Peter Straub


Peter Francis Straub was an American novelist and poet. He had success with several horror and supernatural fiction novels, among them [Julia (novel)|Julia], [Ghost Story (Straub novel)|Ghost Story] and [The Talisman (King and Straub novel)|The Talisman], the latter co-written with Stephen King. He explored the mystery genre with the Blue Rose trilogy, consisting of [Koko (novel)|Koko], [Mystery (novel)|Mystery] and The Throat. He fused the supernatural with crime fiction in Lost Boy, Lost Girl and the related In the Night Room. For the Library of America, he edited the volume H. P. Lovecraft: Tales and the anthology American Fantastic Tales. Straub received such literary honors as the Bram Stoker Award, World Fantasy Award, and International Horror Guild Award.
According to his New York Times obituary, Straub "brought a poet's sensibility to stories about ghosts, demons and other things that go bump in the night."
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Early life and education

Straub was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the son of Gordon Anthony Straub and Elvena Straub. At the age of seven, Straub was struck by a car, sustaining serious injuries. He was hospitalized for several months and used a wheelchair until he had re-learned how to walk. Straub has said that the accident made him prematurely aware of his own mortality.
Straub read voraciously from an early age, although his father hoped that he would grow up to be a professional athlete, and his mother wanted him to be a Lutheran minister. He attended Milwaukee Country Day School on a scholarship, and, during his time there, began writing. In high school, he "discovered Thomas Wolfe and Jack Kerouac, patron saints of wounded and self-conscious adolescence and also, blessedly, jazz music, which spoke in utterance of beyond any constraint: passion and liberation in the form of speech on the far side of the verbal border."
Straub attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison where he discovered "the various joys of Henry James, William Carlos Williams, and the Texas blues-rocker Steve Miller, a great & joyous character who lived across the street." He earned an honors BA in English in 1965 and an MA at Columbia University a year later. He briefly taught English at Milwaukee Country Day, where he "enjoyed a minor but temporary success as Mr. Chips-cum-jalapenos, largely due to the absolute freedom given him by the administration and his affection for his students, who faithfully followed him as he struck matches and led them into caves named Lawrence, Forster, Brontë, Thackeray, etc., etc. On his off-hours, he fell in love with poetry, especially John Ashbery’s poetry, and wrote imitations of same. Three years later, fearing to turn into a spiritless & chalk-stained drudge, he went to Dublin, Ireland, to work on a Ph.D., secretly to start writing seriously."

Career

After mixed success with two attempts at literary mainstream novels in the mid-1970s, Straub dabbled in the supernatural for the first time with Julia. He recalls that "The reason I chose to write scary books was because, at the time, there were three horror novels that had been enormously successful: The Exorcist, Rosemary's Baby and The Other. But there were only three of them, so it looked to me as though there was plenty of room for newcomers. And if I wrote in the horror genre, I knew I could do anything. I could experiment." He followed Julia with If You Could [See Me Now (Peter Straub novel)|If You Could See Me Now], and came to widespread public attention with his fifth novel, Ghost Story, which was a critical success and was later loosely adapted into a 1981 film starring Fred Astaire. In 1980, he published the fantasy [Shadowland (Straub novel)|Shadowland]. After returning to America, he wrote Floating Dragon, which won the August Derleth Award. He said "I knew that this book would be an at least temporary farewell to the supernatural material that had been my daily fare." He coauthored the horror-fantasy The Talisman with his longtime friend Stephen King.
After a fallow period, Straub re-emerged in 1988 with Koko, a non-supernatural novel about the Vietnam war. Koko was followed by Mystery and The Throat. The three novels comprise the "Blue Rose Trilogy", which extended Straub's experiments with metafiction and unreliable narrators.
In 1990, Straub published Houses Without Doors, a collection of short fiction including the shorter version of the novella Mrs. God. In 1996, he published the mainstream thriller The Hellfire Club. In 1999, Straub published Mr. X, a novel with a doppelgänger theme. The novel pays homage to H. P. Lovecraft, as the eponymous character writes in a similar style. In 2001, Straub and King rejoined forces for Black House, a loose sequel to The Talisman which tied that book in with King's The Dark Tower series. Lost Boy, Lost Girl was published in 2003; a year later, the related In the Night Room was released. Both won the Bram Stoker Award.
In 2005, Straub edited the Library of America volume H. P. Lovecraft: Tales. In 2009, Straub edited the Library of America anthology American Fantastic Tales.
Straub published several books of poetry. My Life in Pictures appeared in 1971 as part of a series of six poetry pamphlets Straub published with his friend Thomas Tessier under the Seafront Press imprint while living in Dublin. In 1972, the more substantial chapbook Ishmael was published by Turret Books in London. Straub's third book of poetry, Open Air, appeared later that same year from Irish University Press. The collection Leeson Park and Belsize Square: Poems 1970 – 1975 was published by Underwood-Miller in October 1983. It reprinted much of Ishmael along with previously uncollected poems, but none of the poems from Open Air. He also sat on the contributing editorial board of the literary journal Conjunctions, and he guest-edited Conjunctions #39, an issue on New Wave Fabulism.
In 2007, Straub's personal papers were acquired by the Fales Library at New York University.
Straub's final novel, A Dark Matter, was released in February 2010.
In 2013, Straub appeared on the Code Street podcast with fantasist John Crowley.
In 2016, co-author Stephen King said that he and Straub had plans to write a third Talisman book in the future. King says that the collaboration for the series was "natural," and that the two were excited to work together. In a 2021 appearance on the Dead Headspace podcast, Straub said that due to his health, it was unlikely that he would co-write a third Talisman with King.
In 2024, Penguin Random House launched the republication of many of Straub's novels with new cover art and blurbs.

Reception and influence

A critical essay on Straub's horror work can be found in S. T. Joshi's book The Modern Weird Tale. At the Foot of the Story Tree by Bill Sheehan discusses Straub's work before 2000. John C. Tibbetts wrote a book-length study, The Gothic Worlds of Peter Straub.
In Andrew Shaffer's Secret Santa, a character refers to Stephen King, Anne Rice and Straub as "the unholy trinity" of horror.
Of Straub's contribution to horror King says, "he brought a poet's sensibility to the field, creating a synthesis of horror and beauty" and "he writes a beautiful prose line that features narrative clarity, sterling characterization, and surprising bursts of humor." King told The New York Times that "He was not only a literary writer with a poetic sensibility, but he was readable. And that was a fantastic thing. He was a modern writer who was the equal of, say, Philip Roth, though he wrote about fantastic things." King added that "he was a better and more literary author than I was."
Neil Gaiman paid homage to Straub, writing “One of the best writers I’ve read, one of the best friends I’ve known. Always kind, funny, irascible, brilliant."
Songwriter Nick Cave alludes to Straub's work in "The Curse of Millhaven" and "Do You Love Me ". Straub said "Naturally, this pleased me enormously. It is a great honor to have your work alluded to in that way by another artist. I love the whole idea. Nick Cave is a talented, compelling performer and I could see that some of my work would fall very neatly within the territory that interests him. Eventually we wound up e-mailing each other, and he sent me a very nicely signed copy of one of his CDs. It would be nice to meet him one day."

Personal life and death

In 1966, Straub married Susan Bitker. They had two children, Benjamin and novelist Emma Straub. The family lived in Dublin from 1969 to 1972, in London from 1972 to 1979, and in the New York City area from 1979 onwards.
When asked who his favorite writer was, Straub replied "I guess I have to say Henry James. At least that’s what I’d say today. On other days, I might choose Raymond Chandler, or Charles Dickens, or Wilkie Collins, or on other, other days, a real long shot, like Donald Harington. In some ways, John Ashbery will always be my favorite writer."
Straub was a jazz aficionado, and saxophonist Lester Young features in his novella Pork Pie Hat. Per WBGO, "He discovered jazz as a boy growing up in Milwaukee in the late 1950s. He gravitated toward Dave Brubeck & Paul Desmond, Clifford Brown, Bill Evans and Miles Davis." In addition to jazz, he was "intensely interested in opera and other forms of classical music."
Straub died on September 4, 2022, aged 79, from complications of a broken hip. At the time of his death, he and his wife lived in Brooklyn.

Novels

Short story collections

  • 1990: Houses Without Doors
  • 2000: Magic Terror
  • 2007: 5 Stories
  • 2010: The Juniper Tree and Other Blue Rose Stories
  • 2016: ''Interior Darkness''

Novellas

  • 1982: The General's Wife
  • 1990: Mrs. God
  • 1993: The Ghost Village
  • 1993 Bunny is Good Bread
  • 1997 Mr. Clubb and Mr. Cuff
  • 1999 Pork Pie Hat
  • 2010: A Special Place – The Heart of a Dark Matter
  • 2011: The Ballad of Ballard and Sandrine
  • 1990/2012: The Buffalo Hunter: A Novella
  • 2015: Perdido
  • 2017: ''The Process ''

Poems

  • 1971: My Life in Pictures
  • 1972: Ishmael
  • 1972: Open Air
  • 1983: ''Leeson Park and Belsize Square: Poems 1970 – 1975''

Non-Fiction

  • 2006: ''Sides''

Anthologies

Omnibus editions

  • 1984: ''Wild Animals''

Limited editions

  • 2010: ''The Skylark''

Awards

WorkYear & AwardCategoryResultRef.
1997 World Horror Convention Grand Master AwardWon
2005 Bram Stoker AwardLifetime AchievementWon
2010 World Fantasy AwardLifetime AchievementWon
Shadowland1981 Balrog AwardsNovel
Shadowland1981 Locus AwardFantasy Novel
Shadowland1981 World Fantasy AwardNovel
Shadowland1984 Kurd Laßwitz AwardForeign Work
The General's Wife1982 Balrog AwardsShort Fiction
Floating Dragon1983 British Fantasy AwardAugust Derleth AwardWon
Floating Dragon1984 Locus AwardFantasy Novel
The Talisman
'		1985 World Fantasy AwardNovel
The Talisman
'		1985 Locus AwardFantasy Novel
The Talisman
'		2002 Audie AwardsFictionWon
The Juniper Tree1988 Bram Stoker AwardLong Fiction
Koko1989 World Fantasy AwardNovelWon
Koko1989 Locus AwardHorror Novel
Mystery1990 Locus AwardHorror Novel
Houses Without Doors1990 Bram Stoker AwardFiction Collection
Houses Without Doors1991 World Fantasy AwardCollection
Houses Without Doors1991 Locus AwardCollection
Mrs. God1992 Locus AwardHorror/Dark Fantasy Novel
The Ghost Village1993 World Fantasy AwardNovellaWon
The Throat1993 Bram Stoker AwardNovelWon
The Throat1994 World Fantasy AwardNovel
Fee1995 World Fantasy AwardNovella
Peter Straub's Ghosts1996 Locus AwardAnthology
The Hellfire Club1996 Bram Stoker AwardNovel
The Hellfire Club1997 British Fantasy AwardAugust Derleth Award
Mr. Clubb and Mr. Cuff1998 International Horror Guild AwardLong FictionWon
Mr. Clubb and Mr. Cuff1998 Bram Stoker AwardLong FictionWon
Mr. Clubb and Mr. Cuff1999 World Fantasy AwardNovella
Mr. X1999 International Horror Guild AwardNovel
Mr. X1999 Bram Stoker AwardNovelWon
Mr. X2000 Locus AwardFantasy Novel
Mr. X2001 British Fantasy AwardAugust Derleth Award
Mr. X2001 Grand Prix de l'ImaginaireForeign Novel
Magic Terror: Seven Tales2000 International Horror Guild AwardCollection
Magic Terror: Seven Tales2000 Bram Stoker AwardFiction CollectionWon
Magic Terror: Seven Tales2001 Locus AwardCollection
Magic Terror: Seven Tales2001 World Fantasy AwardCollection
Magic Terror: Seven Tales2002 British Fantasy AwardCollection
Black House
'		2001 International Horror Guild AwardNovel
Black House
'		2001 Bram Stoker AwardNovel
Black House
'		2002 Locus AwardNovel
The New Wave Fabulists2002 Otherwise Award
The New Wave Fabulists2003 World Fantasy AwardAnthology
The New Wave Fabulists2003 Locus AwardAnthology
lost boy, lost girl2003 Bram Stoker AwardNovelWon
lost boy, lost girl2003 International Horror Guild AwardNovelWon
lost boy, lost girl2004 Locus AwardFantasy Novel
lost boy, lost girl2004 British Fantasy AwardAugust Derleth Award
Little Red's Tango2003 Locus AwardNovelette
In the Night Room2004 International Horror Guild AwardNovel
In the Night Room2004 Bram Stoker AwardNovelWon
In the Night Room2005 Locus AwardFantasy Novel
Mr. Aickman's Air Rifle2005 Locus AwardNovelette
5 Stories2007 Bram Stoker AwardFiction Collection
Sides2007 International Horror Guild AwardNon-Fiction
Sides2008 Locus AwardNon-Fiction
Poe's Children: The New Horror2008 Black Quill AwardDark Genre Fiction Collection
Poe's Children: The New Horror2009 Locus AwardAnthology
American Fantastic Tales: Terror and the Uncanny from Poe to the Pulps/from the 1940s to Now2009 Foreword INDIES AwardsAnthologies
American Fantastic Tales: Terror and the Uncanny from Poe to the Pulps/from the 1940s to Now2010 Locus AwardAnthology
American Fantastic Tales: Terror and the Uncanny from Poe to the Pulps/from the 1940s to Now2010 World Fantasy AwardAnthologyWon
A Dark Matter2010 Bram Stoker AwardNovelWon
A Dark Matter2010 Black Quill AwardDark Genre Novel of the Year Won
A Dark Matter2011 Shirley Jackson AwardNovel
A Dark Matter2011 Locus AwardFantasy Novel
A Special Place2010 Locus AwardNovella
The Juniper Tree and Other Blue Rose Stories2011 Locus AwardCollection
The Ballad of Ballard and Sandrine2011 Bram Stoker AwardLong FictionWon
The Ballad of Ballard and Sandrine2012 Shirley Jackson AwardNovelette
The Ballad of Ballard and Sandrine2012 Locus AwardNovella
Interior Darkness2017 Locus AwardCollection
The Process Is a Process All Its Own2018 Locus AwardNovella

Adaptations