Author
Robert Bloch
1917-1994
Robert Bloch (1917-1994) is a public-domain author available on Rivro. Read free books, explore subjects, and discover related classics.
WikipediaSubjects
Books by Robert Bloch
This Crowded Earth
"This Crowded Earth" by Robert Bloch is a science fiction novel written in the late 1950s. The story is set in a dystopian future plagued by overpopulation and examines the life of Harry Collins, a man struggling to navigate an increasingly crowded and dehumanizing urban environment. The focus is on themes of individuality, mental strain, and the search for personal freedom in a society burdened by oppressive regulations and societal norms. The opening of the novel introduces us to Harry Collins, living in the overcrowded metropolis of Chicagee in the year 1997. He is a bachelor faced with the absurdities of life in a cramped, single-room apartment and the frustrations of daily commuting in a city where space is a luxury. As Harry endures the chaotic rush of the city and grapples with persistent headaches and existential worries, he contemplates his own insignificance in a world that feels increasingly stifling. His thoughts shift to longing for freedom and a return to a simpler connection with nature, foreshadowing the deeper exploration of human experience and desperation in the face of societal constraints that unfolds throughout the narrative.
Before Egypt
"Before Egypt" by E. K. Jarvis is a science fiction adventure story written in the mid-20th century, during the 1950s. The narrative follows the journey of Mike Mallison, a big game guide, who is hired by Professor Brandon and his daughter Doree to embark on a perilous space expedition. Their quest centers around a mysterious ancient papyrus scroll believed to hold the key to an extraterrestrial origin of early Egyptian civilization, leading them to a distant planet in the Orion sector. The story unfolds with Mallison and his team encountering various dangers, including kidnapping and betrayal by unscrupulous individuals, McKee and Talbott, who seek to exploit the knowledge contained in the scroll for their personal gain. After facing a harrowing series of events, including a crash landing on a jungle planet and confrontations with hostile natives, Mallison's resourcefulness and bravery shine through as he fights to rescue Doree and the professor from their captors. Ultimately, the narrative explores themes of loyalty, courage, and the quest for knowledge, culminating in a thrilling escape that highlights the perseverance of the human spirit in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.
The black kiss
"The black kiss by Robert Bloch and Henry Kuttner" is a horror short story written in the early 20th century. Set on the California coast, it follows an artist haunted by planned, escalating sea-dreams tied to an ancestral legend, drawing him toward a supernatural act of possession. An artist, Graham Dean, inherits an old San Pedro house once occupied by Morella Godolfo, a figure of sinister local legend said to consort with unearthly sea-dwellers. As Graham’s seascape dreams intensify into vivid visions of green depths and shadowy swimmers, he learns from an occult-wise ally, Doctor Yamada, that such beings can steal human bodies through a kiss, and that Morella herself was once a sea-thing inhabiting a human shell. Lured to a coastal cave, Graham is kissed again and finds his mind trapped in the pale, scaly body of the creature, while his human body is taken by Morella. After swimming with the monsters to a wreck and witnessing their predation on drowning men, he returns to the cave, confronts his stolen human form, and restrains it as Yamada and Graham’s uncle arrive. In a final act of self-sacrifice, Graham ensures the sea-creature in his body cannot escape, dying as Yamada fires and as he himself delivers a fatal bite, breaking the possession and atoning for the black kiss.