born Dec. 14, 1919, San Francisco, Calif., U.S.
died Aug. 8, 1965, North Bennington, Vt.
U.S. novelist and short-story writer.
She is best known for her story "The Lottery" (1948), a chilling tale that provoked outrage when first published, and The Haunting of Hill House (1959; film, 1963, 1999). These and her other five novels, including We Have Always Lived in the Castle (1962), confirmed her reputation as a master of gothic horror and psychological suspense.