Peter Straub
Peter Straub
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Full Name and Common Aliases
Peter Straub was born on March 2, 1943, in Jackson, Michigan. He is commonly known by his pen name, Peter Straub.
Birth and Death Dates
Born: March 2, 1943
Passed away: September 4, 2022, at the age of 79
Nationality and Profession(s)
Straub was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet. He is best known for his works in the horror and fantasy genres.
Early Life and Background
Straub grew up in Jackson, Michigan, where he developed a passion for literature and poetry at an early age. He attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison and later earned his MFA from Columbia University. Straub began his writing career as a poet, publishing several collections before transitioning to novels.
Major Accomplishments
Straub's major accomplishments include being a three-time winner of the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel and winning the Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2004. He was also nominated for the National Book Award in 1999 for his novel, The Throat.
Notable Works or Actions
Some of Straub's most notable works include:
Ghost Story (1981) - a horror novel that explores themes of guilt and redemption
The Talisman, co-written with Stephen King (1984) - a fantasy novel about a young boy who discovers he has magical powers
* The Throat, the final book in The Golden Compass trilogy, written by Philip Pullman (1999) - although not a direct Straub work, it was heavily influenced by Straub's writing style
Straub was also known for his collaborations with other writers, including Stephen King and Joyce Carol Oates.
Impact and Legacy
Straub's impact on the literary world is immense. He has been praised for his unique blend of horror and fantasy elements in his works. His writing often explores themes of identity, morality, and the human condition, making him a beloved author among readers worldwide.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Straub is widely quoted and remembered for his thought-provoking novels that have captivated readers with their imaginative storytelling and vivid characters. His works continue to inspire writers and artists across genres, cementing his legacy as one of the most influential authors in contemporary literature.
Straub's writing has been described as a blend of the surreal and the real, making him a master of crafting unique narratives that challenge readers' perceptions. As an author who pushed boundaries and defied conventions, Straub will forever be remembered for his innovative approach to storytelling and his contributions to the literary world.
Quotes by Peter Straub
Peter Straub's insights on:
It’s a good thing you write fiction. If you had to describe the real world, nobody would recognize it.
I almost always write everything the way it comes out, except I tend much more to take things out rather than put things in. It’s out of a desire to really show what’s going on at all times, how things smell and look, as well as from the knowledge that I don’t want to push things too quickly through to climax; if I do, it won’t mean anything. Everything has to be earned, and it takes a lot of work to earn.
It seemed that if you listened to that snow hissing long enough, you wouldn’t just hear it telling you that it was waiting for you, you’d hear some terrible secret – a secret to turn your life black.
Privilege encased them, surrounded them like armor. In the cast of their faces was the assumption that they would never have to take anything very seriously. For the first time in my life I saw the truth in the old proposition that the rich were better-looking.
And I found a statement by Hawthorne which helped to explain his method: “I have sometimes produced a singular and not unpleasing effect, so far as my own mind was concerned, by imagining a train of incidents in which the spiritual mechanism of the faery legend should be combined with the characters and manners of everyday life.
When my childhood began coming back to me, I went off the rails for a bit. I became what you could charitably call “colorful.” After a year or so of disgrace, I remembered that I was thirty-odd years old, no longer a child, that I had a calling of a kind, and I began to heal. Either childhood is a lot more painful the second time around, or it’s just less bearable. None of us are as strong or as brave as the children we used to be.
There have been times when I reread – or at least leafed through – something because I’d sent a copy to a friend, and what usually happened was that I noticed dozens and dozens of clumsy phrases I wished I could rewrite.
Everyone wants to get better as they go along, but sometimes it’s all you can do to stay consistent.
David,” I said, “no matter what my intentions are, everything I write winds up turning into fiction, including my letters to friends.