Davis B Corder talks ghost stories and the haunted south.

During the day, David is a middle school English teacher. At night he’s a writer of speculative fiction, as well as a struggling rock musician. He makes his home in the US, down in the state of South Carolina. He loves Dungeons and Dragons and Nightwish and writes horror under the pen name, A.L. Aaltonen.

Imagine you’ve picked up a book and all you know about it is that it’s got your worst fear in it. What’s the book going to be about?

It’s probably going to deal with isolation–permanent isolation. Hell, jail, or locked away somewhere from the world.

What’s your favourite spooky book of all time?

I’d have to say The Woman in Black by Susan Hill. It’s got that quintessential gothic ghost vibe and sends chills right up my spine.

You’ve been offered £100,000,000, but you have to have one of these in your room all night. Which one will it be?

A clown toy.

A porcelain doll collection.

Taxidermy animals.

Have you ever seen a ghost? Do you know anyone who says they have?

I can’t say I’ve ever actually seen a ghost. My brother claims he has on an old southern road near the coast, but he’s been making up stuff since we were kids. He should be a writer himself!

What was your first introduction to horror? Can you remember?

Probably Goosebumps by R.L. Stine. I loved reading those books as a kid, and I loved the 90s tv show. My favorite episode to this day is “A Night in Terror Tower.”

What is your favourite ghost story of all time? The one that still gives you goosebumps?

We have a lot of local legends in South Carolina. One I love is Cry Baby Bridge in Anderson County. They say a woman threw her baby off the bridge into the river below. If you go out there at night, you can hear her crying for her baby. You can also hear a baby crying. Gives me chills just writing about it right now.

The best scary film out there in the last 10 years?

Okay, so here’s the deal–I can’t tolerate scary movies. I don’t like the jump scares, and I’m not one for ostentatious gore. I’m more of a gothic horror fan–soft horror, in my opinion. But I don’t like being visually scared! I’d rather read horror books instead of watching scary movies. But I will say, I love the Requiem miniseries that Netflix came out with back in 2017. A haunted house in Wales is cool, and the soundtrack is superb. I listen to it all the time when I write.

Do you believe in ghosts?

The jury is out on that one. I certainly believe in the supernatural.

What are your favourite spooky podcasts or documentaries?

There’s a podcast I used to listen to called Southern Gothic that I like. I also like The Great British Ghosts series on Tubi.

Is there a scary book or film you just aren’t brave enough to try based on the trailers or reviews alone?

I’ll probably never watch The Conjuring. Again, I’m not one for horror films.

Do you like Halloween? Why/why not?

Yes, I love Halloween. For me, Halloween is a fun time to dress up, eat candy, and have some spooky fun. For me, it’s an innocent kids’ holiday. I don’t do a lot of the wild things that other people do on the holiday.

Why do you think people enjoy scary stories so much?

It’s cathartic. We live in a scary world, and it’s a way to engage with the darkness without losing our minds. I’d rather see someone die horribly on the page than in real life, but I know it happens every day. Stephen King has this great thing about how horror feeds the alligators in your mind. I wouldn’t go so far to say that we NEED horror, but we do need escapism to feed the trauma within all of us. Horror and scary stories is one way we cope.

What is scarier? Aliens or vampires? Why?

Definitely vampires. They are darkness personified and a symbol of human terror. Aliens for me are not horror, because when I hear them mentioned all I can think of is Star Wars. I may have thought Yoda was scary looking when I was three, but not anymore!

Is there a place you visit or near where you live that is quite spooky? Can you tell us about it?

The South has a lot of cool graveyards stretching back to the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. Charleston, SC has many historic and ghostly sites. I also live a few hours from Savannah, GA, which is one of the most haunted cities in the United States. It was a port for pirates, and it boasts many haunted hotels and graveyards. You can actually take ghost tours around the city in a hearse!

What’s a horror book you think more people should read?

Again, The Woman in Black. I know people love the film with Daniel Radcliffe, but it’s a short book and perfect to read on Halloween night.

We live in the 21st century where there is a factual explanation for a lot of things. What do you think it is that makes people want to go on ghost walks, ghost hunts or to see mediums at the pub?

I think we all have an inner desire for something beyond five senses, three dimensions, and four walls. In fact, I think we were created that way. People want to experience another world any way they can, and the most optimal way to do that is through stories, even if they are told on ghost walks.

Do you have a regional or local monster/spirit legend where you’re from? Can you tell us about it?

Again, in the South, we have a lot of ghost stories. I talked about Cry Baby Bridge. There’s an inn twenty minutes from my house called Annie’s Inn that they say is haunted. Really you can’t swing a dead cat without hitting something related to a ghost legend in the South.

Is there anything else we should know?

This was a lot of fun, thanks Hanna! I have a collection of dark short stories under my pen name, A.L. Aaltonen, and one of them actually takes place in South Carolina. I’ll pop a link here for anyone who is interested. Have a spooky October!

David’s Substack

Scaring Myself Silly: David B Corder On Ghost Stories And Southern Spooky Sightings.