After the release of Flinch. King may be a legend in the horror genre, but even his books still get criticized from time to time. Even now, decades after his books became bestsellers and blockbuster movies, readers are very honest about their feelings about his novels. One recent King book that faced some backlash was his 2023 book, Holly, which follows a private detective who is pulled out of her grief by a mysterious missing person's case.
A significant problem that many King fans had with Holly is that the book included no supernatural elements. Among King's vast catalog of novels and short stories, a number of his books have otherworldly elements to them. Arguably, his most popular stories are those which involve ghosts, demons, psychic powers, and more. In this way, readers may be expecting something spooky to jump out at them in his books. However, Holly is a tried and true crime novel that does not point the finger at spirits, but at genuinely horrible human beings.
Stephen King's Never Flinch Needs To Include The Supernatural
Why King Benefits From The Supernatural
It was recently announced that King is releasing a new novel in May 2025, and it is titled Never Flinch. The book seems to be another crime thriller, and once again, is connected to characters from Mr. Mercedes and Holly. In the novel, a police detective investigates a horrifying message which threatens murder against thirteen people. At the same time, a women's rights activist is being stalked, and the danger seems to be growing worse and worse.
Stephen King's 10 Best Non-Horror Books, Ranked
Stephen King is most famous for his chilling horror stories, but the author has made several attempts to break free of that genre over the years.
Although King is seemingly on a roll with his crime thrillers recently, it would be nice for him to include a supernatural element in this next novel. Despite being connected to previous books, Never Flinch could reveal a supernatural aspect that has been lurking under the surface, and which is at the heart of all the novels' darkness. By doing this, King would be able to blend the genre he is best known for with the genre he has a newfound ion for.
Supernatural Elements Would Have Made Stephen King's Holly So Much Better
Will King Bring Back The Supernatural Soon?
The main reason why Never Flinch should have supernatural elements is because Holly was missing them. While it was intriguing to see just how volatile human beings can be, many readers had a lingering sense that something else might have been behind such evil actions. King may have missed his chance with Holly, but Never Flinch can make up for it. It would definitely make for an exciting twist, especially since King has transitioned genres recently.
King mentioned that he would be slowing down his writing career, yet the author has published eight books in the last five years.
Even if Never Flinch is not made into a King ghost story, there is a chance that he will return to the genre soon. King mentioned that he would be slowing down his writing career, yet the author has published eight books in the last five years. In this way, those who do not enjoy King's crime thrillers will likely get some supernatural content soon enough. At the end of the day, Stephen King is sure to deliver the horrors that his readers are craving.
