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If It Bleeds

If It Bleeds

HorrorMystery
Pages
448
Published
2020
Language
English

Synopsis

Stephen King returns with a collection of four incredible long stories. The title story, 'If It Bleeds,' is a standalone sequel to his bestseller 'The Outsider,' featuring Holly Gibney investigating a suspicious news report. The other tales, 'Mr. Harrigan's Phone,' 'The Life of Chuck,' and 'Rat,' showcase King's mastery of suspense, horror, and humor.

Prose complexity
3/10

Vibe

DarkTenseMysteriousEmotional
Multiple POVsMorally GreySacrificeMystery BoxComing of Age

Genres

Horror Mystery Paranormal Suspense Thriller Fantasy Short Stories

About the author

S
Stephen King

Stephen King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author whose work has defined popular horror fiction for more than half a century. Born in Portland, Maine, he grew up in poverty after his father abandoned the family, and credits his mother's resilience and a voracious reading habit as the foundations of his imagination. He began selling short stories to men's magazines while working as a high school English teacher, and published his first novel, Carrie, in 1974—his wife Tabitha retrieved...

Characters

Holly GibneyProtagonist
All characters in If It Bleeds

Frequently asked questions

  • What are the four novellas in If It Bleeds?

    Published in 2020, the collection contains: 'Mr. Harrigan's Phone' (a boy in rural Maine who stays in contact with his dead mentor through the dead man's iPhone), 'The Life of Chuck' (a man's life told in reverse, from obituary to youth), 'If It Bleeds' (Holly Gibney investigates a news reporter who may not be human), and 'Rat' (a writer goes to his father's cabin to finish a novel and makes a desperate bargain).

  • Is the title novella 'If It Bleeds' a sequel to The Outsider?

    Yes. 'If It Bleeds' features Holly Gibney tracking another shape-shifting entity similar to El Cuco from The Outsider. She is now running her own investigative agency and has become a more confident protagonist. The novella can be read without having read The Outsider, but the full resonance of what Holly is pursuing requires familiarity with the earlier novel.

  • What is 'The Life of Chuck' about and why do readers find it unusual for King?

    'The Life of Chuck' tells a man's life story in reverse order: it opens with an apocalyptic world ending in a way that honors a man named Charles Krantz, then moves backward to his middle age, then to his childhood. The structure is more experimental than King's typical approach and the tone is elegiac and hopeful rather than horrifying. It is frequently cited as one of the most moving pieces he has written.

  • Was 'The Life of Chuck' adapted?

    Yes. A film adaptation directed by Mike Flanagan was released in 2025, starring Tom Hiddleston. Flanagan, who also directed the Doctor Sleep film, has worked with King's material repeatedly. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2024 and received strong reviews.

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