Cailynn's Blog

Why is 13 the witch’s number in Europe, but meaningless in African traditions? In Europe, witches were bound by superstition and scapegoating. In Nguni cultures, they were bound by intent and the will of the ancestors. This blog explores how fear, malice, and storytelling shaped the figure of the witch — and how The Girl Who Knew The Medicine reimagines that legacy in a modern South African setting.

This House of Hunger review dives into Alexis Henderson’s lush gothic horror about bloodmaids, aristocratic estates, and power disguised as protection. Marion enters the Countess’s household seeking safety — but finds herself consumed by rituals that blur the line between devotion and destruction. We’ll explore the novel’s themes, its resonance with African ritual fears, and why its corrupted rituals reminded me of The Girl Who Knew The Medicine.

The witch is never just one figure. In 17th-century Europe, she was a scapegoat, accused of consorting with the devil. In Nguni traditions, the umthakathi was feared as a sorcerer who used ukuthakatha to harm. Yet, alongside them were cunning women, white witches, inyangas, and sangomas — healers who balanced fear with reverence. This blog explores the fragile line between healer and heretic, accusation and intent, and how The Girl Who Knew The Medicine was born from that hau

Some friendships last forever. Others go straight to hell. In Grady Hendrix’s My Best Friend’s Exorcism, a 1980s coming-of-age story collides with a chilling tale of possession. Packed with retro nostalgia, dark humour, and genuine scares, this novel proves that friendship might just be the most powerful exorcism of all.

Every haunted object has a story — and the Warrens kept the most dangerous ones locked away. Hidden inside Ed and Lorraine Warren’s Connecticut home, the Occult Museum was a vault of nightmares — from the infamous Annabelle doll to cursed mirrors and satanic idols. Was it truly a shield against evil, or a theatrical display of fear?

How do you fight the voice… when it’s coming from inside you? In Sara Gran’s Come Closer, a woman’s life begins to fracture under the weight of lost time, strange noises, and an insistent inner voice. Is she possessed by a demon named Naamah — or is she slowly losing her mind? This short, sharp possession/psychological horror novel pulls you in close and refuses to let go.

For decades, the Warrens were the most famous paranormal investigators in the world — revered by some as protectors against the supernatural, dismissed by others as master storytellers. From the Amityville Horror to the Annabelle doll, their cases shaped the way we imagine hauntings today. But were they uncovering the truth… or crafting it?

Some houses keep their secrets. Hundreds Hall keeps its ghosts close. In Sarah Waters’ The Little Stranger, post-war England’s decay seeps into the bones of a crumbling country estate — and into the minds of its inhabitants. Called to Hundreds Hall on a routine visit, Dr. Faraday becomes entangled with the Ayres family as strange, unsettling events begin to consume the household. Is the house truly haunted, or is something far darker at play within?

Exorcisms are among the most mysterious and unsettling rituals in the Catholic Church — a battleground between faith, fear, and the limits of human belief. From Vatican rules and documented cases to the sceptical lens of psychology, this post explores how the Church confronts what it deems demonic possession. But are these battles truly against something inhuman, or do they take place within the human mind?

Some houses shelter you. Others swallow you whole. In The Good House, Tananarive Due takes the haunted house story to a new depth — blending supernatural horror with family legacy, Haitian magic, and the scars of grief. When Angela Toussaint returns to her grandmother’s home after tragedy, she discovers the Good House isn’t done with her… and what lurks inside isn’t just after the property, but her soul.

In West Pittston, Pennsylvania, the Smurl family thought they’d found a safe haven. Instead, their duplex became the site of sulphuric smells, shadowy figures, and violent bangs — a haunting so dark that Ed and Lorraine Warren called it one of the worst they’d ever faced. Was it the house that wanted them gone, or was something bound to the family itself?

In The Warehouse, Rob Hart imagines a future where one mega-corporation runs everything — and “on-site living” is just a polished cage. Under constant surveillance, workers trade freedom for safety, productivity for purpose. It’s a sharp, unsettling blend of dystopian fiction and workplace horror that will have you questioning every “perks and benefits” promise you’ve ever heard.

In horror, a smile can be deadlier than a scream. Politeness lulls the reader into a false sense of safety — making it the perfect disguise for control, menace, and hidden malice. From corporate scripts to dinner table threats, discover how to twist courtesy into one of the most chilling tools in your writer’s arsenal.

A wedding in a haunted Heian-era mansion sounds romantic—until the walls start remembering. Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw is a gothic novella steeped in folklore, group tension, and poetic dread. With prose as sharp as broken glass and characters brimming with secrets, this story asks what happens when the real horror is the company you keep.

From isolated cabins to ancient evils, horror is full of familiar frights. But the secret to great horror writing isn’t avoiding tropes—it’s owning them. Learn how to twist the genre’s most iconic elements into something fresh, terrifying, and uniquely your own.

In 1981, a mysterious arcade game called Polybius appeared in Portland—and disappeared just as fast. Players reported blackouts, memory loss, and hallucinations. No one saw it being serviced. Some believe it was a secret government experiment in mind control, hidden in plain sight. Urban legend? Or something more sinister? Welcome to the world where “mandatory fun” feels more like surveillance.

This Frightful Reads Friday, we spotlight The Circle by Dave Eggers—a chilling dystopian novel about surveillance, enforced cheer, and the price of performance. If you enjoyed my short story Popcorn, this one hits just as hard. From corporate control to emotional manipulation, it’s horror that feels disturbingly real. Plus, discover more dark, thought-provoking reads that will keep you up at night.

The most terrifying monsters don’t always lurk in the shadows—sometimes, they hum quietly in your kitchen or sit innocently on your desk. In horror fiction, everyday objects like a popcorn bag or a hand mixer can be powerful tools for unsettling your readers. When the ordinary becomes ominous, it disturbs something primal. This post explores how to use mundane items to build dread, subvert comfort, and leave your audience glancing nervously at their own surroundings.

He appears without warning—tall, silent, and grinning far too wide. The Smiling Man isn’t just an urban legend; he’s a manifestation of something deeper: fear of the unknown, the uncanny, and being watched with no escape. In this post, we explore the eerie folklore behind the Smiling Man, why his presence unsettles us, and how this legend mirrors the chilling themes of corporate horror in Popcorn.

This week on Frightful Reads Friday, we’re exploring a haunting tale that redefines the haunted house trope. The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons offers psychological horror set in a brand-new suburban home—one that destroys lives without a single ghost in sight. If you enjoy slow-burn dread, suburban paranoia, and sinister elegance, this Southern Gothic masterpiece belongs on your bookshelf.