Keith Herber: A Life in Lovecraftian Horror

Keith Herber was a prolific writer, editor, and musician known for his contributions to the Call of Cthulhu role-playing game and other horror fiction. He left a lasting impact on the genre, publishing numerous books and anthologies before his death in 2009.
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Keith Herber
Born(1949-01-03)January 3, 1949
Detroit, Michigan, United States
DiedMarch 13, 2009(2009-03-13) (aged 60)
Lakeland, Florida, United States
OccupationWriter, editor, musician
Periodmid 1980s-2009
GenreHorror
Website
Miskatonic River Press

Keith Donald "Doc" Herber (January 3, 1949 – March 13, 2009) was an American author, editor, and musician.

Career

Keith Herber was born in Detroit, Michigan, United States.[citation needed] He began working on the fourth edition of Chaosium's Call of Cthulhu role-playing game in 1989; he was the line editor for the game for the next five years, including the change to the fifth edition of Call of Cthulhu in 1992, until he left Chaosium in 1994. : 90  While there he wrote and edited such award-winning books as The Fungi from Yuggoth, Trail of Tsathogghua, Spawn of Azathoth, Arkham Unveiled, Return to Dunwich, Investigator’s Companion Volumes 1 & 2, and the Keeper’s Compendium. The anthology Cthulhu's Dark Cults was dedicated to his memory.

Herber wrote for Pagan Publishing's The Unspeakable Oath magazine. : 244  Following his time at Chaosium, Herber wrote two novels for White Wolf's Vampire game as well as the Tremere Clanbook. He also served as an editor for Cinescape Magazine.

Herber's venture at the time of his death was Miskatonic River Press, a publishing company started in 2009 to produce a number of supplements for Call of Cthulhu, as well as several fiction anthologies. : 95 

Throughout his time as an author and editor, Herber played bass guitar for blues and rock bands across the United States, including Detroit's Progressive Blues Band, Dr. John, Bonnie Raitt, Mitch Ryder, The Fabulous Thunderbirds and opening for The Temptations, John Mayall, The Violent Femmes, and others.

Herber died in Lakeland, Florida in March 2009, aged 60.

Roleplaying game credits

Book Publisher Year
New Tales of the Miskatonic Valley (Call of Cthulhu) Miskatonic River Press 2008
H. P. Lovecraft's Arkham (Call of Cthulhu) Chaosium 2003
H. P. Lovecraft's Dunwich (Call of Cthulhu) Chaosium 2002
Keeper's Companion, Volume 1 (Call of Cthulhu) Chaosium 2000
Call of Cthulhu, ver. 5.5 Chaosium 1998
Creature Companion (Call of Cthulhu) Chaosium 1998
Escape From Innsmouth, 2nd Ed. (Call of Cthulhu) Chaosium 1997
The Compact Arkham Unveiled, The (Call of Cthulhu) Chaosium 1995
Immortal Eyes: The Toybox (Changeling: The Dreaming) White Wolf 1995
1920s Investigator's Companion, Vol. 2 (Call of Cthulhu) Chaosium 1994
Clanbook: Tremere (Vampire: The Masquerade) White Wolf 1994
Call of Cthulhu, 5th Ed. Chaosium 1992
Cthulhu Now, 2nd Ed. Chaosium 1992
Rogue Mistress (Stormbringer) Chaosium 1991
Blood Brothers (Call of Cthulhu) Chaosium 1990
Mansions of Madness (Call of Cthulhu) Chaosium 1990
H.P. Lovecraft's Dreamlands (Call of Cthulhu) Chaosium 1988
Spawn of Azathoth (Call of Cthulhu) Chaosium 1986
Trail of Tsathogghua (Call of Cthulhu) Chaosium 1984
The Fungi from Yuggoth (Call of Cthulhu) Chaosium 1984
Cthulhu Companion (Call of Cthulhu) Chaosium 1983

Fiction credits

Book Publisher Year
Prince of the City (Vampire: The Masquerade) White Wolf 1995
Dark Prince (Vampire: The Masquerade) HarperPrism 1994