If you're a '90s kid like me, you're more than likely VERY familiar with that tagline. The original "Goosebumps" book series, written by R.L. Stine and potentially a few ghost writers, were downright ubiquitous during my formative years. Good, creepy stories meant for pre-teen audiences, these things were EVERYWHERE. I vividly remember more than a few book trading sessions on the school bus, and during the series' 1993-94 era heyday, each new installment was rabidly anticipated and then hashed over during the school lunch conversations that I wish were still a reality. Folks, doesn't it suck when you get older and you have to fake interest in things like current events and economics? In my ideal world, everyone still talks about creepy ghost stories and Nintendo games.
Which brings me to the stories themselves. Are they great horror literature? No. But that's not the point. For example, there is an excellent, high-traffic blog about this series that I thoroughly enjoy reading. No, I'm not going to give you an exact link, but surely anyone with a little Google know-how will be able to find it. As much as I enjoy reading this blog from time to time...I just think it is FAR too negative. Looking at these books from the perspective of a 30-year-old English major is not what they were all about, nor was it EVER intended to be what they were about. R.L. Stine's goal with "Goosebumps" was one simple thing - get kids excited to read. At this, he succeeded in SPADES, because I owe my love of reading to this series.
No moral lessons, and oftentimes with no discernible endgame in mind, the stories all unspooled in an easy-to-digest 120-page format. All of which did one thing - it whet my appetite for more horror and more words on a printed page. "Goosebumps" brought me to Stephen King, Stephen King in turn brought me to more real-life horror and true crime...the list goes on and on. By giving kids just a touch of the forbidden in the form of good scary stories, he made us feel like we were in on this very special secret. Again, one that damn near EVERY kid seemed to be talking about. This also added to the series' coolness. Kids still do read, but it seems like everything that they read (Harry Potter, Hunger Games, etc.) is also what adults read, cutting off the "me and not you" aspect of it. I miss those days.
Of course, I would also be remiss to add that I don't find a few of these books to be extraordinarily effective. I can still vividly remember some of the series' infamous twist endings to this day...even if I can't remember any of the characters' names. Some of the long-running sub-franchises within "Goosebumps" became pop culture icons, with the "Haunted Mask" and "Night of the Living Dummy" series getting the full-on sequelized treatments on the TV show of the same name. Some of the more memorable sequences from the books cropped up in my dreams during my fifth and sixth grade years, particularly a lot of the stuff from the series opener "Welcome to Dead House" (easily the darkest and goriest book in the series). Amazingly enough, I was almost always emotionally invested in the stories, with the always-ordinary and always-milquetoast characters serving as perfect icons for the countless kid readers lapping up the new entries.
So yeah..."Goosebumps" pretty much ruled. It was a way of life for 11- and 12-year-old Jon Lickness, and while I haven't read any of the books in almost twenty years, that still doesn't change my appreciation for what they managed to do to my life.
With that, let's look at my top five books in the "Goosebumps" series.
5. "Night of the Living Dummy"
The book that started a fantastic sub-series, the strange story of dummy Mr. Wood and two young girls competing over who has the better ventriloquist dummy is one that not many kids can relate to today, but it doesn't matter. Dummies are creepy. At least they are if you're in grade school. From what I can remember, Stine pulls off a really good slow burn with the reveal of Mr. Wood's coming-to-life sequences, with twin sisters Lindy and Kris managing to come off as surprisingly relatable kids caught in the wake. Gotta love that sequel-launching twist too...
4. "Welcome to Camp Nightmare"
Ah, yes, the book where they all turned out to be on another planet. Oh yeah, spoiler alert. Without a doubt, "Camp Nightmare" has the best twist ending in the ENTIRE series, one that feels like a bit of a cheat if you're looking at it as an adult. To the unjaded soul, though, this book's ending absolutely floored you. I also remember the excellent red herring that Stine pulled with the main character's counselors and that mysterious beast known as "Sabre," all of which made that ending pop all the more.
3. "Calling All Creeps"
One of the later books in the series, I discovered this one LONG after the point where many other kids had stopped reading. The plot concerns a nerdy kid working at the school paper. His classmates call him "Sicky Ricky," and we get various scenes of this poor sap getting bullied. But then he gradually discovers that his enemies are really reptilian monsters - no joke. The genius here is that the plot actually gives this kid the means to get one HELL of a revenge, and it all plays out perfectly in the twist ending.
2. "Let's Get Invisible"
This is the first "Goosebumps" book that I remember reading in one sitting - it enthralled me that much back in the day. This one is really the perfect marriage of a lot of the best books in the series. It's got a plot device involving a twisted mirror that gives the kids invisibility powers, it's got a very excellent slow burn in the form of the kids staying within said mirror longer and longer, and it's got an ending twist that shows the source of the mirror's power that knocks your socks off. A+ stuff all around.
1. "A Night in Terror Tower"
This is the only book in the series that I actually remember reading twice during its initial run. Folks, this book is simply epic, taking the simple setup involving young siblings taking a tour of Terror Tower and turning it into a very well-crafted adventure. Time travel is involved, but just bear with it - it all makes perfect sense. What made this book so special to me back then was how it blended suspense with edge-of-your-seat adventure sequences, and it's no wonder that this is the book that got a two-part TV episode treatment.
Now, to be fair...the series had quite a few stinkers. The "Monster Blood" series, in particular, was pretty dire - even before I grew up and knew better. But as an introduction to the horror genre, a way to get your feet wet without diving in all the way, it was hard to imagine a better starting point than "Goosebumps." Fun to collect, fun to talk about, and always an easy read, these things are the highest-selling children's book series of all time for a reason. Mr. Stine, thank you for the memories.
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