Editor's note: As of 02/24/24, I have books 1-12, 14, 16, 18-19, 22, 24-29, 31 and 41, and am still looking for more.
American Chillers is a series of middle grade horror novellas by Christopher Wright under the pen name of Johnathan Rand. It was launched in 2001 as a spinoff of the Michigan Chillers series, taking place in the same continuity (Michigan Chillers #10 ended with its protagonist meeting the main character of this series' book #1, and the first book features the protagonists of Michigan Chillers #1 and 9 as supporting characters, along with including cameos by the main protagonists of several other Michigan Chillers books), but with a national focus. It is set to cover all fifty states, one per book. 2010 also saw the release of an ''American Chillers Double Thrillers" book, containing two standalone stories that had previously been released via Michigan newspapers.
As with the parent series, each book typically concludes with the main character meeting or learning of a kid from another state who's had their own scary adventure and serves as the main character in the next book.
After the first fifteen books were released, Wright/Rand resumed the parent series in 2005, and has been writing both Chillers series on and off ever since.
As of the 2023 release of American Chillers #45, only five states remain to be covered: Hawaii, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland and New Mexico.
The American Chillers series consists of:
- #01: The Michigan Mega-Monsters (2001)
- #02: Ogres of Ohio (2002)
- #03: Florida Fog Phantoms (2002)
- #04: New York Ninjas (2002)
- #05: Terrible Tractors of Texas (2002)
- #06: Invisible Iguanas of Illinois (2002)
- #07: Werewolves of Wisconsin (2002)
- #08: Minnesota Mall Mannequins (2003)
- #09: Iron Insects Invade Indiana (2003)
- #10: Missouri Madhouse (2003)
- #11: Poisonous Pythons Paralyze Pennsylvania (2003)
- #12: Dangerous Dolls of Delaware (2003)
- #13: Virtual Vampires of Vermont (2004)
- #14: Creepy Condors of California (2004)
- #15: Nebraska Nightcrawlers (2004)
- #16: Alien Androids Assault Arizona (2005)
- #17: South Carolina Sea Creatures (2005)
- #18: Washington Wax Museum (2006)
- #19: North Dakota Night Dragons (2006)
- #20: Mutant Mammoths of Montana (2007)
- #21: Terrifying Toys of Tennessee (2007)
- #22: Nuclear Jellyfish of New Jersey (2007)
- #23: Wicked Velociraptors of West Virginia (2008)
- #24: Haunting in New Hampshire (2008)
- #25: Mississippi Megalodon (2008)
- #26: Oklahoma Outbreak (2009)
- #27: Kentucky Komodo Dragons (2009)
- #28: Curse of the Connecticut Coyotes (2010)
- #29 Oregon Oceanauts (2010)
- #30: Vicious Vacuums of Virginia (2010)
- Double Thrillers: Vampire Nation/Attack of the Monster Venus Melon (2010)
- #31: The Nevada Nightmare Novel (2011)
- #32: Idaho Ice Beast (2011)
- #33: Monster Mosquitoes of Maine (2012)
- #34: Savage Dinosaurs of South Dakota (2012)
- #35: Maniac Martians Marooned in Massachusetts (2012)
- #36: Carnivorous Crickets of Colorado (2012)
- #37: The Underground Undead of Utah (2013)
- #38: The Wicked Waterpark of Wyoming (2013)
- #39: Angry Army Ants Ambush Alabama (2014)
- #40: Incredible Ivy of Iowa (2014)
- #41: North Carolina Night Creatures (2016)
- #42: Arctic Anacondas of Alaska (2018)
- #43: Robotic Rodents Ravage Rhode Island (2018)
- #44: Arkansas Algae Monsters (2020)
- #45: The Giant Jack O'Lantern of Georgia (2023)
American Chillers contains examples of the following:
- Alliterative Title: As with the parent series, the majority of the books have these (Minnesota Mall Mannequins, Alien Androids Assault Arizona, etc.) or close to it with a connecting word interrupting the alliteration (Terrible Tractors of Texas, Werewolves of Wisconsin).
- Sequel Hook: As with the parent series, each book ends with the main character meeting another kid and learning about their own scary adventures, usually through being told directly. A few variants exist though — for instance, book #17 (South Carolina Sea Creatures) and book #21 (Terrifying Toys of Tennessee) each instead have a supporting character from those adventures become the main protagonist of the next book in the series.
- Brought Down to Normal: The main kids in book #1 (The Michigan Mega-Monsters) meet a scientist who's trying to do this to the titular Mega-Monsters, since he's responsible for their creation and is trying to fix his mistake. In the end, he succeeds, though not without a few mishaps.
- Continuity Cavalcade: Book #1 (The Michigan Mega-Monsters) has the main character meeting and teaming up with the protagonists of Michigan Chillers books #1 (Mayhem on Mackinac Island) and #9 (Sinister Spiders of Saginaw). Then, shortly before leaving camp, the trio learn that the protagonists of books #2 (Terror Stalks Traverse City), 3 (Poltergeists of Petoskey), 4 (Aliens Attack Alpena), 5 (Gargoyles of Gaylord) and 7 (Kreepy Klowns of Kalamazoo) are also at their camp, as each of those kids tells their stories. Rick doesn't believe the ones told around the campfire though, at least not at first.
- Flight: As a result of her adventures in Michigan Chillers #1 (Mayhem on Mackinac Island), Sandy Johnson can fly with the help of an enchanted rock.
- Giant Enemy Crab: Book #1 (The Michigan Mega-Monsters) features crayfish that have become gigantic, mutated bipedal monsters.
- Our Ogres Are Hungrier: Book #2 (Ogres of Ohio)
- Fog of Doom: Book #3 (Florida Fog Phantoms) features an apparently malevolent fog that causes humans and animals alike to become ghostly beings who come and go with the fog if it rises while they're still outside in it.
- Touch of Death: Book #3 (Florida Fog Phantoms) has ghostly beings that exist in an apparently malevolent fog. If one touches a living person or animal, that being becomes a ghostly fog being like them, and leaves when the fog does.
- Threatening Shark: One of the titular creatures in book #3 (Florida Fog Phantoms) is a great white shark, which threatens the cast more than once.
Ninja Tropes: Book #4 (New York Ninjas)
- Automated Automobiles: Book #5 (''Terrible Tractors of Texas") involves tractors, bulldozers and other farm equipment that come to life and rebel against mankind after being filled with an experimental fuel.
Book #6 (Invisible Iguanas of Illinois)
- Our Werewolves Are Different: Book #7 (Werewolves of Wisconsin)
- Alien Invasion: Book #8 (Minnesota Mall Mannequins) revolves around an attempted alien conquest of the world via... animated mannequins at the Mall of America.
- Chairman of the Brawl: Late in book #8 (Minnesota Mall Mannequins), Jess uses a chair as an improvised weapon to smash and shut down the computer controlling the alien machines in the Mall of America, ending their plan for good.
- Comet of Doom: In book #8 (Minnesota Mall Mannequins), a comet passes over Bloomington, and Jess and Rachel later learn from their friend Josh that the "comet" was actually an alien spaceship which, combined with the modifications the aliens had already made to the Mall of America's mannequins, transmitted energy that caused them to come to life.
- Dressing as the Enemy: In book #8 (Minnesota Mall Mannequins), Jess and Rachel are briefly captured by the mannequins. Their classmate Riley uses makeup to make herself look like a mannequin, using her disguise to blend in and get close enough to rescue them.
- Elaborate Underground Base: The aliens in book #8 (Minnesota Mall Mannequins) have set up one of these in a cavern under the Mall of America where they're holding their human prisoners and an alien power generator, along with the means to modify the Mall's mannequins so they can be used as an army.
- Living Battery: The mannequins in book #8 (Minnesota Mall Mannequins) are powered by human life energies, stolen from the humans who worked at the Mall of America who've been hooked up to an alien power generator. Their energies are then mixed with alien energies (sent via the aliens' passing-by spaceship) to animate the mannequins. Nobody's died from having their energy drained though.
- Living Statue: Book #8 (Minnesota Mall Mannequins) involves mannequins being brought to life via computer chips in their heads and human life energies empowering them as part of an alien plan to conquer the world.
- Murderous Mannequin: Book #8 (Minnesota Mall Mannequins) revolves around mannequins coming to life in the Mall of America, courtesy of a race of alien invaders, as part of a plan to take over the world.
- Nobody Here but Us Statues: Attempted in book #8 (Minnesota Mall Mannequins) when Jessica and Rachel are hiding from the living mannequins. Unfortunately, it doesn't work for very long.
- Robotic Reveal: In book #8 (Minnesota Mall Mannequins), when Josh, Jess, Rachel and Riley are on the roof of the Mall to bring down the antenna (which the aliens are using to transmit energy to animate enough mannequins for their evil plan), the antenna comes down on the mall security guard, whom they believe is one of the aliens. It turns out the aliens aren't organic — they're robots, which the four discover when they find the guard's body and see a gash on his arm, exposing wires and circuits. Mrs. Luchien, who's in charge of the plan, is later revealed as a robot too when her energy supply is cut off and she falls apart.
- Spanner in the Works: In book #8 (Minnesota Mall Mannequins), the four kids who stumble across the alien plan are this both literally and metaphorically — their actions shut down the alien plan, and Josh literally throws a wrench into their energy-transferring machine, causing it to grind to a halt and freeing the humans being held captive.
- Staircase Tumble: In book #8 (Minnesota Mall Mannequins), Josh ends up knocking a couple of the animated mannequins down the escalator and into a couple more that were on their way up, allowing he and his friends to get away.
Book #9 (Iron Insects Invade Indiana)
Book #10 (Missouri Madhouse)
Book #11 (Poisonous Pythons Paralyze Pennsylvania)
Book #12 (Dangerous Dolls of Delaware)
Book #13 (Virtual Vampires of Vermont)
Book #14 (Creepy Condors of California)
Book #15 (Nebraska Nightcrawlers)
Book #16 (Alien Androids Assault Arizona)
Book #17 (South Carolina Sea Creatures)
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Book #18 (Washington Wax Museum) has Mr. Lakley, the museum director. Supposedly one of the good guys, he turns out to be in on the plan to steal and sell the wax figures.
- Cut Phone Lines: Late in book #18 (Washington Wax Museum), Rachel and David sneak into Mr. Lakley's office to use his phone and alert the police, but it turns out the phone's disconnected. They suspect the lines were cut, and Mr. Lakley later confirms it.
- Eek, a Mouse!!: In book #18 (Washington Wax Museum), a couple of Rachel's classmates spot a mouse and freak out, annoying her — she'd thought it was something serious, like one of the ghosts they were warned about.
- Menacing Museum: The subject of book #18 (Washington Wax Museum), a wax museum that's rumored be haunted, and with a group of thieves lurking about.
- Mundanger: Book #18 (Washington Wax Museum) looks to be about a supernatural threat, but by the end it turns out the danger is all from human thieves, with the supposed ghosts turning out to be a Red Herring.
- Nobody Here but Us Statues:
- In book #18 (Washington Wax Museum), Rachel notices a statue of a wax figure near the entrance... which is there one minute, gone when she looks back, and back by the time her teacher looks. It turns out to be Mr. Lakley, the museum director, in disguise and playing a little joke on them.
- Later, she, David and Amber meet Mrs. Hemmer, a member of the local arts council, when she reveals herself after having been disguised as one of the wax figures to spy on visitors to the museum and catch a group of criminals in the act of stealing the wax statues.
- Oddball in the Series:
- Downplayed with book #18 (Washington Wax Museum), which is the first of two books to be a direct follow-up to the previous installment in the series — rather than the previous book ending by introducing a new character who tells the main character about their own scary adventures, a major supporting character from the book before becomes the narrator of this one.
- It's also an oddball in that nothing actually supernatural happens in the book — instead, the threats are from human criminals.
- Red Herring: In book #18 (Washington Wax Museum), Rachel and her classmates are told the museum is supposedly haunted. No ghosts turn up, as the real threat turns out to be a group of human criminals.
- Skewed Priorities: At one point in book #18 (Washington Wax Museum), Rachel's annoying classmate Amber is more worried about having dust on her skirt than the fact that they were being chased by thieves, which Rachel mentally lampshades.
- Staircase Tumble: In book #18 (Washington Wax Museum), Rachel and David's annoying classmate Amber trips over a step and falls down the rest of the way down the stairs. Fortunately, she isn't hurt.
- Trap Door: In book #18 (Washington Wax Museum), while Rachel, David and Amber are poking around in the Presidential Room, they find a trap door in the floor and end up investigating.
Book #19 (North Dakota Night Dragons)
Book #20 (Mutant Mammoths of Montana)
Book #21 (Terrifying Toys of Tennessee)
- Oddball in the Series: Downplayed with book #22 (Nuclear Jellyfish of New Jersey), which is the second of two books to be a direct follow-up to the previous installment in the series — rather than the previous book ending by introducing a new character who tells the main character about their own scary adventures, a major supporting character from the book before becomes the narrator of this one.
Book #23 (Wicked Velociraptors of West Virginia)
Book #24 (Haunting in New Hampshire)
- Misplaced Wildlife: In-Universe, book #25 (Mississippi Megalodon) has a megalodon — a saltwater shark — turn up in a Mississippi freshwater lake, which the characters lampshade.
- Monster in the Ice: Book #25 (Mississippi Megalodon) revolves around a young megalodon that was caught in ice and eventually thawed out when it ended up in a Mississippi lake, where it proceeds to wreak havoc until it's captured.
- Threatening Shark: Book #25 (Mississippi Megalodon) revolves around the characters finding a megalodon, a prehistoric species of shark, in a freshwater lake. It proves to be very dangerous, wreaking havoc on anyone who tries to go out on the water.
- Serious Business: Book #26 (Oklahoma Outbreak) features a zombie outbreak in a school. The inciting disease? Cooties. (Which are portrayed as tiny insects that actually just carry the disease.)
- Misplaced Wildlife: In-Universe, book #27 (Kentucky Komodo Dragons) has Komodo dragons, which are native to Indonesia, turn up in Kentucky — the other side of the world from their natural habitat. Justified with the reveal that they're actually a race of Lizard Folk from outer space who changed themselves into quadrupedal lizards (which only look like Komodo Dragons) to explore the area, but lost control of themselves.
Book #28 (Curse of the Connecticut Coyotes)
Double Thriller (Vampire Nation / Attack of the Monster Venus Melon)
Book #29 (Oregon Oceanauts)
- Vicious Vac: The subject of book #30 (Vicious Vacuums of Virginia).
Book #31 (The Nevada Nightmare Novel)
- Bigfoot, Sasquatch, and Yeti: In book #32 (Idaho Ice Beast), the titular "ice beast" is a yeti.
Book #33 (Monster Mosquitoes of Maine)
Book #34 (Savage Dinosaurs of South Dakota)
Book #35 (Maniac Martians Marooned in Massachusetts)
Book #36 (Carnivorous Crickets of Colorado)
Book #37 (The Underground Undead of Utah)
Book #38 (The Wicked Waterpark of Wyoming)
Book #39 (Angry Army Ants Ambush Alabama)
Book #40 (Incredible Ivy of Iowa)
- Big Creepy-Crawlies: Book #41 (North Carolina Night Creatures)
Book #42 (Arctic Anacondas of Alaska)
Book #43 (Robotic Rodents Ravage Rhode Island)
Book #44 (Arkansas Algae Monsters)
Book #45 (The Giant Jack O'Lantern of Georgia)
