How did Peter Straub die? Stephen King collaborator and literary master of the supernatural passes away at 79

American novelist Peter Straub passed away due to complications following a hip injury, his wife, Susan Bitker, told The New York Times. He was 79.

A celebrated author known for psychological thrillers, literary horrors, and dark fantasies, Straub died on September 4 at Manhattan's Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

Remembering her father, Emma Straub shared a series of pictures of the late author on Instagram along with a heartfelt note. Like her father, Emma is also a bestselling author.

"Peter Francis Straub, the smartest and most fun person in every room he was ever in, 3/2/43 - 9/4/22. How lucky we were. There aren’t enough words in the world."

Peter Straub co-wrote two books with Stephen King, 1984's The Talisman and its 2001 sequel, Black House. Taking to Twitter, King also paid tribute to his former collaborator and close friend.

"It's a sad day because my good friend and amazingly talented colleague and collaborator, Peter Straub, has passed away. Working with him was one of the great joys of my creative life."

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Brief background on Peter Straub's life as a celebrated author

Born on March 2, 1943, Straub was a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1965 where he studied English and earned a Masters degree in English from Columbia University.

Later, he and his family shifted to Ireland, where he began pursing his Ph.D. but did not finish it.

As per Peter Straub's official website, he developed an interest in storytelling from an early age following a vehicular accident where he almost survived.

"Books took him out of himself, so he read even more than earlier, a youthful habit immeasurably valuable to any writer. And his storytelling, for in spite of everything he was still a sociable child with a lot of friends, took a turn toward the dark and the garish, toward the ghoulish and the violent. He found his first 'effect' when he discovered that he could make this kind of thing funny."

Instead of finishing his Ph.D., he published two books of poetry - Ishmael and Open Air - in 1972, and a novel, Marriages, a year later.

Peter Strub started writing gothic fiction on the suggestion of his agent. His debut novel, Julia, was published in 1975. He rose to fame with his fifth publication, Ghost Story, which was released in 1979. Both his novels were turned into films.

Some of his other credits include The Throat, Floating Dragon, The Hellfire Club and The Ghost Village.

Over his illustrious four-decade career, Peter Straub was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award 14 times and he won ten. He was also nominated 12 times for the World Fantasy Awards, out of which he won four.

In 2006, the late author won a Stoker lifetime achievement award and two years later, was honored with an International Horror Guild Living Legend Award.

On the personal front, he tied the knot with Susan Bitker in 1966. Together, they shared two kids, Benjamin and Emma.