Have you ever seen the Hat Man?

A few months ago I had the opportunity to do a book event in Montgomery, Alabama where my parents and sister live. The local library’s book club had just read Ghost Tamer and I was giving a talk followed by a signing with an adorable pot luck they had put together. My sister brought her kids, which was fun, and during the talk I told a story about a ghost that used to visit me when I was a little younger than my neices. (They’re currently twelve.)

Afterward my sister said, “That’s not the ghost story I thought you were going to tell.”

I was taken aback because I don’t remember seeing any other ghosts, but she remembers me seeing another one. Apparnetly when I was in high school I saw a man standing in my room at night. I didn’t like it, I didn’t want him there, and I was telling my mom about it. My sister remembers my mother telling me that I would just have to firmly tell him to go away. Apparently he did, because I didn’t mention the man after that.

Neither my mother nor I remember this.

Earlier this week, I was eating peanut butter and crackers (fresh jar of peanut butter), and scrolling on TikTok as you do, when I came across a person telling a story about a ghost experience they had when they were younger. They were an engaging storyteller and I poked around in the comments afterward and saw several people talking about Hat Man. Apparently this is a common ghost that a lot of people have seen.

He has a mention on a wikipedia page. He has an entire Reddit thread.

We eventually decided against this cover, but it was in the top two.

Hat Man is described as a dark figure with a hat and long coat, often described as a fedora and trench coat. He often comes when people experience sleep paralysis and is usually standing over them or watching them while they’re in bed. (Although people have reported seeing him other times.)

I do remember experencing sleep paralysis in high school.

I also wrote an evil ghost in Ghost Tamer. He wore a black fedora and trench coat. And in fact, made an appearance on one of the early cover choices (that was eventually nixed as being ‘too YA and scifi’). This freaked me out a little. Did I actually see Hat Man when I was younger and blocked out the memory? And then subconsciously write him into a book years later?

I don’t know! Maybe guys with dark coats and hats are just inherently frightening. But I reserve the right to be a little freaked out about it. At least long enough to write this post.