The Stinal Countdown: The Definitive Ten #08: The Werewolf of Fever Swamp

Werewolves are cool. They just are. A more primal take on the Jekyll-Hyde idea while also taking in the idea of a true beast within us all. It's a concept almost as old as time itself, but when done correctly, it almost always works. So, of course R.L. Stine would be all up in that. He's written a lot of werewolf books, or even books that are similar in idea. A kid turning into an animal of some sort. It's a template that while it doesn't always have much mileage from feeling too similar at times, it's still one I can see him finding more ideas with than say vampires, mummies or even zombies. And the first werewolf tale for Goosebumps came in book #14. A tale of a swamp, a werewolf and a fever. Well, not so much in that order. But it's a definitive ten in so many ways. Let's talk about The Werewolf of Fever Swamp.

Much like a few of Stine's works, there's some history to where he got the idea. Maybe not so much the wolf, but the setting. He was on a swamp boat tour in Florida and spotted a deer during his trip. This gave him at least half of the book's concept. The werewolf part likely came a bit after as he was working a way to make this interesting. And thankfully it wasn't just a book about a swamp monster (though he does that a couple times later) and something a bit more fresh. And thus we got a book about a werewolf literally in a swamp. Add in some swamp fever and you have your book.

I sing the praises of Tim Jacobus a lot on this blog. Mostly because I do feel without his art, Goosebumps wouldn't have been as successful as it was. I also sing those praises because when he really puts in the effort, it can produce legitimate works of art. The cover art for The Werewolf of Fever Swamp is absolutely gorgeous to look at. Not scary mind you, but that is moot when everything hits so well. It's also a cover that's so great, you barely notice certain things about it because there's so many parts to just stare at and admire on their own. From the perfect design of the wolf, the strewn clothing next to it to make it more obvious that it's a werewolf (or Wolf the dog from the book who is a misdirect). 

But then there's the background and oh man, did Tim overdeliver and I'm glad he did. The purple sky with the bright full moon. The hazy fog and the green color reflecting on the water to add to the idea of it being a "fever swamp". And there are the trees. I make it a running gag at this point with how much I praise Tim's trees, but can you blame me? So much detail on the leaves and the branches. Giving a true "lost in the woods" feel that does at least add to the horror of the cover art. Practically perfect in every way.

Grady Tucker and his older sister Emily aren't too fond of their parents moving them to Fever Swamp in the middle of Florida. His parents, a pair of scientists, moved their family the swamp to see if a breed of deer can handle the Florida swamp life. Grady's also worried as there's stories of a power case of swamp fever. There's also the large, scary hermit that lives in the swamp. Not to mention stories of a werewolf that lurks in the swamp. Of course Grady's parents don't believe the stories of werewolves, since they are scientific folk who don't buy into superstition. And thus gives us one of Stine's more annoying tropes of super serious science types. Which is a shame since I think there could be more fun with more engaging parents, but it is what it is.

Things turn around a bit for Grady as he befriends a boy named Will Blake and later finds a dog that he names Wolf (Vandal in the TV adaptation). But ever since finding Wolf, strange things have been happening. Howling noises outside, animals being killed, the deer pen being destroyed. Grady's parents blame Wolf and try to get rid of the dog, but Grady suspects the swamp hermit is a werewolf. However, it's soon discovered that the hermit was actually a good guy and there really is a werewolf in the swamp. Unfortunately for Grady, it turns out to be Will, who kills the swamp hermit. Thanks to Wolf, Will is defeated by falling into the swamp and drowning. But we end the book with Grady and Wolf being revealed as werewolves now. 

If you read my last Definitive Ten blog on A Night in Terror Tower, I brought up how atmosphere is important to a story, especially a Goosebumps story. While suburbia or the country usually work fine, when Stine tries something a bit different, it almost always delivers. Fever Swamp is a great setting for this story. Stine goes into detail about the types of plants and creatures (non-werewolf creatures clearly) that can be found in the swamp. Methinks he was taking notes during that swamp tour. It almost borders a bit too much on Stine playing "Mr. Educator", but still done in a way that makes the story work. You can feel the swamp setting and how alive it feels.

Speaking of atmosphere, I think another strength is how little actual werewolf we get. Granted, I would rather more action, but what we get still works with the mysterious howls and violent happenings throughout the story. I also understand why there's not much actual werewolf until Will's reveal at the end. Given Wolf is a red herring, to have everyone suspect Wolf when we already saw Will wouldn't have worked as well. Granted, I do wish we got more Will as the Werewolf before he's killed off, but I still think what we got still feels strong enough.

Speaking of red herrings, I also like how the hermit is handled as well. Constantly feeling like a threat, and just wild enough that sure, I could buy the mindset that he's the werewolf at first. But we ultimately learn he's not a bad guy as he's been dealing with the werewolf issues for some time before he gets killed in the story. Also points to the late, great Don Franks who did a great job as the hermit. Honestly, the TV adaptation is solid in general, even with its more notable deviations from the original plot. It's a case of being almost 1 to 1 like The Haunted Mask was.

Grady is also a fine protagonist. Kind of more of a basic character for the most part, but you do root for him somewhat. Especially in how he defends Wolf. Although the twist being that he's now the werewolf is interesting and something I wish was more elaborated on. It's also an obvious twist ending, but sometimes those can still work. One thing I wish worked more was the swamp fever concept. Grady gets sick with the fever from the swamp and then we move on from it. For something that is part of the title, it feels so odd that Stine couldn't really find a way to make it work in the context of the story. You could tell he had more ideas for the werewolf and for the swamp.

There's quite a legacy for The Werewolf of Fever Swamp. While there was never an official sequel within Stine's books, that doesn't stop both Will Blake and Fever Swamp from making a couple more appearances in other forms of media. Will Blake appears as a monster in both of the Goosebumps movies, though more prominently in the first movie. Though I will say, for as great as the design is, there's something about a hulking werewolf in basketball shorts that is just hilarious to me. Morbid with the humorous, just like Jacobus would do it. 

And in 2021, IDW's Goosebumps line featured Secrets of the Swamp, a five part comic that brought back Fever Swamp, though no tuckers or Will Blake to be found. A new character named Blake spends the summer in Fever Swamp and finds herself in a turf war between werewolves and hunters. It's a five issue run which is the only one of the four Goosebumps comic sagas to do so. It also means that Fever Swamp never left the memories of those growing up with Goosebumps. And I think that's a good reason to consider it a definitive ten book. 

Not to mention that werewolves become so abundant in so many Goosebumps works following this book. We have Werewolf Skin, The Werewolf in the Living Room, Full Moon Fever (which his more beasts than werewolves but the gist is about the same), a whole bunch of stories in the Tales to Give You Goosebumps books and more. Stine uses werewolves a lot, especially in the first era, that like Slappy is now, it does end up feeling like a crutch. But I can't fault him for doing it either. The idea of the struggle between a human and their beastly other form is always an interesting idea. And werewolves are just cool as well, so again, I'm not faulting Stine for going back to them so much.

So what makes this book a definitive ten? While personally I think Werewolf Skin is a better book (or at least plays more into my sensibilities), I think The Werewolf of Fever Swamp is a more memorable book just for its world and ideas alone. It's a rare example of Stine not making too much too obvious (though you could probably still guess it wasn't Wolf or the hermit) and crafting an exciting enough mystery. And it still gets referenced, still has people wanting to expand on the book like IDW did, and just works. 

Being the first of these types of stories before Stine really went hard on the werewolves also helps its cause, still feeling fresh after years of other werewolf stories in Goosebumps. In terms of a ranking, I'd probably place this one in the lower middle. It's not a top contender for most definitive, but still holds its own feels worthy of being in the position it is. In 1993, R.L. Stine dabbled in werewolves and almost thirty years later, people are still howling for some more adventures in Fever Swamp.