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Shirley Jackson(1916-1965)

  • Writer
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Shirley Jackson
Dr. Markway, doing research to prove the existence of ghosts, investigates Hill House, a large, eerie mansion with a lurid history of violent death and insanity...
Play trailer2:14
The Haunting (1963)
1 Video
6 Photos
Shirley Jackson was a horror and mystery writer born in San Francisco, California in 1916. She is best remembered for her unsettling novel of paranoia and the supernatural, 'The Haunting of Hill House' (1959) and her terrifying short story 'The Lottery' (1948), a horror tale rife with symbolism that is still puzzled over by critics and academics to this day. 'The Lottery' is regarded as an American Classic and as one of the best pieces of short fiction in the history of American Literature.

Jackson was publishing around the same time as fellow genre writers Ray Bradbury, Jack Finney, and Richard Matheson and is regarded by many - including Stephen King - as being one of the most influential writers of mystery, the occult, and Gothic horror.

Her books have been adapted to film and include The Haunting (1963), The Lottery (1996), and The Haunting (1999) by Jan de Bont.

Shirley Jackson sadly passed away in her sleep (1965) aged 48 following heart failure thought to be caused by neuroses and prescription drugs used to treat the condition.

She is fondly remembered by all in the fiction world.
BornDecember 14, 1916
DiedAugust 8, 1965(48)
BornDecember 14, 1916
DiedAugust 8, 1965(48)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank

Photos5

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Known for

Liam Neeson, Lili Taylor, and Catherine Zeta-Jones in The Haunting (1999)
The Haunting
5.1
  • Writer
  • 1999
Julie Harris in The Haunting (1963)
The Haunting
7.4
  • Writer
  • 1963
Alexandra Daddario and Taissa Farmiga in We Have Always Lived in the Castle (2018)
We Have Always Lived in the Castle
5.6
  • Writer
  • 2018
The Lottery
The Lottery
  • Writer

    Credits

    IMDbPro

    Writer



    • Constance Brenner in Witch (2024)
      Witch
      7.9
      Short
      • Writer
      • 2024
    • Loteria (2022)
      Loteria
      Short
      • inspiration
      • 2022
    • Scary Stories Around the Fire (2021)
      Scary Stories Around the Fire
      6.8
      Podcast Series
      • story
      • 2021
    • Cineficción Radio (2019)
      Cineficción Radio
      3.2
      Podcast Series
      • novel "The Haunting of Hill House"
      • 2020
    • Mckenna Grace, Lulu Wilson, Victoria Pedretti, Julian Hilliard, Paxton Singleton, and Violet McGraw in The Haunting of Hill House (2018)
      The Haunting of Hill House
      8.5
      TV Mini Series
      • based on the book by
      • 2018
    • Alexandra Daddario and Taissa Farmiga in We Have Always Lived in the Castle (2018)
      We Have Always Lived in the Castle
      5.6
      • based on the novel by
      • 2018
    • Linda Marlowe and Rachael Stirling in Nothing Important (2018)
      Nothing Important
      Short
      • short story
      • 2018
    • The Lottery (2015)
      The Lottery
      Short
      • short story
      • 2015
    • June (2012)
      June
      5.8
      Short
      • story
      • 2012
    • The Lottery (2008)
      The Lottery
      Short
      • based on an original story by
      • 2008
    • Director Augustin Kennady at the premiere at the Philadelphia International Film Festival.
      The Lottery
      7.2
      Short
      • story
      • 2007
    • Liam Neeson, Lili Taylor, and Catherine Zeta-Jones in The Haunting (1999)
      The Haunting
      5.1
      • novel "The Haunting of Hill House"
      • 1999
    • Long Twilight (1997)
      Long Twilight
      7.1
      • story "The Bus"
      • 1997
    • Dan Cortese and Keri Russell in The Lottery (1996)
      The Lottery
      6.0
      TV Movie
      • short story
      • 1996
    • Zizi (1982)
      Zizi
      5.4
      Short
      • Writer
      • 1982

    • In-development projects at IMDbPro

    Videos1

    The Haunting (1963)
    Trailer 2:14
    The Haunting (1963)

    Personal details

    • Born
      • December 14, 1916
      • San Francisco, California, USA
    • Died
      • August 8, 1965
      • North Bennington, Vermont, USA(heart attack)
    • Spouse
      • Stanley Edgar Hyman1940 - August 8, 1965 (her death, 4 children)
    • Other works
      After meetings with Franchot Tone, she wrote a screen treatment for a film based on the life of dancer Isadora Duncan. The film never went into production.
    • Publicity listings
      • 3 Print Biographies
      • 1 Portrayal

    Did you know

    • Trivia
      Stephen King included her "The Haunting of Hill House"--the basis for the film The Haunting (1963)--in his top 100 favorite novels of all time. The list was published in his non-fiction book, "Danse Macabre", in which he also devotes a lengthy analysis of the opening paragraph of the novel. He has called the book one of the most important horror novels of the 20th century.
    • Quotes
      [about the hate mail she received upon the 1948 publication of her story "The Lottery"] If I thought this was a valid cross-section of the reading public, I would give up writing.

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