BLOCH, Robert (1917-1994). Psycho. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1959.
8vo. (Marginal browning as usual). Original cloth-backed boards; original dust jacket (small closed tear to rear flap at wrap, few light creases to rear panel near top edge).
FIRST EDITION, PRESENTATION COPY INSCRIBED BY BLOCH TO FORRY ACKERMAN. Forrest “Forry” Ackerman (1916-2008) was an early key-figure in the science-fiction community and was central to the formation and spread of science fiction fandom. “He founded the first science fiction fan group (the Boys’ Scientifiction Club) in 1929, and wrote for the genre’s first fanzine (The Time Traveler) in 1932. That same year, he published the first known list of fantastic films (thirty-four titles). Forry printed Ray Bradbury’s first story in 1938, and in 1954 coined the term sci-fi. Working with publisher James Warren in 1969, Ackerman created the iconic comic book character Vampirella—a bloodsucking femme fatale from outer space. But it was Forry’s editorship of Warren’s Famous Monsters of Filmland that knocked the earth from its axis and spun it into an entirely new dimension. Published from 1958 to 1983, ‘the world’s first filmonster magazine’ inspired generations of young moviemakers and ushered horror fandom into the mainstream”. Bloch would remain friends with Ackerman throughout both their careers, making numerous contributions to works authored by Ackerman and would even be toastmaster at Forry’s 42nd birthday (“Forry-FortyTwo Con”) which saw several keynote speakers that included the likes of sci-fi authors Ray Bradbury and A.E. van Vogt. Bloch would receive the “Forry Award” in 1974 for Service to the Science Fiction Community, an annual award ceremony presented by the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society.
Bloch’s thriller was adapted by Alfred Hitchcock in 1960 into a feature film of the same name, written by Joseph Stefano and starring Anthony Perkins as Bates and Janet Leigh. Barron, Horror Literature 4-46; Currey, p. 46.