For a little context, the Backrooms is a collectively imagined place first described in a 2019 post on the website 4Chan. Because no one person published a canonized version of the world, anyone can create stories set in this place. And many have.

Yes, I just read through the entire Wikipedia post about the Backrooms because, prior to just now, I had only a handful of connected but disparate experiences with the creepypasta genre of internet creativity:

1. The SCP Foundation
2. The Poolrooms
3. The Tales from the Gas Station series by Jack Townsend
4. There is No Antimemetics Division by qntm
5. The Backrooms film by Kane Parsons
6. And this book, The God of the Backrooms by Amanda K. Collier
7. (Technically I also once spent a drive to Wichita Falls, Texas to see my sister for Halloween listening to The NoSleep Podcast, but I’m not sure whether that series counts as creepypasta.)

Okay, maybe I had a little more familiarity with the genre than I realized. I’ve read some SCP Foundation stories but had mostly heard about them from my partner, who briefly became obsessed. I read There is No Antimemetics Division because I recognized right off its nature as a spinoff from SPC and, trust, there will come a review of my thoughts on this book soon enough. The Poolrooms appeared in a video game trailer I once skimmed on Xbox Live, and Tales from the Gas Station was a brief foray (three books of the series) into that world because of a rave review from a Tumblr mutual. I also might review those myself at some point, but let’s just say those volumes got traded away at a book swap.

Though I very much wanted to watch Backrooms when the film released, I missed it in theaters. But when Collier handed me a copy of her book set in the same world, I knew I had to complete some research. So I sat down and watched the movie for my spooky season pick with my partner the day before beginning the book, just to get some context for the world I was about to enter. Backrooms was fun and different and interesting. I don’t write film reviews, however, so you’ll have to find those elsewhere (there are plenty).

Context complete. Beginning review…

While Kane Parsons stuck to the more typical vision of the Backrooms—yellowed wallpaper, old, colorless carpeting, and buzzing overhead fluorescents—Amanda K. Collier’s The God of the Backrooms digs deep into an imaginative retelling of the traditional Backrooms with descriptions of levels beyond the initial yellow rooms certain to both intrigue and terrify. Cavernous rooms filled with darkness and skittering creatures held back only by faint flashlight beams give way to hallways closing at your back if you’re too slow and lead to a mind-breaking stretch of views into real-world rooms where only terrible fates await the occupants. Though the first handful of levels plateaus at a respite for weary delvers into the Backrooms, there’s no telling exactly how far the levels go. Or what might hope for their continued… painful… progression just to sustain itself a little longer.

Very few characters appear in the book, making the tracking of their cracking mental states simple enough through occasional head-hopping omniscient POV. Todd Faring leads the story as the main character, destroyed by a divorce from a woman to whom he’d given every last scrap of himself until he had nothing left in her absence. No house, no money, not even a real bed, and most of all, not enough self esteem to hold himself back from taking a deal with SpireTech to explore as deeply into the Backrooms as possible alongside his drugged-out friend and guide Nick and three other people just as desperate as he. The narrative reveals their backstories and mental breakdowns slowly, bringing them out for context at the exact moment that will create the most despair in the characters and the reader of any possibility of their success. Skim this story only if you dare.

Twist after twist left me unable to predict the plot. Even when I thought I knew how The God of the Backrooms would end, I found myself in the final act pleasantly surprised to be both right and wrong. Though desperation, distrust, and despair rule the narrative, the book ended on a positive note of hope, not satisfied with leaving the Backrooms to their usual cruel and ugly machinations. This book finishes with an almost total completeness, one you can very nearly count on.

But true to the ambiguous nature of all creepypastas I’ve encountered so far, a single question lingers on the final page…

Is it really over?

Whether a first glimpse into the world of the Backrooms or the 399th level, readers of creepypastas will enjoy their adventure with The God of the Backrooms. This book releases just in time for spooky season on October 31, 2026, so make sure to preorder your copy today!

(P.S. I suspect the cover art is a photo of a long liminal yellow hallway that functions as a back entrance to the local mall, the inclusion of which frankly makes the cover extra cool.)

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Summer’s Latest

“I love how varied the experiences were. The heartwarming stories mixed right in with the unsettling and strange is a perfect picture of life. The underlying story for why this is all happening was absolute perfection…Definitely one of the more unique story collections I have read. I really enjoyed it!”

—Amanda K. Collier, ARC Reader, The God of the Backrooms

“This is a whimsical yet potent selection of interwoven short stories about a Wanderer searching for something they once held dear. This book is filled with beauty, sadness, monsters, brilliant deadly things, and hope. You cannot forget the hope. This is a book for those that want to touch the stars.”

—Laci McGee, ARC Reader, McGee Travel Tales

“Every part of S.G. Baker’s collection The Hopeful Wanderer has purpose. Sometimes obvious, other times layered and more hidden…Every vignette deserves mental, cognitive, and emotional scrutiny. The fragmentation we experience shines a bright light — bringing visible things wondrous, frightening, and difficult to explain…This is the type of book that begs you to engage beyond the plot and rewards you with more questions.”

—Jason Brown, ARC Reader, Toastx2

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Writing the Mother Road: Texas High Plains Writers Celebrates Route 66

“What a fun adventure! In honor of the centennial Celebration of Route 66, I thought I would grab a copy and wow! Fun stories, each one connected to the Mother Road. Recommend getting a copy and enjoying the history and lore!”

—Amazon Reviewer

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