William Hjortsberg was an acclaimed author of novels and screenplays, best known for his hard-boiled occult mystery "Falling Angel" (1978). The novel was adapted into the 1987 film "Angel Heart," starring Robert De Niro and Mickey Rourke. His diverse body of work spanned genres, including the absurdist comedy "Alp" (1969), the science fiction novels "Gray Matters" (1971) and "Symbiography" (1973), and the satirical bullfighting tale "Toro! Toro! Toro!" (1974). Hjortsberg also wrote the screenplay for Ridley Scott's dark fantasy film "Legend" (1986).
Born in New York City in 1941, Hjortsberg attended Dartmouth College and briefly studied at the Yale School of Drama before dedicating himself to writing. His early career included unpublished novels and a creative writing fellowship at Stanford University. Hjortsberg's breakthrough came with "Alp," praised by fellow author Thomas McGuane as "quite possibly the finest comic novel written in America." His works often blended dark humor with genre-bending narratives, earning him two Playboy Editorial Awards and an Edgar Award nomination for "Falling Angel."
Later in his career, Hjortsberg published "Jubilee Hitchhiker" (2012), a comprehensive biography of author Richard Brautigan. His final novel, "Mañana," was released in 2015. Hjortsberg's literary contributions were recognized in publications such as "Who's Who in America" and "Contemporary Authors." He lived with his family in Montana until his passing in 2017.