
In the Southern Gothic world depicted in South of Midnight, Hazel encounters chilling legends such as Huggin’ Molly and Two-Toed Tom. Lanier, the writer, explains that they aimed to blend the eerie tales typical of Southern Gothic folklore with traditional ones, creating a unique blend. According to Lanier, fixing a broken item (or being) doesn’t automatically mean everything becomes perfect; instead, it provides new possibilities for choices to be made.
Southern Gothic is inherently strange and unsettling in its nature. South of Midnight delves into dark themes, a choice Lanier made with caution, acknowledging that sensitive topics like tragedies and traumas should be handled thoughtfully, keeping in mind the importance of providing an appropriate context and weight for such subjects.