Mapping the Interior – Stephen Graham Jones

"Mapping the Interior" by Stephen Graham Jones is a haunting and introspective novella that probes the fragile borders between memory, place, and identity. The story follows Michael Holland, who returns to the family home he left behind years ago after a personal tragedy. The house, once familiar and safe, now feels labyrinthine—its hallways whispering secrets he isn’t sure he wants to uncover.

As Michael walks room to room, he’s confronted with memories too vivid to ignore: a childhood summer spent chasing fireflies; the sharp tension between his parents after his mother’s sudden death; and the raw, unresolved grief that has shadowed him ever since. The house becomes a mirror, reflecting not only his past but the parts of himself he’s tried to bury.

With atmospheric prose that blends gothic dread and lyrical beauty, Jones constructs a psychological journey where the house itself is as much a character as Michael. Every creaking floorboard and crooked frame echoes with possibility—loss, longing, guilt, but also the hope of understanding.

In a climactic moment, Michael maps the interior of each room on paper, an attempt to chart not just the physical layout but the emotional terrain of his life. The act of mapping becomes a catharsis, a reckoning that pushes him toward acceptance and a fragile healing.

“Mapping the Interior” invites readers into a deeply intimate exploration of how our environments shape us and how revisiting home can lead to both terror and redemption. Perfect for fans of dark literary fiction and psychological gothic tales.