R. L. Stine has written dozens of Goosebumps books over the years, with a few of them being inspired by some of the most iconic classic horror movies of all time. Known as the Stephen King of children’s books, Stine has had an impeccable career filled with fright-filled tales that range from terrifying summer camps to vicious creatures who force families into sadistic game shows. It is a little known fact that he’s taken inspiration for horror movies to craft some of his most popular stories, but it must be noted as Goosebumps continues to dominate the children’s horror sub-genre.
In the 1990s, the Goosebumps series started publication with Welcome To Dead House. Only a few years later, Goosebumps was transformed into a television show of the same name. Even when it came to a close in 1998, he returned for R. L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour that ran from 2010 to 2014. He has had such an impressive impact on generations of horror fans that the year 2015 brought his Goosebumps books to life with Jack Black starring as Stine. In 2021, his lesser-known young adult series, Fear Street, will release as a trilogy on Netflix.
Stine’s Goosebumps books have become classics in their own right, but some were inspired by even more iconic horror classics. Whether they’re B movies or prolific zombie flicks, he has introduced some of the youngest fans to a life-long love of the genre while catering to the guardians who may have read alongside them. Without further ado, here’s every Goosebumps book inspired by a classic horror movie.
Night Of The Living Dummy
Night Of The Living Dummy is based on none other than George A. Romero’s Night Of The Living Dead. While Stine’s book doesn’t feature zombies, it does bring ventriloquist dummies to life that torment a family in their own home. It follows a similar storyline to Romero’s 1968 movie, but alters it by making it more child friendly, removes the cannibalistic aspects, and plays on childhood fears of dolls and inanimate objects come to life.
Why I’m Afraid Of Bees
It may come as a surprise that Kurt Neumann’s The Fly inspired Stine’s Why I’m Afraid Of Bees, but its contents are relatively familiar to the 1958 horror flick. After Gary Lutz decides that he wants to switch lives with someone else for a while, a bizarre accident causes him to merge with a bumblebee. In The Fly, André Delambre (Al Hedison) DNA gets mixed with a fly’s DNA while toying with his latest experiment. Both stories delve into the idea of body swapping with a flying insect.
It Came From Beneath The Sink!
It Came From Beneath The Sink! was inspired by the sci-fi horror movie It Came From Beneath The Sea. While the size and severity of their creatures are entirely different, they are also relatively the same, as they both dwell in dark and damp spaces. The Goosebumps book’s title is a play on the 1955 movie’s name, which happened to be a very popular title for movies featuring sci-fi elements in the 1950s like It Came From Outer Space. It Came From Beneath The Sink! is mostly a homage to sci-fi horror classics like It Came From Beneath The Sea that takes inspiration from how bizarre these features are and were at the time.
Phantom Of The Auditorium
It’s fairly obvious that Phantom Of The Auditorium was inspired by The Phantom Of The Opera. It follows a similar plot where strange events are happening in an auditorium and it’s up to Brooke to solve the mystery of who or what is causing stage lights to fall and curtains to drop. Phantom Of The Auditorium isn’t as horrifying as the 1925 horror movie, but it does feature its core elements of strange happenings surrounding a theatrical performance.
The Werewolf Of Fever Swamp
Werewolf Of London inspired R. L. Stine’s The Werewolf Of Fever Swamp. Stuart Walker’s 1935 horror movie follows a group of academics who delve into the mysteries of lycanthropy, which is the transformation from human to werewolf. It was one of the first mainstream werewolf movies and preceded Lon Chaney Jr.’s famous depiction in The Wolf Man. The Werewolf Of Fever Swamp also details a scientist’s exploration that leads to his family acquiring a dog that may be wreaking havoc on their Florida swamp.
Let’s Get Invisible
The Invisible Man is one of Universal’s most popular creature features and was even remade as recently as 2020. In Stine’s version of the story, Let’s Get Invisible, a group of friends discover a mirror that allows them to turn invisible when they use a light that hangs overhead. As it progresses, they discover that the longer they stay invisible, the stranger they become. The Invisible Man features a larger sense of horror when a man’s invisibility impacts an entire town, while Let’s Get Invisible is contained to a small group of friends. Regardless, the horrors of disappearing permeate throughout the entirety of both tales.
The Curse Of The Mummy’s Tomb
The Curse Of The Mummy’s Tomb was inspired by the classic 1964 horror mummy movie of the same name. They more or less share the same plot with an alteration to the explorer’s age. As both characters explore the pyramids, they find that they’re not the only ones inside and that, perhaps, something much darker awaits them as they work their way towards the mummy’s tomb.
The Blob That Ate Everyone
The Blob is one of the most recognizable classic B horror movies that came from the year 1958. Stine took notable inspiration from the movie in his The Blob That Ate Everyone. It follows Zackie who purchases a strange typewriter. As he sets out to rewrite the classic horror story, he finds that whatever he types comes to life. Just like The Blob, Zackie’s version of the monster also wreaks havoc on his small town.
The Abominable Snowman Of Pasadena
When Jordan and Nicole dream of a wintery vacation, they are given the opportunity to travel to Alaska where their father is tasked with taking photos of the abominable snowman. Being that the family is from Pasadena, Stine’s book is aptly named The Abominable Snowman Of Pasadena. It is inspired by Hammer Films’ 1957 British horror movie The Abominable Snowman about a scientist who joins an explorer on the hunt for the infamous Yeti.
A Shocker On Shock Street
A Shocker On Shock Street is one of Stine’s most iconic Goosebumps books. It takes inspiration from Nathan Juran’s 1957 sci-fi horror movie The Deadly Mantis. The horror movie is one of many featuring insects, creatures, and/or monsters who are discovered by scientists and then travel to a densely populated area to cause mayhem. A Shocker On Shock Street features numerous horrors that Erin and Marty run into while exploring the newly opened amusement park based on their favorite franchise, Shock Street. As they wander through the set, they discover that the horrors are real and the giant praying mantises are one of their biggest threats, similar to that of The Deadly Mantis.
Most, if not all, of R. L. Stine’s books are based on some form of horror content. These ten happen to be apart of the category relating to those inspired by classic horror movies, whereas others, such as The Haunted Mask take inspiration from more contemporary works like Halloween III: Season Of The Witch. There are even several books that feature a popular setting of slashers: a summer camp. It is apparent that R. L. Stine is attentive to the genre he works within, as his Goosebumps books are inspired or influenced by some of the most iconic settings, sub-genres, and classic horror movies.
