Photo by KoolShooters
The Attic by DeHaven Jacque Alexander is another brilliant addition to the haunted house canon. With its compellingly haunting narrative and infinitely relatable characters, readers will surely be hooked–but be careful. You may be looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life!
Yet, the haunted house at the center of The Attic begs the question of why there is even a canon for haunted houses in the first place. Isn’t that mightily queer?
Although not everyone may admit it, haunted houses are extremely intriguing and, paradoxically, quite inviting. The only piece of evidence you have to show is the popularity of haunted house attractions, especially during Halloween.
Who doesn’t love to be scared from time to time? These areas have long captured the imaginations of everyone across the globe. How can’t they? There are a lot of abandoned spaces in the world, and the mind abhors emptiness. When we look at places where there is no human life, we fill it with stories, and we want to have a reason why this is the case. From classic gothic manors to eerie abandoned asylums, haunted houses have become synonymous with fear, mystery, and the ever-elusive and attractive allure of the supernatural.
Photo by ramy Kabalan
But why is that the case? Why are we drawn to homes that may potentially be the homes of ghosts? And why do a lot of us feel compelled to explore the darkness and the winding corridors of haunted houses and more? Why is there a little part of our psyches that wants to encounter specters and phantasms?
The Appeal of Ghostly Homes
The allure of the unknown is front and center in wanting to know the appeal of ghostly homes. People are naturally curious. That’s the way they are when they’re born. Never heard of a baby babbling and asking questions with their machine gun mouths before? This innate curiosity lends well to our collective fascination with the unexplained, the unexplored, and the undiscovered. Haunted houses offer a glimpse into a world that is beyond our understanding. We want to know what’s in that scary house over the hill. We want to know what will happen if we’re there. There are a lot of things we want to know about haunted houses.
Hyping Up Haunted Houses: Fear
While fear normally keeps us away from certain things, haunted houses invert this. We want to go inside them BECAUSE we are afraid. That’s paradoxical, but sometimes the brain is quirky like that. Perhaps it’s because some brains naturally like the adrenaline rush that comes with being scared. Maybe it’s because some brains feel like it’s an opportunity to confront one’s own fears.
Photo by Mike Ralph
Hyping Up Haunted Houses: Narrative
Haunted houses come about because of stories. The older an abandoned place gets, the more stories that it is given. The more stories it has, the more compelling it becomes. Places that are steeped in rich histories and legends are often the most terrifying places out there, but they are also the most appealing to dip your toes into. What would it feel like to actually be a part of the narratives that have coiled themselves around haunted houses? It simply tickles the heart of curiosity. This is especially the case when places become attached to particular phenomena or personages. Think of the Groundskeeper of Gaineswood, the specters in the Lizzie Borden House, the Shadow Folk of Avila, and so much more.
Hyping Up Haunted Houses: Escape
In the world of today, where everything seems ever so disconnected from everything else, reality seems dreadful. Haunted houses can be a means of escape. Where the outside world is complicated and full of unpleasant, knowable knowns and unknowns, the world of haunted houses can be quite simple and full of meaning. This might not be the case for everyone, but being stressed in haunted houses feels a lot better than being stressed by the overwhelming pressures of modern life. It’s so odd in a way that when you are immersed in a world of bleak darkness and danger, all your worries and anxieties fade away for a while.
The compelling nature of haunted houses is multifaceted and varied. It’s a place of fear, intrigue, and a whole heap of excitement–good or bad–so why not take the dive?
The Attic by DeHaven Jacque Alexander can be bought in all major online bookstores. Click here to grab a copy now.
