Throwback Thursday: GOOSEBUMPS, the children's series by R.L. Stine

You think you're safely tucked in bed...but wait! There are creaking noises on the stairs as if some ghostly figure is ascending them, headed straight for your bedroom door! There's a strange scratching sound outside your window. Lightning cracks and brightens the room. Shadows dance across the walls and you could have sworn you just saw that thrift-store dummy move on its own. You find a mysterious message that has been scribbled on your mirror with (what you hope is) red paint.

"Reader beware! You're in for a scare!"

    R.L Stine is a name that most children growing up in the 90's cherished and still captures the hearts of adults who remember the series. Many consider him the "Stephen King of children's literature".  His first horror novel, Blind Date, was published in 1986. During this time, believe it or not, R.L. Stine was a co-creator and head writer for the popular Nickelodeon show Eureeka's Castle. Stine continued writing horror for the young adult crowd, but then switched up his audience to younger children. He wanted to write scary stories, but didn't want to alienate his young audience. Thus, the Goosebumps book series was born.

     Goosebumps, published by Scholastic Publishing beginning in 1992, were different than the routine chapter books that parents gave their children. They were humorous at times, but horror and the supernatural were always the main focus. There were stories of ghosts seeking revenge, monsters lurking in the woods, and possessed objects. The protagonists were always children, usually ranging from 9 to 12 years old, with the occasional teenager thrown into the mix. The children were constantly thrown into scary situations and mysteries in which they had to fend for themselves. Some situations were the stereotypical horror fodder, such as mummies' curses, haunted houses, or dolls becoming alive. Others, not so much. Goosebumps shows that even the mundane can be scary. School auditoriums can be haunted and certain plays raise more than just school spirit. Piano lessons can taught by psychotic instructors who have the strong desire to chop off their pupil's hands. Nothing is what it seems and no one can be trusted. Parents were often absent in the stories (i.e "Mom and Dad always work and have no time for me..."). If they were present, they rarely believed the events their children tried to explain to them (i.e "Oh honey, you have such a wild imagination! Now go play with that unusually pale kid..."). 

    Eventually, R.L Stine began a new take on the Goosebumps series, combining it with his earlier work the Fear Street Series,  and created "Ghosts of Fear Street". Its reading level was a step above Goosebumps, but is still considered children's literature. It was the same set-up as previous Goosebumps books, but for the aging audience member who just wasn't ready to leave Fear Street yet. Ghosts of Fear Street resided in the same universe as its predecessor  but the stories focused on the often unfortunate and strange events of those who lived on Fear Street. Basically, think of all the odd people and scary creatures of Goosebumps, and have them all live in a weird-ass town. The characters were a little bit older, usually around middle-school age. The situations they were thrown in were just as bizarre as before, but the plots were somewhat more complex.

     I have recently binged on some Goosebumps and Ghosts of Fear Street books that I discovered in a box in my attic, delighted that they weren't thrown out in spring cleans of yesteryear. I was curious as to see how my (allegedly) mature adult mind would digest these once beloved pieces of children's literature. I chose a dozen or so, selected as the ones I remembered enjoying the most as a kid. I noticed many constant themes and characteristics of these series that I failed to understand when I was younger. 

Rules to Survive By in the Goosebumps/GoFS Universe

1. STAY OUT OF THE BASEMENT!!!!! Those plants have a mind of their own...

2. Stay out of the woods! Strange creatures are known to lurk there.

3. That new kid in school may not be as alive as you think.

4. Adults are NOT to be trusted. Especially the ones that say "trust me". This cannot be stressed enough! This includes, but is not limited to: piano teachers, camp counselors, neighbors, librarians, shop keepers, and your very own parents!

5. Do NOT play a game of hide-and-seek in the following locations: cemeteries, old houses (both creepy and otherwise), abandoned schools, libraries, in the woods.... Actually, in fact, just avoid the game altogether. Anyone up for Monopoly?

6. If an object sounds like it's exotic, rare, or an antique, DON'T TAKE IT. There's a 98% chance that it's cursed or possessed. Or both. Probably both. Let's just be safe and bump that up to 100%. 

7. Be careful what you wish for. That fortune-teller, genie, or talisman may just grant it. This will not go well for you.

8. Inanimate objects, such as masks and ventriloquist dummies, will try to kill you. Actually, most things will try to kill you at some point.

9. Never go to camp. Ever. If your parents say you're going to a camp, it's a sign that they don't love you anymore. Now would be a good time to run away from home. Your odds of survival are better living on the streets than at a summer camp. Between crazed counselors, creepy woods, and legends of creatures living in the shadows, summer camp is your one-way ticket to a bad time.

10. There's always a twist to every situation you find yourself in. Life is never what you think it is.

I'm pleased to say that the Goosebumps series is still around. A lot of the original stories have been re-vamped and new spin-off series have been written. Recently, many episodes of the Goosebumps television series has become available on Netflix. Seeing that R.L Stine's work is available to newer generations of kids actually gives me some relief. Although his work may be repetitive,  he never fails to deliver the goods and churn out a great scary story. And I'd trust R.L Stine to scare my children over any other run-of-the-mill children's book writer. There's always a twist and a lesson to be had at the end. 

Wait. Rule #4: Don't trust adults. Oh well, I think I have to let that rule slide. Just this one time...

Were those glowing red eyes under my bed always there?

Uh oh...


Goosebumps and Ghost of Fear Street, written by R.L. Stine, can be be found on Amazon.com, BarnesAndNoble.com, and most retail booksellers. Some titles of each series can also be found on the Kindle and Nook apps.