Prior studies of post-war American Gothic literature (and even American horror films) have primarily interpreted Gothic cultural production of the post-war period through a Cold War lens. Despite legitimate reasons for such an approach, this emphasis has limited inquiries into post-war fiction as well as our understanding of the nation’s complicated identity. While the federal government and its investigative agencies may have been preoccupied with the so-called ‘red menace’ that threatened to spread across the planet, each region of the country already possessed major strains of Gothic fiction that focused on regional anxieties – namely of those connected to women and minorities that threatened the region’s constructed identity and balance of power. The Haunted States of America shifts the focus to these Gothic strains by examining how the anxieties, fears and concerns illustrated in the works of several post-World War II writers can be best understood through regional history and identity.

Fifty two different stories. Fifty two different Authors. Endless fright for all ages. Every state has an urban legend that evokes fear and curiosity in equal parts, and we've chronicled all of these logic-defying horrors here in the Haunted States of America anthology. From the Jersey Devil to La Llorona, each story included introduces a new chill inducing, stomach churning monster, spectre, or poltergeist certain to keep you up at night. A broad ranging collection of authors, including seasoned veterans and some first timers making a fright-tastic debut, have all united to unearth the scariest lore from each state in the US, as well as D.C. and Puerto Rico. Make sure to strap in for this spooky cross country tour, but be extra careful not to let any of these terrors follow you home. Featuring stories from Ellen Hopkins, Rae Rose, Daniel Barlekamp, Aixa Perez- Prado, Paul Lubaczewski, Jan Eldredge, and many more.

Discusses accounts of ghosts believed by some to haunt libraries, schools, houses, hotels, and other places in the United States and in Canada.

A fusion of travel literature and cultural criticism investigating the dark history of the US and exploring how past horrors – from witch trials to slavery and genocide – continue to haunt the national consciousness. Haunted States is a unique guidebook that explores the dark, often horrifying, history of the US. Based on the author’s journey across the United States in summer 2022, it explores locations connected to Gothic fiction and film, tracking the relationship between the American landscapes and the various forms of fictional horror the nation has produced over the centuries. Part cultural history and part travelogue, Haunted States traces how the American Gothic draws inspiration from the natural and built environments, with the astounding geographical variation of the landscape influencing the distinctive forms of horror produced across its many diverse regions. The book also investigates how the horrors of the American Gothic have their roots in the nation’s dark history of colonialism, slavery, violence and oppression – past sins that continue to haunt the national consciousness to this day. Taking horror (in literature, film and the visual arts) as its starting point, Haunted States investigates the landscapes, places and cultures that produced it. Incorporating first-person travel narrative, historical context and supplementary interviews, Haunted States journeys across the USA to learn about its eclectic, regional forms of horror.

A frightening collection of true ghost stories, which will turn skeptics and nonbelievers into people who sleep with one eye open! Ancient philosophers suggested that the appearance of spirits is evidence that we are part of a larger community of intelligences, a universe of interrelated species, both physical and nonphysical. Master ghost hunter and best-selling author Brad Steiger invites you to join him as he explores the many dark and nightmarish pathways leading to this shadowy world of spirits and hauntings. Real Ghosts, Restless Spirits, and Haunted Places is the defining work on spirit phenomena. It is a comprehensive classification of the spirit world touching on every possibility from time travel to parallel universes, presenting the full range of ghostly manifestations and haunted locations. A major work sure to be heralded by paranormal enthusiasts (whatever their corporeal state). Do you know the difference between poltergeists and spirits of the dead? The differences between spirits residue, spirit parasites and spirit masqueraders? With its 30 topical chapters, Real Ghosts, covers those differences and many more: Spirits Seen at Death Beds and Funerals Haunted Churches, Cemeteries, and Burial Grounds Phantoms on Roads and Highways Battlefields Where Phantom Armies Eternally Wage War Speaking to Spirits: The Mystery of Mediumship Animal Ghosts—Domesticated and Wild Spirit Parasites That Possessed Apparitions of Religious Figures Haunted Hotels, Motels, and Inns Did you know that ghosts still haunt Ohio’s State Reformatory, otherwise known as Shawshank? Or that the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel is home to some of the most famous ghosts in the world? With Real Ghosts, you’ll discover that Abe Lincoln regularly consulted “spooks” and mediums, Rudolph Valentino haunts his old mansion, and the ghosts of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII, Katharine Howard, Jane Seymour, Elizabeth I, and King George III all still haunt some of England’s most famous castles. You’ll also learn how to perform a cleansing ritual to rid your home of unwanted spectral visitors. More than a collection of true ghost stories, this book plunks you square into the middle of the eerie action with captivating stories that would be at home at any midnight campfire. The only difference is these stories aren't urban legends employing hooks, needles, or long, metal fingernails for their scare. These stories exist outside of the mind and live right next door to every one of us. Real Ghosts shouldn't be read when you are home alone and the lights begin to flicker!

Fifteen ghost stories associated with historically important locations in the United States including Fort Ticonderoga, Gettysburg, Harper's Ferry, and the Comstock Lode.

Chester, New Jersey, is said to be haunted by the Hookerman, the ghost of a former railroad worker with a missing hand. Some say he wanders at night looking for it. There isn’t anything Kara and Natalie can do to help the ghost now . . . is there?

Manchac Swamp in New Orleans, Louisiana, is rumored to be haunted, but Josh doesn’t believe it. When his coworker crashes their airboat, leaving them stranded, they find the souls of a long-ago town. Will the boys find their way out, or will they join the lost souls of Manchac Swamp?

No matter what your destination, whether it be haunted jailhouses in Iceland, ghostly castles in Scotland or meetings with household spirits in Russia, paranormal expert Dennis William Hauck will direct you to the eeriest spots with this international guide. Hauck also provides a unique look at the variations among paranormal phenomena in different countries and cultures. Includes over 700 geographically arranged entries on haunted houses, sacred sites and other locations and is illustrated with over 90 photographs, with phone numbers, web sites and addresses.