The Lure of the Haunted House

I'm currently writing a haunted house novel. And on some levels, I feel I'll always be writing about haunted houses. I'm intrigued by a character's search for fact and logic when there's an unknown variable. Much like our tendencies to find meaning and give context to situations and emotions that perplex us.

I feel I'll always be writing about haunted houses.

Rose Red, White is For Witching, The Haunting of Hill House, Mexican Gothic, Rebecca, The House of Dies Drear, The Amityville Horror, The Shining, Hell House, The Turn of the Screw, The Uninvited, The Grip of It, Beloved . . .

They're a staple feature of the horror and psychological thriller genres. In countless books and movies. So what's calling us to these haunts, and why are they so scary?

The location is relatable.

Not all of our homes are haunted, but we hear random noises, see shadows from our periphery, experience nightmares, and have a fear of at least one dark hallway. There's a closet you avoid because you watched The Grudge in high school and can't forget one of the scenes. Some of our homes are old Victorians or Craftsman.

Situations are familiar.

What's usually happening in these stories? Someone moves to a new house, renovates a wall, or discovers something left behind by a previous owner. Our lights go out, and someone random knocks on the door, or we're afraid of thieves, so we lock our doors. These are all situations many of us have experienced because, unless our parents were hippies, we've been living in houses since birth.

We can follow the logic of the character's psychological break or obsession.

We all want to know the answer; we don't want to be lied to; we want validation, acceptance, and the truth. We want to feel safe and comfortable. So it makes sense to us when our characters strive and strive--making bad decisions along the way--to get answers. Often, these characters are spiraling or obsessing over some detail within the house, and hey, wouldn't we?

When we hear a strange scratching noise coming down the hallway, don't we want our partner to believe us?

We are happy, in love, hustling, content, stressed, grief-stricken, and depressed, all within the same location. So when characters experience these emotions, we relate because we, too, have run the gamut within our own homes.

Our Puzzle-Brain is activated.

When the scene is set, the stakes are defined, and we sense that something is not quite right, our brain goes into fixing mode. Now, we must put the pieces together and advise our main characters that their decisions aren't the smartest. We could solve the issue better if it were us. At least, we think so. It goes beyond judging and puts us in a state of mind that engages our problem-solving skills.

Escapism.

So because a regular house is normal, a haunted house gives us a thrilling, entertaining break from reality. We read haunted house books because of the root of the haunting. Something traumatic or taboo leaves a stain (like the moldy one on the wall in The Grip of It) on the home. Ghosthunters call this residual energy, an echo of past events. And that's drama. That's interesting. Makes a good story, so we follow down the rabbit hole.

So, which haunted house stories are your favorite? Have any book recommendations?