Peter Straub (writer)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Peter Straub (2009)

Peter Francis Straub (born March 2, 1943 in Milwaukee , Wisconsin , USA ) is an American writer , who became known for his horror novels. Like Stephen King , with whom he wrote two novels, he is one of the most important representatives of modern fantasy .

Life

Peter Straub with Australian horror writer Rob Hood (2007)

Born in Milwaukee, Peter Straub grew up with two younger brothers in the US state of Wisconsin. His father was a salesman, his mother worked as a nurse. His mother would have liked to see him become a doctor or a pastor, while his father would have liked to see him as a professional athlete. Even in pre-school age, however, Straub was primarily interested in reading. He spent hours in public libraries reading stories about pirates, soldiers, detectives, criminals, and other colorful characters.

A decisive childhood experience as a first grader was a serious car accident, which, in addition to a near-death experience , brought him numerous broken bones, various operations and a year off from school. He was also dependent on a wheelchair for a long time and developed some behavioral peculiarities, for example a severe stuttering, which he persisted into early adulthood.

After studying English at the University of Wisconsin – Madison and Columbia University , he worked briefly as an English teacher before moving to Dublin to work on a doctorate. Here and in London , where he lived from 1972 to 1979, he began to write professionally. He celebrated his first major success in 1979 with the novel Ghost Story ( Witching Hour ). Straub lives in Manhattan. His daughter Emma Straub is also a successful writer.

Straub's novels have received several awards, including the World Fantasy Award for Koko as best novel in 1989 and 1993 , the British Fantasy Award and the Bram Stoker Award . In 2010 he received the World Fantasy Award for life's work.

Works (selection)

Novels
Volumes of poetry
Anthologies
  • 5 stories. Borderlands Press, Baltimore, Md. 2008, ISBN 978-1-880325-03-2 .
  • House without doors. Short stories. ("House Without Doors"). Heyne, Munich 1994, ISBN 3-453-07551-X .
  • Magic terror. Stories. ("Magic Terror"). Heyne, Munich 2000, ISBN 3-453-17408-9 .
  • Wild Animals. Three novels. Putnam, New York 1984, ISBN 0-399-13013-6 (content: "Under Venus", "If you could see me now" and "Julia").

Movies

  • 1976: Julia's Eerie Return ( Full Circle ) - directed by Richard Loncraine (based on the novel Julia )
  • 1981: Fear Remains ( Ghost Story ) - directed by John Irvin (based on the novel Witching Hour )

literature

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Straub, Peter
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Straub, Peter Francis (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American writer
DATE OF BIRTH March 2, 1943
PLACE OF BIRTH Milwaukee , Wisconsin , USA