“Nothing scares me. I read horror novels and go to horror movies all the time. And when they come to the scary parts, I always burst out laughing. Is that sick? In The Shining, Jack Nicholson goes berserk, menacing his terrified family with an ax at the Overlook Hotel while his weird son repeats, ‘Redrum, redrum.’ And I laugh. In Marathon Man, Evil Laurence Olivier leans over Dustin Hoffman with his whistling drill and whispers, ‘Is it safe? Is it safe?’ And I laugh.
Vampires? A hoot. Zombies? Hysterical. “I never feel that tingle of fear. I never have the urge to open my mouth in a scream of terror. My teeth don’t chatter. I don’t shudder or feel a chill run down my body. I think horror is funny. I have a friend who went to see Jaws at the movies. When the shark popped up, she was so frightened, she ducked — and broke her nose on the seat in front of her. Now, that’s a good horror-movie reaction. Me? I just laugh.”
— Children’s horror author R.L. Stine has written hundreds of books, including his famous Fear Street and Goosebumps series. His TV series, R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour, based on his extensive spooky catalog, airs on Saturdays on The Hub.