Rest In Peace: Peter Straub

Peter Straub, an author of horror and supernatural fiction who had worked with Stephen King, died Sunday at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City. He was 79.

His wife, Susan Straub, told The New York Times that his death stemmed from complications due to a broken hip. Additionally, his daughter Emma Straub, also a novelist, announced his passing on Twitter in a tribute thread.

Straub is known for penning such work as 1975’s Julia, about a woman who senses she’s being stalked by a supernatural presence while mourning the death of her young daughter, which was adapted into the 1977 film The Haunting of Julia that stars Mia Farrow. He achieved major success with 1979’s Ghost Story, about a group of men who attempt to learn the backstory of the female spirit haunting them; it was adapted into the 1981 film of the same name that stars Fred Astaire, Melvyn Douglas and John Houseman.

His work also includes the 1984 fantasy novel The Talisman, focusing on a 12-year-old attempting to save his dying mother by entering a parallel universe, and its 2001 sequel, Black House, both of which he co-wrote with King. The two books connect to King’s epic novel series The Dark Tower….