Structure and Genre
The Goosebumps series falls under the children's fiction, horror and thriller genre, although R. L. Stine chooses to characterizes the series as "scary books that are also funny." Goosebumps books feature different characters and settings in each book. The primary protagonists in each book are middle class and can be either male or female.
The primary protagonists of a Goosebumps story are often situated in a remote location or somehow isolated from typical societal conventions. This can range anywhere from comfortable suburban areas to boarding schools, foreign villages or campsites. Books typically feature characters who either recently moved to a new neighborhood or are sent to stay with relatives.
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"I think everyone loves a good scare --- especially when you know you're safe at the same time. I like to think of GOOSEBUMPS as safe scares. You know everything is going to turn out okay in the end. Or maybe not...." |
| R. L. Stine |
The books in the Goosebumps series feature semi-homogenous plot structures with fictional kids being involved in scary situations. The books are mostly written in third person narrative, often concluding with twist endings. They contain surreal horrors, with characters encountering the strange and supernatural. R. L. Stine explained the success of his books by their absence of drugs, depravity and violence.
Read more about this topic: Goosebumps
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