Robert Albert Bloch was a remarkable American writer, renowned for his prolific output in the genres of crime, horror, and science fiction. Born on April 5, 1917, he left an indelible mark on the literary world, with his most famous work being the novel Psycho, which served as the basis for Alfred Hitchcock's iconic film adaptation.
Bloch's writing career was marked by an impressive array of short stories and novels, with over twenty novels to his credit, including crime fiction, science fiction, and horror fiction, which he is perhaps most famous for. His early work appeared in pulp magazines such as Weird Tales, and he later became a prolific screenwriter and contributor to science fiction fanzines and fandom.
Throughout his career, Bloch received numerous accolades, including the Hugo Award for his story "That Hell-Bound Train," the Bram Stoker Award, and the World Fantasy Award. He was also a dedicated member of various writing organizations, including the Mystery Writers of America, Science Fiction Writers of America, the Writers' Guild, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and the Count Dracula Society.
In recognition of his significant contributions to the literary world, Bloch's story "The Shambles of Ed Gein" was selected by The Library of America for inclusion in its two-century retrospective of American true crime in 2008.
Some of Bloch's personal favorite novels among his own works include The Kidnapper, The Star Stalker, Psycho, Night-World, and Strange Eons.
