R. L. Stine is known worldwide for his children's horror series, especially the iconic Goosebumps. With spooky yet fun storytelling, he sparked a love of reading and chills in young readers everywhere.
If you enjoy reading books by R. L. Stine then you might also like the following authors:
If you like the spooky thrills of R. L. Stine, Alvin Schwartz is another great author to try. Schwartz's style is simple and direct with stories tightly packed with eerie folklore and ghostly legends.
He takes classic urban legends and retells them in ways that feel surprisingly fresh and haunting. His collection Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark offers short chilling tales perfect for sharing around campfires, providing readers of all ages some serious goosebumps.
Christopher Pike builds suspenseful, page-turning horror mysteries aimed at teens. Like Stine, Pike creates intense plots involving supernatural threats, hidden secrets, and high school drama.
His novel Remember Me includes themes of revenge and mystery, following the perspective of a teenage ghost trying to solve her own murder.
Lois Duncan writes suspenseful stories that blend mystery, danger, and supernatural occurrences. Her plots often feature realistic scenarios that slowly twist into darker territory. Duncan's I Know
What You Did Last Summer explores guilt, revenge, and the long shadows cast by past mistakes. Readers who enjoy the unsettling suspense in R. L. Stine's books may appreciate Duncan's realistic yet dark storytelling.
Katherine Arden offers readers atmospheric horror with cleverly blended ghostly folklore and modern suspense. Her style brings quiet, creeping dread and lyrical prose together in a captivating combination.
In her novel Small Spaces, Arden crafts an eerie tale about mysterious disappearances, haunted scarecrows, and sinister beings lurking in rural settings. Fans of suspense and spooky adventures similar to R. L. Stine's eerie mysteries will find Arden compelling.
Mary Downing Hahn specializes in ghostly tales, where ordinary settings become uniquely tense and suspenseful. Her writing is clear, relatable, and filled with gently haunting mysteries perfect for middle-grade readers.
In her notable novel, Wait Till Helen Comes, Hahn combines themes of family tension, tragic history, and spectral encounters to create an emotionally resonant, spine-chilling read.
If you love the mysterious vibe of Stine's ghost stories and creepy encounters, Hahn will definitely catch your attention.
Jonathan Stroud writes imaginative supernatural adventures filled with ghosts, humor, and chills. His stories often feature intriguing mysteries and engaging characters who must outsmart paranormal threats.
Readers who enjoy R.L. Stine might be drawn to Stroud's book The Screaming Staircase, the first book in his Lockwood & Co. series, which blends spooky suspense with witty dialogue and thrilling action.
Darren Shan specializes in dark fantasy and eerie horror tales that explore themes of friendship, fear, danger, and the struggles between good and evil. His storytelling style mixes vivid descriptions with fast-paced plots.
His series opener, Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare, introduces readers to a weird and frightening world of vampires, monsters, and chilling adventures that would hook fans of Stine's creepy stories.
Neal Shusterman crafts chilling, thought-provoking tales for young adults, often dealing with eerie dystopian worlds, complex ethical questions, and intense suspense.
His novel Unwind is a gripping read that tackles themes about identity, humanity, and survival in a tense future setting. Readers who appreciate R.L. Stine's blend of fear and imaginative storytelling will find much to enjoy in Shusterman's work.
Dan Poblocki creates atmospheric ghost stories and chilling mysteries full of tension and suspense. His novels serve up classic horror vibes, eerie settings, and well-paced scares that'll keep readers turning pages.
His book The Ghost of Graylock offers the kind of spooky thrills fans of Stine's ghostly tales would appreciate, combining supernatural intrigue with solid storytelling.
Betty Ren Wright is known for blending ghostly suspense with genuine emotional depth in her books, capturing the fears and excitement of children encountering the supernatural. Her mysteries combine eerie settings and spooky encounters alongside relatable young characters.
Her beloved novel, The Dollhouse Murders, is both haunting and intriguing, perfect for readers who enjoy R.L. Stine's suspenseful yet approachable ghost stories.
K.R. Alexander is a great choice if you enjoy R. L. Stine's blend of thrill and scares. His writing is fast-paced and creates an atmosphere thick with suspense, focusing on haunted places, creepy happenings, and strange twists.
Try The Collector, a spooky story about Josie, who moves back to her grandmother's rural home and quickly discovers unsettling dolls and dark secrets awaiting her.
Joseph Delaney writes fantasy adventures that mix supernatural horror with coming-of-age themes. Like Stine, Delaney builds plenty of suspense and eerie moments.
His book The Spook's Apprentice (from The Last Apprentice series) follows a young boy named Tom Ward who trains to protect his world from dark forces—including creatures, ghosts, and witches.
Holly Black creates dark fantasy worlds that contain supernatural thrills, magic, and mystery. Fans of Stine's imaginative storytelling will appreciate how Black explores themes of danger, friendship, and otherworldly threats in her stories.
In Doll Bones, three friends set out on a spooky quest involving a haunted doll made from mysterious materials.
Adam Gidwitz is known for weaving playful humor into scary fairy tales that keep young readers entertained. Readers who enjoy the humorous tone and occasional fright found in Stine's work will love Gidwitz's creativity.
His book, A Tale Dark and Grimm, offers a fresh, occasionally creepy take on classic fairy tales as siblings Hansel and Gretel journey through dangerous forests and encounter mysterious figures.
Tracey West writes entertaining, approachable stories filled with magic and adventure. Younger fans of R. L. Stine will enjoy West's fast-paced writing style and engaging characters.
Her book Rise of the Earth Dragon, the first in the Dragon Masters series, introduces young readers to Drake, a boy chosen to train dragons and face mysterious challenges.