10 Spooky Facts About Horror’s Greatest Authors

The world of horror literature is filled with chilling tales and dark imaginations. But sometimes, the lives of the authors behind these stories are just as spooky as their creations. Here are ten unsettling facts about horror authors that might make you sleep with the lights on.

10. Susan Hill Believes in Ghosts

Susan Hill, the author of The Woman in Black, is a firm believer in ghosts, despite never having seen one herself. She cites the experiences of friends who have felt a palpable sense of evil in certain places, and the inexplicable reactions of dogs to unseen presences. Hill acknowledges that most ghost sightings likely have rational explanations, but she believes a small percentage defies logic, hinting at the possibility of the supernatural being proven by quantum physics.

9. Stephen King Is Afraid of the Number 13

The master of horror, Stephen King, harbors a deep fear of the number 13, known as triskaidekaphobia. He avoids stopping on pages with digits that add up to 13 while reading, and admits to stepping over the last two steps on his back stairs as one to avoid the unlucky number. This phobia has even crept into his work, such as in his short story 1408, where the digits of the haunted hotel room number add up to 13.

8. Algernon Blackwood Was a Member of the Ghost Club

Algernon Blackwood, famous for his novella The Willows, had a profound interest in the supernatural. Beyond writing about otherworldly encounters, he delved into various forms of mysticism and the occult. Blackwood was a member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, dedicated to magic, and The Ghost Club, a paranormal exploration group that included writers like W.B. Yeats and Arthur Conan Doyle.

7. Anne Rice Believed She Lived in a Haunted House

Interview with the Vampire author Anne Rice didn’t believe in vampires, but she was convinced her New Orleans mansion was haunted. Known as Rosegate Mansion, Rice claimed it had both legends and ghosts, particularly the spirit of Pamela Starr Clapp, who died there in 1934. Others purportedly died on the property, adding to the mansion’s eerie reputation.

6. Edgar Allan Poe Died in a Mysterious Way

The circumstances surrounding Edgar Allan Poe’s death remain a chilling mystery. He disappeared en route to Philadelphia, only to be found days later in Baltimore, confused and wearing unfamiliar clothes. His final days were marked by hallucinations and distress, and doctors couldn’t determine the cause. Theories range from a brain tumor to murder, and even cooping, a form of voter fraud involving kidnapping and forced voting.

5. M.R. James Wrote About His Own Paranormal Experiences

M.R. James, a master of the ghost story, may have drawn inspiration from a childhood paranormal encounter. His last story, “A Vignette,” is believed to be autobiographical, describing a young boy seeing a “malevolent” face through a gate near his haunted childhood home. The story vividly recounts the boy’s terror and the sight of a draped figure disappearing into the trees, hinting at James’ own brush with the supernatural.

4. H.P. Lovecraft Was Afraid of Large Enclosed Spaces

H.P. Lovecraft, the creator of the Cthulhu Mythos, suffered from kenophobia, a fear of large, enclosed spaces. He described his fear of places like dark carriage rooms, deserted gas-houses, empty assembly rooms, and large caves. Lovecraft attributed this phobia to “black abysses of my infant nightmares,” and it often surfaced in his eerie tales.

3. Shirley Jackson Claimed to Be a Witch (and Had a Spooky Sleepwalking Experience)

Shirley Jackson, author of The Haunting of Hill House, playfully encouraged rumors that she was a witch. Though these claims were mostly in jest, Jackson owned hundreds of books on witchcraft. While writing The Haunting of Hill House, she had a terrifying sleepwalking experience where she awoke to find the words “DEAD DEAD” written on a piece of paper in her own handwriting, which she said motivated her to “write the book awake.”

2. Peter Watts Contracted a Flesh-Eating Disease

Sci-fi horror writer Peter Watts, known for his novel Blindsight, contracted necrotizing fasciitis, or flesh-eating disease, in 2011. He described the ordeal as nearly fatal, leaving him with “a crater the approximate size and shape of Australia carved out of my right calf.” Despite the gruesome experience, Watts maintained a dark sense of humor, joking that the disease was fitting for a science fiction writer.

1. Mary Shelley Kept Her Husband’s Calcified Heart (and Probably Had Sex in a Graveyard)

Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein, kept her husband Percy Bysshe Shelley’s calcified heart after his death. His heart remained unburnt after cremation and was given to Mary, who treasured it for the rest of her life. Also, Mary and Percy’s relationship may have begun rather morbidly. Scholars believe that Mary likely lost her virginity to Percy at her mother’s grave since Mary spent a lot of time at her mother’s gravestone and frequently took Percy there while they were courting.

These spooky facts reveal that sometimes, the reality behind horror authors is just as chilling as the stories they create. From ghostly beliefs to personal phobias and bizarre keepsakes, these authors certainly lived lives that were as intriguing as their literary works.