A short review of At the Foot of the Story Tree by Bill Sheehan

At the Foot of the Story Tree
by Bill Sheehan
Subterranean Press,2000,359 pages,$40.00
Signed, Limited edition
ISBN: 1-892284-77-4


Boy, am I late with this book. Bill published his biography of Peter Straub back in 2000, and I'm just now reading it. That is so bad!

Anyway, if you're a serious Straub fan, this book is a must for you. It covers Peter's early life and why he and his wife moved to the United Kingdom. Then, his move to Connecticut and finally Manhattan. All of his novels are included and are discussed quiet heavily, at least up to Mr. X. I personally think Ghost Story is one of the best horror novels of all time. It's in my top five list, right up there with The Shining and The Stand. Floating Dragon by Straub in on my top twenty list of best horror novels.

I had always wondered why the author stopped writing horror after Floating Dragon. Well, the answer is here in this book. Straub felt he'd put everything he knew about horror into Floating Dragon and that he had nothing else to say. That was a shame in my opinion, but I understand what he's talking about.

In this magnificent biography, you'll also find out about the creation of Straub's novels: Koko, Mystery, The Throat, The Hellfire Club, and, of course, his earlier books, too, especially The Talisman. Mr. Sheehan delves into the relationship between Peter Straub and Stephen King, starting out with how they first met, right up to the writing of their first book together. There's a lot of information here that I wasn't aware of, and I'm a pretty big "King" fan.

Bill Sheehan's writing reminds me a lot of Straub's prose. It's both elegant and literary, and certainly causes the reader to ponder the many subjects that are carefully discussed in detail. Mr. Sheehan put a great deal of work and thought into this biography, making it a prize worth having for those fascinated by the horror genre and especially the author, Peter Straub.

At the Foot of the Story Tree is out of print, so you'll need to do some searching if you decide to buy a copy. I got mine from ABA in mint condition at a very reasonable price. It's not only autographed by the author, but also by Peter Straub, which makes it a true collector's item.