If It Bleeds

“Mr. Harrigan’s Phone” functions as a critique of contemporary society’s obsession with smartphones and the Internet. What does the novella suggest makes this obsession different from society’s past engagements with television, radio, and even literature?

In “The Life of Chuck,” Chuck Krantz discovers what it means to contain multitudes. How does he integrate the disparate parts of his life, or how does he accept that these separate experiences cannot be reconciled?

“If It Bleeds” features an antagonist who reflects the human obsession with disaster and tragedy back to the reader. In what ways is Chet Ondowsky’s relationship with his viewership mutual? How can he be said to indulge his viewers’ needs in a way that underlines Stephen King’s critique of their behavior?