Ghost Story

Peter Straub (1943-2022) was an American novelist and poet. Straub was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. At seven, Peter was stuck by a car, confining him to the hospital for several months. His early confinement forced him to face his own mortality and gain an appreciation for reading. He attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He earned a bachelor’s in English and went on to earn a master’s at Columbia University. In 1969, he moved to Dublin, Ireland, and began writing professionally while pursuing his PhD. He never finished his doctorate, but instead devoted himself to writing.

Straub’s first book, Marriages (1973), and his second, Under Venus (1974), failed to make their mark critically or commercially. Straub’s next two works, Julia and If You Could See Me Now, were more supernatural, but again failed to make a mark. Ghost Story, his fifth novel, reached commercial success. After Ghost Story’s success, Peter returned to the United States. He went on to write 10 more novels, numerous short stories, and 10 novellas. Peter won his first World Fantasy award in 1989 for best novel with Koko. In 1993, Straub won his first Bram Stoker Award for best novel with The Throat. He was great friends with Stephen King, and the two co-authored The Talisman and Black House.