Richard Martin Stern (March 17, 1915 in

Fresno, California Fresno () is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about and had a population of 542,107 in 2020, maki ...

– October 31, 2001 in Santa Fe, New Mexico) was an American novelist. Stern began his writing career in the 1950s with mystery tales of private investigators, winning a 1959 Edgar Award for Best First Novel, for ''The Bright Road to Fear''. He was most notable for his 1973 novel '' The Tower'', in which a fire engulfs a new metal-and-glass frame skyrise. Stern was inspired to write the novel by the construction of the

World Trade Center World Trade Centers are sites recognized by the World Trade Centers Association. World Trade Center may refer to: Buildings * List of World Trade Centers * World Trade Center (2001–present), a building complex that includes five skyscrapers, a ...

in New York City.

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

bought the rights to the novel shortly after its publication for roughly $400,000, and Stern's book, in combination with the novel ''

The Glass Inferno ''The Glass Inferno'' is a 1974 novel by American writer Thomas N. Scortia and Frank M. Robinson. It is one of the two books that was used to create the movie ''The Towering Inferno ''The Towering Inferno'' is a 1974 American disaster fil ...

'' by Thomas N. Scortia and Frank M. Robinson, was the basis for the movie ''

The Towering Inferno ''The Towering Inferno'' is a 1974 American disaster film directed by John Guillermin and produced by Irwin Allen, featuring an ensemble cast led by Paul Newman and Steve McQueen. It was adapted by Stirling Silliphant from the novels '' The Towe ...

'', directed by

Irwin Allen Irwin Allen (born Irwin O. Cohen, June 12, 1916 – November 2, 1991) was an American film and television producer and director, known for his work in science fiction, then later as the "Master of Disaster" for his work in the disaster film genr ...

and

John Guillermin John Guillermin (11 November 192527 September 2015) was a French-British film director, writer and producer who was most active in big-budget, action-adventure films throughout his lengthy career. His more well-known films include ''I Was Monty ...

and featuring an all-star cast. With an fourteen million dollar budget, the film went on to earn over a hundred million at the American box office. Stern was known mainly for his mysteries and disaster-related suspense. He died on October 31, 2001 after prolonged illness. He was 86.

Bibliography

;Johnny Ortiz Mysteries: # ''Murder in the Walls'' (1971) # ''You Don't Need an Enemy'' (1972) # ''Death in the Snow'' (1973) # ''Tangled Murders'' (1989) # ''Missing Man'' (1990) # ''Interloper'' (1990) ;Standalone novels: * ''The Bright Road to Fear'' (1958) * ''Suspense: Four Short Novels'' (1959) * ''The Search for Tabitha Carr'' (1960) * ''These Unlikely Deeds'' (1961) * ''High Hazard'' (1962) * ''Cry Havoc'' (1963) * ''Right Hand Opposite'' (1964) * ''I Hide, We Seek'' (1965) * ''The Kessler Legacy'' (1967) * ''Merry Go Round'' (1969) * ''Brood of Eagles'' (1969) * ''Manuscript for Murder'' (1970) * ''Stanfield Harvest'' (1972) * '' The Tower'' (1973) (one of two books used to create the film ''

'') * ''Power'' (1974) * ''Snowbound Six'' (1977) * ''Flood'' (1979) * ''The Big Bridge'' (1982) * ''Wildfire'' (1985) * ''Tsunami'' (1988)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stern, Richard Martin 1915 births 2001 deaths 20th-century American novelists American male novelists American mystery writers Edgar Award winners Writers from Santa Fe, New Mexico 20th-century American male writers