The Neovian Printing Press's Gothic Selection

     THE NEOVIAN PRINTING PRESS’S GOTHIC SELECTION

     "Neovia is a great setting for a book,

     Especially for a story looking to spook!"

     NEOVIAN MYSTERY BOOKS:

     Dark Book (Turn the pages of this heavy volume carefully, for it encloses a shadowed past and secrets yet untold...)

     Dark Tales of Neovia (Narrated by a Korbat named Alfred Pensworth III, these tales are not for the faint of heart.)

     Neovian Darkfall (Neovia may be spooky, but it gets even more sinister after dark.)

     SHOPKEEPER’S SUGGESTION:"If you’re looking for the most classic examples of our gothic lineup then the Neovian Mystery category is where you should look. These books are written by proclaimed Neovian authors who knew more about Neovia than some families who have lived in Neovia for generations. It’s believed they took many secrets with them to their grave, though they gave us a glimpse of a few through these mystery novels.

     If you ever heard any rumors about Neovia’s foundation or its construction it’s likely from the Dark Book. The original text was written by a Neovian socialite who lived more than a century ago. Her family was involved with creating the infrastructure and implies a lot of dark magic was involved, both working with it and against. Each mystery she presents seemingly starts in the middle and unexpectedly ends suddenly with little conclusion. Some have tried to investigate these mysteries but the blueprints she included don’t match any in the town hall archives. Many investigators suggest she made up locations to prevent Neopians from meddling with forces beyond their understanding. So cool!

     Dark Tales of Neovia is written as an anthology of personal stories. Alfred Pensworth III, famous for his stage performances, wrote the introduction for each story in his unrelenting monotone style. We’re told about the protagonist and an aspect of their life, the themes to look out for, and the lesson to be learned. And then the story begins, the reader acting as if they’re a detective looking into the past to see where the themes and lesson connect, usually at the point where things turn for the worst. To be in the protagonist's shoes when that happens must be pretty thrilling!

     If an anthology isn’t your style, Neovian Darkfall is similar but uses supposedly real reports of strange activities during the night. The author wrote detective stories and possibly saw themselves as a detective, interviewing witnesses of what they saw and wrote of his investigations. The book was revised a few years after it was released to include more interviews which the author had collected for a second volume he never got to write. It’s suspected that he was investigating one of those reports when the author vanished under mysterious circumstances. I wish one day I’d be able to follow in his footsteps, but let’s move on to the next category."

     DARK STORY BOOKS:

     Disturbing Disturbances (Sometimes a creak in the night isn't just a creak in the night...)

     Footsteps in the Night (You can't help but get nervous when you hear footsteps in the night...)

     Lost in the Dark (Read the frightful tale of being lost in darkness without even a match.)

     SHOPKEEPER’S SUGGESTION: "Unlike the above mystery books, I’m not sure how true any of these stories are... or for the mystery books for that matter. Though to clear up a small confusion, these books aren’t called "dark" because they’re scary stories. All these books have to do with the night or darkness, making them for a good bedtime read.

     Disturbing Disturbances explores the fear of mysterious noises at night, making it the main antagonist. It’s hard not to go into spoilers so I’ll keep things brief. The author creates an atmosphere of unease as you read about a string of nighttime attacks that have made the protagonists on edge. Every creak and bump their homes make is like a monster ready to pounce on them at any second, *whispers the next few words* and they’re not far off from the truth.

     Footsteps in the Night is the same idea but with footsteps instead of house noises. But, instead of slowly building dread, the author would write in a breakneck pace as the protagonist would start running through the streets; signs become blurs and the only sound being a cacophony of footsteps. It gets your heart racing as if you’re the one running; in fact, I was unable to finish it as at the end of each chapter I found I actually did run a few blocks down the street!

     But if you’re the type who just wants to get to the point then Lost in the Dark takes no time for things to go black. Our protagonists find an underground cave in the first few pages and go down it, leading them to a sightless world where even light can’t guide them and must trust their other senses to survive. It makes you think how much we rely on our eyesight and the horror of when it’s suddenly taken away in a dangerous place. I’ve tried navigating around my house with the lights off after reading it; it was an expensive and painful endeavor I wouldn’t suggest trying more than once."

     "BEYOND" BOOKS:

     Spooky Stories About the Beyond (Follow ghost hunters as they track down ghosts and send them away for good.)

     Spooky Stories From the Beyond (Every day is a struggle to avoid those pesky ghost hunters.)

     Stories from Beyond (These are based on true events that happened to Neopians.)

     SHOPKEEPER’S SUGGESTION: "Neovia has a close connection to the world of the dead. That’s what these books mean by "beyond", by the way; some feel "dead" is a bit too strong of a word. Personally, I think that’s why we should use the word, to show the importance of our beliefs about the world of the dead. Speaking of which, that is exactly what these books are about. I apologize for the roundabout way of saying that, but I felt I had to emphasize the importance of the topic which the approved category title doesn’t fully convey.

     Spooky Stories About the Beyond is a collection of case reports from a handful of ghost hunting groups, probably the most recognizable name being the Ghoul Catchers. Because these are case reports, not only do they describe the encounter in detail, they also have the theories and results from experiments performed on the scene. The theories are often scientific mumbo jumbo but also have a basis in Neovian’s beliefs when it comes to why the ghost is there and how to send it to the world of the dead. I thought about joining a ghost hunting group on one of their encounters but I didn’t want to get in trouble for trespassing if the ghost turns out to be the owner of the house; that would be embarrassing.

     On the flip side, Spooky Stories From the Beyond was a response piece to the "About" book of the ghosts’ experience with ghost hunters. One of Neovian’s beliefs is that, until a ghost fully passes onto the world of the dead, they are still part of the world of the living as we are. Of course, they should be sent to the world of the dead as soon as possible, but if something is holding them here then they still have their rights and property. But many of the novice ghost hunters tend to ignore this belief, entering the homes of ghosts and pestering them which could end up preventing the ghost from discovering what’s holding them to the world of the living. To be fair, "About" are all from professional ghost hunters who understand the beliefs and as often help the ghost as they do exorcise them. However many ghosts have had awful experiences with ghost hunters which left them further tethered, hoping that telling their side of the story would discourage reckless ghost hunting. It can be a hard read; sometimes because you feel bad for the ghost, sometimes because you have to get past the wailing.

     We’ve heard from ghost hunters and the ghosts themselves, but what about the average Neopian you’re probably asking. Huh, you weren’t going to ask that? Well, you don’t need to, because Stories From Beyond is the answer! This collection of haunting encounters expands across all over Neopia, each chapter focused on a different land. It’s considered an important book by Neovian paranormal investigators as they say many of the incidents show proof of the beliefs being true along with a bunch of exceptions that also prove them. I wish I had my own ghost encounter to include, but even for the dead the book stores power to repel remains strong."

     MIDNIGHT BOOKS:

     The 12th Chime (An hour that is often feared but sometimes celebrated.)

     The Eve of the Eve (Will you survive the night before All Hallows Eve?)

     Waiting for Midnight (Its quite difficult if you have to stay up past your bedtime...)

     SHOPKEEPER’S SUGGESTION: "Keeping track of time is very important here in Neovia as it’s always dark out; it can be hard to tell when it’s day or night. Even so, there is a time during the night hours where darkness rolls through Neopia like a blanket of fog, making it as dark as the rest of the Haunted Woods: midnight. In a previous category, the "Dark" books, part of their theme was about happenings at night. These "Midnight" books have a similar theme but focus specifically on the darkest time of the night and all the superstitions that surround it.

     The 12th Chime is your go-to guide for the midnight hour. Its pages are full of legends and stories from all over Neopia about events that happen and creatures that come out at midnight. But they don’t leave it at just that, each story is thoroughly examined by paranormal investigators, scholars, magic users including Faeries, and the local natives; all who have their own beliefs and explanations on what’s happening. While I’m normally more interested in the stories, the additional examinations provide plenty of fun ideas; you can usually tell which are the best ones as they come with a "don’t do this at home" warning.

     The Eve of the Eve is a unique story as it’s a choose-your-own adventure. It starts in Neovia on Halloween and you’re a kid just about to go trick-or-treating. From there you’re given choices on what you’ll do and a page number where to continue reading until the next choice or it ends. Many of the choices will affect how the story progresses and ultimately lead to one of the multiple endings which all happen at midnight. It’s a subtle edutainment book as it teaches the reader about the traditions of All Hallows Eve and survival tips if you get lost in the Haunted Woods. The first time I read through it I got the ending where I became a storytelling spirit who puts others through the stories I know... wonder if that says anything about me?

     Have you ever felt tired yet needed to stay up? Did you start witnessing hallucinations or daydreams until you snapped back to consciousness? Waiting for Midnight is a story of building insanity as the protagonist tries to keep themselves awake until midnight and what they see and hear until the fated hour. Is any of it real or is it all in their head? Why is it important for them to stay up till midnight and what will happen when they do? With an unreliable narrator at the helm, it’s a deep dive into a psyche slowly losing touch with reality. Speaking as someone who had to do all-nighters more than once, a lot of things written hit close to home, especially the parts about the top heat wearing Meepit."

     HAUNTED WOODS BOOKS:

     Tales from the Camp (Do you like hearing whispered tales from the Gypsy Camp? Well, now you won't have to venture out to the Haunted Woods to enjoy them!)

     The Final Sunset (All about the final day before it all went wrong at the carnival.)

     Why the Fairground was Deserted (I'm not sure I believe this stuff, but you should probably decide for yourself.)

     The Haunted Cave (They say the lantern glows at night without anyone lighting it!)

     The Haunted Bell Tower (At last, the mystery behind that haunted bell tower is revealed!)

     Beyond the Locked Door (What is beyond this locked door? Perhaps you would rather not find out...)

     SHOPKEEPER’S SUGGESTION: "Neovia isn’t the only place in the Haunted Woods. Now I know that sounds like an obvious statement, especially with Neovia being the most recently re-discovered town. However, I say this because we have a wide variety of books detailing other notable locations in the Haunted Woods and most have more stories and legends than Neovia does. Neovia may be the more recognizable Gothic location, but Gothic literature can take place in different settings.

     Before Neovia was re-discovered it was the Gypsy Camp that was stumbled upon first. Protected by their own spiritual magic, the Gypsy Camp travels around the Haunted Woods undeterred from the malevolent powers within the woods. This has allowed them to gather many stories from other travelers, and this book is a collection of these stories which the gypsy’s picked and approved to be printed. The stories range from fables, campfire tales, legends, rumors, and the retelling of true events. While they are fun to read, you really should hear these tales told to you by a storyteller in the Gypsy Camp. I would suggest searching out for a Pink Elephante, when he tells you a story you can feel a tingle go through your spine.

     Probably one of the biggest mysteries in the Haunted Woods is what happened to the Deserted Fairgrounds, so little is known about the Deserted Fairgrounds before it became what we know it as today. I have two books on the subject but each approach the question in different ways. The Final Sunset is supposedly eyewitness accounts about what happened at the fairgrounds before “something went wrong”. However all of them read as an anthology series as no two accounts can agree what that “something went wrong” was. There is also no physical evidence found at the fairgrounds that proves any of these reports. That takes us to Why the Fairground was Deserted. This book instead tries working backwards; a group of investigators examine the fairgrounds attractions and try to reconstruct what could have happened that left them in a state of disrepair. But as they explore crew members begin to vanish, a dedication to all the missing listed on the first page. What starts out as a detective mystery ends with the last members paranoid and their writing is almost incoherent. It’s as if the fairgrounds doesn’t want us to know what happened to it so gives everyone a different experience, wonder what experience I would get if I tried?

     Without fault, the first question asked whenever The Haunted Cave is picked up is “what cave”? And that is a good question as, despite having a book based on it, no one has ever found the titular “haunted cave”, or at least came back to tell the location. The book itself is a story based on the author’s journey through the cave, claiming to be the only one who ever came back; or at least a part of him. The author claims the cave draws in those with great guilt with its lantern. Once inside, you see a vision of yourself eaten by a monster! You then relive moments of your life you feel a great deal of guilt over. Who you are when you enter the cave isn’t who leaves it. Those who leave are those willing to change, something easier said than done as you’ll read. It makes you ask what about yourself you would change; I think I would have been a Korbat.

     And we’ve come back to Neovia. Neovia is one of the more distinct looking towns in the Haunted Woods, admittedly because we’ve been stuck in a temporal curse for 10 years so are a bit behind the times. But in any case, Neovia is well known for two landmarks which of course someone has written books about. The Haunted Bell Tower is based upon the legend about our town hall’s bell tower having a dark past where mysterious accidents kept happening around it. Each chapter is a short story about one of the many ghosts who was a causality of these accidents; not that anyone can find proof of either ghosts or accidents. Beyond the Locked Door is actually a rewritten book on the harder to find “Behind the Rusted Door: The True Story of Meepits Oak Sanatorium”. As the name of the second book implies, this one is focused on the Meepits Oak Sanatorium for the Psychologically Fragile. Instead of going chapter by chapter, the book starts with a psychiatric evaluation and, depending on your score, are told what pages you should read through. Every page details a patient which matches your evaluation, the idea is that what happened to them could happen to you. I try not to read these two as often as it makes me wonder why I’m working here and not over where they are.”

     FAMOUS CHARACTERS BOOKS:

     History of Count von Roo (In this book are tales from back when von Roo wasnt a vampire!)

     The Demise of Eliv Thade (The author attempts to separate myth from reality in the stories about this infamous death.)

     Terrific Tales of Terror (Whats scarier than an army of meepits? An army of ghost meepits!)

     SHOPKEEPER’S SUGGESTION:

     "Through most of my books we’ve focused on the location and how it set the Gothic theme. However, sometimes it’s an awe-inspiring character who can set the tone as these books show:

     Obvious statement: Count Von Roo wasn’t always a vampire. A semi-autobiography, History of Count von Roo traces back to the mortal life of the Count from paperwork found with his name and the few interviews from reporters he let live to tell his tale. The Count sets himself up as a tragic figure struck with multiple tragedies during his life until becoming a vampire raised him from his misery. However old letters and official documents tell a different story of a selfish and cruel individual. Is one side lying or are they two sides of the same coin? Judge for yourself as a narrative is woven together of a Blumaroo with a presence so massive even death couldn’t stop him! *Gives out a soft sigh as she looks to start daydreaming... until remembering I was still here and readjusts herself*

     While how Count Von Roo became a vampire is a major mystery, for Eliv Thade it’s the opposite question: how did he die and how did he come back as what he is? Actually, what even is he? A zombie? Odd vampire? Physical ghost? I suppose that’s yet another mystery of the insane genius, and it’s the theme of The Demise of Eliv Thade. Everyone knows how it started: a once famous professor who could solve any riddle, one day a servant of his gave him a riddle he couldn’t solve, driving himself insane until his death. But who was this servant? What was this riddle? What was he like during his downward spiral and what were his last days like? Well, while this book doesn’t have any interviews from Eliv Thade, it might as well have been written by him. It starts out fine as the author rebuilds Thade’s life until the fateful day of the servant’s riddle. But once the riddle is presented it’s as if the author joins Thade in his attempt to solve the riddle and thing spiral toward insanity. Oddly the author writes as if we know what the riddle says, as if he had told us what the riddle was but removed it last second. It’s a bit maddening in itself, skame oyu nawt ot skape ni garmsaan.

     For the final book I know what you’re thinking, “Ghost Meepits aren’t famous characters”. First, SHH, don’t let them hear you say that *she suddenly turns her head to a corner of the ceiling. I also turn to look but see nothing but disturbed dust*. Second, while you may not be able to name a famous Ghost Meepit their presence is known and felt throughout the Haunted Woods. Terrific Tales of Terror at first looks like just another random collection of spooky stories, but they all share a common element: Ghost Meepits! Whether appearing as a dark omen, a guide that helps traveler through the woods, or makes them dance to solve a puzzle, it goes to prove my theory that the Ghost Meepits are integral to the wellbeing of the Haunted Woods! If you’ll just give me a second I can get my thesis about it-”

     And would you look at the time! It’s gotten dark out here in Neovia so best to call the article here. The Neovian Gothic genre covers a lot of ground if you’re in for dark and spooky stories. Even real life events can be turned into a Gothic tale under the right (or rather, unfortunate) circumstances. Maybe drop by the Neovian Printing Press and purchase one of these books if they caught your fancy, or if the Gothic genre in general catches your interest check out your local library or bookstore to see what their selection is like. Now if you’ll excuse me, the Pteri Shopkeeper has just emerged from her store with a stack of papers as thick as an encyclopedia; going to make like a ghost writer and vanish, until next time!