Spooky Spotlight: Interlands, by Vincent O’Neil

A few weeks ago Vincent O’Neil approached me with his book, Interlands.  I was intrigued, and promised to write a review.  I’m still working on the review, but in the interest of the rapidly approaching end to this, the Spookiest of seasons, I wanted to take a moment to talk about the book and explain why all of you should go out and get a copy.

Here is what it says on the back of the book jacket:

A tale of modern-day horror from award-winning novelist Vincent H. O’Neil:

In Providence, Rhode Island, graduate student Angie Morse has discovered evidence that an ancient stone obelisk worshiped by a colonial-era cult is still in existence. Hoping to finish her studies with a career-boosting headline, she’s combing the woods to find it.

As she digs into the history of the obelisk and the cult that perished at its feet, she’s plagued by bizarre events and shadowy figures from her college days. The more time she spends in the ghostly forests outside the city, the more Angie starts to suspect the obelisk is exerting the same influence on her that doomed so many others.

Quite simply, I like this book because it’s about a young historian doing historical research.  She’s looking into the folklore of the place she lives, and that process itself is something I enjoy doing, and thus reading about.  This historical connection and process is why I like M. R. James’ and H.P. Lovecrafts’ antiquarian horror.

The atmosphere in Interlands is fantastic, and I find myself wishing that I were out in the Spooky woods with Angie–but not too much, because this is a horror novel, and the things Angie finds are dangerous.

So, thank you Vincent for suggesting your book to me.  You were right on the money.  I’ll have the full review out once I catch an academic break long enough to breathe.

In the meantime, you can pick up Interlands on Amazon or Barns & Noble’s website.  You can also get a sample chapter on Vincent’s website.

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