What do silent, sprawling malls, vacant grocery aisles, deserted parking lots, and houses that seem to fold into impossible, endless corridors all share? These are the hallmarks of liminal spaces—those unsettling, transient environments that feel strangely detached from time. Once vibrant with human activity, these hushed, desolate landscapes now radiate a profoundly eerie, almost otherworldly stillness.
<p><a href="https://www.polygon.com/backrooms-trailer-a24-horror-movie/" target="_blank"><em>The Backrooms</em></a> is perhaps the most iconic modern exploration of this phenomenon. What began as a cryptic 4chan post—a simple, haunting photo of a yellow, carpeted room—ignited a global obsession, spawning a viral short film and a procedural survival horror game. Now, visionary creator Kane Parsons is bringing his unique vision to the big screen with an A24 feature adaptation, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, and Mark Duplass.</p>
<p>While liminality is often experienced visually, literature has long mastered the art of capturing these hollow, disquieting settings. From infinite, labyrinthine libraries to cursed furniture stores, the following novels masterfully evoke that same sense of existential dread. If you are eager to embrace that shiver of apprehension while anticipating the *Backrooms* movie—or if you’ve already been rattled by 2026’s hit <a href="https://www.polygon.com/exit-8-movie-review-game-adaptation/" target="_blank"><em>Exit 8</em></a>—it’s time to step outside of reality and lose yourself in these stories.</p>
<h2 id="a-short-stay-in-hell-by-steven-l-peck"><strong>A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck</strong></h2>
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<p>If you imagine an infinite library to be a sanctuary for book lovers, think again.</p>
<p>In Steven L. Peck’s haunting novella, <em>A Short Stay in Hell</em>, Soren Johansson finds himself cast into an endless archive after death. His only path to salvation lies in locating the single volume that documents his own life—a task rendered maddeningly impossible by the sheer scale of his surroundings.</p>
<p>Clocking in at a lean 108 pages, this story delivers a profound emotional impact. It is a masterclass in existential horror that lingers in the mind long after the final page.</p>
<p><em>A Short Stay in Hell is available for $11.14 via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.org.</em></p>
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<h2 id="horrorst-ouml-r-by-grady-hendrix"><strong>Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix</strong></h2>
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<p>Imagine the premise of <em>Night at the Museum</em> set within a haunted, big-box furniture store. Grady Hendrix’s <em>Horrorstör</em> proves that liminal spaces can be as wickedly funny as they are terrifying.</p>
<p>Designed with the aesthetic of a sleek home catalog, the book’s chapters escalate from corporate mundane to supernatural chaos. It follows the staff of Orsk, an unlucky furniture superstore in Cleveland, where merchandise is found demolished each morning. To solve the mystery, three employees volunteer to endure an overnight shift locked inside the showroom, only to discover the darkness lurking within the aisles.</p>
<p><em>Horrorstör is available for $8.39 via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.org.</em></p>
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<h2 id="house-of-leaves-by-mark-z-danielewski"><strong>House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski</strong></h2>
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<p>A list regarding liminality would be incomplete without mentioning the definitive classic, <em>House of Leaves</em>.</p>
<p>This is a book best savored slowly, lest you find your grip on reality fraying alongside the protagonist. Johnny Truant, a tattoo shop worker, stumbles upon a manuscript describing a film called <em>The Navidson Record</em>. The documentary details a family who discovers their home is slightly larger on the inside than the outside—a gap that rapidly expands into a terrifying, impossible architecture.</p>
<p>With its disorienting footnotes, non-linear text, and architectural layout, reading Danielewski’s novel is as dizzying and immersive as wandering through the levels of <em>The Backrooms</em> itself.</p>
<p><em>House of Leaves is available for $22.00 via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.org.</em></p>
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<h2 id="the-grip-of-it-by-jac-jemc"><strong>The Grip of It by Jac Jemc</strong></h2>
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<p>If you have already navigated the labyrinth of <em>House of Leaves</em> and crave another unsettling exploration of a house that refuses to behave, look no further than Jac Jemc’s <em>The Grip of It</em>.</p>
<p>When James and Julia move into a new home, the residence quickly turns hostile. Unexplained drawings manifest, rooms shift in the dead of night, and mysterious stains on the walls begin to mirror the physical marks appearing on Julia’s skin. As they search for the truth about their home’s history, their reality fractures.</p>
<p><em>The Grip of It</em> is soaked in atmospheric dread, guaranteed to make you second-guess the settling sounds of your own home at night.</p>
<p><em>The Grip of It is available for $10.05 via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.org.</em></p>
</div>Source: Polygon
