Horror author Peter Straub dies aged 79

Horror author Peter Straub, best known for books including Ghost Story (Gollancz) and collaborating with Stephen King, has died aged 79. 

His wife Susan Straub confirmed to the New York Times that he had died on Sunday (4th September) at hospital in Manhattan following complications from breaking a hip.

His 1979 novel Ghost Story was turned into a film starring Fred Astaire and Alice Krige. He was also known as the co-author of The Talisman (now published by Orion) and its sequel Black House (Orion), with Stephen King. 

King paid tribute to Straub on Twitter, writing: “It’s a sad day because my good friend and amazingly talented colleague and collaborator Peter Straub has passed away. Working with him was one of the great joys of my creative life.” 

The Sandman writer Neil Gaiman also paid tribute to Straub as “one of the best writers I’ve read, one of the best friends I’ve known”.  

Straub was born in 1943 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and studied English at the University of Wisconsin. He then earned an MA from Columbia before teaching English at his former prep school for three years. He published his first novel, Marriages (HarperCollins) in 1973 before turning to gothic fiction at the suggestion of his agent, first with Julia (Anchor Books) and then his breakout book, Ghost Story in 1979.  

Jane Johnson, Straub’s editor at HarperCollins for 10 years, paid tribute to him as “one of the greats of imaginative literature”. She said: “I worked with Peter for about a decade as his editor, completing his Blue Rose trilogy (Koko, Mystery, The Throat) and publishing other majestic novels by him, including Mr X and his hugely bestselling collaboration with Stephen King, the sequel to The Talisman, Black House, in September 2001.  

“He was one of the greats of imaginative literature, a supreme stylist, a subtle storyteller and a complete gentleman. His death is a great loss to the field, and to those of us who knew him.” 

A spokesperson for Orion added: "We are deeply saddened to hear we have lost Peter Straub. His Ghost Story is one of the best scary books we have and he had a long and varied career. Our thoughts are with his family and friends."