Born in Chicago, into a family of German-Jewish descent, Robert Bloch's interest in fiction writing was sparked by the work of H. P. Lovecraft, who mentored him during his early career. He was a horror, suspense, and science fiction writer and screenwriter, best known for the novel Psycho. Altogether, Bloch wrote over 220 stories collected in over 2 dozen collections, 2 dozen novels, screenplays for a dozen movies and three Star Trek episodes. His many awards included one Nebula Award, two Hugos, three World Fantasy Awards (including Lifetime Achievement), and five Bram Stoker Awards. He married twice and was outlived by his wife Eleanor and daughter Sally, by his first marriage to Marion Ruth Holcombe.