The internet can be a scary place. It’s no wonder horror publishers are looking towards the internet to find their next great scary novel. Many recent horror movies and books are based on short stories or concepts that originated online, or from creators who got their start online. Creepy online communities (like The SCP Foundation and No Sleep), horror shorts on YouTube and fiction podcasts have also contributed to this new horror boom. Looking for some novels with a cursed internet vibe? Look no further. Here are a few novels that either originated online or are inspired by concepts found in many of these fictional frights.
Strange Pictures is a Japanese puzzle book created by YouTuber Uketsu. Each chapter focuses on another drawing with a mystery attached. Uketsu is a bit of a mysterious figure himself, as he is anonymous and wears a creepy paper mache mask in all of his videos. His books Strange Houses and Strange Buildings have also gone on to be best sellers, focusing more on the floorplans of creepy abodes with a mystery that the reader may solve.
The SCP Foundation, a massive online collective fiction project, was launched in 2008, detailing the work of an organization that catalogues supernatural creatures and occurrences. Through this forum, semi-anonymous author qntm built the bones for his cosmic horror novel There Is No Antimemetics Division, in which main character Marie Quinn documents paranormal anomalies. Originally published online in 2020, There is No Antimemetics Divisionwas edited and reworked, so even fans of the original text will find something new.
We Used to Live Here is a haunted house book like no other, originating as a serialized story on the No Sleep subreddit in 2021. The book follows Eve shortly after her and her partner Charlie move into a home together in the Pacific Northwest. One day, a family knocks on their door. They used to live there and they want to come in and see how the house has changed. This is the catalyst for a series of events and experiences that twist the nature of time and space. This novel with LGBTQ+ characters at its core is author Marcus Kliewer's debut and is recommended for fans of House of Leaves.
Told in a series of frightening vignettes, Penpal by Dathan Auerbach explores the nature of childhood fear, the real-life horror of stalking and the repercussions that these two things can have on an individual years later. A man investigates strange occurrences in his childhood all stemming from a mysterious pen-pal that he had growing up. A modern classic in the horror canon, Penpal is recommended for fans of true crime and the Let’s Not Meet subreddit.
Have you ever been hiking and seen a staircase in the woods? Whatever you do, don’t climb it! While the book The Staircase in the Woods didn’t originate on the internet, the creepy legend was popularized online. In 1998, five friends ventured into the woods, but only four returned. 20 years later, the remaining friends (who have since lost touch and battled their own demons) reconvene to try to find their missing buddy. By horror aficionado Chuck Wendig, this creepy and disturbing tale is sure to keep you up at night. The Staircase in the Woods is a great follow up if you've been into the Backrooms lore (popularized on YouTube, now a feature film).
What freaky internet tale are you going to pick up next?
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