Whenever we think of death and darkness and decay, what better place is there than a graveyard? While the graveyard conveys a more depressing meaning in life, in literature, it’s just as terrifying as an abandoned asylum or a haunted mansion. From fledging vampires rising from the grave, to zombies breaking free from their underground tombs, it’s no wonder the graveyard has been used many times in horror novels. 

So why does the graveyard catch our attention? Why is this place so iconic, so much so that it borders on cliché? As it turns out, many genres, especially horror, have used the graveyard for so many reasons, three of which are listed below. 

The end of an old life - There’s no doubt that whenever people come to a graveyard, more than likely it’s for the passing of a loved one. Whether it be a friend, lover, family member, or even some acquaintance they hardly knew, it still affects them. After all, it’s hard to forget someone, even after they pass on. The touching eulogies and fond memories don’t make the memories any less sorrowful. In the end, they are only left with others who cared about the person just as much as they did. 

Or the beginning of a new one - And yet, sometimes goodbye doesn’t truly mean goodbye. Simply put, the graveyard can act as a morbid gateway between life and death. The stone angels near a tombstone, the Grim Reaper staring out at the graves, and a field of corpses lying six feet under; each body has the potential to become more. The monsters can rise at any time, with little to no regard of circumstance. Perhaps that’s why graveyards are so creepy. Anything can happen in death, and in the mind of a horror writer, it’s this tense disposition that has many readers ready to run away from a tombstone. 

But you still have ghosts watching you - Of course, there are a lot of fields that can classify as graveyards; from the war torn battlefront, to the shallow graves in someone’s backyard. Either way, it does certainly feel like something’s watching you. Read enough of The Last Apprentice or Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and the graveyard’s association with death isn’t to be missed. Whenever we come into a graveyard, we are constantly reminded of our own mortality. It isn’t a pleasant subject to dwell on, but nonetheless we still do. Curiosity of the afterlife has always been one of humanity’s flaws, after all. 

From the loneliness and despair of losing someone, to the frightening prospect that the dead don’t stay dead, the graveyard is a place where our dreams and nightmares intermingle; the concepts alone are enough to pique our interest. Even if you choose not to acknowledge it, the graveyard is going to linger on in our minds. It’s because of this that horror authors utilize this setting. The graveyard is still abnormal enough to bring into the bizarre and macabre, something that all horror fans enjoy.