Buzz
During the 1990s, it seemed like every teen was engrossed in a Christopher Pike book. This wasn’t far from the truth: over his 30-year career, the author has sold millions of copies. His stories span a wide range, from teens framing their friends for murder to time-traveling adventures and even tales of teens who were secretly... dinosaur hybrids?! Discover the backstories and inspirations behind some of Pike’s most beloved works. (Since the author rarely gives interviews, many of these insights come directly from his official Facebook page.)
1. Christopher Pike faced numerous rejections before finally publishing Slumber Party.
Before becoming a renowned YA horror writer, Pike—who had dreamed of being an author since high school—worked odd jobs like house painting and computer programming. He dabbled in sci-fi and mystery genres with little success. His early attempts included a book titled The Starlight Crystal (unrelated to his later work), which he admitted was poorly written. He even glued manuscript pages together to test if publishers actually read them, only to have the book returned untouched. Another attempt, Seasons of Passage, met a similar fate.
“For six years, I received countless rejection letters before finally getting an offer for my book, Slumber Party,” the author mentioned on his Facebook page. “It was an unforgettable day.” Published in 1985, Slumber Party was followed by Pike’s second novel, Weekend, released the following year.
2. The author writes under a pen name.
Pike’s actual name is Kevin Christopher McFadden; he adopted his pseudonym from a Star Trek character. “When Slumber Party was nearing publication, I was asked if I wanted to use a pen name. Without thinking, I said Christopher Pike,” the author explained. “I liked the simplicity of a short last name—easier for fans to remember. Little did I know that Star Trek would remain popular, and the character Christopher Pike would reappear” in J.J. Abrams's films from 2009, 2013, and 2016.
3. The publisher who first released Pike’s books also brought us The Baby-Sitter’s Club.
Pike’s journey to publishing his first book was anything but straightforward. On Facebook, he shared how he attended a writer’s conference and met an agent named Ashley Grayson. “He was new to the agent scene but agreed to read The Starlight Crystal,” Pike wrote. “Ashley thought Starlight was a disaster but believed I had potential.” Later, Grayson presented Pike with an unusual opportunity: to write two chapters for a teen supernatural series. The chapters were ultimately turned down because, as Pike noted, “the editor thought my work was too sophisticated for the series.” Grayson then pitched the idea to Jean Feiwel at Avon, who later moved to Scholastic to lead their preteen and YA divisions. Although Avon lost interest, Grayson persisted and took the project to Feiwel at Scholastic. She requested a full novel, which she titled Slumber Party.
Around that period, Feiwel observed that Ginny’s Babysitting Job was a bestseller for Scholastic and decided to bring Ann M. Martin on board to create “a series centered around a babysitters club.”
4. Slumber Party initially included a supernatural twist.
“Originally, I aimed to craft a story that could fit into a new YA supernatural series. So, the narrative began with a supernatural angle,” Pike shared on his Facebook page. The storyline was far more intricate at first: “The fire that burned the two girls was initially triggered by pyrokinesis—the ability to ignite flames with the mind,” he explained. “The younger girl possessed this power, which would unintentionally activate when she was upset. Unaware of her ability, her older sister, who had previously fallen victim to it, knew the truth. The older sister’s injuries were ultimately caused by the younger girl’s accidental use of her power.”
Feiwel requested a version of the book without the supernatural elements, prompting Pike to rework the plot extensively. “I had to start fresh with a lot of new ideas. But I believe it turned out well,” he said. In the final version, a group of teens on a ski trip uncovers that one of them may have caused a tragic fire years earlier, which left one girl scarred and claimed her sister’s life. “Slumber Party is concise and straightforward, but I think it’s effective,” Pike remarked. “I wrote it in my childhood bedroom at my parents’ house.”
5. A character in Weekend was based on an old friend of Pike’s.
For his second novel—originally titled Sweet Hemlock and also written at his parents’ home—Pike drew inspiration from a high school friend named Candice, who was blind and undergoing dialysis. “I don’t remember the exact cause of her condition, but we grew closer a decade after high school. It was her story that inspired me to create a main character with kidney failure,” he shared. “Like the character in Weekend, Candice was waiting for a transplant but tragically passed away before she could receive one.”
6. The sequel to Chain Letter was written in under a month.
In Chain Letter, a group of teens who committed a crime start receiving threatening letters from a mysterious figure known as the Caretaker, who forces them to face the consequences of their actions. Pike explained, “I explored how to psychologically isolate the characters: the group is surrounded by family and friends, but no one outside their circle can help because they can’t reveal their secret. What made the book effective was how the chain letter compelled the characters to endure humiliation—something that feels devastating during adolescence.”
When writing the sequel—prompted by a lucrative offer and a desire to please his publisher—Pike decided to introduce a supernatural twist to differentiate it from the first book. “However, due to my circumstances at the time, I had to complete the book in less than a month,” he admitted. “I wish I had more time to develop it. I had many more scenes involving the demon girl and the protagonists that I never got to include.”
7. Fall Into Darkness essentially reimagined one of his earlier works...
Pike had several issues with his 1988 novel, Gimme A Kiss. He particularly disliked the ending, which he felt “was too rushed. I was never convinced the main premise worked—that the villain could be so naive as to believe … Well, I won’t spoil it. But if you’ve read it, you know what I mean,” he wrote. “Fall Into Darkness was essentially a reworking of Gimme A Kiss. If you compare the plots, you’ll notice the similarities. I even had the lawyer in Fall Into Darkness subtly reference Gimme A Kiss during the trial—a little nod to readers. I think I was trying to send a message.” Pike added, “I took my time with Fall Into Darkness and crafted it meticulously. Looking back, I’d have made the courtroom scenes more realistic, but overall, I’m pleased with how it turned out.”
8. … And it became a movie.
In Fall Into Darkness, Sharon stands trial for the murder of her friend Ann, only to discover that Ann faked her death to frame her. Kelly Faircloth of Jezebel summarized the plot: “Through a series of flashbacks interspersed with courtroom drama, we learn Ann staged her own death during a mountain camping trip to punish Sharon for allegedly driving her younger brother Jerry to suicide. However, Ann’s plan spirals out of control when she realizes she’s been manipulated by Chad, her gardener, classmate, and childhood friend—who also happens to be a sociopath. Chad killed Jerry because he believed he and Ann were destined to be together, despite her engagement to his brother, Paul. When Ann tries to escape, Chad kills her. He then attempts to kill Sharon after she’s acquitted, discovers Ann’s body, and uncovers his crimes. It’s a chaotic, wild ride, and it’s astonishing that teens were reading these books.”
Fall Into Darkness was turned into a TV movie in 1996, starring Tatyana Ali and Jonathan Brandis, but Pike was far from impressed. “I hated it,” he wrote. “It was my first taste of Hollywood, and what an eye-opener it was! The production company assured me they’d stick to the book’s plot when I sold them the rights. When I saw an early draft, I was furious. They’d removed all the courtroom scenes! A significant portion of the book takes place in court—that’s what made the story compelling, the back-and-forth between the night of the murder and the trial. Naively, I rushed to LA with my lawyer to confront them. They promised to revise the script and let me review the next draft. Two months later, I found out they were already filming. They never contacted me until after the movie aired and became a hit. Then they wanted to option Chain Letter. You can guess my response.”
9. The Midnight Club was inspired by a fan.
“Midnight Club came to life after a young woman in a Midwest hospital, who was terminally ill, told me about a group called The Midnight Club that met at midnight to discuss my books,” Pike explained. “She asked me to write about them. I agreed but decided not to have them discussing my books. The concept evolved from there. Sadly, none of the club members were alive by the time I completed the book.”
10. The Midnight Club is being adapted into a Netflix series.
Before discovering authors like Stephen King and R.L. Stine, director Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor) was a fan of Christopher Pike. “The Midnight Club was a profound experience for me as a teen. I expected a simple, spooky YA story about the Grim Reaper, but instead, it tackled themes of terminal illness and mortality head-on,” Flanagan told Vanity Fair. “It showed me how genre fiction could address serious, real-life issues without holding back.”
Flanagan spent years attempting to adapt the book, even writing a movie script that resulted in a cease-and-desist letter from Pike’s publisher. Now, his vision is coming to life as a Netflix series co-created with Leah Fong. The show, which premieres on October 7, will not only cover The Midnight Club but also incorporate elements from other Pike novels.
11. Something eerie happened when Pike completed Remember Me.
“For me, Remember Me was a monumental breakthrough,” Pike wrote. “While writing it, I sensed it was something extraordinary, and after finishing it, I felt elated for weeks. I knew I had created something timeless—a book that would endure forever.” The author described the experience as if he hadn’t written it himself; it was his first attempt at first-person narration, and he had no idea where the story was heading, unlike his other books, where he always had a clear direction.
Pike recalled that as he wrote the final line, “I want people to remember me,” something eerie occurred: “Someone tapped me on the shoulder and said, ‘Goodbye, we’ll meet someday.’ This really happened. I was so startled I nearly hit my head on the ceiling.” He felt as though “a person had finished sharing their story and was bidding farewell, as if saying goodbye and thanking me.”
The book struck a chord with readers. Pike remembered his editor, who had recently lost her mother, being so moved by the story that she wept. She wasn’t alone: “Over the years, countless readers have written to express how deeply the book touched them.”
12. See You Later was born out of a crush.
Scavenger Hunt (the book where the characters turn out to be dinosaur people) was inspired by two high school students on a scavenger hunt who visited the record store where Becky, Pike’s crush, worked. “I was hopelessly infatuated with Becky, and of course, she had a boyfriend. I cringe remembering how awkward I was around her when we first met,” he recalled. “I introduced myself as, ‘Hi, I’m Kevin, Christopher Pike. I’m a famous writer.’ She never let me forget that line.” Becky became the muse for Pike’s next book, See You Later, which he wrote “to impress her and win her over.” (They eventually dated after she broke up with her boyfriend, but the relationship didn’t last.)
“See You Later is fundamentally about soulmates,” Pike wrote. “Whether or not we believe in them, I think we’re all searching for that ideal person we’re meant to be with. See You Later isn’t a tightly plotted book—its storyline falters in places. Yet, it retains a certain magic. It succeeds because it evokes deep emotions. I connected with the protagonist, rooting for him to find love and happiness. Perhaps I saw too much of myself in him. While the action’s conclusion is underwhelming, the final pages are poignant. What stays with me most is the line, ‘It began with a smile…’”
13. The title of one of Pike’s books was inspired by Attila the Hun.
“Attila the Hun supposedly said, ‘Bury me deep,’ as he lay dying. I thought it was a fitting title for a ghost story,” Pike wrote. “Readers can tell from the book that I’ve scuba dived off Maui. I adore Maui and all the Hawaiian islands, and I wanted to explore whether a ghost story could work in a bright, modern hotel rather than a gloomy, stormy castle. Bury Me Deep became a bestseller, even making The New York Times list. However, I was never satisfied with it. I felt the ending lacked impact, and the story didn’t have the depth or atmosphere I wanted. It’s a quick read, but I doubt it left a lasting impression on anyone.”
14. Pike began a fourth book in the Final Friends series—but it ended in disaster.
The sequel was set at the characters’ 10-year high school reunion. “It was progressing well, but the file was accidentally destroyed while I was abroad,” Pike wrote. “Oh well, perhaps someday we’ll revisit Michael and Jessica. I can reveal this much—they were already married and divorced by the start of the sequel, yet still deeply in love. It could have made for a compelling story.”
15. Brian Kotzky designed many of the memorable covers.
Kotzky also illustrated the Apartment 3-G comic for a time—a strip originally drawn by his father—and created over 100 covers for The Hardy Boys Casefiles.
16. The name Ann appears frequently in Pike’s books.
This is likely because his younger sister is named Ann. “She means a great deal to me,” he shared on Facebook.
17. A columnist once described the Final Friends trilogy as “a murderous take on Beverly Hills 90210.”
The 1993 New York Times article, “Nameless Fear Stalks the Middle-Class Teen-Ager: Perhaps It Is the Fear of Boredom,” was far from complimentary. Ken Tucker, the writer, compared Fear Street series author R.L. Stine and Pike to “the Beavis and Butt-head of horror,” claiming they diluted the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Bram Stoker, and Mary Shelley into tales of vulnerable girls, crude jokes, and cheap thrills. He added, “Most of these books are masterclasses in how not to craft a narrative.”
Tucker also criticized the authors’ writing style: “Perhaps the most horrifying aspect of these books is their prose,” he remarked. “As a stylist, Pike makes Stephen King seem like Vladimir Nabokov. In The Immortal, one character has ‘balding gray hair,’ while another is described as ‘seemingly scholarly, with alert green eyes and messy brown hair that the sun was rapidly bleaching to the color of sand.’”
Despite Tucker’s harsh critique, Pike’s books consistently topped bestseller lists. He remains active in multiple genres today. “I’m juggling far too many projects,” he shared on his Facebook page. “I have countless half-finished stories on my computer—I wish I had a few extra hands to help me write them all.”
