Feed our little monster

2026-07
Ey you! YES, YOU! Are you fed up with watching the same Goosebumps episodes again and again?
Night of the Living Dummy, Monster Blood, One Day at HorrorLand are GREAT episodes, but nostalgia has a limit, and when you watch them over and over again, the "magic" starts to run out. But everyone knows that Goosebumps isn't the only one, there are more places to eat, there are more places to feed our little monster. And because of that, this servant made the DEFINITIVE LIST of Goosebumps' cousins.

As you know, this webpage is moderated by only one person (the slave, soon you will know why I call myself the slave), so if there is any incorrect information, let me know below in the comments and I will fix the error.

This DEFINITIVE LIST will have some rules to follow:

-It has to be a children's or young adult horror story.
-It has to have a non-core story with standalone books featuring different characters and story topics.
-It can have sequel chapters.
-If it's an anthology book, it will not count.
-It has to have a book series or a TV series to enter the list.
-If it meets the previous condition, I will include the movies too.
-It can have more than one series by the same author.

The list will be ordered by author. There will be a review about the theme of each series. I will mention the number of books/chapters/movies, and if one of them catches my attention, I will make a little review.

So... let's start!

Goosebumps (RL Stine)

The one that started it all. When the first Goosebumps book appeared in July 1992, Robert Lawrence Stine wasn't an amateur. His first big success was "Welcome to the Dead House" with Scholastic Corporation. The plan was simple: horror stories for children with a twist ending like "The Twilight Zone". The main character had to be a child/teen, and the most important rule: -Never cross the line that young readers can handle-. All the stories are about supernatural horror, featuring a living dummy, a haunted camera, werewolves, vampires, zombies, and many other various and original monsters. Some of its stories have one or more sequels, like "Night of the Living Dummy", "Monster Blood", "One Day at HorrorLand", and more. Something curious about this is that one of the monsters, or more precisely one DUMMY from these stories, became more popular than the mascot of the franchise. And...if you are a Latin American reader: Yes, Goosebumps has a mascot. His name is "Curly the Skeleton".

The franchise has:

-Book series
-TV series
-Movies

BOOKS (213 books so far)

The franchise start with the original series and gradually started to launching spinn offs.
Ordered chronologically:

1 Goosebumps (62 books)
Original series

2 Tales to Give You Goosebumps (6 books)
Antology of short stories books

3 Give Yourself Goosebumps (50 books)
Books like "Choose Your Own Adventure"

4 Goosebumps Triple Header (2 books)(books with many short stories)
Antology of short stories books with a new host "Lefty, Righty y Slim"

5 Goosebumps Series 2000 (25 books)
Direct continuation of the original series, 15 books were canceled because legal problems with the distributor

6 Goosebumps HorrorLand (21 books)
Spin Off with a "linear" story and isolated stories around the amusement park "HorrorLand"

7 Goosebumps Hall of Horrors (6 books)
Just like the original series but with a new host "Story-Keeper"

8 Goosebumps Most Wanted (15 books)
Sequels of the stories of the bests villians of the original series

9 Goosebumps SlappyWorld (20 books)
Another Spin off with isolated stories with Slappy as a new host with the humor like "Tales from the Crypt" comics

10 Goosebumps House of Shivers (6 book so far)
The last series, maintains the same style of the original series, isolated stories per book

TV SERIES (2 shows)

In comparation to the book series the list is more limitetad, there are only 2 "TV" series and one of them is awful.

1 Goosebumps (4 season,s 74 episodes)
The TV adaptation of the original book series, Tales to give you goosebumps and Goosebumps Series 2000.

2 Goosebumps 2023 (1 seasons, 10 episodes)
Reboot of the original series with a lot of modifications and a core story.

MOVIES (2 movies)
Strangely RL Stine had to wait 23 years to have a Goosebumps movie, the good new is that Jack Black plays as Stine!

1 Goosebumps (2015)
A core-story that talks about how Stine had to deal with the monsters of his books

2 Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween (2018)
Direct sequel of the first one, the Slappy revenge!



Fear Street (RL Stine)

Before Goosebumps, Stine made "Fear Street," a book saga about Shadyside's unlucky events. The location "Shadyside" is the core of the story. It is a young adult story a lot more serious than Goosebumps. Murder is common and uncensored, so it's a great opportunity if you are bored of the light stories of Goosebumps.

The franchise has:

-Book series
-Movies

BOOKS (123 books)

The original saga has a hidden core story with isolated stories in each book, but there are specials and "mini sagas" within Fear Street, like "Super Chillers" and "Seniors." The common theme in the series is a teenager dealing with a murderer because of jealousy, rivalry, or popularity. The original saga didn't have many supernatural villains, but supernatural elements are more common in the specials.

1989–1997 1. Fear Street (51 books)

The first saga that Stine wrote. As I said, it has a hidden core story with isolated stories in each book. The common theme in the series is a teenager dealing with a murderer because of jealousy, rivalry, or popularity.

1992–1998 2. Fear Street Super Chillers (13 books)

Longer, more intense, and darker! Super Chillers was the dose that Fear Street needed to level up. Now the supernatural theme is more common.

1993–1997 3. Fear Street Sagas (16 books)

Works as a prequel to the family called "Fear." Supernatural events are the rule, and the first books are connected, but then they begin to separate.

1994–1997 4. Fear Street Cheerleaders (6 books)

A core-story book saga that has to be read in order. Once again, supernatural events are very common. The story is about an ancient curse that hangs over cheerleaders.

1995–1998 5. Fear Street: The Cataluna Chronicles (3 books)

A spin-off with a poor connection to the rest of the Fear Street story. It's a core-story book saga. It is about a haunted car.

1996–1997 6. Fear Street Seniors (12 books)

A core-story book saga. The thriller comes back again, and the story focuses on a group of students in their last year of school.

1996–1997 7. Fear Street: Fear Park (3 books)

A core-story book saga. The connection is an amusement park called "Fear Park" (very original, Stine haha). It's a supernatural story.

1996–1997 8. 99 Fear Street: The House of Evil (3 books)

Another core-story book saga. Now the connection is a haunted house at "99 Fear Street."

1997–1998 9. Fear Street Nights (3 books)

I can see that Stine likes the number "3" haha. Another core-story book saga. The connection is the same forest as "Fear Park."

2010–2011 10. Fear Street: New Fear Street (4 books)

A breath of fresh air. The saga comes back to its roots and gives us 4 books with isolated stories and nothing but thriller!

2014–2015 11. Fear Street Relaunch (6 books)

The relaunch of the relaunch! 6 new books (longer than what we were used to) with isolated thriller stories.

2018–2019 12. Return to Fear Street (3 books)

Guess what? Another relaunch! The same of "Fear street relaunch" 3 isolated books with thriller stories.

MOVIES (4 movies)


Well, this was better (in my opinion) than the Goosebumps movies. A good bet by Netflix and Stine.

1. Fear Street Part Three: 1666 (2021)

A Netflix adaptation of the essence of Fear Street. It's an original story, but it takes the core of Fear Street and makes it into a trilogy. This is the first part of the trilogy, telling the origins of Sarah Fier's curse.

2. Fear Street Part Two: 1978 (2021)

The second part of the trilogy. It talks about Camp Nightwing.

3. Fear Street Part One: 1994 (2021)

The last part of the trilogy and the ending that closes the story.

4. Fear Street: Prom Queen (2025)

This movie is based on the novel "The Prom Queen" from the original saga.



The Ghosts of Fear Street (RL Stine)

It's like a Goosebumps book but set in the same neighborhood as Fear Street. There are no murderers, blood, or mature content.

The franchise has:

-Book series

BOOKS (36 books)

It's a book series with no core story and works like a spin-off of the original saga but for children



The Nightmare Room (RL Stine)

The middle step between Goosebumps and Fear Street. It's a little darker than Goosebumps, but not as dark as Fear Street.

The franchise has:

-Book series

-TV show

BOOKS (12 books)

A non-core book series like the original Goosebumps, but with slightly heavier horror content.

TV SHOW (1 show)

With one season and 13 episodes, the TV show adapts some stories from the book series while also creating original ones. Maintaining the same tone, The Nightmare Room presents 13 standalone stories, each independent from the others.


The Haunted Hour (RL Stine)

I think that was a new version of Goosebumps but more mature, It could change the name as "The Nightmare Room" and would be the same. But personaly I like it more than "The Nightmare Room"

The franchise has:

-A book

-TV show

-Movie

BOOKS (1 book)

Well, it's not a book saga; it's just an anthology book with mini stories in there. This book is very special to me because it's the first book that I read by R. L. Stine.

TV SHOW (1 show)

As I said, I think this was a new version of Goosebumps. It has twist endings, more mature content (for teenagers), very dark stories, and more. The TV show adapts stories from "The Haunting Hour book", "The Nightmare Hour book", and the movie "The Haunting Hour: Don't Think About It". I absolutely love the adaptation of the story The Ghostly Stare from The Nightmare Hour.

MOVIES (1 movie)

"The Haunting Hour: Don't Think About It" is a new original story that doesn't take anything from the books. I honestly don't know why it uses the title "The Haunting Hour".



Shivers (MD Spenser)

Uff, at last! R.L. Stine is OVER! Let's start with the rivals of Mr. Stine. Shivers is, in a big way, a cousin of Goosebumps. It has the same essence, the same book style, and if you ask me, I would say that it even has some of the "same" ideas. But who cares? More for us!

The franchise has:

-Book series

BOOKS (36 book)

Like its cousin, it is a book series featuring standalone stories, all aimed at children. As far as I know, it doesn't have anything new to offer.



Bone chillers (Betsy Haynes)

Well, this is more elaborate. Although the essence could be the same, the tone is different. Bone Chillers isn't just a horror series for children like Shivers, it adds an extra touch of comedy and weird moments.

The franchise has:

-Book series

-TV Show

BOOKS (23 book)

This book series features standalone stories, and some of them weren't written by Betsy Haynes. I don't know whether the titles were a copy of Goosebumps or simply inspired by it. I know, I know: the Goosebumps titles were inspired by popular horror movies, but who started the trend?

TV SHOW (1 show)

It is not an adaptation of the book series, but it takes its essence and sets everything in a school. Just check out the name of the school: "Edgar Allan Poe High School". If I had watched it when I was young, I would have yelled in front of the TV, "I WANT TO STUDY THEREEEEE!!" The formula is the same: a group of teens, something weird happens, and they try to fix the situation. It's a core-story and has 1 season with 13 episodes.



Deadtime Stories (A.G.Cascone)

From what I've read, "it's creepier than Goosebumps" but I don't know... they're just children's books. Either way, it's another cousin of Goosebumps, so we're basically talking about the same subject.

The franchise has:

-Book series

-TV Show

BOOKS (17 book)

A book series with standalone stories, it has the same essence as Goosebumps, so I don't think there's much more I can say about it.

TV SHOW (1 show)

In a big way, I can say that it's the same as the Goosebumps TV show, but with a few small differences: There is only one main character that you can see throughout the entire show: "the Babysitter". She is the one who "tells" the different stories. It has 1 season with 12 episodes.



Shadow Zone (J.R Black)

The formula is the same as Goosebumps, but... the stories are different. They have, in some way, a human side. The monsters could be as flat as all the other rivals, but when the bad monsters are evil for a certain reason, the story tends to be deeper.

The franchise has:

-Book series

-Movies

BOOKS (13 book)

Although the author is J.R. Black, there is more than one writer involved. As I said, these stories are deeper than what we are used to.

MOVIES (2 show)

This is weird. The franchise has 2 movies instead of a TV show. Well, they added a horror host called "The Reaper," who introduces the stories. Something funny is that in both movies, the main character is accused of being a liar.

1 Shadow Zone: The Undead Express (1996)
Based on one of its books, the story revolves around a boy, a subway, and some other characters who want to go outside once more.

2 Shadow Zone: My Teacher Ate My Homework (1997)
Based on another book, the story is about a boy who hates his teacher and discovers a new "tool" that "helps" him.



Spooksville (Christopher Pike)

Different from Goosebumps, Spookville have a linear story with 4 principal characters. The story has the same topics of

The franchise has:

-Book series

-TV show

BOOKS (24 book)

The group consists of Adam, Watch, Sally, and Cindy. Each kid is basically a stereotype: the nerd, the brave one, the friendly one, and the leader. The story reminds me of "Eerie Indiana" but with more kids. They work as paranormal investigators, and each book features a new "monster" for them to hunt.

TV SERIES (1 show)

With one season and 22 episodes, the TV show is an adaptation of the books that takes a lot of creative liberties. It remains a linear story, but with many changes. It's like mixing all the books together and making them a little less mature.



Spinetinglers (M.T. Coffin)

It is a series of standalone middle-grade horror novels, more visceral and grotesque than Goosebumps, but with the same soul.

The franchise has:

-Book series

BOOKS (30 book)

With 30 books, M.T. Coffin "is"...or rather: are a group of writers who followed the trend that R. L. Stine started.



Graveyard School (Nola Thacker)

It is like Goosebumps, but with a new premise: the books have standalone stories and sometimes different characters, but only one topic is the rule: the School.

The franchise has:

-Book series

BOOKS (28 book)

Mister Thacker, writing under the pen name "Tom B. Stone," developed the idea of a haunted school located across from a cemetery. The tone is similar to Goosebumps, but with a stronger focus on school life and classroom scenes. I remember reading one of these books when I was young. It had a great idea: at the end of the story, there was a paragraph with some adjectives and other words removed, so readers could fill in the blanks with their own choices. I was fascinated by this detail when I was in my early teens.



Gooflumps (R.U. Slime)

Another book saga that is at the limit of the rules. Gooflumps is a direct parody of Goosebumps, sharing the same spirit but with one major difference: it is not a straight horror series. Instead, it embraces humor as its main focus and parodies two of Stine's books.

The franchise has:

-Book series

BOOKS (2 book)

With only two standalone books, Tom Hughes (the real author) took inspiration from Stine's trend and transformed it into a horror-comedy series.



Zone Unknown Series (Paul Zindel)

Different from all the sagas we have seen inspired by Goosebumps, this series takes science fiction as its main focus instead of supernatural elements.

The franchise has:

-Book series

BOOKS (6 book)

Standalone books featuring dinosaurs, UFOs, cryptozoology, and more. Paul Zindel broke away from the trend and followed his own path.



Spinechillers Mysteries (Fred E. Katz)

Another Goosebumps clone. Nothing particularly special without Stine's trademark final twist. It's a little darker too.

The franchise has:

-Book series

BOOKS (12 book)

Standalone books about supernatural events. Nothing new.



Frightmares (Peg Kehret)

The series follows the adventures of Rosie, Kayo, and a dog named Bone Breath. Unlike Goosebumps, it doesn't feature supernatural horror, instead, it focuses on more realistic dangers. It takes the characters and puts them into dangerous real-life situations.

The franchise has:

-Book series

BOOKS (8 book)

The series consists of standalone books in which the main characters appear, but each one features a different story.



Nightmare Hall (Diane Hoh)

All the stories revolve around a dormitory called Nightingale Hall, where murderers and ghosts may be lurking. The main premise is that you never really know whether the source of the danger is human or supernatural.

The franchise has:

-Book series

BOOKS (29 book)

With 29 standalone stories, Diane Hoh takes the spirit of Fear Street by Stine and makes it her own horror book series.



Chamber of Horrors (Bruce Coville)

It is a series of standalone horror novels with a slightly more serious tone than Goosebumps.

The franchise has:

-Book series

BOOKS (4 book)

With only four standalone stories, this series explores amulets, tarot, and spirits.