The Invisible World by Nora Fussner

A gothic, ghostly horror novel set on a paranormal investigations TV show, with an ensemble cast each grappling with their own desires and doubts and the disturbing consequences of suppressing them.

Eve is frustrated. An artist without inspiration or direction, she’s suffering a slew of strange, unexplained phenomena and comes to a simple conclusion: her house is haunted. She does what any sensible woman would do and she contacts a paranormal investigations show in the hope of getting some answers.

When the show descends upon her home, they’re intent on creating just another staged spectacle. But, unexpectedly, the crew encounters some very real activity—shelves collapse, electronics go haywire, a cameraman disappears in the dead of night. As these incidents multiply, it’s up to the show’s harried, skeptical producer, Sandra, to create order from the madness, while she struggles with her own beliefs about what she’s witnessing. Meanwhile, the show’s teenage ghost hunter Caitlin is caught up in the unexplained events, convinced she’s glimpsing the “other side” and desperate to make contact—even if it means putting the investigation, and herself, in jeopardy.  

As their supernatural experiences intensify, they’ll have no choice but to venture into the invisible world within themselves and prove that a house is only as haunted as the people in it.

Story Locale: Small-town Pennsylvania

Nora Fussner has a BA from Sarah Lawrence College and an MFA from CUNY Brooklyn College. Her work has appeared in Longleaf Review, Brooklyn Review, Electric Literature, and elsewhere. She lives in Pittsburgh with her husband and teaches at the University of Pittsburgh.

Author Residence: Pittsburgh, PA