That eerie, spine-chilling novel you're talking about? It's 'The Cursed Manuscript' by Ambrose Bierce, a master of macabre tales. Bierce had this uncanny ability to weave horror into everyday settings, making the mundane feel terrifying. His disappearance in 1914 only added to the mythos around his work—some fans joke the 'curse' got him too.
What fascinates me is how modern horror writers like Stephen King cite Bierce as inspiration. The novel's legacy lives on in anthology series like 'Channel Zero,' which adapted its themes of creeping dread. It’s one of those books where you half expect the pages to whisper back at you.