Robert Bloch (1917-1994) is remembered as the writer of the book Psycho, the basis for Alfred Hitchcock's famous film of the same name. He got his start writing stories for pulp magazines such as Weird Tales, Fantastic Adventures, and Unknown. Later in his career he wrote the novels American Gothic, Firebug, and Fear and Trembling, among many others. He also edited several anthologies, including Psycho-paths and Monsters in Our Midst.
M. John Harrison began his writing career as a critic for the magazine New Worlds in the late 1960s. He has since published several novels of lyrical fantasy about the city of Virconium, including The Pastel City, and A Storm of Wings, as well as three collections of short stories and several other non-series novels, including Luck in the Head and Signs of Life. He was also a regular contributor to the New Manchester Review in the late 1970s. He lives in London, England.
Influenced by the novels of H. G. Wells, the theme of humans dealing with catastrophe is prominent in the work of John Wyndham (1903-1969). The novel Day of the Triffids is his best-known work dealing with this subject. Alien invasion, telepathy, mutation, and fantastic events occurring in everyday life are also explored in his work, usually as the catalyst for change in the Earth of his novels.
As one of the leading novelists of his age, Charles Dickens (1812-1870) helped legitimize the literary use of horror and the supernatural in such novels as The Pickwick Papers and Bleak House, and the unfinished Mystery of Edwin Drood. He also popularized the concept of the Christmas ghost story with his seminal work A Christmas Carol. He is also remembered for his mainstream novels, including Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, and Great Expectations.
Roger Zelazny (1937-1995) burst onto the science-fiction writing scene as part of the "New Wave" group of writers in the mid to late 1960s. His novels This Immortal and Lord of Light met universal praise, the latter winning a Hugo Award for best novel. His work is notable for its lyrical style and innovative use of language both in description and dialogue. His most recognized series is the Amber novels, about a parallel universe which is the one true world, with all others, Earth included, being mere reflections of his created universe. Besides the Hugo, he was also awarded three Nebulas, three more Hugos, and two Locus Awards.