The Staircase in the Woods

If you've ever read Chuck Wendig before, you know exactly what you're signing up for: eerie settings, whip-smart dialogue, and moments so bizarre you can't help but mutter “What the actual...” under your breath. The Staircase in the Woods delivers all of this in spades, even if it doesn't quite hit the heights of some of Wendig's best work.

The premise—a mysterious staircase in the woods, a friend who vanished, and a decades-long obsession—has all the makings of a classic horror setup. And, true to form, Wendig doesn't shy away from diving headfirst into the unsettling and uncanny. The atmosphere is thick with unease, and the dialogue crackles with Wendig's signature sharpness, grounding the supernatural in the banter and bickering of old friends who have all grown into versions of themselves they're not entirely comfortable with.

Thematically, this isn't breaking new ground. You've got your usual suspects—trauma, guilt, the past haunting the present—but it's the way Wendig unpacks these ideas that makes it so engaging. Subtlety isn't his strong suit (and honestly, would we want it to be?), but there's something undeniably satisfying about the blunt-force way he tackles these well-worn themes. It's loud, it's messy, and it's a lot of fun.

The pacing occasionally wobbles, and while the twists and turns are thrilling, not all of them land with the same impact. But even when the story stumbles, it never loses its grip. You're pulled along, willingly or not, toward the final reveal, which, in true Wendig fashion, leaves you unsettled in the best way.

Bottom line, if you're a fan, you'll likely love it. If you're new to his work, this is a solid introduction to the wild and weird world of Chuck Wendig.