I liked Book of Ruth a lot, but "Bastard Out of Carolina kind of traumatizing" about covers it.

I've never been able to get through any of Hamilton's other books.

And fourth on Cat's Eye.

Is anyone else a huge Pike fan?

In high school I was big into Chrisopher Pike and all the authors that contributed to the Point Horror series: R.L. Stine and a bunch of others I can't remember off hand. You know, those books that had names like The Waitress, The Boyfriend, The Girlfriend etc.

I remember lots of Christopher Pike, mainly because he was really, really dark where a lot of the others were pretty candyass in terms of horror. I remember a series with anonymous letters. Um, I remember one called Monster that completely freaked me out. One with a witch who could see the future. I don't remember The Cold One, what's it about? And is Remember Me the one where a girl dies at a party and comes back as a ghost? Or is that the series that had something to do with scuba diving and a prom on a boat or something? Argh, stupid half-formed memories. Oh, and I remember one where this chick set her friend up for murder by throwing herself off a cliff.

Mmmm, early genre writing experiences. Good. Times.

"Incognito Mosquito - Private Insective!"

That, unfortunately, is all I remember. The catchy phrase.

For kid-level mystery books, I was always a fan of Cam Jansen (she had a photographic memory that took pictures when she said "click") and, of course, Encyclopedia Brown.

Encyclopedia Brown

Yes, yes, a thousand times YES.

Dude! I'd forgotten all about Cam Jansen.

I read one Pike at a friend's house and was really, well, horrified. Not much of a one for horror, me, even now.

so today at out new library someone had the unenviable job of putting all the cam jasen in alpabetical order by title. there are some evil jobs at the library, esp when you are setting up in a new space.

I read one Pike at a friend's house and was really, well, horrified. Not much of a one for horror, me, even now.

Bah. Pike. R.L. Stine ALL THE WAY.

He actually wrote some decent young horror. Not the fear street stuff as much, and ESPECIALLY not the goosebumps, but I especially remember The Origins of Fear Street being awesome (and vaguely historical novelish) and the Cheerleaders trilogy.

All I remember is one weird one with a brother and sister who were too close for comfort and I think someone in a wheelchair

Did they go into a cave? I think that was See You Later. I don't remember much about it, or liking it all that much.

A movie was made of a Pike book, though? That I didn't know.

There was a TV movie made out of Fall into Darkness starring Tatyana Ali.

R.L. Stine and a bunch of others I can't remember off hand. You know, those books that had names like The Waitress, The Boyfriend, The Girlfriend etc.

Yeah, me too. Also Richie Tankersley Cusick. The Lifeguard was pretty sweet.

I remember lots of Christopher Pike, mainly because he was really, really dark where a lot of the others were pretty candyass in terms of horror.

Yeah, Pike was by far the best of the bunch, way better than Stine, in my opinion. His plots were more complex and his characterizations were deeper. All of Stine's followed basically the same formula.

I remember a series with anonymous letters.

That was Chain Letter and its sequels.

Um, I remember one called Monster that completely freaked me out.

Monster.

One with a witch who could see the future.

Witch. He wasn't very creative with his titles, was he?

I don't remember The Cold One, what's it about?

The Cold One was one of his adult novels, and I read it so long ago I don't remember what it's about exactly besides being supernatural. The Listeners and Season of Passage, his two other adult novels, are really fucking awesome and highly recommended. Another way he set himself apart from R.L. Stine, whose foray into adult novels, Superstitions, wasn't so hot.

And is Remember Me the one where a girl dies at a party and comes back as a ghost?

Yes. And there were two sequels.

Or is that the series that had something to do with scuba diving and a prom on a boat or something?

That was Final Friends, which was also cool. One of his non-supernatural ones that was still a good mystery.

Oh, and I remember one where this chick set her friend up for murder by throwing herself off a cliff.

That was the aforementioned Fall into Darkness. God, I want to read them all again. I'm like a giant Pike fanboy.

For kid-level mystery books, I was always a fan of Cam Jansen (she had a photographic memory that took pictures when she said "click")

My brother's read all of those, but I haven't.

and, of course, Encyclopedia Brown.

I was excited to see an Encyclopedia Brown book in the bookstore, and the owner commented, "No one knows who he is anymore." And my companions and I yelled and screamed at this travesty.

Or is that the series that had something to do with scuba diving and a prom on a boat or something?

The Final Friends series rocked my socks.

I just like how Polter-Cow's post points out how well we remember this shit. IOW, not at all.

And yes, I think it was See You Later. I remember Fall Into Darkness, and the one with the ghost, too. I didn't know I'd read that much Pike.