Horror often assumes that extreme human suffering of the kind its characters endure ultimately reveals truth. In the crucible of King’s stories, his characters contend with circumstances that test every aspect of their lives and finally reveal them for who they are to themselves and to others. These ordeals allow King to interrogate the nature of human relationships: how people are bound to one another, and how easily they can turn on each other.

More often than not, the characters in King’s work find themselves unbearably alone, facing a horror that is uniquely suited to test them. Their relationships are conditional and often one-sided, more a banding together against threat than an intentional formation of relationships: There are many partnerships but few partners in the collection, and very little love. When characters refer to their partners, such as Bernie in “Night Surf” or Billings in “The Boogeyman,” it is usually in a negative manner. King depicts few solid love connections—no happy couples or supportive spouses. Norris, in “The Ledge,” is one of few characters who professes love for his partner. However, he is sadistically tortured because of it before learning that she has been killed. Similarly, Lumley’s love turns him into collateral damage.