Robert Bloch wrote literature that ranged from the psychologically terrifying to the downright "weird" horror; his inspiration stemmed both from watching his first scary film on his own as a child—and his subsequent nightmares—and his admiration for the stylistic horror of H.P. Lovecraft. His stories, however, are and always will be uniquely Robert Bloch, a genius in … [Read more...] about A Gothic, Cosmic, and Psychological Lifetime of Horror: The 16 Greatest Short Stories from Robert Bloch
novels
From Traumatized to Terror Creator, the Life of Robert Bloch
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
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
The Life and Death of Richard Matheson
Richard Matheson has been aptly described as, "the most famous horror writer that you've never heard of," meaning that you know his body of work, you just never knew the face behind it. So here's your chance to learn about one of the most prolific writers of the genre, with a career that spanned nearly seven decades. The Early Years Born in Allendale, New Jersey on … [Read more...] about The Life and Death of Richard Matheson