Books based on a nine-year-old video series later adapted into an American supernatural horror series have been very popular amongst the UAE’s young readers, who are taking home the entire series from the ongoing 42ndSharjah International Book Fair.
Originally a series of nine video games based on a fictional family pizza restaurant chain called “Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza”, the first game was released in 2014. The novel Silver Eyes, the first paperback version of the series, was published two years later in September 2016 while a second novel, The Twisted Ones, was published in June 2017 before eight more were printed over the years.
However, thanks to its first movie adaptation only earlier this year, the series has suddenly found favour with young visitors at the 12-day festival taking place under the theme “We Speak Books”. “We have seen a steady surge in demand for these books since the opening day of the fair and a lot of that is because of the new movie. People now want to read about it all,” says Shebin Abdul, a sales executive at the DC Books that’s exhibiting in Hall 6 at the Sharjah Expo Centre where the SIBF will go on until November 12.
“There’s surely a renewed interest [for the series] amongst children, especially the pre-teens,” adds the 24-year-old who has been busy with his colleagues at the popular Indian bookstore selling copies of all ten parts of the books as well the graphics novels inspired by the series.
This comes just days after the worldwide theatrical release of the eponymous American supernatural horror film. And even as it runs in cinemas across UAE, parents are delighted that their children are picking up Five Nights at Freddy’s books.
“It seems like reverse psychology and it’s working perfectly fine in an age otherwise characterised by the omnipresence of digital screens where the allure of video games, social media, and streaming platforms often takes precedence over the traditional joy of reading a book,” says Priyanka Sarkar, an Indian mum of 12-year-old who recently bought not only The Silver Eyes, the first graphic novel of the series but also Lally’s Game, the first of the 10 novels published by American multinational publishing and media company Scholastic Inc..
“I struggled to get her to read all these years but suddenly I see her develop a huge interest in these books and funnily it is all because of a video game in the first place and add to that the movie. The digital world is pushing our children back to books,” she added.
11-year-old Asmi Pattnaik got her parents to the SIBF on Sunday only to buy a Five Nights At Freddy’s book. “I have played the game before and now I am excited to see the movie but I will only do so after reading a story,” said the grade 7 student of Our Own English school in Dubai.
The series, developed by Scott Cawthon, has taken its haunting and suspenseful gaming narrative and translated it into a successful literary franchise. These books, including titles like “The Silver Eyes,” “The Twisted Ones,” and “The Fourth Closet,” have resonated deeply with fans of the game, providing them with an opportunity to delve further into the chilling world of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza.