Goosebumps Books In Order

Publication Order of Goosebumps Books

Publication Order of Give Yourself Goosebumps Books

Publication Order of Give Yourself Goosebumps: Special Edition Books

Publication Order of Goosebumps 2000 Books

Publication Order of Goosebumps Graphix Books

Publication Order of Goosebumps HorrorLand (First Arc) Books

Publication Order of Goosebumps HorrorLand (Second Arc) Books

Publication Order of Goosebumps Most Wanted Books

Publication Order of Goosebumps Most Wanted Special Edition Books

Publication Order of Goosebumps Special Edition Collections

Publication Order of Goosebumps SlappyWorld Books

Publication Order of Goosebumps Special Books

Publication Order of Goosebumps The Movie Books

Publication Order of Goosebumps: Hall Of Horrors Books

Publication Order of Goosebumps Presents Books

Goosebumps are a series of horror stories for children written by best selling novelist R.L. Stine, starting from 1992. The books portray various teen characters in a series of scary situations. A total of 62 books are available in the series, with several spin off novels published as well following the explosive popularity of the original books. Various Goosebumps novels have been adapted for different mediums, including video games, comic books, a popular television show and a film in 2015 starring Jack Black.

Series Overview:

The books use a combination of horror and humor to explore the world of monsters from the viewpoint of children. Their is no one central protagonist, but rather a roster of young adult and teenage characters grappling with scary situations and homicidal monsters. The stories often unfold in remote corners of the country which are isolated from the rest of the world, such as boarding schools, summer camps, vacation houses or abandoned homes. The protagonists are typically loners or newcomers who find it difficult to fit in. The stories are written in the first person, providing the reader with a running commentary of the protagonist’s thought processes, and often include twist endings. Monsters range from the mythical to the supernatural, or belonging to the genres of science and speculative fiction.

Welcome to the Dead House:

The first novel in the series follows the story of the Benson family. Their desire to move to a new home brings them to Dark Falls, a house that appears to possess an unaccountable sense of menace, characterized by a brooding atmosphere and an inexplicably dark color tone. The house appears to exist in a permanent state of gloom, making for a difficult environment for the family and its children Amanda and Josh, as well as the dog Petey. Amanda notices many strange things about the house, and the children she meets nearby all seem to have a strangely purposeful method of behavior in befriending her and her brother. A nearby cemetery provides a sinister backdrop to disturbing occurrences that take place once they move into the house. The family begins to quickly realize that all is not well, and it is revealed that those who live nearby are dead people formerly belonging to the house, and require a blood sacrifice once a year. It is for the purpose of providing the sacrifice that the Benson Family had been lured to Dark Falls. After learning the truth, Amanda and her brother must find a way to save their family from the undead and from the house, while dealing with the sinister presence of their real estate agent.

Stay Out of the Basement:

The second novel in the series follows a brother and sister duo, Margaret and Casey, as they uncover their father’s plans to create a new kind of plant and human hybrid. The two are the children of a celebrated ex botanist with an obsession with plant experimentation. Initially unaware of his level of obsession, the children are engrossed in their game one day when they observe their father in the distance. Margaret attempts to follow her father into the basement, leading him to raise a hand covered in blood and warn her to stay out of the basement.

When their mother leaves to attend to her sick sister, their father’s behavior becomes increasingly more erratic. He repeatedly warns the children to stay out of the basement and wears a cap at all times, as well eating fertilizer and filling his bed with dirt and worms. It is revealed that he had been performing experiments on himself in order to create the perfect cross between man and plant, but insists that the side effects, such as leaves growing out of his head, are nothing more than a temporary occurrence.
When their father’s behavior becomes increasingly deranged, leading to the possible murder of his boss and the continued absence of their mother, the children are forced to take matters into their own hands and venture into the basement to confront the source of the horror.

Series Discussion:

The Goosebumps series have been praised for their skillful combination of horror and comedy, with relatable protagonists and an engaging style of narration. Murder, violence and depravity very rarely occur in the series, and are believed to be one of the main reasons for their success. The series consistently portrays children overcoming great odds to defeat evil and using their wits to bring about the conclusion. The writing style is simple and unaffected, designed to be understood easily by children of all ages. Certain passages in the stories deal with occult witchcraft and other facets of dark magic that might be considered unsuitable for younger children, but the series rarely delves too deep into those subjects, and quickly returns to the problem solving nature of a crime thriller or a murder mystery.

Several spin off versions of the original series give their own unique twist to the story lines. Several short story anthologies written in the same style of horror comedy were compiled under the title of ‘Tales to Give You Goosebumps’. A similar spin off featured stories with multiple endings that were to be chosen by the reader in the make your own adventure style of narration. The reader is put in place of the protagonist and given a series of choices in the face of horror that determines the fate of the character and the ending of the novel.

Spin off stories that followed the original Goosebumps maintained the humorous tone of those first stories without minimizing the horror aspect of the narrative. Critics have praised the series for delving into the rich mythology of various countries to produce monsters that seem fresh and exciting to young readers. The series is also credited with getting an entire generation of youngsters to start reading again. The readership is split evenly between both genders, with R.L. Stine reporting that the fan letters he receives are sent by both girls and boys. The series has consistently topped favorite books lists chosen by young readers, and enjoys a huge popularity with readers of all ages to this day.