Bloch's family moved to Milwaukee when he was twelve. He graduated from Lincoln High School in 1934. Block became interested in writing when he was still in school. He published his first story, Lilies, in Marvel Tales in 1934. A big fan of H. P. Lovecraft, Bloch's early works were greatly influenced by his idol. He began contributing stories to Weird Tales, also in 1934, and continued his pulp production for most of his career. In 1947, he produced The Scarf, his first novel which was well-received. Bloch wrote primarily in the thriller and fantasy genres, although he did produce a number of science fiction works. He is probably best-remembered for Psycho (1959) from which Alfred Hitchcock made his very successful film. During the 1960s, Bloch moved to Hollywood and became a successful scriptwriter working on both films and TV, while continuing to produce novels and short stories. In 1975, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the First World Fantasy Convention. He received the 1959 Hugo Award for Best Short Story for That Hell-Bound Train. His many works include The Thing (1932), The Opener of the Way (1945), Spiderweb (1954), This Crowded Earth (1958), Blood Runs Cold (1961), Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper (1962), American Gothic (1974), Cold Chills (1977), Psycho II (1982), Night of the Ripper (1984), Psycho House (1990) and Mysteries of the Worm (1993).