Robert Albert Bloch (1917– 1994) was an American fiction writer, primarily of crime, psychological horror, fantasy, much of which has been dramatised for radio, cinema and television. He also wrote a relatively small amount of science fiction. Best known as the writer of Psycho (1959), the basis for the film of the same name by Alfred Hitchcock – and to which Bloch wrote two sequels – Psycho II (1982) – not related to the 1983 film sequel of the same name – and Psycho House (1990), Bloch’s fondness for a pun is evident in the titles of such of his story collections as Tales in a Jugular Vein, Such Stuff as Screams Are Made Of and Out of the Mouths of Graves.
Bloch wrote hundreds of short stories and over 30 novels. He was one of the youngest members of the Lovecraft Circle and began his professional writing career immediately after graduation, aged 17. He was a protégé of H. P. Lovecraft, who was the first to seriously encourage his talent. However, while Bloch started his career by emulating Lovecraft and his brand of “cosmic horror”, he later specialized in crime and horror stories dealing with a more psychological approach.
Bloch was a contributor to pulp magazines such as Weird Tales in his early career, and was also a prolific screenwriter and a major contributor to science fiction fanzines and fandom in general.
He won the Hugo Award (for his story “That Hell-Bound Train”), the Bram Stoker Award, and the World Fantasy Award. He served a term as president of the Mystery Writers of America (1970) and was a member of that organization and of Science Fiction Writers of America, the Writers Guild of America, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Count Dracula Society. In 2008, The Library of America selected Bloch’s essay “The Shambles of Ed Gein” (1962) for inclusion in its two-century retrospective of American true crime.
His favorites among his own novels were The Kidnapper, The Star Stalker, Psycho, Night-World, and Strange Eons. His work has been extensively adapted into films, television productions, comics, and audiobooks.
Robert Bloch – First Edition Identification Guide
Note: This list only includes works published prior to 1977.
| Year | Title | Publisher | First edition/Printing Identification Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | AMERICAN GOTHIC | New York: Simon and Schuster, [1974] | Boards, Code 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 on © page. |
| 1962 | ATOMS AND EVIL | Greenwich, Conn.: Fawcett Publications, Inc., [1962] | Wrappers. First Gold Medal printing August 1962 on © page. Gold Medal sl231 (35c). ALSO: London: Robert Hale & Company, [1976]. Boards. This edition 1976 on © page. First hardcover edition. |
| 1977 | THE BEST OF ROBERT BLOCH | New York: Ballantine Books, [1977] | Wrappers. First Edition: November 1977 on © page. Ballantine 25757 ($1.95). |
| 1969 | BLOCH AND BRADBURY | [New York]: A Tower Book, [1969] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Tower 43-246 (60c). With RAY BRADBURY. Issued later in Great Britain as FEVER DREAM AND OTHER FANTASIES. Note: Reprinted in 1972 by Peacock Press of Chicago with additional material by others. |
| 1961 | BLOOD RUNS COLD | New York: Simon and Schuster, 1961 | Boards. First printing so stated on © page. |
| 1963 | BOGEY MEN | New York: Pyramid Books, [1963] | Wrappers. First printing, March 1963 on © page. Pyramid Books F-839 (40c). |
| 1966 | CHAMBER OF HORRORS | New York: Award Books, [1966] | Wrappers. First printing 1966 on © page. Award Books A187X (60c). |
| 1977 | COLD CHILLS | Garden City: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1977 | Boards. First edition so stated on © page. |
| 1962 | THE COUCH | Greenwich, Conn.: Fawcett Publications, Inc., [1962] | Wrappers. First printing February 1962 on © page. Gold Medal si 192 (35c). |
| 1960 | THE DEAD BEAT | New York: Simon and Schuster, 1960 | Boards. First printing so stated on © page. |
| 1968 | DRAGONS AND NIGHTMARES | Baltimore: Mirage, 1968 | No statement of printing on © page. 1000 numbered copies. |
| 1971 | FEAR TODAY, GONE TOMORROW | New York: Award Books/London: Tandem Books, [1971] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Award Books A81 IS (75c). |
| 1970 | FEVER DREAM AND OTHER FANTASIES | London; Sphere Books Limited, [1970] | Wrappers. First published in Great Britain in 1970... on © page. Sphere 17140 (25p). With RAY BRADBURY. Issued earlier in the U.S. as BLOCK AND BRADBURY. |
| 1961 | FIREBUG | Evanston, Illinois: Regency Books, [1961] | Wrappers. Published June 1961 on © page. RB 101 (50c). |
| 1963 | HORROR-7 | New York: Belmont Books, [1963] | Wrappers. First printing February 1963 on © page. Belmont 90-275 (40c). Reprint. Stories collected from THE OPENER OF THE WAY and PLEASANT DREAMS — NIGHTMARES, Issued later in Great Britain as TORTURE GARDEN. |
| 1955 | THE HOUSE OF THE HATCHET AND OTHER TALES OF HORROR | London: Tandem Books Limited, [1955] | Wrappers. First Tandem Edition 1965 on © page. Tandem Books T 19 (3'6). Issued earlier in the U.S. as YOURS TRULY, JACK THE RIPPER. |
| 1971 | IT'S ALL IN YOUR MIND | New York: Curtis Books, [1971] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Curtis Books 502-07147-075 (75c). |
| 1954 | THE KIDNAPER | New York: Lion Books, Inc., [1954} | Wrappers. Lion edition published January, 1954 on © page. Lion Book 185 (25c). |
| 1977 | THE KING OF TERRORS | New York: The Mysterious Press, 1977 | Two issues, no priority:
|
| 1965 | LADIES' DAY [and] THIS CROWDED EARTH | New York: Belmont Books, [1965] | Wrappers. August 1968 on © page. A Belmont Double B60-080 (60c). |
| 1977 | THE LAUGHTER OF A GHOUL [and] WHAT EVERY YOUNG GHOUL SHOULD KNOW | [West Warwick, R.I.}: Necronomicon Press, [1977] | Wrappers. This edition, the first, of Robert Bloch's two stories, is limited to alnumbered printing of 500 copies on page [8]. Cover title. Offset from typewritten copy. Issued as F & SF Fragments 2. |
| 1957 | THE LIVING DEMONS | New York: Belmont Books, [1957] | Wrappers. September 1967 on © page. Belmont B50-787 (50c). |
| 1962 | MORE NIGHTMARES | New York: Belmont Books, [1962] | Wrappers. First printing February 1962 on © page. Belmont L92-530 (50c). Reprint. All stories collected earlier in THE OPENER OF THE WAY and PLEASANT DREAMS - NIGHTMARES. |
| 1961 | NIGHTMARES | [New York}: Belmont Books, [1961] | Wrappers. Belmont Books Edition 1961 on © page. Belmont Books 233 (35c). Reprint. All stories collected earlier in PLEASANT DREAM- NIGHTMARES. |
| 1972 | NIGHT-WORLD | New York: Simon and Schuster, [1972] | Boards. First printing so stated on © page. |
| 1945 | THE OPENER OF THE WAY | Sauk City.Arkham House, 1945 | No statement of printing on © page. |
| 1960 | PLEASANT DREAMS' NIGHTMARES | Sauk City: Arkham: House: Publishers, 1960 | Nd statement of printing on © page. |
| 1959 | PSYCHO | New York: Simon and Schuster, 1959 | Boards. First printing so stated on © page. |
| 1947 | THE SCARF | New York: The Dial Press, 1947 | Boards. No statement of printing on © page. Reprinted as THE SCARF OF PASSION. ALSO: Green wich, Conn.: Fawcett Publications, Inc., [1966]. Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. A Fawcett Gold Medal Book dl727 (50c). Textual revision's;. |
| 1949 | THE SCARF OF PASSION | New York: Avon Publishing Co., Inc., [1949] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. A von 211 (25c). Reissue of THE SCARF. |
| 1945 | SEA KISSED | [London: Utopian Publications Ltd.}, n.d. [1945] | Self wrappers. Two printings, priority as listed:
|
| 1958 | SHOOTING STAR | New York: Ace Books, Inc., [1958] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Ace Double Novel Books D-265 (35c). Bound with TERROR IN THE NIGHT by Bloch. |
| 1965 | THE SKULL OF THE MARQUIS DE SADE AND OTHER STORIES | New York: Pyramid Books, [1965] | Wrappers. First printing, October 1965 on © page. Pyramid Books R-1247 (50c). ALSO: London; Robert Hale & Company, [1975]. Boards. First published in Great Britain 1975 on © page. First hardcover edition. |
| 1971 | SNEAK PREVIEW | New York: Paperback Library, [1971] | Wrappers. First Printing: August, 1971 on © page. A Paperback Library Science Fiction Novel 64-660 (75c). |
| 1954 | SPIDER WEB | New York: Ace Books, Inc., [1954] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Ace Double Novel Books D-59 (35c). Bound with THE CORPSE IN MY BED by David Alexander. |
| 1968 | THE STAR STALKER | New York: Pyramid Books, [1968] | Wrappers. First printing September, 1968 on © page. Pyramid T-1869 |
| 1965 | TALES IN A JUGULAR VEIN | New York: Pyramid Books, [1965] | Wrappers. First printing, February 1965 on © page. Pyramid Books R-l 139 (50c). |
| 1962 | TERROR | New York: Belmont Books, [1962] | Wrappers. First Printing May 1962 on © page. Belmont L92-537 (50c). |
| 1958 | TERROR IN THE NIGHT AND OTHER STORIES | New York: Ace Books, Inc., [1958] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Ace Double Novel Books D-265 (35c). Bound with SHOOTING STAR by Bloch. |
| 1969 | THE TODD DOSSIER | [New York]: Delacorte Press, [1969] | First printing so stated on © page. Collier Young, pseudonym. Note: In a letter to the compiler Bloch comments, "Since I had no contractual protection, it was bylined 'by Collier Young.' He didn't write a line - I did it all, from a film treatment by Joan Didion & her husband John Dunne -- also robbed of credit!" |
| 1954 | THE WILL TO KILL | New York: Ace Books, Inc., [1954] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page.Ace Books S-67 (25c). |
| 1962 | YOURS TRULY, JACK THE RIPPER | New York: Belmont Books, [1962] | Wrappers. First printing January 1962 on © page. Belmont L92-527 (50c). Reprint. AU stories collected earlier in THE OPENER OF THE WAY and PLEASANT DREAMS-NIGHTMARES. Reissued as THE HOUSE OF THE HATCHET AND OTHER TALES OF HORROR. |
Robert Bloch – First Printing Dust Jacket Identification Points
Gallery of First state Dust Jackets of Bloch’s works. Only includes the first appearance in book form. Either the UK or US edition and does not include later printings.
Reference:
- Wikipedia
- L. W. Currey, Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors: A Bibliography of First Printings of Their Fiction and Selected Nonfiction.
