James Herbert facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James Herbert
|
|
|---|---|
James Herbert in September 2012
|
|
| Born | 8 April 1943 London, England |
| Died | 20 March 2013 (aged 69) Sussex, England |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Nationality | English |
| Period | 1974–2012 |
| Genre | Horror, dark fantasy, thriller, science fiction |
| Notable works | The Rats series, The Fog |
James John Herbert (April 8, 1943 – March 20, 2013) was a famous English writer. He was known for his exciting horror and thriller books. James Herbert was a full-time writer, meaning writing was his main job.
He also designed the covers for his own books. His books were very popular, selling over 54 million copies around the world. They have been translated into 34 different languages.
Contents
About James Herbert
James Herbert was born in London, England. His father sold things at a market called Brick Lane Market. James went to a Catholic school in Bethnal Green. When he was 11, he won a special scholarship to St Aloysius Grammar School.
He left school at 15 and studied art at Hornsey College of Art. After that, he worked in advertising, first as an art director and then leading a group.
James Herbert lived in a place called Woodmancote in West Sussex. He had two brothers. When he wrote his books, he would write the first versions by hand on large pads of paper.
In 2010, James Herbert received a special award. It was the World Horror Convention Grand Master Award. This award was given to him by another famous writer, Stephen King. Later that same year, he was given an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) award. This award is a special honour from the British King or Queen. Prince Charles presented it to him.
James Herbert passed away suddenly at his home in Sussex on March 20, 2013. He was 69 years old. He is remembered by his wife, Eileen, and his three daughters.
His Books and Stories
James Herbert wrote many exciting books. His first two books were The Rats and The Fog. The Rats was about giant, hungry rats. The Fog was about a dangerous chemical that was accidentally set free. The first 100,000 copies of The Rats sold out very quickly.
He wrote three more books in The Rats series. Lair was about more mutant rats, but this time in the countryside. Domain imagined a world after a nuclear war where rats had taken over. The third sequel, The City, was a graphic novel (a comic book in novel form) set in a future after a nuclear disaster.
With his third book, The Survivor, James Herbert started writing about ghosts. This was different from the science fiction horror of his first books. In Shrine, he explored his Catholic background. The story is about what seems like a miracle, but it turns out to be something much darker.
Haunted is a story about a person who investigates ghosts but doesn't believe in them. This book was first planned as a TV show. He wrote two sequels to Haunted: The Ghosts of Sleath and Ash. Some of his other books, like Moon and Sepulchre, were thrillers. They mixed spy stories and detective work with supernatural events.
'48 is an alternate history novel. This means it tells a story about what might have happened if history had been different. In this book, World War II ends with a terrible plague. Others is about a private detective who has a physical difference.
James Herbert also wrote Fluke, a fantasy story about a dog. This dog remembers his past life as a human. A character from Fluke also appears in The Magic Cottage.
Nobody True is another book about life after death. It's told by a ghost who tries to figure out how he died. James Herbert described his book Creed as a funny horror story. It's about a photographer who gets involved with monsters who are tired of being unappreciated.
His book The Secret of Crickley Hall was released in 2006. A character in this book was named after a real person. This person won the chance to have a character named after them in a charity auction.
James Herbert wrote a new novel almost every year from 1974 to 1988. He wrote six novels in the 1990s and three more in the 2000s. He once said, "I am very unsure about being a writer. I don't understand why I am so successful. And the longer I stay that way, the better it's going to be, because that's what keeps me trying hard."
His last novel was Ash. It imagined famous people living together in a Scottish castle. In 1995, James Herbert was featured on a TV show called This is Your Life. He was surprised by the show's host at the London Dungeon.
List of Works
|
|
Books and Stories Made into Films or Shows
Many of James Herbert's books have been made into movies, TV shows, or even games.
- The Survivor (1981 film)
- Deadly Eyes (1982 film, based on The Rats)
- The Rats (1985 computer game)
- Fluke (1991 radio reading; 1995 film)
- Haunted (1995 film)
- The Magic Cottage (1998 BBC Radio 4 show)
- The Secret of Crickley Hall (2012 BBC One TV series)
- The Unholy (2021 film, based on Shrine)
See also
In Spanish: James Herbert para niños
- List of horror fiction writers
