Joe Hill—the mastermind behind N0S4A2 and Locke & Key—has arrived at DC, curating his own cutting-edge horror comics pop-up! Hill House Comics will terrify readers with a smart, subversive and scary lineup of five original limited series. Hill House Comics debuted with Basketful of Heads, written by Hill and illustrated by Leomacs. The chills continued in the following months with The Low, Low Woods; The Dollhouse Family; Daphne Byrne and Plunge, from some of the biggest names in horror storytelling. Enter to win the entire chill-filled line! Despite this fascination, I generally detest horror. However, come October all those misgivings evaporate and I’m left being horrified for a solid three weeks. Must be that harvest moon. Out of all the elements that make for good horror, I have to say that cemeteries take the cake for me. As a Hindu, I’m used to cremating loved ones who’ve passed on to the next cycle of their existence. But for people of other faiths, cemeteries are the final resting place for loved ones. Maybe my outsider perspective makes cemeteries a “safe” horror option for me. Either way, those patches of earth housing the dead are fertile grounds for some truly spooky tales.
Cemeteries Versus Graveyards
Before I go any further, I think it’s prudent to discern between cemeteries and graveyards. Both terms are used interchangeably and refer to the same thing: a ground where the dead are laid to rest. However, there’s one distinction for the discerning reader. Cemeteries refer to general burial grounds whereas graveyards are smaller burial grounds attached to churches. This list introduces 10 books that feature cemeteries or graveyards in various capacities, proving that although these burial grounds can be perfectly horrific, they’re versatile plot devices that can breathe life into a story.
Middle Grade and YA Books Featuring Cemeteries
Cemeteries in middle grade and YA books are fascinating because the protagonists are right at the beginning of their lives, contrasting sharply with cemeteries, which contain people whose lives have ended. Although the horror element is softened in middle grade and YA books, cemeteries still provide acceptable spook levels.
Fiction Books Featuring Cemeteries
Fiction is no stranger to symbolism, and cemeteries are the most literal way to symbolize death and loss. They also elicit some hard-hitting philosophical questions: What happens when we die? How can we live better? Such questions are perfectly explored in fictional cemeteries, and the answers that authors come up with can leave us feeling both unsettled and hopeful.
Horror Books Featuring Cemeteries
Let’s be fair, cemeteries are closely related to the horror genre, whether it be zombies rising from the grave or vampires using coffins for their siestas. Sure, it might be cliché to use a cemetery in a horror novel, but let’s be honest, they do the job.
