Local Horror: ‘GOOSEBUMPS’ Creator R.L. Stine is Coming to St. Louis

Mystical cameras, living and breathing plants, creepy librarians, missing campers in the woods, and a mischievous ventriloquist dummy are just some of the reasons why many kids did not sleep well in the 90’s.  These nightmares were put on the page by the now legendary children’s author R.L. Stine.  Goosebumps first arrived on book shelves in 1992 courtesy of the New York writer and has spawned other series stemming from the original name and even a TV series.  Stine’s series was a fun foray into horror for young people who were just getting into the world of ghosts, mummies, and werewolves.  I was a huge collector of the books and have even kept and re-bought many of my favorites from my younger days.  Back in the day, Waldenbooks used to call me and hold a copy of each new book behind the front desk for me.  If I got that phone call – even if it was 8:00 on a school night – my parents would immediately drive me up there.  Outside of the writing which frequently focused on bickering siblings or underdogs and miscasts in unusual situations (characters a nerdy 7 yr. old could no doubt relate to), the books always left a lasting impression on me due to the stylized artwork from Tim Jacobus.  A little bit of camp was mixed into each slightly creepy cover that served as the perfect introduction to the story.  Every cover was also adorned with the trademark brightly colored “drippy” lettering that was enhanced through textured bumps imposed on the word Goosebumps.

R.L. Stine will always be for me one of the main reasons why I’m such an avid horror fan today.  Just as many of Stine’s original fans have now grown up, so too has Stine and with that a taste to scare the original audience that used to read his scary stories.  Red Rain is the author’s second foray into adult-oriented horror and marks the 20th anniversary of his original best-selling series.   R. L. Stine will be talking about his new thriller as well as his Goosebumps books at the St. Louis Jewish Book Festival this Friday, November 9!  There will be a kid-friendly discussion that begins at 10:30 followed by a presentation and interview for adults at 1:00.  Tickets for each event are sold separately.  Give in to your inner 90’s adolescent self and head to the Staenberg Family Complex at 2 Millstone Campus Dr. this Friday.  For more info you can visit the official event website by clicking HERE.

Maybe Stine might even have some inside information about the feature film that is currently in development based on his work which is being written for the screen by Carl Ellsworth (TV’s Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Red Eye, Disturbia, and the remake of The Last House on the Left).

If you don’t live in St. Louis or can’t make it to the event, you can purchase R.L. Stine’s new book Red Rain by clicking the link below.