Five Nights at Freddy’s is a horror media franchise that started as a series of games. It has become one of the most successful indie franchises with cross-media appeal. Those who have read Freddy’s stories await their movie adaptation.
Gamers who enjoy FNaF games want to read stories set in the FNaF universe. Fortunately for everyone, there are plenty of FNaF games, stories, shows, and novels.
In this article, we will focus on the franchise’s bibliography, covering all of the books in the series. We will also cover the best reads in the FNaF canon and the inspiration behind the series.
This is the most comprehensive introduction to the FNaF book series and includes details about the author and his journey to the creation of Freddy’s franchise. But first, let’s take a quick look at the best FNaF books.
Our best FNaF Books at a glance:
- The Silver Eyes
- The Fourth Closet
- The Twisted Ones
- Fazbear Frights #1: Into the Pit
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Tales from the Pizzaplex #1: Lally’s Game
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Fazbear Frights #8: Gumdrop Angel
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Fazbear Frights #3: 1:35 AM
Scott Cawthon, The Genius Behind The Fnaf Brand
If you have played an FNaF game or read one of the stories set in its canon, you have Scott Cawthon to thank. While the man is credited with almost all the FNaF IP, he is primarily responsible for conceiving the FNaF game and writing the first original novel in the FNaF universe.
Cawthorn was born on June 4, 1978, in Houston, Texas, in a religious household. He continues to be a devout Christian to this day. While the themes of his work might be perceived as agnostic, Cawthorn is pretty conservative and has a family of six kids.
The most productive leg of his game design career was fuelled by his need to provide for his family. But he had been designing games long before he met his wife. His first game was titled Doofas, which you wouldn’t see on his resume given that he created it as a child.
His first professional career bump was with the creation of RPG Max. Before conceiving FNaF, he spent his career creating Christian media animations for Hope Animation.
When Cawthorn decided to take game design more seriously, he released a few games that got heavily criticized. At one point, Cawthorn was ready to quit his game design career because no matter how he approached his games, they would get shot down for having animatronic-like characters.
While on the verge of quitting, he had an idea. He had tried to make his characters more “lifelike.” What if he could come up with a premise where animatronic-like characters were more plausible? This thought would eventually lead to the creation of Five Nights at Freddy’s.
The first game follows a security guard who works at Freddy’s, a pizzeria that is haunted by the spirits of dead children who possess animatronic robots. The game is uniquely eerie, as the creepiness of the dead motion of animatronics alongside the creepy setting sends chills down the players’ spines.
While Cawthorn realized that he had created the perfect premise for his games to be plausible and playable, he would soon recognize that he had also created the perfect setting for high-quality horror fiction. Today, the FNaF franchise includes multiple games, novels, and TV shows, along with a movie treatment in the works.
FNaF Books In Order Of Publication
FnaF Original Trilogy In Order of Publication
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: The Silver Eyes
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: The Twisted Ones
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: The Fourth Closet
Fazbear Frights Books In Order of Publication
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Fazbear Frights #1: Into the Pit
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Fazbear Frights #2: Fetch
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Fazbear Frights #3: 1:35 AM
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Fazbear Frights #4: Step Closer
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Fazbear Frights #5: Bunny Call
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Fazbear Frights #6: Blackbird
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Fazbear Frights #7: The Cliffs
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Fazbear Frights #8: Gumdrop Angel
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Fazbear Frights #9: The Puppet Carver
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Fazbear Frights #10: Friendly Face
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Fazbear Frights #11: Prankster
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Fazbear Frights #12: Felix the Shark
Tales from the Pizzaplex Books In Order
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Tales from the Pizzaplex #1: Lally’s Game
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Tales from the Pizzaplex #2: HAPPS
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Tales from the Pizzaplex #3: Somniphobia
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Tales from the Pizzaplex #4: Submechanophobia
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Tales from the Pizzaplex #5: The Bobbiedots Conclusion
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Tales from the Pizzaplex #6: Nexie
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Tales from the Pizzaplex #7: Tiger Rock
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Tales from the Pizzaplex #8: B7-2
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Tales from the Pizzaplex #9
The Best FNaF Books
The Silver Eyes
Among FNaF fans, The Silver Eyes is popular because it is the first book in the series. Had Cawthorn not written The Silver Eye (FNaF Untold Stories), the rest of the series would not have been possible. In The Silver Eyes, the author expands the universe of Freddy Fazbear’s haunted pizzeria. The book follows Charlie and her friends as they reunite at her father’s abandoned pizzeria after ten years.
The pizza shop was shut down after it became a site of a horrific murder spree. A decade has passed since there was any life at the location. But is the place creepy because it hasn’t been touched by life in ten years, or is there something else afoot?
The Fourth Closet
In this entry, Charlie is long gone but not irrelevant. The story picks up after the tragic ending of the first book and follows John, who has to contend with the possible death of Charlie. It is in this entry that the concept of the dead returning as spirits trapped in animatronics comes to light.
The Twisted Ones
For many readers, The Twisted Ones is the definitive end to the FNaF series. In this entry, Charlie is back and is actively trying to move on from Freddy’s nightmare. The masked killer and the possessed animatronics keep haunting her, so she decides to close the chapter with one last confrontation. Whether she succeeds is the main question of this entry.
Because the main FNaF series does end with the third book, readers interested in the primary canon should read no further than The Twisted Ones. As a result, the first three books in the series have the widest readership and the highest acclaim. But if you’re really in Freddy’s universe, then you can read Fazbear Frights and other book series in the FNaF universe. Many of the spin-off books are considered worthy of the top-5 and top-10 lists.
Fazbear Frights #1: Into the Pit
While the common opinion among FNaF fans is that new readers should read the main trilogy first instead of venturing into the spin-offs, Fazbear Frights is a very accessible book for a newcomer to FNaF. It is an anthology series set in the world of FNaF, and one doesn’t have to read any other books to enjoy it. In that way, Fazbear Frights: Into the Pit is an ideal start for anyone who doesn’t want to make a three-book commitment.
Into the Pit is the first book in the anthology series and follows Oswald and his friends as they end up at the dreaded pizzeria. Little do they know that they have to fight so hard for their lives in an empty place that houses nothing but mechanical mascots.
Tales from the Pizzaplex #1: Lally’s Game
If you’re a fan of some of the tail-end FNaF games instead of the first four, you will enjoy Tales From The Pizzaplex. It is also an anthology series like Fazbear Frights, but it incorporates a different set of creatures and follows the updated canon. Lally’s Game is the first book in this series and is popular for its freshness. There are three stories in this book and an epilogue that brings them together.
Fazbear Frights #8: Gumdrop Angel
Gumdrop Angel is the title story in the Fazbear Frights series. The book itself has two other stories, all revolving around unsuspecting protagonists ending up in Freddy Fazbear’s haunted realm. While the formula and the premise are pretty tight, Cawthorn manages to innovate and bring fresh scares to the canon.
Fazbear Frights #3: 1:35 AM
This book is a great, tucked-in-the-covers read. It has the campfire story vibe, and the title communicates as much. While this entry has plenty of scares, it is not as popular as the first Fazbear Frights entry because of its predictability.
Some elements in this entry feel repetitive, and if you’ve read Fazbear Frights #1 or #2, you will be a little numb to this one. It is best to approach this book after a long break from the FNaF universe.
FNaF FAQs
Who Writes FNaF Books?
Scott Cawthorn writes most of the FNaF books, and he is credited with almost everything related to the franchise. Kira Breed-Wrisley is the only other author credited with writing FNaF books.
It is speculated that Cawthorn provides the broader story, and the detailed novelization is carried out with the help of others. Since Scott has not publicly admitted to having ghostwriters, this cannot be taken as an objective fact.
Is There A TV Show Based On FNAF?
There are several web TV series set in the FNAF universe. Some draw from the games’ stories, while others reference events in FNAF short stories. These series are animated by private individuals and boutique operations and do not resemble the high-end animated series you would see on TV.
However, recently, the FNaF franchise has been tapped for a studio adaptation. This will spark fresh interest in the franchise and bring Freddy’s to a new audience.
Is FNaF On Netflix?
While FNaF fan trailers have been floating around the web, there is no FNaF movie on Netflix as of now. The movie rights and adaptation are under discussion, and the first-ever FNaF movie can come to Netflix.
Currently, only fan trailers and Netflix fan fiction edits are available, with no official trailer or teaser from the streaming giant. The Netflix film will be directed by Emma Tammi, who replaced Chris Columbus. Columbus left the movie project because Scott Cawthorn had too much creative control. Fans of FNaF consider Cawthorn’s ability to have the final say in all matters quite promising.
How Many FNaF Books Are There?
There are 20 books in the FNaF universe, with three bearing the main title and the rest being in the FNaF spin-off universe. Some of the books novelize pre-released game narratives, while others offer canonical material for future adaptations.
What Is The Premise Of FNaF?
Freddy’s is a pizzeria with animatronics that are possessed by the spirits of dead children. The security guard in the game has to survive a night at Freddy’s and be brave in the face of creepy animatronics.
Why Is FNaF Popular?
FNaF is popular because it presents a unique idea that is relatably creepy. Robots’ and mascots’ lifeless expressions can be unsettling, and adding the element of spirit-driven sentience to animatronics can amplify the creep factor.
People like FNaF because it can scare kids and adults alike. More importantly, it is a fresh premise in the world of gaming, where big studios usually opt for familiar stories.
Was FNaF Based On A True Story?
FNaF is not based on a true story. It is a fictional premise, and all stories in the FNaF games and novels are made up. However, the pizzeria that inspired FNaF does exist. Chuck E. Cheese, at one point, used to have animatronics in its pizzeria, which was the inspiration for FNaF.
Is There A Real FNAF Pizzeria?
Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria was never a place, though Chuck E. Cheese is a real place that inspired the fictional Freddy’s Pizzeria in FNaF. Chuck E. Cheese used animatronics as a part of its in-venue entertainment, which led to the haunted animatronics premise in FNaF.
Wrapping It Up
If you’re interested in FNaF games because of their creepy stories, you’ll be delighted to know that there are twenty books in the FNaF canon. You can read them in order or pick out the best ones. Either way, the round-up and the detailed bibliography above will be helpful, so bookmark this post if you are an FNaF fan.
