The author of the popular children’s book series Goosebumps has adapted more than a dozen of the titles to remove or change references to mental health, ethnicity and weight.
After JK Rowling’s Harry Potter, Goosebumps is the second highest-selling book series in the world.
Having once sold more than four million copies a month, publisher Scholastic has been re-releasing the children’s horror novels as edited ebooks, according to The Times, amid ongoing rows about censorship in publishing.
More than 100 edits have been made by author RL Stine to his original works, with examples including characters now being described as “cheerful” rather than “plump”.
References to villains making victims “slaves” have also been removed.
While the word “crazy” has also been swapped for “silly” and other alternatives, The Times reports.
The first of the Goosebumps books were published in 1992. The series includes works like Welcome to Dead House and Stay Out of the Basement.
Changes to the original texts come shortly after Rishi Sunak condemned the rewriting of Roald Dahl’s children’s books.
The prime minister quoted the Big Friendly Giant’s warning not to “gobblefunk” with words, when condemning the move that was also branded as “absurd censorship” by author Sir Salman Rushdie.
Copies of Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels have also been amended to remove a number of references to race, and will be reissued later this year.
