I often wonder, what is it about a haunted house that truly scares us? Is it the sounds of tapping against window frames, a creaking door, or shadows that seem to dance along the periphery of our eyesight? These are just sounds, aren’t they? These are just sights, right? A noise or the wisp of something rushing past can’t really hurt us. What is it really and truly that generates dread regarding a haunted home? Is it the possibility that a human form can materialize before us? And even if it does, can a ghost harm us?
Who knows?
I believe that much of what generates fear in a house thought to be haunted is the memories, and the history that lingers, of cruel and awful occurrences. People die in homes every day, often from natural causes or accidents. Perhaps the home that you are seated in right now was the place where someone last drew their final breath. Maybe if ghosts are real, they are trying to tell us something, communicate a great wrong from the past that must be righted in the present. Or maybe ghosts, if they are real, simply just want to tell us that they are here watching, listening, because there really is no true end, just a continuation of things.
I love a good haunted house story. I especially love when a haunted house story can peer into history and pull it into the present for the current homeowners to confront. Haunted houses in literature vary, but very often these are homes with secrets that demand to be told. And how powerful is that? In the possibility that ghostly energy can stir with such an intensity so as to communicate with us.
In my most recent novel, Forgotten Sisters, two sisters live in a historic bungalow along the Chicago River. They are careful, and very cautious, to keep the home immaculate, because they believe that in caring for the home that the home will care for them as well. The house is haunted, full of disembodied voices and doors slamming, and the ghostly sounds of water dripping in the distance somewhere. Yet, the sisters make a great effort to ignore the haunting, because to speak of the haunting will give it power. When they fail, and they finally are forced to confront the activity in their home, the trajectories of their lives are forever changed.
Following are some novels that include haunted houses and haunted buildings, ghosts and memories, and in many ways, challenge what a haunted house story is.
The Spite House by Johnny Compton
Eric Ross moves into the Masson House with his two daughters. It’s Eric’s job to look for proof of paranormal events in the home, recording all activity. The Spite House is a terrifying Gothic novel with an atmosphere dripping with danger and dread, The story asks how far will a father go for the love of his children, and we are there the entire time hoping everyone makes it out safe.
The Reformatory by Tananarive Due
This is not a traditional haunted house. This is a haunted building, and Tananarive Due’s magnificent and masterful The Reformatory is inspired by real events. This novel will break your heart. This story is emotionally harrowing, but it is one of the best novels you will read this year and beyond. In it, there are ghosts but there are also humans as villains, and we learn of the horrors in the real world that often create ghosts.
How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix
I love all things Grady Hendrix, but this is my favorite of his novels. This novel is not just about going back home to deal with the memories of loved ones, but it’s about the heaviness of grief and how it grips us. Of course, this is told in Hendrix’ classic darkly, charming and humorous style, but the horror here does contain a lot of heart.
The Haunting of Velkwood by Gwendolyn Kiste
The Haunting of Velkwood by Gwendolyn Kiste isn’t just about a haunted house, but a haunted neighborhood, haunted memories and more. The prose is absolutely enchanting. The story is thoroughly haunting, complex, and terrifying. I’ve never read anything like it. It’s certainly an exemplary example of a modern-day haunted house story and one of my favorite reads this year.
Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman
Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman releases this summer and I am begging you all to preorder it now. This is one of the most terrifying novels you will ever read. This novel is told entirely from the perspective of a young child, which adds to the richness and complexity of the terror. There are secrets here and there is dread, and the danger of something else living within the walls of this home.
The September House by Carissa Orlando
The September House is another novel that takes a very new approach to the haunted house story. Here, the owner of the home very much knows that it’s haunted and refuses to leave. The novel is completely unique, blending multiple genres and concepts. This is one of those books that was spoken about widely and for very good reason. It’s dark, shocking, but entirely original.
***
