The Unseen (novel)

"The Unseen" is a 1990 horror/mystery novel written by Vermont author Joe Citro. The book examines mysterious goings-on in the middle of the wilderness of the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. A former journalist becomes curious after an area man kills himself having witnessed something horrific in the wilderness. The story follows his efforts, as well as those of his girlfriend's son and his friend, to unravel the mystery. The book's plot references several real New England folktales and occult events, including area sasquatch legends and a doomed hotel. Initially, the book was to be titled "The Gore," not referring blood and guts but instead the peculiar areas of no man's land that litter Vermont. Citro was not fond of the forced name-change, fearing that the novel would become like its namesake and barely be read. Citro's prediction proved unfortunately to be correct, and the novel did not fair well. In 2000, it was re-released under its original title by Hardscrabble Books and enjoyed greater success.