Haunted

This is a unique entry in that the cursed place is a framing device, for this collection of mostly disturbing tales. For his first-ever collection of short stories, Palahniuk brings his wretched cast of characters to a haunted house, where each in turn offers his or her own demented tale. They don’t all work, but a number of the stories really stick with you, and this spooky old house at the center of it ratchets the intensity up another level—it’s not a static situation they are in, there, so the plot progresses to its own warped conclusion on this front… show more.

A group of writers held in paradise, forced to write stories that would define a generation. And then the insanity drips in, turning the story into something reminiscent of a reality show/horror movie; how far would you go for the chance to create literary perfection? 

The book itself is a series of increasingly dark short stories, connected to the overarching ‘house’ narrative. As a writer I find the character studies to be truly inspiring. And as a writer of internet horror (known as creepypasta) the idea of an invisible antagonist bleeding out creativity/ideas the same way one would drain out… show more.

Haunted is Chuck Palahniuk at his best. Of course, it is deranged, but it is also magnificently written. I loved every short story and/or poem that came from this "writer's retreat." Haunted is filled with strange characters and fascinating subplots that provoke deep thought about our current direction as a society.