The Andrew Klavan Show These Liminal Space TikToks Are Giving Eerie
Apr 23, 2026
Short takes on liminal spaces and why empty hallways, gas stations, and mall backrooms feel unsettling. Reactions to TikTok-style clips and DIY backrooms videos highlight eerie, uncanny vibes. Discussion touches on AI microstories, trend fatigue, and how manufactured aesthetics change authenticity.
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Liminal Spaces Feel Like Familiar Thresholds
- Liminal spaces create uncanny familiarity that feels like a threshold rather than a destination.
- Andrew Klavan links examples like empty hallways, gas stations, airports, and libraries to that eerie in-between sensation.
Uncanny Mismatch Is What Makes Liminal Spaces Spooky
- The liminal feeling combines being 'in between' with an uncanny mismatch that distorts ordinary reality.
- Klavan notes this uncanniness shows up in horror tropes and AI-generated mini horror stories playing with incoherence.
Use Incoherent Rules To Heighten Liminal Horror
- Use incoherence and arbitrary rules to make liminal horror effective, like strange time windows or nonsensical numbers.
- Klavan praises rules (e.g., keep smiling, don't stop moving) and random numbers as spooky devices.
