Eight Strange Tales of Appalachian Gothic Weirdness
Billions of years old, stretching from Canada to Georgia, lie the Appalachian Mountains. It’s an area of vast forests, precarious mountains, and its own sense of mystery, magic, and even weather. For centuries, it’s also played host to a variety of people, all with their own cultures, beliefs, and sense of ritual. It’s remote, but also close-knit. It’s also the sort of place where anything can happen.
With its strange history, strange weather, isolated mountain communities, and a sense of place all its own, Appalachia represents the perfect backdrop for a uniquely American brand of folk horror. Far from being simply Southern Gothic with a mountainous locale, Appalachian Gothic takes a much weirder bent–the traditions are older, the presence of God is a little more sinister (and might be covering for some weird eldritch deity–check out Old Gods of Appalachia for more on that), and there’s a cool, methodical, eerie atmosphere to the stories told in these mountains. With the publication of Daryl Gregory’s recent novel Revelator, we thought we’d share some of our other favorite tales from this gorgeous, dangerous region.
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