Goosebumps books reviewed

Goosebumps is a long-running series of children’s horror stories by the American author Robert Lawrence Stine. Since the first installment in the series came out in 1992, the Goosebumps series has introduced millions of young readers to horror and the fiction genre in general, becoming synonymous with light-hearted yet chilling takes on the paranormal.

R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books overview

R. L. Stine is an American author from Columbus, Ohio. Stein was born in 1943 and began his writing career at the age of nine when he discovered an old typewriter that begged to be used. Inspired by magazines such as Tales from the Crypt, young Stein gave writing a shot, coming up with all sorts of humorous tales that would serve as seeds for all the stories he’s since graced us with.

A more experienced writer and a skilled editor, thanks to his experience in the Scholastic Press, Stein started writing the Goosebumps series in the ’90s. The series was met with unexpected success and made it to various best-seller lists, cementing Stein’s position as the go-to author of children’s horror fiction.

Series overview and book list

The Goosebumps series, in total, spans hundreds of books. The original series received positive reviews and became somewhat of a cultural phenomenon, inspiring Stein to write several spin-off series.

Original Series (1992-1997)

Stein has written hundreds of books, but he still remains most known for the original Goosebump series that ran from 1992 to 1997. The series includes a whopping 62 titles, including some classic Goosebumps such as:

• Welcome to Dead House
• Monster Blood IV
• The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb
• Say Cheese and Die!
• One Day at HorrorLand
• Stay Out of the Basement
• A Night in Terror Tower
• A Shocker on Shock Street
• Attack of the Mutant
• Don’t Go to Sleep
• Let’s Get Invisible
• Phantom of the Auditorium
• Return of the Mummy
• The Beast from the East 
• The Abominable Snowman of Pasadena
• The Blob That Ate Everyone
• Deep Trouble II
• The Haunted School
• Werewolf Skin
• I Live in Your Basement
• Monster Blood IV
• The Ghost Next Door
• The Horror at Camp Jellyjam
• The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight
• Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes
• The Barking Ghost
• Vampire Breath
• Legend of the Lost Legend
• Night of the Living Dummy III
• Attack of the Jack-O’-Lanterns
• How I got my Shrunken Head
• Why I’m Afraid of Bees
• You Can’t Scare Me
• Be Careful What You Wish For
• Welcome to Camp Nightmare

Each subsequent title was almost immediately noted for its shocking plot twists and unsettling themes that made readers’ blood run cold. Readers aged 8–12 were universally enthralled by monsters, ghosts, and apparitions that haunted Stein’s pages, and the author’s suspenseful style ensured they would come back for more.

Goosebumps Series 2000 (1998-2000)

Somewhat overlapping with the Give Yourself Goosebumps series of gamebooks, Stein’s first spin-off series ran for two years between 1998 and 2000, covering more than twenty books.

Stein planned to write forty volumes, but fifteen of them were postponed. The published volumes included sequels to some of the more beloved titles from the original series, such as One Day at HorrorLand and Ghost Camp.

Once again, Stein’s target audience comprised readers aged 8 to 12, and the stories were just as uncanny as before. Tim Jacobus reprised his role as the cover artist, and two books were even adapted into the Goosebumps TV series.

Goosebumps HorrorLand (2008-2009)

In the period between 2008 and 2009, and even later, up to 2011, Stein wrote a number of books featuring horror-themed amusement parks and a set of recurring characters trying to escape all the horrors that lurked in them. The series features some of Stein’s more famous titles, such as:

• When the Ghost Dog Howls
• Weirdo Halloween
• The Wizard of Ooze
• Slappy New Year
• The Horror at Chiller House
• Who’s Your Mummy?
• My Friends Call Me Monster

Clowns and amusement parks being common nightmare fuel and the definition of horror for many, the HorrorLand series quickly landed on many readers’ wishlists.

Goosebumps Most Wanted (2014-2015)

The Goosebumps Most Wanted series features ten novels and several special editions, including one stand-alone novel. The title is a reference to the recurring plot point of some of the most famous Goosebumps villains trying to escape the long arm of the law. In the Most Wanted series, Stein opted for a longer format, but the suspense never waned. The series features titles such as:

• Planet of the Lawn Gnomes 
• Son of Slappy 
• How I Met My Monster 
• Frankenstein’s Dog 
• A Nightmare on Clown Street
• Lizard of Oz 

Goosebumps SlappyWorld (2017-2018)

The Goosebumps SlappyWorld series began in Stein’s 2017–2018 era, starting with Slappy Birthday to You. The series comprises nineteen books centered around the exploits of Slappy, a ventriloquist dummy who comes to life when it’s time to narrate his own messed-up tales. It is one of the longest series in the franchise, being tied with HorrorLand. As such Slappy himself has become a cultural icon. Some of the books in the Slappy series include:

• Slappy Birthday to You 
• I Am Slappy’s Evil Twin 
• Escape From Shudder Mansion 
• The Ghost of Slappy 
• It’s Alive! It’s Alive! 
• The Dummy Meets The Mummy! 
• Revenge of the Invisible Boy 
• Monster Blood is Back 

Goosebumps Hall of Horrors (2011-2013)

The series Goosebumps Hall of Horrors is comprised of six books published in 2011 and 2012. They’re narrated from the point of view of a child visiting the Hall of Horrors in HorrorLand, where a spooky creature called the Story-Keeper collects stories. Despite being called a series, the Hall of Horrors stories are all stand-alone, and there is no overarching plot line connecting them all.

Goosebumps: Secrets of the Swamp (2019)

Secrets of the Swamp is the fourth arc in the Goosebumps comic book series. It comprises five issues, and it follows the exploits of a twelve-year-old girl, Blake, spending the summer in Fever Swamp. Instead of bugs and outdoor adventures, she gets a plateful of horror as she gets caught up in a war between hunters and the werewolf of Fever Swamp.

A deeper look into why Stine’s Goosebump books are so popular

Stein’s horror books have become true classics in their genre, influencing subsequent takes on the genre and worming their way into media and entertainment as a household name for children’s horror fiction.

The key to Stein’s success lies in his age-appropriate style and well-crafted, recognizable characters that both innovate and revitalize older horror tropes, such as those of the headless ghost, the haunted masks, ghost beaches, and villains who eat worms. Stein balances the scariest aspects of his work with fun, light-hearted plots, allowing the reader to experience what might be described as campfire horror in a safe environment.

Stein’s prolific output, the imaginative art of his illustrators, and familiar characters all contribute to the success of the Goosebumps franchise and ensure it remains relevant. Many of the tropes, jump scares, and grisly images that give you goosebumps in all sorts of entertainment media quite often have their roots in Stein’s work, whose easily adaptable nature is surely going to yield itself into countless new movies, TV shows, and video game adaptations and ensure the novels never go out of print.

Listen to books like Goosebumps with Speechify Audiobooks

Consider listening to a child or adult horror story as an audiobook on Speechify if you want to experience the shivers, or rather goosebumps.

There is a great collection of horror books and short stories on Speechify Audiobooks, including more favorites by the Goosebumps author R. L. Stein such as Red Rain, Young Scrooge, the Garbage Pail Kids: Welcome to Smellville, or You May Now Kill the Bride.

And if you get too spooked, you can search through over 70,000 other less spooky titles, whether you want a thrilling crime book or to check out the mystery, fantasy, or romance genres.

One thing is for sure, with Speechify Audiobooks, you’ll never run out of captivating stories and interesting reads. Try Speechify today and grab your first premium audiobook for free.