We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer Summary

We Used to Live Here follows Charlie and Eve, a queer couple who flip houses in Oregon. Their lives spiral into horror when a family claiming to be former residents visits their new home and refuses to leave. As the visitors' youngest child goes missing and Charlie disappears, Eve confronts a supernatural phenomenon involving alternate realities, shifting rooms, and the mysterious "Old House" conspiracy theory that traps unwary visitors between dimensions.

Marcus Kliewer is a Vancouver-based writer and stop-motion animator whose debut novel We Used to Live Here began as a serialized story on Reddit's NoSleep forum, where it won the Scariest Story of 2021 award among eighteen million members. Netflix acquired the film rights before Simon & Schuster published the expanded novel in June 2024. Kliewer combines his storytelling background in animation with literary horror, creating what critics call "macabre and unsettling" narratives.

We Used to Live Here appeals to horror fans who enjoy psychological thrillers with supernatural elements, particularly readers of authors like Stephen King and Agustina Bazterrica. The book suits those interested in LGBTQ+ representation in horror, alternate reality concepts, and unconventional narrative structures featuring found documents and internet conspiracy theories. Readers who appreciate Reddit's NoSleep community and atmospheric, slow-burn horror that blends domestic unease with cosmic dread will find this debut particularly engaging.

We Used to Live Here earned Goodreads Choice Award nominations for Readers' Favorite Horror and Debut Novel in 2024, with critics praising it as "quicksand: the further you delve into its pages, the more immobilized you become". The novel's unique origin as a Reddit sensation, combined with Netflix's film adaptation and Simon & Schuster's acquisition, demonstrates its cultural impact. Its innovative structure blending traditional narrative with found documents and hidden messages provides depth beyond typical horror fare.

The Old House conspiracy theory in We Used to Live Here describes a portal connecting alternate realities where visitors become trapped. According to fictional internet forums and documents woven throughout the narrative, the house shifts between dimensions, causing inhabitants to disappear from their original reality while records of their existence vanish. Hidden messages reveal: "Old man with the scar has lived in the cabin for centuries and goes by many different names," suggesting a malevolent intelligence controls the house.

Charlie mysteriously vanishes after the Faust family arrives, leaving only her locket behind as evidence of her existence. Eve discovers the house's rooms constantly changing and encounters a woman in a hospital gown chasing her through the basement. After Eve kills Paige Faust in self-defense and attacks Thomas, police arrest her, but all records show she's actually "Emma," Thomas's sister. The novel ends with Charlie posting online that Eve has disappeared and no evidence of Eve's existence remains.

We Used to Live Here alternates between Eve's main narrative and fictional documents including internet conspiracy theory posts, transcripts from Old House experiencers, and police reports. Marcus Kliewer nods to the book's Reddit origins by supplementing the story with these "documents" that build the mythology around the supernatural house. This unconventional structure, inspired by Stephen King's approach to fictional locations, allows Kliewer creative freedom while providing multiple perspectives on the horror unfolding.

We Used to Live Here contains encrypted messages throughout its interludes using Morse code and unconventional capitalization. Each interlude ends with a single word in Morse code that collectively spells: "Old man with the scar has lived in the cabin for centuries and goes by many different names". Additionally, strategically capitalized letters in one document spell: "The old gods see all," suggesting ancient, supernatural forces control the house's reality-warping properties.

We Used to Live Here began as a serialized short story on Reddit's NoSleep forum, where Marcus Kliewer posted installments that won the community's Scariest Story of 2021 award. The story's viral success among NoSleep's eighteen million members attracted Netflix, which acquired film rights before the full novel existed. Simon & Schuster's Atria Books then purchased publishing rights and released the expanded novel on June 18, 2024, making it one of horror's most successful Reddit-to-traditional-publishing transitions.

We Used to Live Here centers Charlie and Eve, a queer couple navigating both house-flipping ambitions and supernatural horror. The novel incorporates homophobia through the Faust family's uncomfortable dinner conversation where Paige discusses Christianity and homosexuality, adding social tension alongside supernatural dread. Marcus Kliewer's inclusion of authentic queer protagonists in atmospheric horror represents growing LGBTQ+ visibility in the genre, with the book described as "queer atmospheric horror" that doesn't use sexuality as trauma fodder.

Netflix acquired the film rights to We Used to Live Here before Simon & Schuster published the full novel, demonstrating exceptional confidence in Marcus Kliewer's story. The adaptation is described as an upcoming "Netflix original movie" in promotional materials. While specific production details, release dates, or casting announcements haven't been revealed as of October 2025, the pre-publication acquisition suggests Netflix recognized the story's cinematic potential during its viral Reddit phase.

We Used to Live Here distinguishes itself through its Reddit origins, earning the Scariest Story of 2021 award on NoSleep before traditional publication. Marcus Kliewer employs an innovative structure mixing conventional narrative with found documents, internet forum posts, and encrypted messages in Morse code that reward careful readers. The novel's exploration of alternate realities and dimensional portals through the "Old House" mythology, combined with authentic queer representation and people-pleasing psychology, creates a unique blend of cosmic horror and domestic psychological thriller.