Harry Potter, Gandalf, the Wizard of Oz, Mickey Mouse, Luke Skywalker, Ebenezer Scrooge—all iconic names that any lover of fiction recognizes, each name bringing up a thousand memories of joy and tears for these characters. Yet just how, and maybe more importantly, why are they so iconic to us? Yes, of course, it’s because of their stories that we have journeyed along with them, but why have their names become such a huge part of our culture today? And how did their creators

Ghosts are not creatures in white sheets. They are horrors. Rotting bodies, festering flesh, bug-eaten bone. Things that stalk and wail no matter light or night. Things that scream and entrap and whisper and growl into unsuspecting ears. Freaks, I tell you. And now you wonder why I know them so well. Quite honestly, I wish I didn’t. But I had the misfortune of being nearly forced into one. Metaphysical. Neither spirit nor flesh, yet both at once. They’ve no need