Horror Fuel readers fascinated with weird places and strange sites will want to get their hands on a copy of author J.W. Ocker’s upcoming terror-ific travel tome Don’t Go There. Some readers may want to book passage to some of the writer’s odd and unusual destinations, while others will want to get no closer than the comfort of their favorite reading chair. Following is the official press announcement.
In Don’t Go There (Quirk Books; On sale: July 14, 2026; $19.99; Hardcover), award-winning travel writer and dark history expert J.W. Ocker journeys into some of the world’s most infamous and unsettling locations, uncovering the legends, disasters, and strange histories that make them impossible to resist.
Embark on a guided tour of 30 of the most dangerous and mysterious locations that we simply cannot stay away from.
Have you ever visited a forest or an abandoned building and gotten a bad vibe? There are places that are rife with rumors of hauntings, monsters, and sinister phenomena that can’t be explained. And there are just as many sites that are the confirmed home of disasters, murders, and man-made mistakes. Everyone’s heard about the Bermuda Triangle, but do you know these chilling sites?
-
Roopkund: There’s a lake tucked high in the frozen Himalayan Mountains . . . and it’s full of skeletons.
-
Mount Shasta: This mysterious mountain in California inspired the I AM cult and is said to host UFOs, bigfoots, and lizard people.
-
Nahanni National Park: Called the “Valley of the Headless Men,” this national park in northern Canada is famous for legends of a hidden gold mine . . . and a series of decapitated miners.
-
Pine Barrens: Best known as the home of the Jersey Devil, this desolate pine forest has also hosted pirates, the mafia, and moonshiners.
-
Ciudad Blanca: This fabled pre-Columbian “Lost City of the Monkey God” in Honduras doesn’t want to be found, and explorers seeking it have met violent ends.
Award-winning travel writer and dark history expert J. W. Ocker explores these and many more locales around the world in this fascinating illustrated compendium that will ignite curiosity . . . and perhaps inspire some dubious travel plans.
Perfect for the thrill-seeker in your life and for readers drawn to the eerie and unexplained, Don’t Go There dives into the world’s most chilling destinations with equal parts curiosity, history, and spine-tingling storytelling.
J.W. Ocker is an Edgar Award–winning travel writer, novelist, and blogger. His previous books include Poe-Land, A Season with the Witch, the New York Times–reviewed Cursed Objects, The United States of Cryptids, and Cult Following. He is also the creator of the blog and podcast OTIS: Odd Things I’ve Seen
Don’t Go There
By J.W. Ocker
Publisher: Quirk Books
On sale: 07/14/2026
ISBN: 978-1-6836-9502-8
Hardcover
Price: $19.99 US
