Rachel Harrison returns with Play Nice, an unsettling new novel that lands September 9, proving once again why she’s one of contemporary horror’s sharpest voices. In a genre as saturated as the haunted house story, it takes courage to lean into the clichés — and Harrison does so with a fresh, incisive voice. Rather than shy away from genre conventions, she exploits them, exposing the fissures beneath the surface of family, memory, and identity.
At the heart of her new novel is Clio Louise Barnes, a woman attempting to flip her childhood home in an effort to reclaim and reshape her past. But as Clio unearths her mother’s long-dismissed claims of demonic possession, the novel morphs into a chilling exploration of haunting — both supernatural and deeply personal. Harrison deftly blurs the boundaries between external terrors and internal demons, making the house itself a vessel for the darker, unspoken truths that threaten to destabilize Clio’s meticulate existence.
One aspect that sets Play Nice apart is Harrison’s willingness to interrogate the modern psyche through the lens of social media and influencer culture. Clio’s struggle with image, perception, and self-worth resonates in an era obsessed with curated identities and performative authenticity. Harrison’s narrative deftly critiques this culture’s impact, embedding sharp social commentary within the novel’s supernatural framework. Alongside this, the novel probes motherhood — not as an idealised archetype but as a complex, often contradictory experience that shapes how women are seen and see themselves.
To celebrate the imminent release of the book, CinemaChords’ Howard Gorman sat down to interview Harrison who candidly reflected on all of the above themes and more. We explored the challenges of writing horror through the prism of an influencer’s image-conscious world, and how Play Nice doubles as a motivational call for women to stand firm and reclaim their agency. The conversation also touched on how the novel negotiates the territory between vulnerability and strength, fear and empowerment — offering a nuanced meditation on the forces that shape our identities and the ghosts we carry with us.
Play Nice hits shelves September 9 and is available for pre-order HERE in the U.S. and HERE in the U.K.
We’ll leave you to enjoy the full interview below, where Harrison delves into her creative process behind Play Nice, the timeless allure of the haunted house genre, and the unsettling cultural undercurrents that define her most ambitious work yet. And if you’re hungry for more exclusive content, be sure to subscribe to CinemaChords’ Howard’s Haunt on YouTube for interviews, deep dives, and upcoming videos you won’t want to miss. Hit subscribe HERE.
