Robert Bloch
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Robert Albert Bloch (; April 5, 1917September 23, 1994) was an American fiction writer, primarily of
crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definit ...
, psychological horror and
fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...
, much of which has been dramatized for radio, cinema and television. He also wrote a relatively small amount of science fiction. His writing career lasted 60 years, including more than 30 years in television and film. He began his professional writing career immediately after graduation, aged 17. Best known as the writer of '' Psycho'' (1959), the basis for the film of the same name by
Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...
, Bloch wrote hundreds of short stories and over 30 novels. He was a protégé of H. P. Lovecraft, who was the first to seriously encourage his talent. However, while he started emulating Lovecraft and his brand of ''
cosmic horror Lovecraftian horror, sometimes used interchangeably with "cosmic horror", is a subgenre of horror fiction and weird fiction that emphasizes the horror of the unknowable and incomprehensible more than gore or other elements of shock. It is named a ...
'', he later specialized in crime and horror stories working with a more psychological approach. Bloch was a contributor to
pulp magazine Pulp magazines (also referred to as "the pulps") were inexpensive fiction magazines that were published from 1896 to the late 1950s. The term "pulp" derives from the cheap wood pulp paper on which the magazines were printed. In contrast, magazine ...
s such as ''
Weird Tales ''Weird Tales'' is an American fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine founded by J. C. Henneberger and J. M. Lansinger in late 1922. The first issue, dated March 1923, appeared on newsstands February 18. The first editor, Edwin Baird, prin ...
'' in his early career, and was also a prolific screenwriter and a major contributor to
science fiction fanzine A science-fiction fanzine is an amateur or semi-professional magazine published by members of science-fiction fandom, from the 1930s to the present day. They were one of the earliest forms of fanzine, within one of which the term "''fanzine''" was ...
s and
fandom A fandom is a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of empathy and camaraderie with others who share a common interest. Fans typically are interested in even minor details of the objects of their fandom and spend a significant ...
in general. He won the
Hugo Award The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention and chosen by its members. The Hugo is widely considered the premier a ...
(for his story "
That Hell-Bound Train "That Hell-Bound Train" is a fantasy short story by American writer Robert Bloch. It was originally published in ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'' in September 1958. Plot summary Martin is a young hobo with a fondness for trains. One ...
"), the
Bram Stoker Award The Bram Stoker Award is a recognition presented annually by the Horror Writers Association (HWA) for "superior achievement" in dark fantasy and horror writing. History The Awards were established in 1987 and have been presented annually since ...
, and the
World Fantasy Award The World Fantasy Awards are a set of awards given each year for the best fantasy literature, fantasy fiction published during the previous calendar year. Organized and overseen by the World Fantasy Convention, the awards are given each year a ...
. He served a term as president of the
Mystery Writers of America Mystery Writers of America (MWA) is an organization of mystery and crime writers, based in New York City. The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday. It presents the Edgar Award ...
(1970) and was a member of that organization and of
Science Fiction Writers of America The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, doing business as Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association, commonly known as SFWA ( or ) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization of professional science fiction and fantasy writers. Whil ...
, the
Writers Guild of America The Writers Guild of America is the joint efforts of two different US labor unions representing TV and film writers: * The Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE), headquartered in New York City and affiliated with the AFL–CIO * The Writers Guil ...
, the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motio ...
and the Count Dracula Society. In 2008,
The Library of America The Library of America (LOA) is a nonprofit publisher of classic American literature. Founded in 1979 with seed money from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Ford Foundation, the LOA has published over 300 volumes by authors rang ...
selected Bloch's essay "The Shambles of
Ed Gein Edward Theodore Gein (; August 27, 1906 – July 26, 1984), also known as the Butcher of Plainfield or the Plainfield Ghoul, was an American murderer and body snatcher. Gein's crimes, committed around his hometown of Plainfield, Wisconsin, ga ...
" (1962) for inclusion in its two-century retrospective of American
true crime True crime is a nonfiction literary, podcast, and film genre in which the author examines an actual crime and details the actions of real people associated with and affected by criminal events. The crimes most commonly include murder; about 40 per ...
. His favorites among his own novels were ''The Kidnapper'', ''The Star Stalker'', ''Psycho'', ''Night-World,'' and ''Strange Eons''. His work has been extensively adapted into films, television productions, comics, and audiobooks.


Early life and education

Bloch was born in Chicago, the son of Raphael "Ray" Bloch (1884–1952), a bank cashier, and his wife Stella Loeb (1880–1944), a social worker, both of
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
descent. Bloch's family moved to Maywood, a Chicago suburb, when he was five; he lived there until he was ten. He attended the Methodist Church there, despite his parents' Jewish heritage, and studied at Emerson Grammar School. In 1925, at eight years of age, living in Maywood, he attended (alone at night) a screening of
Lon Chaney, Sr. Leonidas Frank "Lon" Chaney (April 1, 1883 – August 26, 1930) was an American actor. He is regarded as one of the most versatile and powerful actors of cinema, renowned for his characterizations of tortured, often grotesque and affli ...
's film ''
The Phantom of the Opera ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (french: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra) is a novel by French author Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serial in from 23 September 1909 to 8 January 1910, and was released in volume form in late March 1910 by Pierr ...
'' (1925). The scene of Chaney removing his mask terrified the young Bloch ("it scared the living hell out of me and I ran all the way home to enjoy the first of about two years of recurrent nightmares"). It also sparked his interest in horror.''
Milwaukee Journal The ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it is the primary newspaper. It is also the largest newspaper in the state of Wisconsin, where it is widely distributed. It is currently o ...
'', April 6, 1935.
Reprint of 1949 autobiographical article in Graeme Flanagan, ''Robert Bloch: A Bio-Bibliography''. Canberra: Flanagan, 1979, pp. 6-12 Bloch was a precocious child and found himself in fourth grade when he was eight. He also obtained a pass into the adult section of the public library, where he read omnivorously. Bloch considered himself a budding artist and worked in pencil sketching and watercolours, but myopia in adolescence seemed to effectively bar art as a career. He had passions for German-made lead
toy soldiers A toy soldier is a miniature figurine that represents a soldier. The term applies to depictions of uniformed military personnel from all eras, and includes knights, cowboys, American Indians, pirates, samurai, and other subjects that involve c ...
and for
silent cinema A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, whe ...
. In 1929, Bloch's father Ray Bloch lost his bank job, and the family moved to
Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...
, where Stella worked at the Milwaukee Jewish Settlement
settlement house The settlement movement was a reformist social movement that began in the 1880s and peaked around the 1920s in United Kingdom and the United States. Its goal was to bring the rich and the poor of society together in both physical proximity and s ...
. Robert attended Washington, then Lincoln High School, where he met lifelong friend Harold Gauer. Gauer was editor of ''The Quill'', Lincoln's
literary magazine A literary magazine is a periodical devoted to literature in a broad sense. Literary magazines usually publish short stories, poetry, and essays, along with literary criticism, book reviews, biographical profiles of authors, interviews and letter ...
, and accepted Bloch's first published short story, a horror story titled "The Thing" (the "thing" of the title was
Death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...
). Both Bloch and Gauer graduated from Lincoln in 1934 during the height of the
Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
. Bloch was involved in the drama department at Lincoln and wrote and performed in school vaudeville skits.


Career


''Weird Tales'' magazine and the influence of H. P. Lovecraft

During the 1930s, Bloch was an avid reader of the pulp magazine ''
Weird Tales ''Weird Tales'' is an American fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine founded by J. C. Henneberger and J. M. Lansinger in late 1922. The first issue, dated March 1923, appeared on newsstands February 18. The first editor, Edwin Baird, prin ...
'', which he had discovered at the age of ten in 1927. In the Chicago Northwestern Railroad depot with his parents and aunt Lil, his aunt offered to buy him any magazine he wanted and he picked ''Weird Tales'' (Aug 1927 issue) off the newsstand over her shocked protest. He began his readings of the magazine with the first instalment of
Otis Adelbert Kline Otis Adelbert Kline (July 1, 1891 – October 24, 1946) born in Chicago, Illinois, USA, was a songwriter, an adventure novelist and literary agent during the pulp era. Much of his work first appeared in the magazine ''Weird Tales''. Kline was an ...
's "The Bride of Osiris" which dealt with a secret Egyptian city called Karneter located beneath Bloch's birth city of
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
. The Depression came in the early 1930s. He later recalled, in accepting the Lifetime Achievement Award at the First World Fantasy Convention (1975), how "times were very hard. ''Weird Tales'' cost twenty-five cents in a day when most pulp magazines cost a dime. I remember that meant a lot to me." He went on to relate how he would get up very early on the last day of the month, with twenty-five cents saved from his monthly allowance of one dollar, and would run all the way to a combination tobacco/magazine store and buy the new ''Weird Tales'' issue, sometimes smuggling it home under his coat if the cover was particularly risqué. His parents were not impressed with
Hugh Doak Rankin Hugh Doak Rankin, born Hugh Dearborn Copp (July 2, 1878— January 3, 1956) was an American artist who illustrated the science fiction magazine ''Weird Tales'' in the 1920s and 1930s. Early life Hugh Dearborn Copp was born in Loda, Illinois, the ...
's sexy covers for the magazine, and when the Bloch family moved to Milwaukee in 1928 young Bloch gradually abandoned his interest. But by the time he had entered high school, he returned to reading ''Weird Tales'' during convalescence from flu. H. P. Lovecraft, a frequent contributor to ''Weird Tales'', became one of his favorite writers. The first of Lovecraft's stories he had read was "
Pickman's Model "Pickman's Model" is a short story by H. P. Lovecraft, written in September 1926 and first published in the October 1927 issue of ''Weird Tales''. It has been adapted for television anthology series twice: in a 1971 episode of ''Night Gallery' ...
," in ''Weird Tales'' for October 1927.Robert Bloch. ''Once Around the Bloch: An Unauthorised Autobiography'' NY: Tor Books, 1993, p. 49. Bloch wrote: "In school I was forced to squirm my way through the works of Oliver Wendell Holmes, James Lowell and
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American poet and educator. His original works include "Paul Revere's Ride", ''The Song of Hiawatha'', and ''Evangeline''. He was the first American to completely transl ...
. In 'Pickman's Model', the ghouls ate all three. Now that, I decided, was poetic justice." As a teenager, Bloch wrote a fan letter to Lovecraft (1933), asking where he could find copies of earlier stories of Lovecraft's that Bloch had missed. Lovecraft lent them to him. Lovecraft also gave Bloch advice on his early fiction-writing efforts, asking whether Bloch had written any weird work and, if so, whether he might see samples of it. Bloch took up Lovecraft's offer in late April 1933, sending him two short items, "The Gallows" and another work whose title is unknown. Lovecraft also suggested Bloch write to other members of the Lovecraft Circle, including
August Derleth August William Derleth (February 24, 1909 – July 4, 1971) was an American writer and anthologist. Though best remembered as the first book publisher of the writings of H. P. Lovecraft, and for his own contributions to the Cthulhu Mythos and the ...
,
R. H. Barlow Robert Hayward Barlow (May 18, 1918 – January 1 or 2, 1951Joshi & Schultz (2007): p. xx.) was an American author, avant-garde poet, anthropologist and historian of early Mexico, and expert in the Nahuatl language. He was a correspondent and f ...
,
Clark Ashton Smith Clark Ashton Smith (January 13, 1893 – August 14, 1961) was an American writer and artist. He achieved early local recognition, largely through the enthusiasm of George Sterling, for traditional verse in the vein of Algernon Charles Swinburne ...
,
Donald Wandrei Donald Albert Wandrei (20 April 1908 – 15 October 1987)Minnesota Death Certificates Index
. ...
,
Frank Belknap Long Frank Belknap Long (April 27, 1901 – January 3, 1994) was an American writer of horror fiction, fantasy, science fiction, poetry, gothic romance, comic books, and non-fiction. Though his writing career spanned seven decades, he is best known ...
,
Henry S. Whitehead Henry St. Clair Whitehead (March 5, 1882 – November 23, 1932) was an American Episcopal minister and author of horror and fantasy fiction."In Memoriam: Henry St. Clair Whitehead". H. P. Lovecraft. Reprinted in Robert Weinberg, ''The Weird ...
, E. Hoffmann Price,
Bernard Austin Dwyer Bernard (''Bernhard'') is a French and West Germanic masculine given name. It is also a surname. The name is attested from at least the 9th century. West Germanic ''Bernhard'' is composed from the two elements ''bern'' "bear" and ''hard'' "brav ...
and J. Vernon Shea. Bloch's first completed tales were "Lilies," "The Laughter of a Young Ghoul" and "The Black Lotus". Bloch submitted these to ''Weird Tales''; editor Farnsworth Wright summarily rejected them all. However Bloch successfully placed "Lilies" in the semi-professional magazine ''Marvel Tales'' (Winter 1934) and "Black Lotus" in ''
Unusual Stories ''Marvel Tales'' and ''Unusual Stories'' were two related American semi-professional science fiction magazines published in 1934 and 1935 by William L. Crawford. Crawford was a science fiction fan who believed that the pulp magazines of th ...
'' (1935). Bloch later commented, "I figured I'd better do something different or I'd end up as a florist." Bloch graduated from high school in June 1934. He then wrote a story which promptly (six weeks later) sold to ''Weird Tales.'' Bloch's first publication in ''Weird Tales'' was a letter criticising the Conan stories of Robert E. Howard. His first professional sales, at the age of 17 (July 1934), to ''Weird Tales,'' were the short stories "The Feast in the Abbey" and "The Secret in the Tomb". "Feast ..." appeared first, in the January 1935 issue, which actually went on sale November 1, 1934; "The Secret in the Tomb" appeared in the May 1935 ''Weird Tales''. Bloch's correspondence with Derleth led to a visit to Derleth's home in Sauk City, Wisconsin (the headquarters of
Arkham House Arkham House is an American publishing house specializing in weird fiction. It was founded in Sauk City, Wisconsin, in 1939 by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei to publish hardcover collections of H. P. Lovecraft's best works, which had pr ...
). Bloch was impressed by Derleth who "fulfilled my expectations as a writer by wearing this purple velvet smoking jacket. That impressed me even more because Derleth didn't even smoke." Following this, and continued correspondence with Lovecraft, Bloch went to Chicago and met
Farnsworth Wright Farnsworth Wright (July 29, 1888 – June 12, 1940) was the editor of the pulp magazine ''Weird Tales'' during the magazine's heyday, editing 179 issues from November 1924 to March 1940. Jack Williamson called Wright "the first great fantasy ...
, the then editor of ''Weird Tales''. He also met the first ''Weird Tales'' writer outside of Derleth he had encountered -
Otto Binder Otto Oscar Binder (; August 26, 1911 – October 13, 1974) was an American author of science fiction and non-fiction books and stories, and comic books. He is best known as the co-creator of Supergirl and for his many scripts for '' Captain Ma ...
. Bloch's early stories were strongly influenced by Lovecraft. Indeed, a number of his stories were set in, and extended, the world of Lovecraft's
Cthulhu Mythos The Cthulhu Mythos is a mythopoeia and a shared fictional universe, originating in the works of American horror writer H. P. Lovecraft. The term was coined by August Derleth August William Derleth (February 24, 1909 – July 4, 1971) was an ...
. These include "The Dark Demon", in which the character Gordon is a figuration of Lovecraft, and which features
Nyarlathotep Nyarlathotep is a fictional character created by H. P. Lovecraft. The character is a malign deity in the Cthulhu Mythos, a shared universe. First appearing in Lovecraft's 1920 prose poem "Nyarlathotep", he was later mentioned in other works by ...
; "The Faceless God" (features Nyarlathotep); "The Grinning Ghoul" (written after the manner of Lovecraft) and "The Unspeakable Betrothal" (vaguely attached to the Cthulhu Mythos). It was Bloch who invented, for example, the oft-cited Mythos texts ''
De Vermis Mysteriis ''De Vermis Mysteriis'', or ''Mysteries of the Worm'', is a fictional grimoire created by Robert Bloch and incorporated by H. P. Lovecraft into the lore of the Cthulhu Mythos. Creation Ludvig Prinn's ''Mysteries of the Worm'' first appeared in ...
'' and '' Cultes des Goules''. Many other stories influenced by Lovecraft were later collected in Bloch's volume ''Mysteries of the Worm'' (now in its third, expanded edition). In 1935, Bloch wrote the tale "Satan's Servants", on which Lovecraft lent much advice, but none of the prose was by Lovecraft; this tale did not appear in print until 1949, in ''
Something About Cats and Other Pieces ''Something About Cats and Other Pieces'' is a collection of fantasy, horror and science fiction short stories, poetry and essays by American author H. P. Lovecraft. 2,995 copies were released in 1949 and was the fourth collection of Lovecraft' ...
''. The young Bloch appears, thinly disguised, as the character
Robert Blake Robert Blake may refer to: Sportspeople * Bob Blake (American football) (1885–1962), American football player * Robbie Blake (born 1976), English footballer * Bob Blake (ice hockey) (1914–2008), American ice hockey player * Rob Blake (born 19 ...
in Lovecraft's story "
The Haunter of the Dark "The Haunter of the Dark" is a horror short story by American author H. P. Lovecraft, written between 5–9 November 1935 and published in the December 1936 edition of ''Weird Tales'' (Vol. 28, No. 5, p. 538–53). It was the last written ...
" (1936), which is dedicated to Bloch. Bloch was the only individual to whom Lovecraft ever dedicated a story. In this story, Lovecraft kills off Robert Blake, the Bloch-based character, repaying a "courtesy" Bloch earlier paid Lovecraft with his 1935 tale "
The Shambler from the Stars "The Shambler from the Stars" is a horror short story by American writer Robert Bloch, first published in the September 1935 issue of'' Weird Tales''. It was later included as part of his first published book, ''The Opener of the Way'' (1945), a ...
", in which the Lovecraft-inspired figure dies; the story goes so far as to use Bloch's then-current address (620 East Knapp Street) in Milwaukee. (Bloch even had a signed certificate from Lovecraft nd some of his creationsgiving Bloch permission to kill Lovecraft off in a story.) Bloch later recalled "believe me, beyond all doubt, I don't know anyone else I'd rather be killed by.""Robert Bloch's Acceptance Speech" (for Lifetime Achievement) in Gahan Wilson (ed). ''First World Fantasy Awards.'' NY: Doubleday, 1977, p. 51 Bloch later wrote a third tale, "The Shadow From the Steeple", picking up where "The Haunter of the Dark" finished (''Weird Tales'' Sept 1950). Lovecraft's death in 1937 deeply affected Bloch, who was then aged only 20. He recalled "Part of me died with him, I guess, not only because he was not a god, he was mortal, that is true, but because he had so little recognition in his own lifetime. There were no novels or collections published, no great realization, even here in Providence, of what was lost." Elsewhere he wrote, "the news of his fate came to me as a shattering blow; all the more so because the world at large ignored his passing. Only my parents and a few correspondents seemed to sense my shock, and my feeling that a part of me had died with him." After Lovecraft's death in 1937, Bloch continued writing for ''Weird Tales'', where he became one of its most popular authors. He also began contributing to other pulps, such as the science fiction magazine ''
Amazing Stories ''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearances i ...
''. Bloch broadened the scope of his fiction. His horror themes included
voodoo Voodoo may refer to: Religions * African or West African Vodun, practiced by Gbe-speaking ethnic groups * African diaspora religions, a list of related religions sometimes called Vodou/Voodoo ** Candomblé Jejé, also known as Brazilian Vodu ...
("Mother of Serpents"), the
conte cruel The conte cruel is, as ''The A to Z of Fantasy Literature'' by Brian Stableford states, a "short-story genre that takes its name from an 1883 collection by Villiers de l'Isle-Adam", although previous examples had been provided by such writers as Ed ...
("The Mandarin's Canaries"),
demonic possession Spirit possession is an unusual or altered state of consciousness and associated behaviors purportedly caused by the control of a human body by spirits, ghosts, demons, or gods. The concept of spirit possession exists in many cultures and reli ...
("Fiddler's Fee"), and
black magic Black magic, also known as dark magic, has traditionally referred to the use of supernatural powers or magic for evil and selfish purposes, specifically the seven magical arts prohibited by canon law, as expounded by Johannes Hartlieb in 145 ...
("Return to the Sabbat"). Bloch visited
Henry Kuttner Henry Kuttner (April 7, 1915 – February 3, 1958) was an American author of science fiction, fantasy and horror. Early life Henry Kuttner was born in Los Angeles, California in 1915. Kuttner (1829–1903) and Amelia Bush (c. 1834–1911), the ...
in California in 1937. Bloch's first science fiction story, "The Secret of the Observatory", was published in ''Amazing Stories'' (August 1938).


Milwaukee Fictioneers and the Depression

In 1935 Bloch joined a writers' group, The Milwaukee Fictioneers, members of which included Stanley Weinbaum,
Ralph Milne Farley Roger Sherman Hoar (April 8, 1887 – October 10, 1963) was an American state senator and assistant Attorney General, for the state of Massachusetts. He wrote and published science fiction under the pseudonym of Ralph Milne Farley. Family Hoar w ...
and
Raymond A. Palmer Raymond Arthur Palmer (August 1, 1910 – August 15, 1977) was an American author and editor, best known as editor of ''Amazing Stories'' from 1938 through 1949, when he left publisher Ziff-Davis to publish and edit '' Fate Magazine'', and eve ...
. Another member of the group was Gustav Marx, who offered Bloch a job writing copy in his advertising firm, also allowing Bloch to write stories in his spare time in the office. Bloch was close friends with
C. L. Moore Catherine Lucille Moore (January 24, 1911 – April 4, 1987) was an American science fiction and fantasy writer, who first came to prominence in the 1930s writing as C. L. Moore. She was among the first women to write in the science fiction and ...
and her husband
Henry Kuttner Henry Kuttner (April 7, 1915 – February 3, 1958) was an American author of science fiction, fantasy and horror. Early life Henry Kuttner was born in Los Angeles, California in 1915. Kuttner (1829–1903) and Amelia Bush (c. 1834–1911), the ...
, who visited him in Milwaukee. During the years of the Depression, Bloch appeared regularly in dramatic productions, writing and performing in his own sketches. Around 1936 he sold some gags to radio comedians
Stoopnagle and Budd Stoopnagle and Budd were a popular radio comedy team of the 1930s, who are sometimes cited as forerunners of the Bob and Ray style of radio comedy. Along with Raymond Knight ('' The Cuckoo Hour''), they were radio's first satirists. Musician W ...
, and to
Roy Atwell John Leroy "Roy" Atwell (May 2, 1878 – February 6, 1962) was an American actor, comedian and composer, known for playing characters that mis-deliver their lines or stammer, most notably Doc from Walt Disney's classic Snow White and the Seven Dwa ...
. Also in 1936, his tale "The Grinning Ghoul" was published in ''Weird Tales'' (June); "The Opener of the Way" appeared in ''Weird Tales'' (Oct); "Mother of Serpents" appeared in the December issue. The December issue also contained Lovecraft's tale "The Haunter of the Dark" in which he killed off young author "Robert Blake". In 1937, following Lovecraft's death, "The Mannikin" appeared in ''Weird Tales'' for April. ''Weird Tales'' published "Return to the Sabbath" in July 1938. Bloch's first science fiction story, "The Secret of the Observatory" appeared in ''Amazing Stories'' (Aug 1938). In a profile accompanying this tale, Bloch described himself as "tall, dark, unhandsome" with "all the charm and personality of a swamp adder". He noted that "I hate everything", but reserved particular dislike for "bean soup, red nail polish, house-cleaning, and optimists".


Campaign manager for Carl Zeidler

In 1939, Bloch was contacted by James Doolittle, who was managing the campaign for
Mayor of Milwaukee This is a list of mayors of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. List External linksJS Online {{Mayors of the City of Milwaukee Milwaukee Milwaukee, Wisconsin Mayors In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporatio ...
of a little-known assistant city attorney named
Carl Zeidler Carl Frederick Zeidler (January 4, 1908 – December 11, 1942) was an American politician and the mayor of the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from 1940 to 1942, winning election by unseating six-term Socialist mayor Dan Hoan. After just two year ...
. He was asked to work on Zeidler's speechwriting, advertising, and photo ops, in collaboration with his long-time friend Harold Gauer. They created elaborate campaign shows; in Bloch's 1993 autobiography, ''Once Around the Bloch'', he gives an inside account of the campaign, and the innovations he and Gauer came up with – for instance, the original releasing-balloons-from-the-ceiling schtick. He comments bitterly on how, after Zeidler's victory, they were ignored and not even paid their promised salaries. He ends the story with a wryly philosophical point: Also in 1939, two of Bloch's tales were published: "The Strange Flight of Richard Clayton" (''Amazing Stories,'' August) and "The Cloak" (''Unknown,'' March). Many of the stories Bloch published in ''Strange Stories'' in 1939 as by 'Tarleton Fiske' were fantasy/horror hybrids of the ''
contes cruels ''Contes cruels'' (''Cruel Tales'') is a two-volume set of about 150 tales and short stories by the 19th-century French writer Octave Mirbeau, collected and edited by Pierre Michel and Jean-François Nivet and published in two volumes in 1990 by L ...
'' type.


1940s and 1950s

In October 1941, the tale "A Good Knight's Work" in '' Unknown Worlds'' first appeared. Shortly thereafter, Bloch created the
Damon Runyon Alfred Damon Runyon (October 4, 1880 – December 10, 1946) was an American newspaperman and short-story writer. He was best known for his short stories celebrating the world of Broadway in New York City that grew out of the Prohibition era. To ...
-esque humorous series character Lefty Feep in the story "Time Wounds All Heels" ''
Fantastic Adventures ''Fantastic Adventures'' was an American pulp fantasy and science fiction magazine, published from 1939 to 1953 by Ziff-Davis. It was initially edited by Raymond A. Palmer, who was also the editor of ''Amazing Stories'', Ziff-Davis's other scien ...
'' (April 1942). This magazine, along with ''Weird Tales,'' published most of the over 100 stories Bloch wrote in the first decade of his career. Around the same time, he began work as an advertising copywriter at the Gustav Marx Advertising Agency, a position he held until 1953. Marx allowed Bloch to write stories in the office in quiet times. Bloch published a total of 23 Lefty Feep stories in ''Fantastic Adventures'', the last one published in 1950, but the bulk appeared during World War II. Feep's character name had actually been coined by Bloch's friend/collaborator Harold Gauer for their unpublished novel ''In the Land of Sky-Blue Ointments'', Bloch also worked for a time in local
vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...
and tried to break into writing for nationally-known performers. Bloch gradually evolved away from Lovecraftian imitations towards a unique style of his own. One of the first distinctly "Blochian" stories was "Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper" (''Weird Tales'', July 1943). The story was Bloch's take on the
Jack the Ripper Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer active in and around the impoverished Whitechapel district of London, England, in the autumn of 1888. In both criminal case files and the contemporaneous journalistic accounts, the killer wa ...
legend, and was filled out with more genuine factual details of the case than many other fictional treatments. It cast the Ripper as an eternal being who must make
human sacrifice Human sacrifice is the act of killing one or more humans as part of a ritual, which is usually intended to please or appease gods, a human ruler, an authoritative/priestly figure or spirits of dead ancestors or as a retainer sacrifice, wherein ...
s to extend his
immortality Immortality is the concept of eternal life. Some modern species may possess biological immortality. Some scientists, futurists, and philosophers have theorized about the immortality of the human body, with some suggesting that human immorta ...
. It was adapted for both radio (in ''Stay Tuned for Terror'') and television (as an episode of '' Thriller'' in 1961 adapted by
Barré Lyndon Barré Lyndon (pseudonym of Alfred Edgar) (12 August 1896 – 23 October 1972) was a British playwright and screenwriter. The pseudonym was presumably taken from the title character of Thackeray's 1844 novel. Born in London, he may be best rem ...
).Woods and Baddeley, p. 68 Bloch followed up this story with a number of others in a similar vein dealing with half-historic, half-legendary figures such as the
Man in the Iron Mask The Man in the Iron Mask (French ; died 19 November 1703) was an unidentified prisoner of state during the reign of King Louis XIV of France (1643–1715). Warranted for arrest on 28 July 1669 under the pseudonym of "Eustache Dauger", he wa ...
("Iron Mask", 1944), the
Marquis de Sade Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade (; 2 June 1740 – 2 December 1814), was a French nobleman, revolutionary politician, philosopher and writer famous for his literary depictions of a libertine sexuality as well as numerous accusat ...
("The Skull of the Marquis de Sade", 1945) and
Lizzie Borden Lizzie Andrew Borden (July 19, 1860 – June 1, 1927) was an American woman tried and acquitted of the August 4, 1892 axe murders of her father and stepmother in Fall River, Massachusetts. No one else was charged in the murders, and despite ost ...
("Lizzie Borden Took an Axe ...", 1946). In 1944,
Laird Cregar Samuel Laird Cregar (July 28, 1913December 9, 1944) was an American stage and film actor. Cregar was best known for his villainous performances in films such as ''I Wake Up Screaming'' (1941) and '' The Lodger'' (1944). Cregar's screen career ...
performed Bloch's tale "Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper" over a coast-to-coast radio network. Towards the end of World War Two, in 1945, Bloch was asked to write 39 15-minute episodes of his own radio horror show called ''Stay Tuned for Terror''. Many of the programs were adaptations of his own pulp stories. (All episodes were broadcast, but recordings were thought to be lost. However, in 2020, two episodes, "The Bogeyman Will Get You" and "Lizzie Borden Took an Axe" were re-discovered amongst the archives of an old-time radio enthusiast. These episodes have now been posted on YouTube and Internet Archive

http://www.digitaldeliftp.com/DigitalDeliToo/dd2jb-Stay-Tuned-For-Terror.html]. The same year he published "The Skull of the
Marquis de Sade Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade (; 2 June 1740 – 2 December 1814), was a French nobleman, revolutionary politician, philosopher and writer famous for his literary depictions of a libertine sexuality as well as numerous accusat ...
" (''Weird Tales,'' Sempteber issue).
August Derleth August William Derleth (February 24, 1909 – July 4, 1971) was an American writer and anthologist. Though best remembered as the first book publisher of the writings of H. P. Lovecraft, and for his own contributions to the Cthulhu Mythos and the ...
's
Arkham House Arkham House is an American publishing house specializing in weird fiction. It was founded in Sauk City, Wisconsin, in 1939 by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei to publish hardcover collections of H. P. Lovecraft's best works, which had pr ...
, Lovecraft's publisher, published Bloch's first collection of short stories, ''The Opener of the Way'', in an edition of 2,000 copies, with jacket art by
Ronald Clyne ''Ronald Clyne'' (1925–2006) was an American designer and graphic artist. He is best known for creating over 500 covers for Folkways Records between 1948 and 1986. Early career After beginning to draw at the age of 8, Clyne sold his first d ...
. At the same time, his best-known early tale, "Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper", received considerable attention through dramatization on radio and reprinting in anthologies. This story, as noted below, involving a Ripper who has found literal immortality through his crimes, has been widely imitated (or plagiarized); Bloch himself would return to the theme (see below). Stories published in 1946 include "Enoch" (September issue of ''Weird Tales'') and ''
Lizzie Borden Lizzie Andrew Borden (July 19, 1860 – June 1, 1927) was an American woman tried and acquitted of the August 4, 1892 axe murders of her father and stepmother in Fall River, Massachusetts. No one else was charged in the murders, and despite ost ...
Took an Axe'' (''Weird Tales'', November). Bloch's first novel was published in hardcover – the thriller ''The Scarf'' (
The Dial Press The Dial Press was a publishing house founded in 1923 by Lincoln MacVeagh. The Dial Press shared a building with ''The Dial'' and Scofield Thayer worked with both. The first imprint was issued in 1924. Authors included Elizabeth Bowen, W. R. Bu ...
1947; the Fawcett Gold medal paperback of 1966 features a revised text). It tells the story of a writer, Daniel Morley, who uses real women as models for his characters. But as soon as he is done writing the story, he is compelled to murder them, and always the same way: with the maroon scarf he has had since childhood. The story begins in
Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
and follows him and his trail of dead bodies to
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
,
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, and finally
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...
, where his hit novel is going to be turned into a movie, and where his self-control may have reached its limit. In 1948, Bloch was the Guest of Honor at
Torcon I The 6th World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon), also known as Torcon, was held on 3–5 July 1948 at RAI Purdy Studios in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This was the first Worldcon held outside the United States. The chairman was Ned McKeown. ...
,
World Science Fiction Convention Worldcon, or more formally the World Science Fiction Convention, the annual convention of the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS), is a science fiction convention. It has been held each year since 1939 (except for the years 1942 to 1945, during ...
,
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
, Canada. In 1952 he published "Lucy Comes to Stay" (''Weird Tales'', January issue). Bloch popularised the "Auction Bloch" at science fiction conventions during the 1950s, a practice in which fans bid on professionals, buying an hour of their time. Bloch would auction off an hour of some well-known writer's time at a convention to raise money for a worthy cause. (The time gave the winner an hour of personal interaction with the writer at the convention.

Bloch published three novels in 1954 – ''Spiderweb'', ''The Kidnapper'' and ''The Will to Kill'' as he endeavored to support his family. That same year he was a weekly guest panelist on the TV quiz show ''It's a Draw''. ''Shooting Star'' (1958), a mainstream novel, was published in a double volume with a collection of Bloch's stories titled ''Terror in the Night''. ''This Crowded Earth'' (1958) was science fiction. With the demise of ''Weird Tales'', Bloch continued to have his fiction published in '' Amazing Stories, Amazing'', ''
Fantastic The fantastic (french: le fantastique) is a subgenre of literary works characterized by the ambiguous presentation of seemingly supernatural forces. Bulgarian-French structuralist literary critic Tzvetan Todorov originated the concept, characte ...
'', ''
The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'' (usually referred to as ''F&SF'') is a U.S. fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House, a subsidiary of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Press. Editors Anthony Boucher a ...
'', and ''
Fantastic Universe ''Fantastic Universe'' was a U.S. science fiction magazine which began publishing in the 1950s. It ran for 69 issues, from June 1953 to March 1960, under two different publishers. It was part of the explosion of science fiction magazine publishin ...
''; he was a particularly frequent contributor to ''
Imagination Imagination is the production or simulation of novel objects, sensations, and ideas in the mind without any immediate input of the senses. Stefan Szczelkun characterises it as the forming of experiences in one's mind, which can be re-creations ...
'' and ''
Imaginative Tales ''Imaginative Tales'' was an American fantasy and science fiction magazine launched in September 1954 by William Hamling's Greenleaf Publishing Company. It was created as a sister magazine to '' Imagination'', which Hamling had acquired from R ...
''. His output of thrillers increased and he began to appear regularly in ''
The Saint The Saint may refer to: Fiction * Simon Templar, also known as "The Saint", the protagonist of a book series by Leslie Charteris and subsequent adaptations: ** ''The Saint'' (film series) (1938–43), starring Louis Hayward, George Sanders an ...
'', ''
Ellery Queen Ellery Queen is a pseudonym created in 1929 by American crime fiction writers Frederic Dannay and Manfred Bennington Lee and the name of their main fictional character, a mystery writer in New York City who helps his police inspector father solve ...
'' and similar mystery magazines, and to such suspense and horror-fiction magazine projects as ''Shock''.


Jack the Ripper

Bloch continued to revisit the Jack the Ripper theme. His contribution to
Harlan Ellison Harlan Jay Ellison (May 27, 1934 – June 28, 2018) was an American writer, known for his prolific and influential work in New Wave speculative fiction and for his outspoken, combative personality. Robert Bloch, the author of '' Psycho'' ...
's 1967 science fiction anthology ''
Dangerous Visions ''Dangerous Visions'' is a science fiction short story anthology edited by American writer Harlan Ellison and illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon. It was published in 1967. A path-breaking collection, ''Dangerous Visions'' helped define the New ...
'' was a story, " A Toy for Juliette", which evoked both Jack the Ripper and the
Marquis de Sade Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade (; 2 June 1740 – 2 December 1814), was a French nobleman, revolutionary politician, philosopher and writer famous for his literary depictions of a libertine sexuality as well as numerous accusat ...
in a time-travel story. The same anthology had Ellison's sequel to it titled " The Prowler in the City at the Edge of the World". His earlier idea of the Ripper as an immortal being resurfaced in Bloch's contribution to the original ''
Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
'' series episode "
Wolf in the Fold "Wolf in the Fold" is the fourteenth episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series '' Star Trek''. Written by Robert Bloch and directed by Joseph Pevney, it was first broadcast on December 22, 1967. In the epi ...
". His 1984 novel ''Night of the Ripper'' is set during the reign of
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
and follows the investigation of Inspector
Frederick Abberline Frederick George Abberline (8 January 1843 – 10 December 1929) was a British chief inspector for the London Metropolitan Police. He is best known for being a prominent police figure in the investigation into the Jack the Ripper serial killer ...
in attempting to apprehend the Ripper, and includes some famous Victorians such as
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for '' A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Ho ...
within the storyline.


''Psycho''

Bloch won the
Hugo Award for Best Short Story The Hugo Award for Best Short Story is one of the Hugo Awards given each year for science fiction or fantasy stories published or translated into English during the previous calendar year. The short story award is available for works of fiction of ...
for "That Hellbound Train" in 1959, the same year that his sixth novel, ''Psycho,'' was published. Bloch had written an earlier short story involving
dissociative identity disorder Dissociative identity disorder (DID), better known as multiple personality disorder or multiple personality syndrome, is a mental disorder characterized by the presence of at least two distinct and relatively enduring personality states. The di ...
, "The Real Bad Friend", which appeared in the February 1957 ''Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine'', that foreshadowed the 1959 novel ''Psycho''. However, ''Psycho'' also has thematic links to the story "Lucy Comes to Stay." Also in 1959, Bloch delivered a lecture titled "Imagination and Modern Social Criticism" at the University of Chicago; this was reprinted in the critical volume ''The Science Fiction Novel'' (Advent Publishers). His story "The Hungry Eye" appeared in ''Fantastic'' (May). This was also the year in which, despite having graduated from painting watercolours to oils, he gave up painting completely.
Norman Bates Norman Bates is a fictional character created by American author Robert Bloch as the main antagonist in his 1959 thriller novel '' Psycho''. He has an alter, Mother, who takes from the form of his abusive mother, and later victim, Norma, wh ...
, the main character in ''Psycho'', was very loosely based on two people. First was the real-life
serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...
Ed Gein Edward Theodore Gein (; August 27, 1906 – July 26, 1984), also known as the Butcher of Plainfield or the Plainfield Ghoul, was an American murderer and body snatcher. Gein's crimes, committed around his hometown of Plainfield, Wisconsin, ga ...
, about whom Bloch later wrote a fictionalized account, "The Shambles of Ed Gein". (The story can be found in ''Crimes and Punishments: The Lost Bloch, Volume 3''). Second, it has been indicated by several people, including Noel Carter (wife of
Lin Carter Linwood Vrooman Carter (June 9, 1930 – February 7, 1988) was an American author of science fiction and fantasy, as well as an editor, poet and critic. He usually wrote as Lin Carter; known pseudonyms include H. P. Lowcraft (for an H. P. L ...
) and Chris Steinbrunner, as well as allegedly by Bloch himself, that Norman Bates was partly based on Calvin Beck, publisher of ''
Castle of Frankenstein ''Castle of Frankenstein'' was an American horror, science fiction and fantasy film magazine, published between 1962 and 1975 by Calvin Thomas Beck's Gothic Castle Publishing Company, distributed by Kable News. Larry Ivie—who also was cover ...
''. Bloch's basing of the character of Norman Bates on Ed Gein is discussed in the documentary ''Ed Gein: The Ghoul of Plainfield'', which can be found on Disc 2 of the DVD release of the remake of ''
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre ''The Texas Chain Saw Massacre'' is a 1974 American horror film produced and directed by Tobe Hooper from a story and screenplay by Hooper and Kim Henkel. It stars Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow and Gunnar Hansen, ...
'' (2003). However, Bloch also commented that it was the situation itself – a mass murderer living undetected and unsuspected in a typical small town in middle America – rather than Gein himself who sparked Bloch's storyline. He writes: "Thus the real-life murderer was not the role model for my character Norman Bates. Ed Gein didn't own or operate a motel. Ed Gein didn't kill anyone in the shower. Ed Gein wasn't into taxidermy. Ed Gein didn't stuff his mother, keep her body in the house, dress in a drag outfit, or adopt an alternative personality. These were the functions and characteristics of Norman Bates, and Norman Bates didn't exist until I made him up. Out of my own imagination, I add, which is probably the reason so few offer to take showers with me." Though Bloch had little involvement with the film version of his novel, which was directed by
Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...
from an adapted screenplay by
Joseph Stefano Joseph William Stefano (May 5, 1922 – August 25, 2006) was an American screenwriter, known for adapting Robert Bloch's novel as the script for Alfred Hitchcock's film '' Psycho'', and for being the producer and co-writer of the original ''The ...
, he was to become most famous as its author. Bloch was awarded a special
Mystery Writers of America Mystery Writers of America (MWA) is an organization of mystery and crime writers, based in New York City. The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday. It presents the Edgar Award ...
scroll for the novel in 1961. The novel is one of the first examples at full length of Bloch's use of modern urban horror relying on the horrors of interior psychology rather than the supernatural. "By the mid-1940s, I had pretty well mined the vein of ordinary supernatural themes until it had become varicose," Bloch explained to
Douglas E. Winter Douglas E. Winter (born October 30, 1950, in St. Louis, Missouri) is an American writer, critic and lawyer. Winter grew up in Granite City, Illinois. He graduated from Harvard Law School in 1975 and became a lawyer in Washington, DC, currently w ...
in an interview. "I realized, as a result of what went on during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
and of reading the more widely disseminated work in psychology, that the real horror is not in the shadows, but in that twisted little world inside our own skulls." While Bloch was not the first horror writer to utilise a psychological approach (it originates in the work of
Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wide ...
), Bloch's psychological approach in modern times was comparatively unique. Bloch's agent, Harry Altshuler, received a "blind bid" for the novel – the buyer's name was not mentioned – of $7,500 for screen rights to the book. The bid eventually went to $9,500, which Bloch accepted. Bloch had never sold a book to Hollywood before. His contract with
Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest publ ...
included no bonus for a film sale. The publisher took 15 percent according to contract, while the agent took his 10%; Bloch wound up with about $6,750 before taxes. Despite the enormous profits generated by Hitchcock's film, Bloch received no further direct compensation. Only Hitchcock's film was based on Bloch's novel. The later films in the ''Psycho'' series bear no relation to either of Bloch's sequel novels. Indeed, Bloch's proposed script for the film '' Psycho II'' was rejected by the studio (as were many other submissions), and it was this that he subsequently adapted for his own sequel novel. The film ''
Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...
'' (2012) tells the story of Alfred Hitchcock's making of the film version of ''Psycho''. Although it mentions Bloch and his novel, Bloch himself is not a character in the movie.


The early 1960s: Screenwriting and fiction

Following his move to Hollywood, around 1960, Bloch had multiple assignments from various television companies. However, he was not allowed to write for five months when the Writers Guild had a strike. After the strike was over, he became a frequent scriptwriter for television and film projects in the mystery, suspense, and horror genre. His first assignments were for the
Macdonald Carey Edward Macdonald Carey (March 15, 1913 – March 21, 1994) was an American actor, best known for his role as the patriarch Dr. Tom Horton on NBC's soap opera ''Days of Our Lives''. For almost three decades, he was the show's central cast member. ...
vehicle, '' Lock-Up'', (penning five episodes) as well as one for ''
Whispering Smith ''Whispering Smith'' is a 1948 American Western film directed by Leslie Fenton and starring Alan Ladd as a railroad detective assigned to stop a gang of train robbers. The supporting cast includes Robert Preston, Brenda Marshall and Donald C ...
''. Further TV work included an episode of ''
Bus Stop A bus stop is a place where buses stop for passengers to get on and off the bus. The construction of bus stops tends to reflect the level of usage, where stops at busy locations may have shelters, seating, and possibly electronic passenger ...
'' ("I Kiss Your Shadow"), 10 episodes of '' Thriller'' (1960–62, several based on his own stories), and 10 episodes of ''
Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was ren ...
'' (1960–62). His short story collection ''Pleasant Dreams - Nightmares'' was published by Arkham House in 1960. Bloch wrote the screenplay for ''
The Cabinet of Caligari ''The Cabinet of Caligari'' is a 1962 American horror film by :fr:Roger Kay, Roger Kay, starring Glynis Johns, Dan O'Herlihy, and Richard Davalos, and released by 20th Century Fox. Although the film's title is very similar to the German Silent ...
'' (1962), which is only very loosely related to the 1920 German silent film, and proved to be an unhappy experience. The same year, Bloch penned the story and teleplay "
The Sorcerer's Apprentice "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" (german: "Der Zauberlehrling", link=no, italic=no) is a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe written in 1797. The poem is a ballad in 14 stanzas. Story The poem begins as an old magician (fantasy), sorcerer departs his ...
" for ''
Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was ren ...
''. The episode was shelved when the
NBC Television Network The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
and sponsor
Revlon Revlon, Inc. is an American multinational company dealing in cosmetics, skin care, fragrance, and personal care. The headquarters of Revlon was established in New York City on March 1, 1932, where it still remains. Revlon was founded by brothe ...
called its ending "too gruesome" (by 1960s standards) for airing. Bloch was pleased later when the episode was included in the program's syndication package to affiliate stations, where not one complaint was registered. Today, due to
public domain The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work A creative work is a manifestation of creative effort including fine artwork (sculpture, paintings, drawing, sketching, performance art), dance, writing (literature), filmmaking, ...
status, the episode is readily available in home media formats from numerous distributors and is even available on free
video on demand Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos without a traditional video playback device and the constraints of a typical static broadcasting schedule. In the 20th century, broadcasting in the form of o ...
. His TV work did not slow Bloch's fictional output. In the early 1960s he published several novels, including ''The Dead Beat'' (1960), and ''Firebug'' (1961), for which
Harlan Ellison Harlan Jay Ellison (May 27, 1934 – June 28, 2018) was an American writer, known for his prolific and influential work in New Wave speculative fiction and for his outspoken, combative personality. Robert Bloch, the author of '' Psycho'' ...
, then an editor at Regency Books, contributed the first 1,200 words. In 1962 numerous works appeared in book form. Bloch's novel ''The Couch'' (1962) (the basis for the screenplay of his first movie, filmed the same year) was published. That year several Bloch short story collections – ''Atoms and Evil'', ''More Nightmares'' and ''Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper'' – were published, as well as another novel, ''Terror'' (whose working titles included ''Amok'' and ''Kill for Kali''). Editor Earl Kemp assembled a selection of Bloch's prolific output for fan magazines as ''The Eight Stage of Fandom: Selections from 25 years of Fan Writing'' (Advent Publishers). In this era,
Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...
later wrote, "What Bloch did with such novels as ''The Deadbeat'', ''The Scarf'', ''Firebug'', ''Psycho'', and ''The Couch'' was to re-discover the suspense novel and reinvent the antihero as first discovered by James Cain." During 1963, Bloch saw into print two further collections of short stories, ''Bogey men'' and ''Horror-7''. In 1964 Bloch married Eleanor Alexander and wrote original screenplays for two films produced and directed by
William Castle William Castle (born William Schloss Jr.; April 24, 1914 – May 31, 1977) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. Orphaned at 11, Castle dropped out of high school at 15 to work in the theater. He came to the attenti ...
, ''
Strait-Jacket ''Strait-Jacket'' is a 1964 American psychological thriller film directed and produced by William Castle, written by Robert Bloch and starring Joan Crawford. Its plot follows a woman who, having murdered her husband and his lover decades prior, ...
'' (1964) and ''
The Night Walker ''The Night Walker, or The Little Thief'' is an early seventeenth-century stage play, a comedy written by John Fletcher and later revised by his younger contemporary James Shirley. It was first published in 1640. Authorship The play enters th ...
'' (also 1964), along with ''
The Skull ''The Skull'' is a 1965 British horror film directed by Freddie Francis for Amicus Productions, and starring the frequently paired horror actors Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, alongside Patrick Wymark, Jill Bennett, Nigel Green, P ...
'' (1965). The latter film was based on his short story "The Skull of the Marquis de Sade".


The 1960s and 1970s: Film & TV writing

Bloch's further TV writing in this period included ''The Alfred Hitchcock Hour'' (7 episodes, 1962–1965), ''
I Spy I spy is a guessing game where one player (the ''spy'' or ''it'') chooses an object within sight and announces to the other players that "I spy with my little eye something beginning with...", naming the first letter of the object. Other players a ...
'' (1 episode, 1966), ''Run for Your Life'' (1 episode, 1966), and '' The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.'' (1 episode, 1967). He penned three scripts for the original ''
Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
'' series which were screened in 1966 and 1967: "
What Are Little Girls Made Of? "What Are Little Girls Made Of?" is the seventh episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series, ''Star Trek''. Written by Robert Bloch and directed by James Goldstone, it first aired on October 20, 1966. In the e ...
", "
Wolf in the Fold "Wolf in the Fold" is the fourteenth episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series '' Star Trek''. Written by Robert Bloch and directed by Joseph Pevney, it was first broadcast on December 22, 1967. In the epi ...
" (another
Jack the Ripper Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer active in and around the impoverished Whitechapel district of London, England, in the autumn of 1888. In both criminal case files and the contemporaneous journalistic accounts, the killer wa ...
variant), and " Catspaw". In 1968, Bloch returned to London to do two episodes for the English
Hammer Films A hammer is a tool, most often a hand tool, consisting of a weighted "head" fixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object. This can be, for example, to drive nails into wood, to shape metal (as wi ...
series ''
Journey to the Unknown ''Journey to the Unknown'' is a British anthology television series, produced by Hammer Film Productions and 20th Century Fox Television. It aired on ABC from September 26, 1968, to January 30, 1969.Twentieth Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film studio, film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm o ...
. One of the episodes, "The Indian Spirit Guide", was included in the American TV movie ''
Journey to Midnight ''Journey to Midnight'' is a 1971 British made-for-television horror film featuring two episodes derived from the 1968–1969 anthology television series ''Journey to the Unknown'' starring Chad Everett and Julie Harris, directed by Roy Ward B ...
'' (1968). The other episode was "Girl of My Dreams," co-scripted with Michael J. Bird and based on the eponymous story by
Richard Matheson Richard Burton Matheson (February 20, 1926 – June 23, 2013) was an American author and screenwriter, primarily in the fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres. He is best known as the author of '' I Am Legend'', a 1954 science ficti ...
. Following the movie ''
The Skull ''The Skull'' is a 1965 British horror film directed by Freddie Francis for Amicus Productions, and starring the frequently paired horror actors Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, alongside Patrick Wymark, Jill Bennett, Nigel Green, P ...
'' (1965), which was based on a Bloch story but scripted by
Milton Subotsky Milton Subotsky (September 27, 1921 – June 27, 1991) was an American film and television writer and producer. In 1964, he founded Amicus Productions with Max Rosenberg, Max J. Rosenberg. Amicus means "friendship" in Latin. The partnership pro ...
, he wrote the screenplays for five feature films produced by
Amicus Productions Amicus Productions was a British film production company, based at Shepperton Studios, England, active between 1962 and 1977. It was founded by American producers and screenwriters Milton Subotsky and Max Rosenberg. Films Prior to establishi ...
– ''
The Psychopath Psychopath can refer to: * Psychopathy Psychopathy, sometimes considered synonymous with sociopathy, is characterized by persistent antisocial behavior, impaired empathy and remorse, and bold, disinhibited, and egotistical traits. Diffe ...
'' (1966), ''
The Deadly Bees ''The Deadly Bees'' is a 1966 British horror film based on H.F. Heard's 1941 novel ''A Taste for Honey''.Ed. Allan Bryce, ''Amicus: The Studio That Dripped Blood'', Stray Cat Publishing, 2000 p 43-45 It was directed by Freddie Francis, and ...
'' (co-written with Anthony Marriott, 1967), '' Torture Garden'' (also 1967), ''
The House That Dripped Blood ''The House That Dripped Blood'' is a 1971 British anthology horror film directed by Peter Duffell and distributed by Amicus Productions. It stars Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Nyree Dawn Porter, Denholm Elliott, and Jon Pertwee. The ...
'' (1971) and ''
Asylum Asylum may refer to: Types of asylum * Asylum (antiquity), places of refuge in ancient Greece and Rome * Benevolent Asylum, a 19th-century Australian institution for housing the destitute * Cities of Refuge, places of refuge in ancient Judea ...
'' (1972). The last two films featured stories written by Bloch that were printed first in anthologies he wrote in the 1940s and early 1950s. During the 1970s, Bloch wrote two TV movies for director
Curtis Harrington Gene Curtis Harrington (September 17, 1926 – May 6, 2007) was an American film and television director whose work included experimental films, horror films and episodic television. He is considered one of the forerunners of New Queer Cinema. ...
– ''
The Cat Creature ''The Cat Creature'' is a 1973 American made-for-television horror film produced by Douglas S. Cramer and directed by Curtis Harrington from a teleplay by Robert Bloch and starring Meredith Baxter, David Hedison and Gale Sondergaard. The film s ...
'' (1973) (an ''
ABC Movie of the Week ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
'') and '' The Dead Don't Die''. ''The Cat Creature'' was an unhappy production experience for Bloch. Producer Doug Cramer wanted to do an update of '' Cat People'' (1942), the
Val Lewton Val Lewton (May 7, 1904 – March 14, 1951) was a Russian-American novelist, film producer and screenwriter best known for a string of low-budget horror films he produced for RKO Pictures in the 1940s. His son, also named Val Lewton, was a paint ...
-produced film. Bloch commented: "Instead, I suggested a blending of the elements of several well-remembered films, and came up with a story line which dealt with the Egyptian cat-goddess ( Bast), reincarnation and the first bypass operation ever performed on an artichoke heart." A detailed account of the troubled production of the film is described in Bloch's autobiography. Bloch meanwhile (interspersed between his screenplays for Amicus Productions and other projects), penned single episodes for ''
Night Gallery ''Night Gallery'' is an American anthology television series that aired on NBC from December 16, 1970, to May 27, 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, ''The Twilight Zone'', ...
'' (1971), ''
Ghost Story A ghost story is any piece of fiction, or drama, that includes a ghost, or simply takes as a premise the possibility of ghosts or characters' belief in them."Ghost Stories" in Margaret Drabble (ed.), ''Oxford Companion to English Literature'' ...
'' (1972), ''
The Manhunter ''The Manhunter'' is an American crime drama that was part of CBS' lineup for the 1974–1975 television season. The series was produced by Quinn Martin and starred Ken Howard as Dave Barret, a 1930s-era private investigator from Idaho. Syno ...
'' (1974), and '' Gemini Man'' (1976).


The later 1960s and 1970s: Fiction

In 1965, two further collections of short stories appeared - ''The Skull of the
Marquis de Sade Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade (; 2 June 1740 – 2 December 1814), was a French nobleman, revolutionary politician, philosopher and writer famous for his literary depictions of a libertine sexuality as well as numerous accusat ...
'' and ''Tales in a Jugular Vein''. 1966 saw Bloch win the
Ann Radcliffe Ann Radcliffe (née Ward; 9 July 1764 – 7 February 1823) was an English novelist and a pioneer of Gothic fiction. Her technique of explaining apparently supernatural elements in her novels has been credited with gaining respectability for G ...
Award for Television and publisher yet another collection of shorts - ''Chamber of Horrors''. Bloch returned to the site of his childhood home at 620 East Knapp St, Milwaukee (the address used by Lovecraft for the character Robert Blake in "The Haunter of the Dark") only to find the neighborhood razed and the entire neighborhood leveled and replaced by expressway approaches."Time-Travelling with H. P. Lovecraft" in ''The First World Fantasy Convention: Three Authors Remember'' (West Warwick, RI: Necronomicon Press), p. 8 In 1967, another Bloch collection, ''The Living Demons'' was issued. He also published another classic story of
Jack the Ripper Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer active in and around the impoverished Whitechapel district of London, England, in the autumn of 1888. In both criminal case files and the contemporaneous journalistic accounts, the killer wa ...
, "A Toy for Juliette" in
Harlan Ellison Harlan Jay Ellison (May 27, 1934 – June 28, 2018) was an American writer, known for his prolific and influential work in New Wave speculative fiction and for his outspoken, combative personality. Robert Bloch, the author of '' Psycho'' ...
's ''
Dangerous Visions ''Dangerous Visions'' is a science fiction short story anthology edited by American writer Harlan Ellison and illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon. It was published in 1967. A path-breaking collection, ''Dangerous Visions'' helped define the New ...
'' anthology. In 1968 he published a duo of long sf novellas as ''Ladies' Day'' and ''This Crowded Earth''. His novel ''The Star Stalker'' was published, and ''Dragons and Nightmares'' (the first collection of Lefty Feep stories) appeared in hardcover (Mirage Press). The collection ''Bloch and Bradbury'' (a collaboration with
Ray Bradbury Ray Douglas Bradbury (; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of modes, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, and r ...
) and the hardcover novel ''The Todd Dossier'', originally as by Collier Young, were published in 1969. Bloch won a second Ann Radcliffe Award, this time for Literature, in 1969. That same year, Bloch was invited to the Second International Film Festival in
Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
, March 23–31, along with other science fiction writers from the United States, Britain and Europe. In 1971, Bloch served as president of the
Mystery Writers of America Mystery Writers of America (MWA) is an organization of mystery and crime writers, based in New York City. The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday. It presents the Edgar Award ...
, meanwhile publishing the novel ''Sneak Preview'', the collection ''Fear Today, Gone Tomorrow,'' and the short novel ''It's All in Your Mind''. In 1972 he published another novel, ''Night-World''. In 1973 Bloch was the Guest of Honor at Torcon II,
World Science Fiction Convention Worldcon, or more formally the World Science Fiction Convention, the annual convention of the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS), is a science fiction convention. It has been held each year since 1939 (except for the years 1942 to 1945, during ...
, Toronto. 1974 saw the publication of his novel ''American Gothic'', inspired by the true life story of serial killer H.H. Holmes. In 1975, Bloch won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the First
World Fantasy Convention The World Fantasy Convention is an annual science fiction convention, convention of professionals, collectors, and others interested in the field of fantasy. The World Fantasy Awards are presented at the event. Other features include an art sh ...
held in
Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...
. The award was a bust of H. P. Lovecraft. The occasion of this convention was the first time Bloch actually visited the city of Providence. An audio recording was made of Robert Bloch during that 1975 convention, accessible onlin

In 1976, two records of Bloch recordings of his stories were released by Alternate World recordings – ''"''Gravely, Robert Bloch!" and "Blood! The Life and Times of Jack the Ripper! (with Harlan Ellison). In 1977,
Lester del Rey Lester del Rey (June 2, 1915 – May 10, 1993) was an American science fiction author and editor. He was the author of many books in the juvenile Winston Science Fiction series, and the editor at Del Rey Books, the fantasy and science ...
edited '' The Best of Robert Bloch'' for Del Rey books. Two further short story collections appeared – ''Cold Chills'' and ''The King of Terrors.'' Bloch continued to published short story collections throughout this period. His ''Selected Stories'' (reprinted in paperback with the incorrect title ''The Complete Stories'') appeared in three volumes just prior to his death, although many previously uncollected tales have appeared in volumes published since 1997 (see below). Bloch also contributed the story "Heir Apparent," set in
Andre Norton Andre Alice Norton (born Alice Mary Norton, February 17, 1912 – March 17, 2005) was an American writer of science fiction and fantasy, who also wrote works of historical and contemporary fiction. She wrote primarily under the pen name ...
's Witch World, to ''Tales of the Witch World'' (Vol. 1), NY: Tor, 1987. 1979 saw the publication of Bloch's novel ''There is a Serpent in Eden'' (also reissued as ''The Cunning''), and two more short story collections, ''Out of the Mouths of graves'' and ''Such Stuff as Screams Are Made Of.'' His numerous novels of the 1970s demonstrate Bloch's thematic range, from science fiction – ''Sneak Preview'' (1971) – through horror novels such as the loving Lovecraftian tribute ''Strange Eons'' (Whispers Press, 1978) and the non-supernatural mystery ''There is a Serpent in Eden'' (1979).


The 1980s

Bloch's screenplay-writing career continued active through the 1980s, with teleplays for '' Tales of the Unexpected'' (one episode, 1980), ''
Darkroom A darkroom is used to process photographic film, to make prints and to carry out other associated tasks. It is a room that can be made completely dark to allow the processing of the light-sensitive photographic materials, including film and ph ...
'' (two episodes,1981), ''
Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was ren ...
'' (1 episode, 1986), ''
Tales from the Darkside ''Tales from the Darkside'' is an American anthology horror TV series created by George A. Romero. Debuting in October 1983 with a pilot episode and then being picked up for syndication in September 1984, the show ran for 4 seasons through July ...
'' (three episodes, 1984–87: "Beetles", "A Case of the Stubborns" and "Everybody Needs a Little Love") and ''
Monsters A monster is a type of fictional creature found in horror, fantasy, science fiction, folklore, mythology and religion. Monsters are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive with a strange, grotesque appearance that causes terror and fe ...
'' (three episodes, 1988–1989: "The Legacy", "Mannikins of Horror", and "Reaper"). No further screen work appeared in the last five years before his death, although an adaptation of his "collaboration" with
Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wide ...
, "The Lighthouse", was filmed as an episode of '' The Hunger'' in 1998. ''The First World Fantasy Convention: Three Authors Remember'' (Necronomicon Press, 1980) features reminiscences of that important event by Bloch, T.E.D. Klein and
Fritz Leiber Fritz Reuter Leiber Jr. ( ; December 24, 1910 – September 5, 1992) was an American writer of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He was also a poet, actor in theater and films, playwright, and chess expert. With writers such as Robert ...
. In 1981, Zebra Books issued the first edition of the
Cthulhu Mythos The Cthulhu Mythos is a mythopoeia and a shared fictional universe, originating in the works of American horror writer H. P. Lovecraft. The term was coined by August Derleth August William Derleth (February 24, 1909 – July 4, 1971) was an ...
-themed collection ''Mysteries of the Worm''. This item was reprinted some years later in an expanded edition by Chaosium. Bloch's sequel to the original ''Psycho'', '' Psycho II'', was published in 1982 and in 1983 he novelized '' Twilight Zone: The Movie''. His novel ''
Night of the Ripper ''Night of the Ripper'' is a 1984 novel written by American writer Robert Bloch. Plot The story is set during the reign of Queen Victoria and follows the investigation of Inspector Abberline in attempting to apprehend Jack the Ripper and inclu ...
'' (1984), was another return to one of Bloch's favourite themes, the Jack the Ripper murders of 1888. In 1986, Scream Press published the hardcover omnibus ''Unholy Trinity'', collecting three by now scarce Bloch novels, ''The Scarf'', ''The Dead Beat'', and ''The Couch.'' A second retrospective selection of Bloch's nonfiction was published by NESFA Press as ''Out of My Head.'' In 1987, Bloch celebrated his 70th birthday. Underwood-Miller issued the three-volume hardcover set ''The Selected Stories of Robert Bloch'' (individual volumes titled ''Final Reckonings'', ''Bitter Ends'' and ''Last Rites''). When Citadel Press reissued this in paperback they incorrectly named it ''The Collected Stories of Robert Bloch.'' The same year a collection, ''Midnight Pleasures'' appeared from Doubleday, and ''Lost in Time and Space with Lefty Feep'' (Creatures at Large Press) collected a number of the stories on the Lefty Feep series. The latter was the first of a projected series of three volumes, but the further volumes were never published. In 1988, Tor Books reissued Bloch's scarce second novel, ''The Kidnapper.'' In 1989, several works were published: the collection ''Fear and Trembling'', the thriller novel ''Lori'' (later adapted as a standalone graphic novel) and another omnibus of long out-of-print early novels, ''Screams'' (containing ''The Will to Kill'', ''Firebug'', and ''The Star Stalker''). Randall D. Larson issued ''The Robert Bloch Companion: Collected Interviews 1969-1986'' (Starmont House), together with ''Robert Bloch'' (Starmont Reader's Guide No 37), an exhaustive study of Bloch's work, and ''The Complete Robert Bloch: An Illustrated, Comprehensive Bibliography'' (Fandom Unlimited Enterprises). Larson's three books were bound in hardcover and distributed by Borgo Press.


The 1990s: Last works

Bloch's novel, ''The Jekyll Legacy'' (1990), was a collaboration with
Andre Norton Andre Alice Norton (born Alice Mary Norton, February 17, 1912 – March 17, 2005) was an American writer of science fiction and fantasy, who also wrote works of historical and contemporary fiction. She wrote primarily under the pen name ...
and a sequel to
Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll a ...
's ''
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Doctor is an academic title that originates from the Latin word of the same spelling and meaning. The word is originally an agentive noun of the Latin verb 'to teach'. It has been used as an academic title in Europe since the 13th century, w ...
''. The same year he returned to the Norman Bates "mythos" with ''Psycho House'' (Tor), the third Psycho novel. As with the second novel in the sequence, it bears no relation to the film titled ''Psycho III''. It would prove to be his last published novel. In February 1991, he was given the Honor of Master of Ceremonies at the first
World Horror Convention The World Horror Convention was an annual professional gathering of the World Horror Society and other interested parties that ran annually for 26 years, from 1991 through 2016, before being discontinued. Site selection The annual World Horror ...
held in
Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...
. Weird Tales issued a special Robert Bloch issue in Spring, including his screenplay for the televised version of his tale "Beetles"". A standalone chapbook of the story "Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper" was issued in both hardcover and paperback by Pulphouse, and Bloch co-edited with
Martin H. Greenberg Martin Harry Greenberg (March 1, 1941 – June 25, 2011) was an American academic and anthologist in many genres, including mysteries and horror, but especially in speculative fiction. In all, he compiled 1,298 anthologies and commissioned ov ...
the original anthology ''Psycho-Paths'' (Tor). In 1991 Bloch contributed an Introduction to ''In Search of Lovecraft'' by J. Vernon Shea. In 1992, Bloch celebrated his 75th birthday with a bash at a Los Angeles mystery/horror bookstore which was attended by many sf/horror notables. In 1993, he published his "unauthorized autobiography", ''Once Around the Bloch'' (Tor) and edited the original anthology ''Monsters in Our Midst''. In early 1994, Fedogan and Bremer published a collection of 39 of his stories, ''The Early Fears''. Bloch began editing a new original anthology, ''
Robert Bloch's Psychos ''Robert Bloch's Psychos'' is a 1997 horror anthology that was being edited by American writer Robert Bloch until his death in 1994. Martin H. Greenberg completed the editorial work posthumously. List of stories The book featured the following ...
'' but was unable to complete work on it prior to his death; Martin H. Greenberg finished the work posthumously and the book appeared several years later (1997).


Personal life

On October 2, 1940, Bloch married Marion Ruth Holcombe; it was reportedly a marriage of convenience designed to keep Bloch out of the army. During their marriage, she suffered (initially undiagnosed) from
tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...
of the bone, which affected her ability to walk. After working for 11 years for the Gustav Marx Advertising Agency in Milwaukee, Bloch left in 1953 and moved to Weyauwega, Marion's home town, so she could be close to friends and family. Although she was eventually cured of tuberculosis, she and Bloch divorced in 1963. Bloch's daughter Sally (born 1943) elected to stay with him. On January 18, 1964, Bloch met recently widowed Eleanor ("Elly") Alexander (née Zalisko), who had lost her first husband, writer/producer John Alexander, to a heart attack three months earlier, and married her in a civil ceremony on the following October 16. Elly was a fashion model and cosmetician. They honeymooned in
Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Austr ...
, and in 1965 visited London, then
British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
. They remained happily married until Bloch's death. Elly remained in the Los Angeles area for several years after selling their Laurel Canyon Home to fans of Bloch, eventually choosing to go home to Canada to be closer to her own family. She died March 7, 2007, at the Betel Home in
Selkirk, Manitoba Selkirk is a city in the western Canadian province of Manitoba, located on the Red River about northeast of the provincial capital Winnipeg. It has a population of 10,504 as of the 2021 census. The mainstays of the local economy are tourism, ...
, Canada. Her ashes have been placed next to Bloch's in a similar book-shaped urn at Pierce Brothers in Westwood, California. Bloch died on September 23, 1994, after a long battle with cancer, at the age of 77. He survived by seven months the death of another member of the original "Lovecraft Circle",
Frank Belknap Long Frank Belknap Long (April 27, 1901 – January 3, 1994) was an American writer of horror fiction, fantasy, science fiction, poetry, gothic romance, comic books, and non-fiction. Though his writing career spanned seven decades, he is best known ...
, who had died in January 1994. Bloch was
cremated Cremation is a method of final disposition of a dead body through burning. Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India and Nepal, cremation on an open-air pyre i ...
and his ashes interred in the Room of Prayer
columbarium A columbarium (; pl. columbaria) is a structure for the reverential and usually public storage of funerary urns, holding cremated remains of the deceased. The term can also mean the nesting boxes of pigeons. The term comes from the Latin "'' colu ...
at
Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park & Mortuary is a cemetery and mortuary located in the Westwood Village area of Los Angeles. It is located at 1218 Glendon Avenue in Westwood, with an entrance from Glendon Avenue. The cemetery was ...
in Los Angeles. His wife Elly is also interred there. The Robert Bloch Award is presented at the annual Necronomicon convention. Its recipient in 2013 was editor and scholar S.T. Joshi. The award is in the shape of the Shining Trapezohedron as described in H. P. Lovecraft's tale dedicated to Bloch, "The Haunter of the Dark".


Comic adaptations

A number of Bloch's works have been adapted in graphic form for comics. These include: * "Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho" adapted by
Innovation Publishing Innovation Publishing (also known as Innovation Books and the Innovative Corporation) was an American comic book company based in Wheeling, West Virginia. It was co-founded by David Campiti in 1988 after writing a business proposal and raising US ...
as a three-part miniseries. Script and art by Felipe Echevarria. 1992. * "The Past Master" in ''
Christopher Lee Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee (27 May 1922 – 7 June 2015) was an English actor and singer. In a long career spanning more than 60 years, Lee often portrayed villains, and appeared as Count Dracula in seven Hammer Horror films, ultimat ...
's Treasury of Terror''. NY: Pyramid, 1967. * "Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper" in ''Journey into Mystery'' v2 2 (Marvel Comics, Dec 1972). Script by
Ron Goulart Ronald Joseph Goulart (; January 13, 1933 – January 14, 2022) was an American popular culture historian and mystery, fantasy, and science fiction author. He published novelizations and other work under various pseudonyms: Kenneth Robeson, Con ...
, art by
Gil Kane Gil Kane (; born Eli Katz ; April 6, 1926 – January 31, 2000) was a Latvian-born American comics artist whose career spanned the 1940s to the 1990s and virtually every major comics company and character. Kane co-created the modern-day versio ...
and
Ralph Reese Ralph Reese (born May 19, 1949) is an American artist who has illustrated for books, magazines, trading cards, comic books and comic strips, including a year drawing the '' Flash Gordon'' strip for King Features. Prolific from the 1960s to the 1 ...
. Reprinted in ''Masters of Terror'' 1 (Marvel large size b&w, July 1975). * "
The Shambler from the Stars "The Shambler from the Stars" is a horror short story by American writer Robert Bloch, first published in the September 1935 issue of'' Weird Tales''. It was later included as part of his first published book, ''The Opener of the Way'' (1945), a ...
" in ''Journey Into Mystery'' v2 3 (Marvel Comics, Feb 1973). Script by
Ron Goulart Ronald Joseph Goulart (; January 13, 1933 – January 14, 2022) was an American popular culture historian and mystery, fantasy, and science fiction author. He published novelizations and other work under various pseudonyms: Kenneth Robeson, Con ...
, art by
Jim Starlin James P. Starlin (born October 9, 1949) is an American comics artist and writer. Beginning his career in the early 1970s, he is best known for space opera stories, for revamping the Marvel Comics characters Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock, and ...
and Tom Palmer. Reprinted in ''Masters of Terror'' 1 (Marvel large size b&w, Jul 1975). * "The Shadow from the Steeple" in ''Journey into Mystery'' v2 5 (Marvel Comics, Jun 1973) * "The Man Who Cried Wolf" (as "The Man Who Cried Werewolf!") in ''Monsters Unleashed'' 1 (Marvel Comics, large size b&w, Jul 1973). Script by
Gerry Conway Gerard Francis Conway Thomas, Roy. "Roy's Rostrum" ("Bullpen Bulletins") in '' Marvel Super-Heroes'' #43 and other Marvel Comics cover-dated May 1974. (born September 10, 1952) is an American comic book writer, comic book editor, screenwriter, t ...
, art by
Pablo Marcos Pablo Marcos Ortega, known professionally as Pablo Marcos
at the
Arnold Drake Arnold Drake (March 1, 1924 – March 12, 2007) was an American comic book writer and screenwriter best known for co-creating the DC Comics characters Deadman and the Doom Patrol, and the Marvel Comics characters the Guardians of the Galaxy, amo ...
, art by Nevio Zaccara. * ''Hell on Earth''. Standalone graphic adaptation by
Keith Giffen Keith Ian Giffen (born November 30, 1952) is an American comics artist and writer. He is known for his work for DC Comics on their ''Legion of Super-Heroes'' and ''Justice League'' titles as well as for being the co-creator of Lobo. Biography K ...
and
Robert Loren Fleming Robert Loren Fleming (born November 5, 1956) is an American comic book writer. He is best known as the co-creator of '' Thriller'' with Trevor Von Eeden and for his collaborations with Keith Giffen. Career Robert Loren Fleming worked for DC Comic ...
, based on Bloch's story from
Weird Tales ''Weird Tales'' is an American fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine founded by J. C. Henneberger and J. M. Lansinger in late 1922. The first issue, dated March 1923, appeared on newsstands February 18. The first editor, Edwin Baird, prin ...
(1942).
DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
, 1985. * "A Toy for Juliette" in ''Deepest Dimensions'' 1 (1993). * ''Lori'' Standalone graphic adaptation by Ben Templesmith. (IDW, 2009). * "Final Performance" in ''Doomed'' 1 (IDW, 2010). Adapted by Kristian Donaldson and Chris Ryall. Also included in ''Completely Doomed'' graphic anthology (IDW, 2011). * "Warm Farewell" in ''Doomed'' 2 (IDW, 2010) * "Fat Chance" in ''Doomed'' 3 (IDW, 2010).(Also includes a remembrance of Bloch by
Jack Ketchum Dallas William Mayr (November 10, 1946 – January 24, 2018), better known by his pen name Jack Ketchum, was an American horror fiction author. He was the recipient of four Bram Stoker Awards and three further nominations. His novels inclu ...
.) * "Ego Trip" in ''Doomed'' 4 (IDW, 2010). * "Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper". 3-issue mini-series (IDW, 2010) and also collected as trade paperback (IDW, 2011). Scripted by Joe R. Lansdale. * "That Hellbound Train". 3-issue mini-series (IDW, 2011). Scripted by Joe R. Lansdale The comic ''Aardwolf'' (No 2, Feb 1995) is a special tribute issue to Bloch. It contains brief tributes to Bloch from
Harlan Ellison Harlan Jay Ellison (May 27, 1934 – June 28, 2018) was an American writer, known for his prolific and influential work in New Wave speculative fiction and for his outspoken, combative personality. Robert Bloch, the author of '' Psycho'' ...
,
Ray Bradbury Ray Douglas Bradbury (; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of modes, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, and r ...
,
Richard Matheson Richard Burton Matheson (February 20, 1926 – June 23, 2013) was an American author and screenwriter, primarily in the fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres. He is best known as the author of '' I Am Legend'', a 1954 science ficti ...
,
Julius Schwartz Julius "Julie" Schwartz (; June 19, 1915 – February 8, 2004) was a comic book editor, and a science fiction agent and prominent fan. He was born in The Bronx, New York. He is best known as a longtime editor at DC Comics, where at various t ...
and
Peter Straub Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a sur ...
incorporated within a piece called "Robert Bloch: A Retrospective" compiled by Clifford Lawrence. The first part of the text of Bloch's story "The Past Master" is also reprinted in this issue. Bloch also contributed a script as part of the DC
one-shot One shot may refer to: Film and television * One-shot film, a feature film shot in one long take with no edits, or manufactured to look like so * ''One Shot'' (2005 film), a Sri Lankan action film directed by Ranjan Ramanayake * ''One Shot'' (2 ...
benefit comic ''
Heroes Against Hunger ''Heroes Against Hunger'' is a 1986 all-star benefit comic book for African famine relief and recovery. Published by DC Comics in the form of a "comic jam" or exquisite corpse, the book starred Superman and Batman. Spearheaded by Jim Starlin and B ...
''. The character Inspector Bloch in the Italian comic
Dylan Dog ''Dylan Dog'' is an Italian horror comics series created by Tiziano Sclavi and published by Sergio Bonelli Editore since 1986. The series features the eponymous character, a paranormal investigator who takes on cases involving supernatural ele ...
is partly inspired by Robert Bloch.


Audio adaptations

A number of Bloch's works have been adapted for audio productions. Other adaptations include: * "Almost Human". May 1950 NBC radio broadcast from ''Dimension X'' and 1955 NBC radio broadcast from show ''X Minus One''. Available for download from

Audio of this story also included on
Isaac Asimov yi, יצחק אזימאװ , birth_date = , birth_place = Petrovichi, Russian SFSR , spouse = , relatives = , children = 2 , death_date = , death_place = Manhattan, New York City, U.S. , nationality = Russian (1920–1922)Soviet (192 ...
and
Martin H. Greenberg Martin Harry Greenberg (March 1, 1941 – June 25, 2011) was an American academic and anthologist in many genres, including mysteries and horror, but especially in speculative fiction. In all, he compiled 1,298 anthologies and commissioned ov ...
(eds) ''Friends, Robots, Countrymen''. Dercum Audio, 1997. . * ''Gravely, Robert Bloch''. Alternate World Recordings, 1976. LP. Bloch himself reads "That Hellbound Train" and "Enoch". * ''Blood! The Life and Times of Jack the Ripper''. Alternate World recordings, 1977. LP (2 record set). Bloch himself reads "Yours Truly Jack the Ripper" and "A Toy for Juliette".
Harlan Ellison Harlan Jay Ellison (May 27, 1934 – June 28, 2018) was an American writer, known for his prolific and influential work in New Wave speculative fiction and for his outspoken, combative personality. Robert Bloch, the author of '' Psycho'' ...
reads his "The Prowler in the City at the Edge of the World" * ''Psycho House (Psycho III)''. Sunset Productions/Audio gems, June 1992. . Read by Mike Steele. 2 cassettes. Abridged? * ''Thrillogy''. Read by
Roger Zelazny Roger Joseph Zelazny (May 13, 1937 – June 14, 1995) was an American poet and writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels, best known for ''The Chronicles of Amber''. He won the Nebula Award three times (out of 14 nomin ...
. Sunset Productions, 1993. Includes the three Bloch stories "That Hellbound Train", "Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper", and "The Movie People. (1 cassette, running time 90 mins). * ''Psycho''. Read by
Kevin McCarthy Kevin Owen McCarthy (born January 26, 1965) is an American politician, serving as Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives, House Minority Leader in the United States House of Representatives since 2019. A member of the Rep ...
. Listen for Pleasure, 1986. (2 cassettes, abridged, running time 2 hours). Reissued Feb 1999 . * ''Psycho II: The Nightmare Continues''. Sunset Productions, Aug 1992. . * "Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper" on ''The Greatest Mysteries of All Time''. Newstar Media, 1994. . 1 cassette. Packaged with "Hight Darktown" by
James Ellroy Lee Earle "James" Ellroy (born March 4, 1948) is an American crime fiction writer and essayist. Ellroy has become known for a telegrammatic prose style in his most recent work, wherein he frequently omits connecting words and uses only short, sta ...
. Read by Arte Johnson and Robert Forster. Running time ? * ''The Living Dead''. Stellar Audio Vol 5: Horror edition (Brilliance Audio), Aug 1996. Packaged with ''You'll Catch Your Death'' by P.N. Elrod. . 1 cassette. Running time 90 mins. * ''Psycho''. Read by
William Hootkins William Michael "Hoot"Austin Mutti-MewseObituary: William Hootkins ''The Guardian'', November 14, 2005, accessed December 13, 2012. Hootkins (July 5, 1948 – October 23, 2005) was an American actor, best known for supporting roles in Hollywood b ...
. Magmasters Sound Studios/ABC Audio, 1997. (2 cassettes, running time 3 hours). . * "The Movie People" on ''Hollywood Fantasies – Ten Surreal Visions of Tinsel Town''. Dove Audio/Audio Literature, 1997. 4 cassettes. Running time 6 hours. Unabridged. * "Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper". On ''The Greatest Horror Stories of the 20th Century'' edited by Martin Greenberg. Dove Audio, 1998. Read by various readers. 4 cassettes. Running time 6 hours. * ''Psycho''. BBC Radio Collection, June 2000. Read by William Hope. ? cassettes. Abridged. . * "A Good Knight's Work". Adapted by George Zarr, performed by a full cast. Seeing Ear Theatre, 2001. Running time 44 mins. * ''Psycho''. Blackstone Audio, Feb 2009. Read by Paul Michael Garcia. (4 cassette set), 9781433257094 (1 mp3-cd), 9781433257063 (5 cd set). Unabridged. Running times 5.6 hours. Playaway preloaded digital audio ed with earbuds, Sept 2009 * ''This Crowded Earth''. Librivox, March 2009. Read by Gregg Margarite. (3-CD set, running time 3 hours, 30 mins). Available for download from Librivox

* ''Psycho''. (In German). Read by Matthias Brandt. (5-CD set). Der Audio Verlag, 2011. Various recordings of Bloch speaking at fantasy and sf conventions are also extant. Many of these are available for download from Will Hart's CthulhuWho site


Bibliography


Novels

* ''In the Land of Sky-Blue Ointments'' (with Harold Gauer) (c. 1938) (unpublished, though characters and episodes from this book appear in later Bloch short stories, such as "The Travelling Salesman" and "The Strange Island of Dr Nork". The character Lefty Feep also appears for the first time in this work. Bloch owned the complete manuscript of the novel, which he described as "never intended or submitted for publication." Bloch's estate has blocked posthumous publication). Plot summary at

* ''Nobody Else Laughed'' (with Harold Gauer) (1939) (unpublished) * ''The Scarf'' NY: The Dial Press, 1947. Retitled reprint, NY: Avon, 1948 as ''The Scarf of Passion''. Revised text, Fawcett Gold Medal, 1966. Printings after the Avon 1948 edition revert title to the original, i.e. ''The Scarf''. See also ''Unholy Trinity,'' 1986. * ''Spiderweb'' (NY: Ace Pocketbooks, 1954; one half of Ace Double, backed with David Alexander's ''The Corpse in My Bed'') * ''The Kidnaper'' (Lion Pocketbooks, 1954). Later editions spell the title as ''The Kidnapper''. * ''The Will to Kill'' (NY: Ace Pocketbooks,1954) * ''Shooting Star'' (NY: Ace Pocketbooks, 1958) (first half of Ace Double, backed with Bloch's ss collection ''Terror in the Night'') No ISBN – identified only as Ace Double D-265 * ''This Crowded Earth'' (1958) (original magazine appearance; published as book in double format with ''Ladies Day'' 1968) * '' Psycho'' (NY: Simon & Schuster, 1959; UK: Robert Hale, April 1960). Adapted into the 1960 film, '' Psycho (1960 film), Psycho'', directed by
Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...
; later
remade Bas-Lag is the fictional world in which several of English author China Miéville's novels are set. Bas-Lag is a world where both magic (referred to as "thaumaturgy") and steampunk technology exist, and is home to many intelligent races. It is inf ...
in 1998 by
Gus Van Sant Gus Green Van Sant Jr. (born July 24, 1952) is an American film director, producer, photographer, and musician. He has earned acclaim as both an independent and mainstream filmmaker. His films typically deal with themes of marginalized subcultur ...
* ''The Dead Beat'' (NY: Simon & Schuster, 1960; London: Robert Hale, 1961). No ISBN. An "Inner Sanctum" Mystery. Library of Congress Card No 60-6100. The most extensively translated of Bloch's novels save ''Psycho'' and ''Psycho II'' - Larson's bibliography lists 13 translations in various languages to 1986. See also ''Unholy Trinity'' (1986). * ''Firebug'' (NY: Regency Books, 1961). RB 101. * ''The Couch'' (NY: Gold Medal, 1962; London: Frederick Muller Gold medal, 1962). See also ''Unholy Trinity'' (1986). Novelisation by Bloch of his screenplay for the previously filmed movie. * ''Terror'' (Belmont Books, 1962) ; Belmont L92-537 (Working title: ''Amok''; 2 German editions appeared under this title). * ''Ladies Day / This Crowded Earth'' (1968) A Belmont Double. Belmont B60-080 . Two science fiction novelets. * ''The Star Stalker'' (NY: Pyramid Books, 1968). Pyramid T-1869. Note: Bloch's title was ''Colossal.'' The publisher changed it without consultation with the author. * ''The Todd Dossier'' (1969, Delacorte US; Macmillan UK – no ISBN.)(as by
Collier Young Collier Hudson Young (August 19, 1908 – December 25, 1980) was an American film producer and writer, who worked on many films in the 1950s, before becoming a television producer for such shows as NBC's '' Ironside'' and CBS's '' The Wild, Wil ...
). Note: The byline on this book is ''not'' a Bloch pseudonym;
Collier Young Collier Hudson Young (August 19, 1908 – December 25, 1980) was an American film producer and writer, who worked on many films in the 1950s, before becoming a television producer for such shows as NBC's '' Ironside'' and CBS's '' The Wild, Wil ...
was a film producer who had secured a book deal with Bloch for his planned film called THE TODD DOSSIER. Bloch wrote the novel based on a story by
Joan Didion Joan Didion (; December 5, 1934 – December 23, 2021) was an American writer. Along with Tom Wolfe, Hunter S. Thompson and Gay Talese, she is considered one of the pioneers of New Journalism. Didion's career began in the 1950s after she won an ...
and
John Gregory Dunne John Gregory Dunne (May 25, 1932 – December 30, 2003) was an American writer. He began his career as a journalist for ''Time (magazine), Time'' Time (magazine), magazine before expanding into writing criticism, essays, novels, and screenplays. ...
. The film was never made; Bloch, who had contracted for a paperback release, was shocked to learn that the producer had placed his own name on the book as author when it was published in hardcover editions. * ''Sneak Preview'' (Paperback Library, 1971) * ''It's All in Your Mind'' (Curtis Books, 1971). Reprinted from its ''Imaginative Tales'' 1955 magazine appearance, where it was titled "The Big Binge". "The Big Binge" can also be found in ''The Lost Bloch, Volume One'' (see below). * ''Night World'' (Simon & Schuster, 1972; UK: Robert Hale, 1974. * ''
American Gothic ''American Gothic'' is a 1930 painting by Grant Wood in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Wood was inspired to paint what is now known as the ''American Gothic'' House in Eldon, Iowa, along with "the kind of people efancied shoul ...
'' (Simon & Schuster, 1974). Note: This novel was inspired by the true life story of serial killer H.H. Holmes. Bloch also wrote a 40,000-word essay based on his research for the novel, "Dr Holmes' Murder Castle" (first published in ''Reader's Digest Tales of the Uncanny'', 1977; since reprinted in ''Crimes and Punishments: The Lost Bloch, Vol 3'', 2002). * ''Strange Eons'' (Whispers Press, 1978) (a
Cthulhu Mythos The Cthulhu Mythos is a mythopoeia and a shared fictional universe, originating in the works of American horror writer H. P. Lovecraft. The term was coined by August Derleth August William Derleth (February 24, 1909 – July 4, 1971) was an ...
novel). (trade ed); 0-918372-29-1 (signed/boxed ed.) Third runner-up in the Best Novel category,
Balrog Award The Balrog Awards were a set of awards given annually from 1979 to 1985 for the best works and achievements of speculative fiction in the previous year. The awards were named after the balrog, a fictional creature from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-ear ...
, 1980. * ''There Is a Serpent in Eden'' (1979). Reissued as ''The Cunning'' (Zebra Books, 1979). * '' Psycho II'' (Whispers Press, 1982). 0-91832-09-7 (trade ed); 0-918372-08-9 (signed/boxed ed, 750 copies). (Unrelated to the
film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
of the same name) * '' Twilight Zone: The Movie''. (NY: Warner Books, 1983; London: Corgi, 1983). Novelisation of the Warner Bros movie, based on stories by
John Landis John David Landis (born August 3, 1950) is an American comedy and fantasy filmmaker and actor. He is best known for the comedy films that he has directed – such as ''The Kentucky Fried Movie'' (1977), ''Animal House, National Lampoon's Animal ...
,
George Clayton Johnson George Clayton Johnson (July 10, 1929 – December 25, 2015) was an American science fiction writer, best known for co-writing with William F. Nolan the novel ''Logan's Run'', the basis for the MGM 1976 film. He was also known for his televis ...
,
Richard Matheson Richard Burton Matheson (February 20, 1926 – June 23, 2013) was an American author and screenwriter, primarily in the fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres. He is best known as the author of '' I Am Legend'', a 1954 science ficti ...
, Josh Rogan, and
Jerome Bixby Drexel Jerome Lewis Bixby (January 11, 1923 – April 28, 1998) was an American short-story writer and scriptwriter. He wrote the 1953 story " It's a Good Life", which was the basis of a 1961 episode of ''The Twilight Zone'' and was included ...
. * ''
Night of the Ripper ''Night of the Ripper'' is a 1984 novel written by American writer Robert Bloch. Plot The story is set during the reign of Queen Victoria and follows the investigation of Inspector Abberline in attempting to apprehend Jack the Ripper and inclu ...
'' (Doubleday,1984).. Novel about
Jack the Ripper Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer active in and around the impoverished Whitechapel district of London, England, in the autumn of 1888. In both criminal case files and the contemporaneous journalistic accounts, the killer wa ...
. * ''Unholy Trinity'' (collects ''The Scarf'', ''The Couch'' and ''The Dead Beat''(Scream/Press, 1986). (Trade edition and 350 copy boxed ed signed by author and artist bear the same ISBN) * ''Lori'' (Tor, 1989) . * ''Screams: Three Novels of Suspense'' (collects ''The Will to Kill'', ''Firebug'' and ''The Star Stalker'')(Underwood-Miller, 1989) (trade edition); 0-88733-080-0 (signed edition, 300 numbered copies). * ''
Psycho House ''Psycho House'' (sometimes referred to as ''Psycho House: Psycho III'') is a 1990 novel by American writer Robert Bloch, a sequel to his 1959 novel '' Psycho'' and 1982 novel '' Psycho II''. The novel is not related to the 1986 film ''Psycho III ...
'' (Tor, 1990) .(Unrelated to the films '' Psycho II'', ''
Psycho III ''Psycho III'' is a 1986 American slasher film, and the third film in the ''Psycho'' franchise. It stars Anthony Perkins, who also directs the film, reprising the role of Norman Bates. It co-stars Diana Scarwid, Jeff Fahey, and Roberta Maxwell. T ...
'' or '' Psycho IV: The Beginning'') * ''The Jekyll Legacy'' (Tor, 1991) . * ''Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper'' (1991) (Pulphouse; a 100-copy hardbound signed edition of Bloch's famous short story) * ''The Thing (1993)'' (Pretentious Press; a limited edition of 85 copies, only 9 bound in cloth, of the author's first appearance in print – a parody of H. P. Lovecraft which originally appeared in the April 1932 issue of ''The Quill'', his Lincoln High School literary magazine) * ''Psycho – The 35th Anniversary Edition'' (Gauntlet Press, 1994). . Limited edition of 500 copies. The last work to be signed by Bloch before his death; includes a new intro by
Richard Matheson Richard Burton Matheson (February 20, 1926 – June 23, 2013) was an American author and screenwriter, primarily in the fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres. He is best known as the author of '' I Am Legend'', a 1954 science ficti ...
and a new Afterword by
Ray Bradbury Ray Douglas Bradbury (; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of modes, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, and r ...


Short-story collections

* ''The Thing'' (1932) actually a single short story (parodying the style of H. P. Lovecraft), the author's first, but initially published in book form by The Pretentious Press in (1993) * ''A Portfolio of Some Rare And Exquisite Poetry by the Bard of Bards'' (1937 or 1938) written under the pseudonym Sarcophagus W. Dribble. One page folded to make 4. Poetry. This item has been stated to be Bloch's first true book; however it actually seems to have appeared in the fanzine ''Novacious'' No 2 (March 1939) edited by
Forrest J. Ackerman Forrest James Ackerman (November 24, 1916 – December 4, 2008) was an American magazine editor; science fiction writer and literary agent; a founder of science fiction fandom; a leading expert on science fiction, horror, and fantasy films; a pr ...
and Myrtle R. Douglas ('Morojo'); distributed by the
Fantasy Amateur Press Association The Fantasy Amateur Press Association or FAPA ("FAP-uh") is science fiction fandom's longest-established amateur press association ("apa"). It was founded in 1937 by Donald A. Wollheim and John B. Michel. They were inspired to create FAPA by their ...
. A copy of this fanzine is held by the Special Collections at Kuhn Library, University of Maryland Baltimore. * ''
The Opener of the Way ''The Opener of the Way'' is a collection of fantasy and horror short stories by American writer Robert Bloch. It was released in 1945 and was the author's first book. It was published by Arkham House in an edition of 2,065 copies. A British har ...
'' (Arkham House, 1945; UK Neville Spearman, 1974.) Reissued by Panther Books, UK in two paperback volumes, 1976 - volume 1 as ''The Opener of the Way'' and volume 2 as ''The House of the Hatchet''. * ''Sea-Kissed'' (London: Utopian, 1945). Chapbook of four stories. The title story, co-penned with Henry Kuttner, was originally titled "The Black Kiss"'(1935). * ''Terror in the Night'' (NY: Ace Books, 1958) (Published in a double volume with Bloch's novel ''Shooting Star'') No ISBN – D-265 on spine. * '' Pleasant Dreams: Nightmares'' (Arkham House,1960; UK: Whiting, 1967)). See also ''Nightmares'' and ''More Nightmares'' (1961), ''Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper'' (1962), ''Horror-7'' (1963), ''Pleasant Dreams'' (1979) and ''The Early Fears'' (1994). * ''Blood Runs Cold'' (1961). NY: Simon & Schuster, 1961. UK: Robert Hale, 1963. No ISBN. Note: British editions omit four stories from the US editions. * ''Nightmares'' (NY: Belmont Books, 1961). 9 stories from '' Pleasant Dreams: Nightmares''. Contains new introduction by Bloch. * ''More Nightmares'' (
Belmont Books Belmont Books, also known as Belmont Productions, was an American publisher of genre fiction paperback originals founded in 1960. It specialized in science fiction, horror and fantasy, with titles appearing from 1961 through 1971. The company pub ...
, 1961). No ISBN – Belmont #L92-530. 10 stories from ''
The Opener of the Way ''The Opener of the Way'' is a collection of fantasy and horror short stories by American writer Robert Bloch. It was released in 1945 and was the author's first book. It was published by Arkham House in an edition of 2,065 copies. A British har ...
'' and '' Pleasant Dreams: Nightmares'' * ''Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper'' (NY: Belmont Books, 1962) No ISBN – L 92–527 on spine. 9 stories drawn from "The Opener of the Way'' and ''Pleasant Dreams: Nightmares''. UK reissues by Tandem (1965) and Sphere (1971) appeared as ''The House of the Hatchet and Other Tales of Horror.' These UK variant title reissues are not to be confused with the later Panther UK collection ''House of the Hatchet,'' (1976; 11 stories), whose contents are almost entirely different. * ''Atoms and Evil'' (
Gold Medal Books Gold Medal Books, launched by Fawcett Publications in 1950, was an American book publisher known for introducing paperback originals, a publishing innovation at the time. Fawcett was also an independent newsstand distributor, and in 1949 the c ...
, 1962) * ''Horror 7'' (Belmont Books, 1963). No ISBN. Belmont #90–275. Australian edition: Horwitz, 1963. Seven tales selected from ''
The Opener of the Way ''The Opener of the Way'' is a collection of fantasy and horror short stories by American writer Robert Bloch. It was released in 1945 and was the author's first book. It was published by Arkham House in an edition of 2,065 copies. A British har ...
'' and '' Pleasant Dreams: Nightmares'' * ''Bogey Men'' (Pyramid Books, March 1963) ; Pyramid F-839. Includes as afterword, a reprint of the essay "Psycho-Logical Bloch" by
Sam Moskowitz Sam Moskowitz (June 30, 1920 – April 15, 1997) was an American writer, critic, and historian of science fiction. Biography As a child, Moskowitz greatly enjoyed reading science fiction pulp magazines. As a teenager, he organized a branch of ...
. * ''The Skull of the Marquis de Sade and Other Stories'' (NY: Pyramid, 1965, pb; UK: Robert Hale, 1975, hc). * ''Tales in a Jugular Vein'' (Pyramid Books, 1965) No ISBN – R-1130 on spine. * ''Chamber of Horrors'' (Award Books, 1966) ; Award Books A187X. * ''The Living Demons'' (NY: Belmont Books, Sept 1967) No ISBN – Belmont B50-787. * ''Dragons and Nightmares: Four Short Novels'' (Mirage, 1968) No ISBN. Voyager series V-102. 1000 numbered copies. Note: All included stories were revised from their original magazine publications for their appearance here. * ''Bloch and Bradbury'' NY: Tower Books, 1969. Edited by Kurt Singer. Contains six stories by Bloch & five by
Ray Bradbury Ray Douglas Bradbury (; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of modes, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, and r ...
. Retitled reprint, UK: Sphere, 1970, as ''Fever Dream and Other Fantasies.'' ,; Retitled reprint, large magazine format, possibly unauthorised, Chicago: Peacock Press,1969 as ''Whispers from Beyond.'' No ISBN. * ''Fear Today, Gone Tomorrow'' (Award Books/Tandem Books, 1971) No ISBN Award/Tandem 426 & A811S on spine; AQ 1469 on front cover. * ''House of the Hatchet''. (Panther Books, UK, 1976). Collection of 11 stories; the second half of the two-volume paperback reissue of ''The Opener of the Way''. Not to be confused with UK re-titles under this name by Tandem and Sphere of the US 1962 Belmont collection (9 stories) whose contents are almost entirely different. * ''The King of Terrors: Tales of Madness and Death'' (The Mysterious Press, 1977) (trade ed); 0-89296-030-2 (limited ed). * '' The Best of Robert Bloch'' (Del Rey/Ballantine, 1977). . Introduction by
Lester Del Rey Lester del Rey (June 2, 1915 – May 10, 1993) was an American science fiction author and editor. He was the author of many books in the juvenile Winston Science Fiction series, and the editor at Del Rey Books, the fantasy and science ...
. * ''Cold Chills'' (Doubleday, 1977). . * ''Out of the Mouths of Graves'' (Mysterious Press, 1978) (trade ed); 0-89296-044-2 (limited ed). * ''The Laughter of a Ghoul/What Every Young Ghoul Should Know'' (Necronomicon Press, 1978) * ''Pleasant Dreams'' (HBJ/Jove pbk, 1979). A variant edition/title of 1960's ''Pleasant Dreams - Nightmares'' which omits four stories from the Arkham House collection and adds three others. * ''Such Stuff as Screams Are Made Of'' (Ballantine Books, 1979) . * ''
Mysteries of the Worm ''De Vermis Mysteriis'', or ''Mysteries of the Worm'', is a fictional grimoire created by Robert Bloch and incorporated by H. P. Lovecraft into the lore of the Cthulhu Mythos. Creation Ludvig Prinn's ''Mysteries of the Worm'' first appeared in ...
'' (Zebra Books, 1981). . Introduction "Demon-Dreaded Lore" by
Lin Carter Linwood Vrooman Carter (June 9, 1930 – February 7, 1988) was an American author of science fiction and fantasy, as well as an editor, poet and critic. He usually wrote as Lin Carter; known pseudonyms include H. P. Lowcraft (for an H. P. L ...
. Afterword by Robert Bloch. * ''Midnight Pleasures'' (Doubleday, 1987) . * ''Lost in Space and Time With Lefty Feep'' (Creatures at Large Press, 1987). (trade ed); 0-940064-01-4 (boxed/deluxe ed, 250 copies signed). Note: This book was designated "Volume One" but in fact no further volumes of the series were published, leaving a number of the Lefty Feep stories uncollected. *''Selected Stories of Robert Bloch'' (Underwood-Miller, 1987, 3 vols). Note: The following three entries represent paperback reprints of the Underwood Miller ''Selected Stories'' set. ''Complete Stories'' is a misnomer as these three volumes do not contain anywhere near the complete oeuvre of Bloch's short fiction. * ''The Complete Stories of Robert Bloch: Volume 1: Final Reckonings'' (1987) * ''The Complete Stories of Robert Bloch: Volume 2: Bitter Ends'' (1987) * ''The Complete Stories of Robert Bloch: Volume 3: Last Rites'' (1987) * ''Fear and Trembling'' (1989) * ''
Mysteries of the Worm ''De Vermis Mysteriis'', or ''Mysteries of the Worm'', is a fictional grimoire created by Robert Bloch and incorporated by H. P. Lovecraft into the lore of the Cthulhu Mythos. Creation Ludvig Prinn's ''Mysteries of the Worm'' first appeared in ...
'' (rev. 1993) from
Chaosium Chaosium Inc. is a publisher of tabletop role-playing games established by Greg Stafford in 1975. Chaosium's major titles include '' Call of Cthulhu'', based on the horror fiction stories of H. P. Lovecraft'', RuneQuest Glorantha'', ''Pendragon'' ...
books. Adds three additional stories not included in the first edition. * '' The Early Fears'' (1994). Fedogan & Bremer. (trade ed); 1-878252-13-5 (limited ed). Combines the contents of ''The Opener of the Way'' (1945) and ''Pleasant Dreams: Nightmares'' (1960) with three new stories and intro by the author. * ''
Flowers from the Moon and Other Lunacies ''Flowers from the Moon and Other Lunacies'' is a collection of horror and fantasy stories by American writer Robert Bloch. It was released in 1998 and was the author's third book published by Arkham House. It was published in an edition of 2, ...
'' (Arkham House, 1998) . Introduction by
Robert M. Price Robert McNair Price (born July 7, 1954) is an American New Testament scholar. His most notable stance is arguing in favor of the Christ myth theorythe claim that a historical Jesus did not exist. Price is the author of a number of books on bi ...
. Collects rarities from the Bloch canon, previously published in ''Weird Tales'', ''Strange Stories'' and ''Rogue'' magazines; of its 20 stories, 15 are not readily obtainable outside the original pulps where they appeared. * ''The Lost Bloch: Volume 1: The Devil With You!'' (Subterranean Press, 1999) . (Limited ed of 724 numbered copies signed by editor/introducer
David J. Schow David J. Schow (born July 13, 1955) is an American author of horror novels, short stories, and screenplays. His credits include films such as '' Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III'', ''The Crow'' and '' The Hills Run Red''. Most of ...
and Foreword writer Stefan Dziemaniowicz). Includes interview with Bloch, "An Hour with Robert Bloch" conducted by David J. Schow. One of the stories included is "The Big Binge" (originally in ''Imaginative Tales'' in 1955 and reprinted as the short novel ''It's All in Your Mind'' in 1971, see above). The ''Lost Bloch'' supplements ''Flowers from the Moon'' in reprinting rare and unreprinted Bloch stories; however at early 2011 around 50 Bloch stories remain uncollected * ''The Lost Bloch: Volume 2: Hell on Earth'' (2000). . (Limited ed of 1250 numbered copies signed by editor/introducer David J. Schow and Foreword writer
Douglas E. Winter Douglas E. Winter (born October 30, 1950, in St. Louis, Missouri) is an American writer, critic and lawyer. Winter grew up in Granite City, Illinois. He graduated from Harvard Law School in 1975 and became a lawyer in Washington, DC, currently w ...
). Includes afterword by Schow and interview "Slightly More than Another Hour with Robert Bloch" by
J. Michael Straczynski Joseph Michael Straczynski (; born July 17, 1954) is an American filmmaker and comic book writer. He is the founder of Synthetic Worlds Ltd. and Studio JMS and is best known as the creator of the science fiction television series ''Babylon 5'' ( ...
. * ''The Lost Bloch: Volume 3: Crimes and Punishments'' (Subterranean Press, 2002) . (Limited ed 750 numbered copies signed by editor/introducer David J. Schow). Includes introductory piece by
Gahan Wilson Gahan Allen Wilson (February 18, 1930 – November 21, 2019) was an American author, cartoonist and illustrator known for his cartoons depicting horror-fantasy situations. Biography Wilson was born in Evanston, Illinois, and was inspired by th ...
, interview "Three Hours and Then Some with Robert Bloch" by
Douglas E. Winter Douglas E. Winter (born October 30, 1950, in St. Louis, Missouri) is an American writer, critic and lawyer. Winter grew up in Granite City, Illinois. He graduated from Harvard Law School in 1975 and became a lawyer in Washington, DC, currently w ...
and "My Husband, Robert Bloch" by Eleanor Bloch. * ''The Reader's Bloch: Volume 1: The Fear Planet and Other Unusual Destinations'' (Subterranean Press, 2005; limited ed, signed by editor, 750 numbered and 26 lettered copies). Edited by Stefan R. Dziemanowicz, who provides an introduction, "Future Imperfect". Collects more Bloch rarities; most of its 20 stories are science fiction, and are otherwise unobtainable outside their original magazine appearances. * ''The Reader's Bloch: Volume 2: Skeleton in the Closet and Other Stories'' (Subterranean Press, 2008; 750 numbered copies signed by the editor). Edited by Stefan R. Dziemanowicz. No intro. An unthemed collection of Bloch rarities, most of whose 16 stories are otherwise unobtainable outside their original magazine appearances. * ''
Mysteries of the Worm ''De Vermis Mysteriis'', or ''Mysteries of the Worm'', is a fictional grimoire created by Robert Bloch and incorporated by H. P. Lovecraft into the lore of the Cthulhu Mythos. Creation Ludvig Prinn's ''Mysteries of the Worm'' first appeared in ...
'' (
Chaosium Chaosium Inc. is a publisher of tabletop role-playing games established by Greg Stafford in 1975. Chaosium's major titles include '' Call of Cthulhu'', based on the horror fiction stories of H. P. Lovecraft'', RuneQuest Glorantha'', ''Pendragon'' ...
, rev. 2009) . Preface "De Vermis Mysteriis" by
Robert M. Price Robert McNair Price (born July 7, 1954) is an American New Testament scholar. His most notable stance is arguing in favor of the Christ myth theorythe claim that a historical Jesus did not exist. Price is the author of a number of books on bi ...
. Includes original Introduction by Lin Carter and After Word by Robert Bloch. Adds four additional stories not included in the first two editions.


Anthologies and collections edited by Bloch

* ''The Best of
Fredric Brown Fredric Brown (October 29, 1906 – March 11, 1972) was an American science fiction, fantasy, and mystery writer.D. J. McReynolds, "The Short Fiction of Fredric Brown" in Frank N. Magill, (ed.) ''Survey of Science Fiction Literature'', Vol. 4 ...
'' (Nelson Doubleday, 1976). No ISBN. Book Club ed. 3180 on rear jacket flap. * ''Psycho-Paths''. (Tor, 1991). . * ''Monsters in Our Midst'' (Tor, 1993). . * ''
Robert Bloch's Psychos ''Robert Bloch's Psychos'' is a 1997 horror anthology that was being edited by American writer Robert Bloch until his death in 1994. Martin H. Greenberg completed the editorial work posthumously. List of stories The book featured the following ...
'' (1997). . This anthology was being edited by Robert Bloch until his death in 1994.
Martin H. Greenberg Martin Harry Greenberg (March 1, 1941 – June 25, 2011) was an American academic and anthologist in many genres, including mysteries and horror, but especially in speculative fiction. In all, he compiled 1,298 anthologies and commissioned ov ...
completed the editorial work posthumously.


Short stories

* "Broomstick Ride", ''Super Science Fiction'', December 1957 * "Crime Machine", ''Galaxy'', October 1961 * "Sales of a Deathman", ''Galaxy'', February 1968


Non-fiction

* ''The Eighth Stage of Fandom'' (1962). Advent – no ISBN. Wildside Press reprint, 1992, with new intro by Wilson Tucker and new afterword by
Harlan Ellison Harlan Jay Ellison (May 27, 1934 – June 28, 2018) was an American writer, known for his prolific and influential work in New Wave speculative fiction and for his outspoken, combative personality. Robert Bloch, the author of '' Psycho'' ...
, * ''Out of My Head'' (1986) (essays). NESFA Press. (trade ed); 0-915368-87-0 (slipcased ed). Edition limited to 800 numbered copies, the first 200 being slipcased. * ''Once Around the Bloch: An Unauthorized Autobiography'' (Tor, 1993). * ''Robert Bloch: Appreciations of the Master'' (Tor, 1995). This volume is a tribute to Bloch collecting essays by many writers who knew or worked with him, together with reprints of several Bloch stories.


Awards

* 1959: "That Hell-Bound Train"
Hugo Award for Best Short Story The Hugo Award for Best Short Story is one of the Hugo Awards given each year for science fiction or fantasy stories published or translated into English during the previous calendar year. The short story award is available for works of fiction of ...
* 1959:
E. Everett Evans Edward Everett Evans (November 30, 1893 – December 2, 1958) was an American science fiction writer and science fiction fandom, fan. He married science-fiction author Thelma D. Hamm in 1953. His works include the novels ''Man of Many Minds'' ( ...
Memorial Award for Fantasy and Science Fiction Work * 1960:
Ann Radcliffe Ann Radcliffe (née Ward; 9 July 1764 – 7 February 1823) was an English novelist and a pioneer of Gothic fiction. Her technique of explaining apparently supernatural elements in her novels has been credited with gaining respectability for G ...
Award for Literature (Count Dracula Society) The Count Dracula Society was founded by Dr Donald A. Reed, who also founded the
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films is an American non-profit organization established in 1972 dedicated to the advancement of science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Academy is headquarter ...
. * 1960:
Edgar Allan Poe Award The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, popularly called the Edgars, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America, based in New York City. Named after American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), a pioneer in the genre, the awards honor the bes ...
(Special Scroll) (for ''Psycho'')
Mystery Writers of America Mystery Writers of America (MWA) is an organization of mystery and crime writers, based in New York City. The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday. It presents the Edgar Award ...
* 1960: Screenwriter's Annual Award nominated by Screenwriter's Guild (for ''Psycho'') * 1964:
Inkpot Award The Inkpot Award is an honor bestowed annually since 1974 by Comic-Con International. It is given to professionals in the fields of comic books, comic strips, animation, science fiction, and related areas of popular culture, at CCI's annual c ...
for Science Fiction * 1965: Third Trieste Film Festival Award (for ''The Skull'') * 1966: Ann Radcliffe Award for Television (Count Dracula Society) * 1973: First prize, La 2de Convention Du Cinema Fantastique De Paris (for ''Asylum'') * 1974: Award for Service to the Field of Science Fantasy
Los Angeles Science Fiction Society The Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society, Inc., or LASFS, is a science fiction and fantasy fan society that meets in the Los Angeles area. The current meeting place can be found on thLASFS website LASFS is the oldest continuously operating scienc ...
* 1975:
World Fantasy Award The World Fantasy Awards are a set of awards given each year for the best fantasy literature, fantasy fiction published during the previous calendar year. Organized and overseen by the World Fantasy Convention, the awards are given each year a ...
, Life Achievement * 1978: Fritz Leiber Fantasy Award * 1979: Reims Festival Award * 1984: Hugo Special Award for 50 years as a science fiction professional See also
42nd World Science Fiction Convention The 42nd World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon), also known as L.A.con II, was held on 30 August–3 September 1984 at the Anaheim Hilton and the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, United States. The chairmen were Craig Mill ...
* 1984: Lifetime Career Award, Atlanta Fantasy Fair * 1985: Twilight Zone Dimension Award * 1989: Bram Stoker Award, Life Achievement * 1993: ''Once Around the Bloch: An Unauthorized Autobiography'' Bram Stoker, Superior Achievement in Non-Fiction * Special award at the first NecronomiCon. (After his death, this award was renamed in his honor). * 1994: ''The Early Fears'' Bram Stoker, Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection * 1994: "The Scent of Vinegar" Bram Stoker, Superior Achievement in Long Fiction In 2020, he was inducted into the
Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards The Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award, often called the Rondo Award, is an annual award founded in 2002 that honors journalism, scholarship and film preservation in the horror genre, particularly of classic horror film and their modern-day counterp ...
' Monster Kid Hall of Fame.


Films

The following is a list of films based on Bloch's work. For some of these he wrote the original screenplay; for others, he supplied the story or a novel (as in the case of ''Psycho'') on which the screenplay was based.


Unproduced screenplays

Bloch wrote a number of screenplays that remain unproduced. These include ''Merry-Go-Round'' for MGM (loosely based on
Ray Bradbury Ray Douglas Bradbury (; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of modes, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, and r ...
's story "Black Ferris"); ''Night-World'' (from Bloch's novel, for MGM; this was aborted when its producer lost confidence, and his job when MGM went under new management); "The Twenty-First Witch"; ''Day of the Comet'' (from the H.G. Wells story) and "Berg!" (both for
George Pal George Pal (born György Pál Marczincsak; ; February 1, 1908 – May 2, 1980) was a Hungarian-American animator, film director and producer, principally associated with the fantasy and science-fiction genres. He became an American citizen after ...
); and a television adaptation of "
Out of the Aeons "Out of the Aeons" is a short story by American writers H. P. Lovecraft and Hazel Heald, a writer from Somerville, Massachusetts. First published in the April 1935 issue of '' Weird Tales'' magazine, it was one of five stories Lovecraft revised f ...
". See also ''The Todd Dossier''. Other unproduced scripts include a science fiction movie commissioned by AIP for 1972 release, ''Barracuda 2000 A.D.'' (about a cycle gang surviving atomic holocaust in 2000); James Whiton (co-writer of
The Abominable Dr Phibes ''The Abominable Dr. Phibes'' is a 1971 British dark comedy horror film, produced by Ronald S. Dunas and Louis M. Heyward, directed by Robert Fuest, written by William Goldstein and James Whiton, and starring Vincent Price and Joseph Cotten. I ...
) also worked on Bloch's script but AIP abandoned the film when the bottom fell out of the cycle-picture vogue. There was also ''Linda,'' based on a John D. MacDonald novella; Bloch's script was not used but the movie was eventually done in another form on TV as a 1973 ABC Saturday Suspense Movie of the Week starring Stella Stevens, Ed Nelson playing Paul and John McIntire. Some scenes from Bloch's incomplete screenplay for the unproduced movie ''Earthman's Burden'', to have been based on the Hoka stories of
Gordon R. Dickson Gordon Rupert Dickson (November 1, 1923 – January 31, 2001) was a Canadian-American science fiction writer. He was inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 2000. Biography Dickson was born in Edmonton, Alberta, ...
and
Poul Anderson Poul William Anderson (November 25, 1926 – July 31, 2001) was an American fantasy and science fiction author who was active from the 1940s until the 21st century. Anderson wrote also historical novels. His awards include seven Hugo Awards and ...
appear in Richard Matheson and Ricia Mainhardt, eds, ''Robert Bloch: Appreciations of the Master''. NY: Tor, 1995, pp. 157–63.


Documentaries

Bloch appeared in the documentary ''
The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal ''The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal'' is a 1985 American documentary film about Academy Award-winning producer/director George Pal. It was written, directed, and produced by Arnold Leibovit. Summary The film follows Pal's career, beginning w ...
'' (1985) produced and directed by
Arnold Leibovit Arnold Leibovit (born June 18, 1950) is an American director, producer, and screenwriter of feature films and musical productions. An acting member of the Producers Guild of America, he has produced, directed, and written several feature films. ...
.


Robert Bloch Collection, University of Wyoming

Many of Bloch's published works, manuscripts (including those of the novels ''The Star Stalker,'' ''This Crowded Earth'', and ''Night World''), correspondence, books, recordings, tapes and other memorabilia are housed in the Special Collections division of the library at the University of Wyoming. The collection includes several unpublished short stories, such as "Dream Date", "The Last Clown", "A Pretty Girl is Like a Malady", "Twilight of a God", "It Only Hurts When I Laugh", "How to Pull the Wings Off a Barfly", "The Craven Image", "Afternoon in the Park", "Title Bout", and 'What Freud Can't Tell You". In addition, there is an unpublished one-act play entitled ''The Birth of a Notion – A Tragedy of Hollywood.'' Thousands of other items from fanzines and professional periodicals to film stills, lobby cards, one-sheets and posters and press-books connected with Bloch's films, together with transcripts of several of his speeches, are also housed in the collection.


References


Sources

*


Further reading

* Randall D. Larson, ''The Robert Bloch Fanzine'' (Fandom Unlimited, 1972). * Graeme Flanagan, ''Robert Bloch: A Bio-Bibliography'' (Canberra: 1979). Includes interviews with Bloch and memoirs by fellow writers such as
Harlan Ellison Harlan Jay Ellison (May 27, 1934 – June 28, 2018) was an American writer, known for his prolific and influential work in New Wave speculative fiction and for his outspoken, combative personality. Robert Bloch, the author of '' Psycho'' ...
,
Richard Matheson Richard Burton Matheson (February 20, 1926 – June 23, 2013) was an American author and screenwriter, primarily in the fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres. He is best known as the author of '' I Am Legend'', a 1954 science ficti ...
,
Mary Elizabeth Counselman Mary Elizabeth Counselman (November 19, 1911 – November 13, 1995) was an American writer of short stories and poetry. Biography Mary Elizabeth Counselman was born on November 19, 1911, in Birmingham, Alabama. She began writing poetry as a ...
and
Fritz Leiber Fritz Reuter Leiber Jr. ( ; December 24, 1910 – September 5, 1992) was an American writer of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He was also a poet, actor in theater and films, playwright, and chess expert. With writers such as Robert ...
. * Graeme Flanagan, "Introducing Our Guest of Honour: Robert Bloch, The Man Who Has Written So Much More Than ''Psycho''" ''Cinecon Program'' (1981), pp. 4–6. * Stephen King dedicated his 1981 book ''
Danse Macabre The ''Danse Macabre'' (; ) (from the French language), also called the Dance of Death, is an artistic genre of allegory of the Late Middle Ages on the universality of death. The ''Danse Macabre'' consists of the dead, or a personification of ...
'' to Bloch, along with Jorge Luis Borges, Ray Bradbury, Frank Belknap Long, Donald Wandrei and Manly Wade Wellman. * Lee Prosser. ''The Existential Robert Bloch,'' (interview with Bloch, March 1983). Online at Michael G. Pfefferkorn's ''The Bat is My Brother'' website. * Lee Prosser rticle about Robert Blochin ''The Roswell Literary Review'' at
Roswell, New Mexico Roswell () is a city in, and the County seat, seat of, Chaves County, New Mexico, Chaves County in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Chaves County forms the entirety of the List of micropolitan areas in New Mexico, Roswell micropolitan area. As of ...
, 1996. * Michael G. Pfefferkorn"A Conversation With Lee Prosser," (in-depth interview with Lee Prosser about Bloch, May 31, 2002). Online at Michael G. Pfefferkorn's The Unofficial Robert Bloch Website. * Randall D. Larson. ''The Robert Bloch Reader's Guide'' (1986). A literary analysis of Bloch's entire output through 1986. * Randall D. Larson. ''The Complete Robert Bloch'' (1986). An illustrated bibliography of Bloch's writing. * Randall D. Larson. ''The Robert Bloch Companion'' (1986). Collected interviews through 1986. ''Crypt of Cthulhu'' magazine No 40 (Vol. 5 No. 6 St. John's Eve, 1986). was a special Robert Bloch issue. It included some story reprints by Bloch, essays on his work and bibliography of his books by R. Dixon Smith. *
Darrell Schweitzer Darrell Charles Schweitzer (born August 27, 1952) is an American writer, editor, and critic in the field of speculative fiction. Much of his focus has been on dark fantasy and horror fiction, horror, although he does also work in science fictio ...
nterview with Blochin Schweitzer's ''Speaking of Horror: interviews with Writers of the Supernatural'' (Borgo Press, 1994). * Randall D. Larson."Paperblochs: Robert Bloch in Paperback." ''Paperback Parade'' No. 39, (August 1994). *
Leigh Blackmore Leigh (David) Blackmore (born 1959) is an Australian horror writer, critic, editor, occultist, musician and proponent of post-left anarchy. He was the Australian representative for the Horror Writers of America (1994–95) and served as the se ...
. "Writer's Bloch: A Brief Tribute to the Author of 'Psycho'". ''Tabula Rasa'' 7 (Mar 1995). Readable online a

* In the anthology ''My Favorite Horror Story'' (DAW, 2000), edited by Mike Baker and Martin H. Greenberg, influential horror writers in the field picked their favorite stories. Out of 15 tales, only Bloch and H. P. Lovecraft are represented by two stories. Of Bloch's, Stephen King chose "Sweets to the Sweet" and Joe R. Lansdale chose "The Animal Fair". The selected Lovecraft stories are "The Colour Out of Space" and "The Rats in the Walls." * S.T. Joshi. There is an essay on Bloch's work, with particular reference to the novels ''Psycho'' and ''The Scarf'', in S. T. Joshi's book ''The Modern Weird Tale'' (2001). Joshi examines Bloch's literary relationship with Lovecraft in a further essay in ''The Evolution of the Weird Tale'' (2004). Joshi also discusses Bloch's work in his 2 volume ''Unutterable Horror: A History of Supernatural Fiction'' (UK: PS Publishing 2012; NY: Hippocampus Press, 2014), pp. 556–59 inter alia. * James Doig. "Robert Bloch in Australia: Cinecon 1981". ''Studies in Australian Weird Fiction'' 3 (2009): 47–57. *
Benjamin J. Szumskyj Benjamin J. Szumskyj is an Australian who used to be an editor, author and critic of weird fiction, horror and fantasy literature. Since becoming a Christian, he has written non-fiction regarding Christianity. Literary work Between 2003 and 2008 ...
(ed) ''Robert Bloch: the Man Who Collected Psychos'' (McFarland, 2009). Collects a range of essays on Bloch's life and work. *
Leigh Blackmore Leigh (David) Blackmore (born 1959) is an Australian horror writer, critic, editor, occultist, musician and proponent of post-left anarchy. He was the Australian representative for the Horror Writers of America (1994–95) and served as the se ...
. "A Chip Off the Old Bloch: An Interview with Robert Bloch's Daughter Sally Francy." ''Cemetery Dance''(October 2017)


External links

* * * * * * * *
Robert Bloch
Obituary at Hitchcock wiki {{DEFAULTSORT:Bloch, Robert 1917 births 1994 deaths Writers from Milwaukee 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American male writers American fantasy writers American horror writers American people of German-Jewish descent Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery Hugo Award-winning writers Inkpot Award winners World Fantasy Award-winning writers Science fiction fans Writers from Chicago Writers from California American science fiction writers Cthulhu Mythos writers American mystery writers Jewish American novelists American male novelists People from Maywood, Illinois Novelists from Illinois Novelists from Wisconsin Weird fiction writers Pulp fiction writers Ghost story writers 20th-century pseudonymous writers