When I saw this topic, I had to think harder than I thought I would. I didn’t want to keep using the same books for these types of topics. So here’s a few settings that make good, creepy scenes or center of the novel’s focus 🙂 I’m not necessarily scared of some of the places, but the books they’re centered use this setting to its advantage to be creepy. These aren’t in any order.
1. Dark Forest
When you can’t see in the dark, and you know something is watching you, who wouldn’t be creeped out? Forests or shaded areas at night can not only be places for hunting predators, but even an innocent snap of a twig or rustle of leaves can set anyone on edge. Me? I don’t like being out in the woods at night in general…
2. Asylums
This is my current audio book and when I found out that the plot would center around an asylum, I knew I was in for some creepy AF stuff. Mental aslyums, no matter when they were built, are places I immediately stay away from. There’s rusty doors, ancient equipment lying around and other sounds I would rather not here. In other words, haunted asylums that are popular in October aren’t my thing.
3. Laundromat
I’ve never liked being in places at night that I’m not familiar with. I wouldn’t want to be one of those people doing laundry in the middle of the night…alone… in a laundromat. This book specifically makes this seemingly normal setting a “NOPE” for me. Anyone could enter a laundromat and anything could happen while you’re for the dryer to finish.
4. Small Town
In stories like this classic one, small towns where you don’t know what secrets could be hidden are unsettling. From dead bodies, hidden cults, or a deadly lottery like this short story, there’s endless possibilities for small towns. From classics like this one to Young Goodman Brown and The Casual Vacancy, this setting is a diamond in the rough for unsettling stories or novellas.
5. Motels
From this classic Hitchcock film to the underrated film Identity, small motels are the perfect setting for killers and other creepy stories. When I saw Psycho for the first time, seeing the empty parking lot and the unnerving Bates talking to leading Janet Leigh was enough to set me on edge. When there’s no one else checking in and you’re alone, I would run for the hills! Whether they’re near populated towns, or out in the boonies, motels are places where killers and deadly secrets could prove fatal….a couple reasons why I’ll sleep somewhere else lol.
I hope you guys enjoyed this topic and choices. What are creepy settings that you enjoy/stay away from?
I haven’t read most of these books, but I totally agree with you on the settings – those are all very creepy if written right.
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Ohhh yes. I have’t read these books, but I agree with everything here. I’d be creeped out by ALL the places here ahah, especially the dark forest where I can’t see anything, ahah. Strangely, forests kind of creep me out at times, but I like writing in these settings as well… ahah 🙂
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