Don't Go There: A Tour of the World's Most Sinister Spots by J. W. Ocker
Many thanks to Quirk Books and NetGalley for allowing me to
read an advanced copy of J.W Ocker’s latest entry into eerie-themed tourism Don’t Go There: A Tour of the World’s Most Sinister Spots. I’ve previously read
Ocker’s The United States of Cryptids, where he explores each state’s
unique creature or cryptid, and Cult Following, where details some of
the most notorious cults from recent times, and explores the psychology of
those who joint the cults. Don’t Go There is like both books in that
Ocker explores areas and locations around the world and dives into the history,
events, and culture that have created a sense of fear, dread, and curiosity about
some of these spaces. Ocker’s writing is more than just informational in that
he provides detailed descriptions and narrative like insight into the events
that led to these areas becoming cursed or haunted, adapting the history to
something more entertaining and engaging, while also keeping a skeptical
perspective on the rational explanations behind the mysteries and unexplained
phenomena related to these places.
Ocker organizes the areas into different groups: Fearsome
Forests, Wretched Waters, Insane Islands, Deadly Deserts, Risky Ruins, and
Spooky Snowscapes, and provides a useful list for further reading. I appreciated
this organization as he is able to draw some parallels between the environments
or conditions that helped lead to these issues. I really appreciated the fact
that he’s writing about some of the places that I’ve always wanted to visit,
including Centralia, PA, which I’ve been obsessed with since first reading
about it more than 20 years ago. This was one of the places that Ocker has
actually visited, so it was interesting to read about his own experiences and
observations while visiting this town famous for its underground fire that
continues to burn. While Centralia has a natural explanation for its infernal
reputation, other places remain the subject of public curiosity because of
mysterious events tied to their location. These include places like The Pine
Barrens in NJ, Skinwalker Rance in Utah, Mount Shasta in CA, and the Bermuda
Triangle. Ocker details the legends, myths, and strange events associated with
these places, and often offers rational explanations for the events. Other possibly
lesser known places are also of interest including Aokigahara, the Bridgewater
Triangle, Isla de las Muñecas, and Dudleytown. I loved learning about these
places, and since I’ll probably never be able to visit the Chernobyl Exclusion
Zone, it’s interesting to read more about it and how the nuclear accident has
created interesting conditions for new plants and animals to grow, and fueled
urban legends and a new kind of tourism industry in exploring this site. I also
recently visited Paris and was disappointed to learn that the catacombs were
closed when we visited. Not that my family would join me in exploring this underground
necropolis, but Ocker’s reporting and descriptive history provides some further
insight into how and why these bones were moved underground and arranged in
such a manner. It was also fascinating to learn that groups of individuals were
using the catacombs for secret parties until they were eventually busted.
This is a great book for those who are interested in mysterious
places. I’m always interested in unexplained phenomena, and Ocker’s book not only
provides insightful research into these areas, but also offers rational
explanations that allow us to remain skeptical and offer plausible reasons for
these irreputable retreats. Although Adam Parata provides great illustrations throughout
the book that contribute to its eerie feel, I wish there were some real
photographs of these places that were included in the book. Nevertheless, this
is a fun and insightful read, especially for getting some travel ideas and
possibly ignoring Ocker’s plea to Don’t Go There. Highly recommended!
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