trope: Oh you wacky kids with your hi-jinks and your pranks

“You say you found a corpse of a thirteen year old girl on the beach? Oh, you’re just pulling my leg.”

When the protagonist experiences something genuinely frightening, such as finding a corpse, or that someone has been in their room while they were home alone, and it is treated as an attention-seeking prank.

Or, when something is done that is written off as a prank or a joke, but is actually pretty damned spiteful.

Recap #336: Goosebumps: A Really Exciting Night by R.L. Stine

Title: Goosebumps – A Really Exciting Night, a.k.a. “My Dinner With Edward” Author: R.L. Stine Illustrator: Luca Poli Summary: This

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Recap #324: Jude’s Petrifying Present ~ Goosebumps Creepstakes: Something Evil, Something Cruel by R.L. Stine and Matt Hurt

Title: Goosebumps Creepstakes – Something Evil, Something Cruel a.k.a. “I’d Make A ‘Pony.Mov’ Joke But Fuck That Guy” Authors: R.L.

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Door of Death Cover Art by Karen Chandler

Recap #316: Fear Street Sagas #15: Door of Death by Eric Weiner

Title: Fear Street Sagas #15 – Door of Death, a.k.a. “Guess Who’s Coming To Backwards Supper?” Author: Eric Weiner Cover

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Recap #313: Jude’s October Eve Ball ~ Goosebumps Hallowe’en Special by R.L. Stine

Title: Goosebumps Hallowe’en Special Author: R.L. Stine Artist: ??? Summary: Hi, I’m Curly, your ghost of a host! Welcome to

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Recap #309: Fear Street: The Vampire Club by R.L. Stine

Title: Fear Street – The Vampire Club, a.k.a. “Goodnight Kiss 3 – The Legend of April’s Gold” Author: R.L. Stine

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Strange Matter No Substitutions

Recap #308: Strange Matter #1: No Substitutions by Marty M Engle

Title: Strange Matter #1 – No Substitutions, a.k.a. “Fairfield Nights: The Ballad of STACY CALHOUN” Author: Marty M. Engle Summary:

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Recap #307: The Nightmare Room: Dead of Night by R.L. Stine

Title: The Nightmare Room – Dead of Night, a.k.a. “A Boy Named Keith” Author: R.L. Stine Acknowledgement: SharkBud, thank you

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Recap #306: Jude’s 5 Year Pointaversary: Goosebumps Newspaper Stories by E. Sargent, R. Schnable, and D. Stein

Title: Goosebumps Newspaper Stories, a.k.a. “THOUGHT YOU WERE GONNA SNEAK PAST ME DIDN’T YA?!” Authors: Eric Sargent, Renee Schnable, Derek

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TV Guide March 15 1997

Recap #304: Jude’s Easter Casket – Goosebumps: The Homemade Monster by R.L. Stine

Title: Goosebumps – The Homemade Monster, a.k.a. “Do Not Taunt Happy Fun Monster” Author: R.L. Stine Illustrator: Brad Weinman Tagline:

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Spinetinglers #25 Cover Art

Recap #302: Spinetinglers #25: The Curse of the Cheerleaders by M.T. Coffin

Title: Spinetinglers #25 – The Curse of the Cheerleaders, a.k.a. “Who the FUCK are you?!” Author: M.T. Coffin, a.k.a. George

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Recap #295: Jude’s Stocking Stuffers – Strange Matter #22.1: The Abominable Snowman by Andy Goble

Title: Strange Matter #22.1 – The Abominable Snowman a.k.a. “Frosty The Homicidal Snowman” Author: Andy Goble Tagline: 1996 Scary Story

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Night of the Goat Boy Cover

Recap #290: Shivers #23: Night of the Goat Boy by M.D. Spenser

Title: Shivers #23 – “Night of the Goat Boy,” a.k.a. “Goat Boy!: The Musical” Author: M.D. Spenser Cover Artist: Eddie

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Halloween Bugs Me Cover Art

Recap #283: Ghosts of Fear Street #25: Halloween Bugs Me! by Barbara Joyce

Title: Ghosts of Fear Street #25 – Halloween Bugs Me! a.k.a. “It’s always ‘Greg, Greg, Greg!’” Author: Barbara Joyce Cover

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Even More Short & Shivery Cover

Recap # 278: Even More Short & Shivery By Robert D. San Souci – Part 4

Title: Even More Short & Shivery Author/Editor/Reteller: Robert D. San Souci Illustrator: Jacqueline Roberts Tagline: Thirty Spine-Tingling Tales Summary: Thirty

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cover of Nightmare Hall 17 Last Breath by Diane Hoh

Recap #269: Nightmare Hall #17: Last Breath by Diane Hoh

Title: Nightmare Hall #17: Last Breath by Diane Hoh  Summary: Finding her seemingly perfect life haunted by a series of

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Return to Ghost Camp Cover by Tim Jacobus

Recap #267: Goosebumps Series 2000 #19: Return to Ghost Camp by R.L. Stine

Title: Goosebumps Series 2000 #19 – Return to Ghost Camp, a.k.a. “Everybody Loves Ari” Author: R.L. Stine Cover Artist: Tim

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Say Cheese And Die Cover Artwork by Tim Jacobus

Recap #266: Goosebumps #4: Say Cheese And Die! by R.L. Stine

Title: Goosebumps #4 – Say Cheese And Die!, a.k.a. “Greg Banks Won’t Eat His Cereal” Author: R.L. Stine Cover Artist:

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Welcome to Dead House Cover by Tim Jacobus

Recap #262: Goosebumps #1: Welcome to Dead House by R.L. Stine

Title: Goosebumps #1 – “Welcome to Dead House” a.k.a. “They’re Coming To Get You, Amanda!” Author: R.L. Stine Cover Artist:

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