"It Grows On You" is a short story by American writer
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...
, originally published in ''Marshroots'', volume 3, no. 1, Fall 1973, later revised and published in August 1982 in ''Whispers'', and again revised for the 1993 short story collection ''
Nightmares & Dreamscapes
''Nightmares & Dreamscapes'' is a short story collection by American author Stephen King, published in 1993.
Stories
Dedication
King dedicated this collection of stories to Thomas Williams, a writing instructor who taught for many years at t ...
''. "It Grows on You" was nominated for the 1993
Locus Award
The Locus Awards are an annual set of literary awards voted on by readers of the science fiction and fantasy magazine ''Locus'', a monthly magazine based in Oakland, California. The awards are presented at an annual banquet. In addition to the pl ...
for Best Short Story.
Plot
The story recounts bizarre and inexplicable events that have taken place in a notorious house in the town of
Castle Rock. The house seems to take on a life of its own as new wings are added, growing in a way that seems proportionate to the awful events that occurred there. The new wings added seem to be connected to the deaths of men who, as boys, were molested by the house owner's wife. The story also serves somewhat as an epilogue to ''
Needful Things
''Needful Things'' is a 1991 horror novel by American author Stephen King. It is the first novel King wrote after his rehabilitation from drug and alcohol addiction. It was made into a film of the same name in 1993 which was directed by Frase ...
'', as stated by Stephen King himself.
Similarities to other works
The house in the short story bears a resemblance to the mansion depicted in Stephen King's television miniseries
''Rose Red'', which grows and builds onto itself as more and more visitors die within its halls at the hands of the ghosts that haunt it.
See also
*
Stephen King short fiction bibliography
This is a list of short fiction by Stephen King (b. 1947). This includes short stories, novelettes, and novellas, as well as poems. It is arranged chronologically by first publication. Major revisions of previously published pieces are also noted ...
References
Short stories by Stephen King
Horror short stories
1973 short stories
Works originally published in American magazines
Maine in fiction
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