The author wrote horror novels. Along with Stephen King, he was one of the most important representatives of modern fantasy.
(dpa) The American horror and fantasy author Peter Straub (“Witching Hour”) is dead. As the “New York Times” reported, citing Straub’s wife, the writer died due to health complications after a hip fracture. Straub was 79 years old.
His daughter wrote on Tuesday (local time) on her Instagram account that Straub died on Sunday. “Peter Francis Straub was the smartest and funniest person in any room he’s ever been in,” she wrote. “How lucky we were. There aren’t enough words in the world.” She also shared a series of pictures of her father, including his wedding and snaps with his grandchildren.
Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the writer most recently lived in New York. His first successes were the novels Julia (1975) and Witching Hour (1979). With his longtime friend Stephen King, Straub published The Talisman (1984) and The Black House (2001).
“He was a unique writer in many ways,” King told the New York Times on Monday. «Not only was he a literary writer with a poetic sensibility, he was also readable. And that was a fantastic thing. He was a modern writer on par with Philip Roth, even if he wrote about fantastic things.”