R.L. Stine
Robert Lawrence Stine, famed author of the series of children's horror novels, Goosebumps, is frequently cited by Chris as a major literary influence. To be painfully honest, besides Of Mice and Men and The Giver (Which were probably definitely required reading in whatever English course he took) Mr. Stine is Chris's only literary influence. This means that all of Clyde's Fight Club references fly right over his greasy little head and out into the Time Void.
Why is it that Chris, unlike with so many other things in life, actually decided to read Stine's many mediocre paperbacks? Besides reading them to avoid paying attention in class, it isn't that far fetched. Ponder for a moment every other facet of Solid's miserable existence. Sonic, Pokémon, My Little Pony, Yu-Gi-Oh!, arts'n'crafts, Good Burger, Lego, video games completely lacking in adult themes, etc. Chris's interests consist of the most childish (Besides sex) collage of failure ever to be held by a human being, hence the epithet "man-child" that the internet has thus dubbed him. So it isn't a long shot that whatever slight thirst for the written word he possesses can be easily quenched by a bunch of grade-school kiddy novels. I sincerely doubt that autistic, sexually frustrated man-children are the demographic R.L. Stine was going for.
But it might be a deeper connection than simply bad taste.
| “ | I feel happy to terrify kids. | ” |
| R.L. Stine | ||
| “ | I guess I'm way too kind and generous, and a saint - if you can believe that! | ” |
| R.L. Stine | ||
| “ | I have a cheat-sheet for each one of my characters about their personality, the way they look, etc. So there is no possible way that I could have writer's block. | ” |
| R.L. Stine | ||
The HONEST TRUTH is that just as Chris thinks he relates to President Barrack Obama, he also subconsciously feels the kindred connection he shares with Mr. Stine.