had a few themes on his mind when writing it, such as the Florida Keys, the COVID-19 pandemic, and grieving after loss. One overlooked Stephen King short story, however, is “The Music Room” – but there are still ways to find it online for those curious enough to read.
All Short Stories In Stephen King’s You Like It Darker Book, Ranked
You Like It Darker features a range of compelling stories from Stephen King, but some of these narratives are more memorable than others.
“The Music Room” Is Missing From You Like It Darker (But It’s Still Worth A Read)
It Plays To One Of King’s Greatest Strengths As A Writer
“The Music Room” short story first appeared in the June 23, 2025 edition ofPlayboy;it’s long been a common practice for Stephen King to release individual short stories in various publications first before combining them later into a collection. While some older shorts and novellas have been reworked over the years to become full-length novels, such asThe Gunslinger, most have later appeared in collections. Unfortunately, “The Music Room” is not one of those collected short stories, which is a shame as it’s a great, creepy little read.
Set in 1930s New York City, “The Music Room” follows Mr. and Mrs. Enderby, a respected, upper-class couple relaxing in their titular music room when they hear a strange noise coming from the closet. The story quickly reveals that the strange noise is a man named George Timmons, whom the Enderbys have kidnapped and extorted for money. He’s not the first person the couple has kidnapped for money and goods, as it turns out; the rest are buried in the remote Jersey Pine Barrens. It’s a quick but effective story utilizing Stephen King’s greatest strength, albeit in a different setting:the monstrous hiding just underneath a seemingly idyllic, normal setting.
Stephen King Puts A Satisfying Spin On 1 Classic Short Story In You Like It Darker
Stephen King’s You Like It Darker features a story that riffs on an iconic piece of American Gothic, offering a more cathartic and satisfying ending.
Why Stephen King’s 2016 Story Doesn’t Appear In His New Short Story Collection
Sometimes, Things Fall Through The Cracks
The reason that “The Music Room” doesn’t appear in Stephen King’s latest collection,You Like It Darker, is simple and more than a little funny:he honestly just completely forgot about it.Speaking to theTalking Scaredpodcast (ep. 201), King revealed there’s no great reason for it not appearing other than himself: “There’s one story called ‘The Music Room’ that I forgot entirely. It’s not even in the book. But I think it’ll be in the paperback as a hidden track, if you will.”
Turns out when you are a writing machine who still churns out novels and short stories because you have too many ideas to contain, you might forget a story here and there over the decades. Such is the case with Stephen King, who is known for turning out a few short stories every year. It’s understandable that one published years ago may fall through the cracks. Such is the case for “The Music Room.” As he said, though,it may be included in an upcoming paperback edition ofYou Like It Darker, but that’s not the only place to find it for those curious.
Where You Can Find Stephen King’s Story “The Music Room”
It’s Available In One More Anthology
If “The Music Room” isn’t included in an upcoming reprint, and you don’t happen to still have a copy of the July 31, 2025 edition ofPlayboy, it can be found in one place yet.It’s also included in the 2016 anthology bookIn Sunlight or in Shadow: Stories Inspired by the Paintings of Edward Hopper(viaStephen King), which is available through various online booksellers.
he book includes stories from writers fromStephen Kingto Joyce Carol Oates and a spread of genres. The only throughline is that they’re inspired by the great American painter. “The Music Room” is included as it was inspired by Hopper’s paintingRoom in New York. For those unwilling to wait for a potential update ofYou Like It Darker, the best bet to read “The Music Room” might be that anthology.
