His Youth and Education Robert Albert Bloch was born in Chicago, Illinois on April 5 in 1917, to two German Jews, Raphael Bloch and Stella Loeb who, despite their Jewish heritage, had the family attend a Methodist Church. When Bloch was only eight years of age, he attended a screening of Lon Chaney Sr.’s The Phantom of the Opera (1925) on his own, where he was traumatized by … [Read more...] about From Traumatized to Terror Creator, the Life of Robert Bloch
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Shirley Jackson: Novels, Short Stories, and Other Works
The Lottery (1948) The Lottery is a short story that Shirley Jackson wrote in 1948—it was written within the month of its first publication. It appeared within the June 26, 1948 issue of The New Yorker and describes a fictional account of a small town that participates in a lottery of sorts. This particular short story has often been described as "one of the most famous … [Read more...] about Shirley Jackson: Novels, Short Stories, and Other Works
The Trials and Tribulations in the Life of Lois Duncan
We’re starting off July with a bang—and honoring one of Horror’s great women writers! Although she was best known for her work in young-adult novels, she is considered a pioneering figure in the development of the genre, specializing in the sub-genres of horror, thriller, and suspense. Lois Duncan, an author that throughout her life dealt with innumerable travesties and tragic … [Read more...] about The Trials and Tribulations in the Life of Lois Duncan
Stoker: More than Just the Author of Dracula
For fans of Bram Stoker, it's no surprise that he wrote more than his infamous novel Dracula (1987); credited for being the major influence on popular vampire culture, Stoker was a master of Gothic horror. While not critically acclaimed in his day--even H.P. Lovecraft had critical words for some of his literature--Stoker was a successful author and did great work within the … [Read more...] about Stoker: More than Just the Author of Dracula
Inuit Spirit of Death: The Keelut
What is the Keelut? This creature is an Inuit legend, one who hunts people during the winter, but it's not actually a predator in the strictest sense--it's a spirit of the Netherworld. The Keelut (key-loot), also known as the Qiqirn (key-kern) is sometimes referenced as a spirit of death or an evil earth spirit. While it is actually a spirit, it takes the form of what some … [Read more...] about Inuit Spirit of Death: The Keelut