Stephen Chbosky

Stephen Chbosky's new novel is Imaginary Friend.

From his CrimeReads interview with Michael Seidlinger:

Reading Imaginary Friend makes me nostalgic—pop quizzes, sleepovers, ghost stories, the fear of being grounded—as a child our worldview is smaller and capable of harboring a whole different set of terrors. A child’s imagination runs wild. What are some of those priceless nostalgic things that still crawl to you when you allow time to reflect back? What crept into Imaginary Friend (no spoilers! Okay maybe a few)?

Every age has its own set of fears. When I was a child, nothing scared me more than the witch in Hansel & Gretel. So, she became part of the character (mini spoiler) the hissing lady. When I was older, I was afraid of failing tests. So, that became Christopher’s nightmare in school. I grew up in Western, PA, where the woods felt haunted. The deer were everywhere. And the clouds in the sky, which may (or may not) be watching us. This book is filled with everything that ever scared me (and everything that ever gave me hope).

Has there been a book that scared you so effectively it rendered you speechless? What about a movie? Scariest real-life experience?

Stephen King has written so many incredible books, it is impossible to narrow it down to one. I think The Stand is his greatest novel. The Shining is his...[read on]

Seven books that influence Stephen Chbosky's writing.

--Marshal Zeringue