 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Richard Martin Stern" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(August 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Richard Martin Stern (March 17, 1915, inFresno, California – October 31, 2001, inSanta Fe, New Mexico) was an American novelist. Stern began his writing career in the 1950s with mystery tales of private investigators, winning a 1959Edgar Award for Best First Novel, forThe Bright Road to Fear.
He was most notable for his 1973 novelThe Tower, in which a fire engulfs a new metal-and-glass frame skyrise. Stern was inspired to write the novel by the construction of theWorld Trade Center in New York City.Warner Brothers bought the rights to the novel shortly after its publication for roughly $400,000, and Stern's book, in combination with the novelThe Glass Inferno byThomas N. Scortia andFrank M. Robinson, was the basis for the movieThe Towering Inferno, produced byIrwin Allen and directed byJohn Guillermin and featuring an all-star cast. The film, shot with a $14 million budget, earned more than $100 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.[1]
