R.L. Stine

Whodunit? 10 Famous Ghostwriting Collaborations

The newest celebrity scandal has nothing to do with sex, drugs, or alimony. Instead, New York Times dining writer Julia Moskin recently shared a behind the scenes look at cookbook ghostwriting and outed star Gwyneth Paltrow. Moskin states that the actress did not write her best-selling cookbook, My Father’s Daughter. Gwenny isn’t happy and responded to the claim on Twitter. “Love @nytimes dining section but this weeks facts need checking. No ghost writer on my cookbook, I wrote every word myself,” she shared with fans.

While we love a good cookbook, the recent headlines inspired us to revisit some of our favorite fiction penned by ghostwriters instead. Many famous authors have either helped others find their footing in the literary world, or have sought the assistance of an invisible friend. Check out ten ghostwriting collaborations past the break. Head to our comments section to leave your own picks. … Read More

What’s On at Flavorpill: The Links That Made the Rounds in Our Office

Today at Flavorpill, we looked at Pinterest’s oddest posts. We wondered why Oxygen is just realizing that “thrifting” is a thing and imagined how disturbing their teen wedding show will be. We had a super bad laundry day. We vowed never to eat something called a “Triple Bypass… Read More

10 Famous Children’s Authors Who Also Wrote Books for Adults

Although we were big Goosebumps fans in our elementary school years, we have to admit that we haven’t been up on R.L. Stine’s authorial activities since the early ’90s. So we were surprised, last week, when he tweeted, “I’m happy to say I’ve finished my horror novel for adults. It will be published next July.” His announcement got us thinking about how many famous children’s authors — both classic and current — have also written books for adults, with varying degrees of publicity and success. After the jump, we take a look at the more mature work of some of our favorite authors from childhood. … Read More

Video of the Day: Jeff Goldblum as Dracula in 1996 Video Game

The title of i09′s post about Jeff Goldblum’s appearance in a Goosebumps video game may have been changed before publication, but its URL tells us how they really feel: http://io9.com/#!5791286/jeff-goldblum-as-dracula-in-a-1996-goosebumps-computer-game-is-weirdly-erotic. Back in 1996, Steven Spielberg was producing the video game version of R. L. Stine’s kiddie horror novels, which means he was able to secure cameos from Jeff Goldblum, Isabella Rosselini, and some other adult actors eight-year-old probably didn’t care about. And, as PopMatters noticed, Goldblum’s appearance as Dracula really something special. He mugs, he flashes fang, he mutters — and then he sweeps the game’s tween heroine into a waltz of seduction. “Weirdly erotic” or just plain weird? Either way, we’re sure we’ll be seeing this one in our nightmares. … Read More

Our Most Beloved Childhood Authors Revisited

If you, like us, picked through boxes of tattered paperback books while home over the holidays, you’re probably still feeling as nostalgic as we are. Our dog-eared copies of beloved series and flashlight favorites brought back memories of those carefree days when you had all the time in the world to get lost in a book. Although we’ve grown into busier schedules and wider literary tastes as adults, nothing beats the familiar comfort of a beloved childhood author. Here’s a look back at some of the seminal writers who defined our early reading careers, and an update on what they’ve been doing in the meantime. Help jog our memory with other forgotten favorites in the comments section. … Read More

Forget Harry Potter: 10 Other Kids’ Book Series That Should Be Movies

The time of the children’s book series adaptation is upon us. We just learned that the Harry Potter films have made more money than any other franchise. Then there’s the Twilight phenomenon. And everything from A Wrinkle in Time (and hopefully its sequels) to a Diablo Cody take on Sweet Valley High is in the works. Yet some of our favorite kids’ serials still haven’t appeared in theaters. After the jump, we suggest 10 that we would like to see in a theater near us, from Judy Blume to Christopher Pike. Let us know who we missed in the comments. … Read More