Robert Bloch American writer Date of Birth: 05.04.1917 Country: USA

Biography of Robert Bloch

Robert Albert Bloch was an American writer known for his contribution to the science fiction genre. He was born in 1917 in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Bloch came from a Jewish and German background. His father, Raphael 'Ray' Bloch, worked as a bank cashier, and his mother, Stella Loeb, was a social worker. When Bloch was 5 years old, his family moved to the Chicago suburb of Maywood, and despite his Jewish roots, he attended a Methodist church.

From a young age, Bloch was greatly influenced by the works of writer H.P. Lovecraft, whose stories he read in the magazine 'Weird Tales'. Bloch even wrote a letter to Lovecraft, who advised him to try writing himself. This led to Bloch's first story, 'Lilies', being published in the literary magazine 'Marvel Tales' in 1934 when he was only 17 years old. Over the next ten years (1935-1945), Bloch published over a hundred stories in various magazines, exploring the genres of fantasy and horror, while working at an advertising agency.

Bloch expanded the boundaries of his fantastic stories after Lovecraft's death in 1937, which deeply affected him. In 1945, his collection of stories titled 'The Opener of the Way' was published, followed by another collection called 'Sea Kissed' in the same year. In the 1950s, Bloch continued to write his fantastic stories, gaining a large readership. He also authored the novel 'The Scarf', published in 1947. In 1954, Bloch published three novels simultaneously - 'Spiderweb', 'The Kidnapper', and 'The Will to Kill'. In 1958, his story 'That Hell-Bound Train' won the Hugo Award.

Bloch achieved significant success in the late 1950s when his novel 'Psycho' was adapted into a film by Alfred Hitchcock in 1959. This success opened the doors to Hollywood, and Bloch went on to work on the screenplays for about thirty thrillers and horror films, including 'Strait-Jacket' and 'The Night Walker' in 1964, 'The Skull' in 1965, and 'The Psychopath' in 1966. In the 1960s, Bloch also worked as a writer for the famous TV series 'Star Trek'.

In the 1970s, Bloch wrote screenplays for films such as 'Asylum' and the British horror film 'Three Dangerous Ladies', and he also worked on television films. He continued to write and publish novels and stories throughout his career. In 1984, he published the novel 'Night of the Ripper', showing his lifelong fascination with the legendary killer Jack the Ripper. He also wrote stories dedicated to Jack the Ripper, such as 'Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper' and 'A Toy for Juliette'. In 2011, a collection of his Ripper-themed stories called 'Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper' was published.

Bloch received numerous awards for his contributions to the science fiction genre. He was the recipient of the 'World Fantasy Award' in 1975 and the 'Bram Stoker Award' in 1990. In 1984, he received a special 'Hugo Award' to commemorate his fifty years in the field of science fiction.

Throughout his literary career, Robert Bloch wrote hundreds of stories and over twenty novels. He considered his novels 'The Kidnapper', 'The Star Stalker', 'Psycho', 'Night-World', and 'Strange Eons' his favorites.

In his personal life, Bloch married Marion Ruth Holcombe in 1940, primarily to avoid military service. Marion suffered from bone tuberculosis and was unable to walk, but eventually recovered. They divorced in 1963, and their daughter Sally stayed with her mother. Bloch's second wife was Eleanor 'Elly' Alexander, whom he married in 1964 and remained with for the rest of his life.

Bloch's most prophetic act was publishing his own obituary in August 1994. Many thought it was a joke, but others believed that only someone who had written about death throughout their life could make such a jest. However, a month later, on September 23, 1994, Robert Bloch passed away in Los Angeles at the age of 77. He died from cancer, leaving behind a legacy of influential and celebrated works.