Sure. 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' is a great one. It tells the story of a man who remains young and beautiful while his portrait ages and shows the corruption of his soul. It's full of dark themes like vanity and moral decay.
Dark stories often have elements like death. Death can be a central theme, whether it's a character's fear of it or the actual act of dying in a cruel or mysterious way.
One more set of great darker stories could be those that involve the supernatural in a dark way. 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' is about a man who stays young and beautiful while a portrait of him ages and shows the marks of his sins. It's a story full of decadence and the consequences of vanity. Then there are the dark fairy tales like 'Bluebeard' which has elements of murder and mystery. These stories often have a moral undertone hidden within their dark plots.
If 'You like it darker: best stories' is about horror or dark - themed stories, then Stephen King has a lot to offer. 'The Shining' is a classic. The story of a family in an isolated hotel where the father slowly goes insane under the influence of the hotel's dark past is really gripping. Also, 'Pet Sematary' which deals with the idea of bringing the dead back to life with terrifying consequences. Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' is another great one, exploring the horror of the undead preying on the living.
One popular darker story is 'The Cask of Amontillado' by Edgar Allan Poe. It's about a man who lures his so - called friend into the catacombs to seek revenge and walls him up alive. Another is 'The Tell - Tale Heart', also by Poe. The narrator kills an old man because he is bothered by the old man's 'evil eye' and then is haunted by the sound of the dead man's heart.
Darker stories often have a profound impact. They can create a mood of melancholy or horror. When reading a story like 'Dracula', the reader is immersed in a world of fear and the unknown. This can cause the reader to reflect on their own fears and the things that lurk in the shadows of society. Moreover, they might make the reader more empathetic towards the victims in the stories and more cautious in real life about potential threats.
I'm not entirely sure without more context. It could be about someone preferring a darker version or beginning of a story. Maybe it refers to a preference for a story with darker themes at the start.
Another great one is 'Frankenstein' by Mary Shelley. It delves into the darker aspects of creation and the consequences of playing God. The story of the monster and his isolation is really thought - provoking.