Peter Straub
Author · 1943–2022

Peter Straub

Peter Straub was an American novelist and poet (1943–2022). Born in Milwaukee.

Our catalogue lists 9 books by Peter Straub, mostly horror, ghost story and gothic fiction. They span 1639 to 2009. The most-read is The Talisman (1925).

Books by Peter Straub

  • Cover of The Talisman

    The Talisman

    Stephen King, Peter Straub

    1925★ 4.1

  • Cover of Ghost Story

    Ghost Story

    Peter Straub

    1979★ 3.5

  • Cover of Black House

    Black House

    Stephen King, Peter Straub

    2001★ 4.5

  • Cover of Julia

    Julia

    Peter Straub

    1975★ 3.0

  • Cover of In the Night Room

    In the Night Room

    Peter Straub

    2004

  • Cover of Floating Dragon

    Floating Dragon

    Peter Straub, Don Spiro

    1982

  • Cover of Mystery

    Mystery

    Peter Straub

    1639

  • Cover of Houses Without Doors

    Houses Without Doors

    Peter Straub, Patrick Lawlor

    1990

  • Cover of American Fantastic Tales

    American Fantastic Tales

    Peter Straub

    2009

Awards

Biography

Peter Straub was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on 2 March, 1943, the first of three sons of a salesman and a nurse. The salesman wanted him to become an athlete, the nurse thought he would do well as either a doctor or a Lutheran minister, but all he wanted to do was to learn to read. When kindergarten turned out to be a stupefyingly banal disappointment devoted to cutting animal shapes out of heavy colored paper, he took matters into his own hands and taught himself to read by memorizing his comic books and reciting them over and over to other neighborhood children on the front steps until he could recognize the words. Therefore, when he finally got to first grade to find everyone else laboring over the imbecile adventures of Dick, Jane and Spot (“See Spot run. See, see, see,”), he ransacked the library in search of pirates, soldiers, detectives, spies, criminals, and other colorful souls, Soon he had earned a reputation as an ace storyteller, in demand around campfires and in back yards on summer evenings. This career as the John Buchan to the first grade was interrupted by a collision between himself and an automobile which resulted in a classic near-death experience, many broken bones, surgical operations, a year out of school, a lengthy tenure in a wheelchair, and certain emotional quirks. Once back on his feet, he quickly acquired a severe stutter which plagued him into his twenties and now and then still puts in a nostalgic appearance, usually to the amusement of telephone operators and shop clerks.

Authors like Peter Straub