What is the Goosebumps book series?

Goosebumps is a popular horror book series for children, created by author R.L. Stine. The series has sold over 400 million copies worldwide since its debut in 1992.

How did the Goosebumps TV show perform?

The Goosebumps TV series, which premiered 30 years ago in 1995, reached almost 8 million households in the U.S. and helped introduce the spooky book franchise to a wider audience.

What is R.L. Stine's background as a writer?

Despite his reputation for frightening children, Stine never intended to write horror stories. He started out wanting to be a funny writer, but his publisher convinced him to try his hand at teen horror novels, leading to the creation of the Goosebumps and Fear Street series.

Home / Arts and Entertainment / Goosebumps Turns 30: How a Spooky Book Series Captivated Generations

Goosebumps Turns 30: How a Spooky Book Series Captivated Generations

27 Oct, 2025

•

Summary

Goosebumps book series sold over 400 million copies worldwide
R.L. Stine never planned to write scary stories, just wanted to be funny
Goosebumps TV show premiered 30 years ago, reaching 8 million households

Goosebumps Turns 30: How a Spooky Book Series Captivated Generations

In October 1995, a new TV series based on the popular Goosebumps book franchise premiered, captivating a generation of young viewers. The show's debut, which reached almost 8 million households in the U.S., marked a major milestone for the beloved book series that had taken the world by storm just a few years earlier.

Goosebumps, created by author R.L. Stine, has since sold over 400 million copies worldwide in 35 languages, making it the second-best-selling literary franchise behind Harry Potter. However, Stine never set out to write scary stories for children. As he revealed in 2015, "I never planned to be scary, I always just wanted to be funny."

Despite his initial reluctance, Stine's spooky-yet-humorous tales struck a chord with millions of young readers, who discovered the books through word-of-mouth and a "secret kids' network" in the early 1990s. The series' success didn't stop on the page, as it has since spawned video games, comic books, two feature films, and a modern Disney+ series.