David Storey occupies a unique position in the literary landscape, celebrated as both a novelist and a playwright. His work is often associated with the "Yorkshire writers," a group keenly aware of their cultural and attitudinal distance from the art and publishing centrals of London. Storey's unconventional path to literary prominence is marked by his years playing professional football for Leeds, one of the United Kingdom's eminent clubs. This background informs his exploration of the traditional male working-class ethos of northern England's coal towns, a recurring theme in his oeuvre.

Storey's narratives often delve into the complex dynamics between genders. This is particularly evident in his acclaimed play, The Changing Room, which won the 1971 New York Drama Critics Circle Award. The play extends themes first introduced in his debut novel, This Sporting Life (1960), especially the portrayal of women as formidable forces beneath their ostensibly subordinated roles. In Storey's world, women are not merely submissive figures but exert a powerful influence that can sap their male counterparts of confidence and vitality. This motif is vividly brought to life in his later novel, A Prodigal Child (1982), through the character of Mrs. Corrigan, who embodies the mythical "Korrigan," a Celtic witch-like archetype.

In the realm of drama, Storey is distinguished by his adept blending of comedy and tragedy, realism and symbolism. His plays frequently unfold in sparse, neutral settings that amplify the themes of transience and revelation. For instance, Home—published and premiered in 1970—takes place in what is implied to be a mental institution, reflecting the uncertain spaces where his characters often find themselves. This is mirrored in The Contractor (1969), where the action revolves around assembling a temporary marquee, reinforcing the notion of impermanence.

Storey's characters, much like the settings, are in flux, engaged in seemingly mundane activities that inadvertently disclose their inner fears and unspoken anxieties. This writer's capability to reveal the depths of his characters' psyches has led some to view him as less a realist and more an obsessive chronicler of human torment. His works suggest a culture where "real men" must suppress their emotions, yet Storey himself challenges this notion, allowing his characters to voice their concealed feelings.