Keith Herber
Encyclopedia
Keith "Doc" Herber was an American
author, editor, and musician.
Herber was born in Detroit, Michigan
, United States
. He was known for his work on Chaosium
's Call of Cthulhu
role-playing game. He was employed by Chaosium from 1989 through 1994. While there he wrote and edited such award-winning books as The Fungi from Yuggoth, Trail of Tsathoggua, 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.
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 set to produce a number of supplements for Call of Cthulhu, as well as several fiction anthologies.
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 Thunderbirds and opening for The Temptations
, John Mayall
, The Violent Femmes, and others.
Herber died in Lakeland, Florida
in March 2009, aged 60.
|-
! 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
|-
| 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
|-
| Fungi from Yuggoth (Call of Cthulhu)
| Chaosium
| 1984
|-
| Cthulhu Companion (Call of Cthulhu)
| Chaosium
| 1983
|}
|-
! Book
! Publisher
! Year
|-
| Prince of the City (Vampire: The Masquerade)
| White Wolf
| 1995
|-
| Dark Prince (Vampire: The Masquerade)
| HarperPrism
| 1994
|}
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author, editor, and musician.
Herber was born in Detroit, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He was known for his work on Chaosium
Chaosium
Chaosium is one of the longer lived publishers of role-playing games still in existence. Founded by Greg Stafford, its first game was actually a wargame, White Bear and Red Moon, which later mutated into Dragon Pass and its sequel, Nomad Gods...
's Call of Cthulhu
Call of Cthulhu (role-playing game)
Call of Cthulhu is a horror fiction role-playing game based on H. P. Lovecraft's story of the same name and the associated Cthulhu Mythos.The game, often abbreviated as CoC, is published by Chaosium.-Setting:...
role-playing game. He was employed by Chaosium from 1989 through 1994. While there he wrote and edited such award-winning books as The Fungi from Yuggoth, Trail of Tsathoggua, 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
Cthulhu's Dark Cults
Cthulhu’s Dark Cults edited by David Conyers is an anthology of ten Cthulhu Mythos short stories set in Chaosium’s Call of Cthulhu role-playing game setting...
was dedicated to his memory.
Following his time at Chaosium, Herber wrote two novels for White Wolf
White Wolf
White Wolf is a publisher of role-playing games, notably the World of Darkness.White Wolf may also refer to:*White Wolf , a location in Yosemite National Park*White Wolf , a Canadian heavy metal band...
's Vampire
Vampire: The Masquerade
Vampire: The Masquerade is a role-playing game. Created by Mark Rein·Hagen, it was the first of White Wolf Game Studio's World of Darkness role-playing games, based on the Storyteller System and centered around vampires in a modern gothic-punk world....
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 set to produce a number of supplements for Call of Cthulhu, as well as several fiction anthologies.
Throughout his time as an author and editor, Herber played bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
for blues and rock bands across the United States, including Detroit's Progressive Blues Band, Dr. John
Dr. John
Malcolm John "Mac" Rebennack, Jr. , better known by the stage name Dr. John , is an American singer-songwriter, pianist and guitarist, whose music combines blues, pop, jazz as well as Zydeco, boogie woogie and rock and roll.Active as a session musician since the late 1950s, he came to wider...
, Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt is an American blues singer-songwriter and a renowned slide guitar player. During the 1970s, Raitt released a series of acclaimed roots-influenced albums which incorporated elements of blues, rock, folk and country, but she is perhaps best known for her more commercially...
, Mitch Ryder
Mitch Ryder
William S. Levise, Jr , better known by his stage name Mitch Ryder, is an American musician who has recorded over two dozen albums in more than four decades.-Career:...
, The Thunderbirds and opening for The Temptations
The Temptations
The Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
, John Mayall
John Mayall
John Mayall, OBE is an English blues singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, whose musical career spans over fifty years...
, The Violent Femmes, and others.
Herber died in Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States, located approximately midway between Tampa and Orlando along Interstate 4. According to the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city had a population of 94,406...
in March 2009, aged 60.
Roleplaying game credits
{| class="wikitable" border="1"|-
! 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
|-
| 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
|-
| Fungi from Yuggoth (Call of Cthulhu)
| Chaosium
| 1984
|-
| Cthulhu Companion (Call of Cthulhu)
| Chaosium
| 1983
|}
Fiction credits
{| class="wikitable" border="1"|-
! Book
! Publisher
! Year
|-
| Prince of the City (Vampire: The Masquerade)
| White Wolf
| 1995
|-
| Dark Prince (Vampire: The Masquerade)
| HarperPrism
| 1994
|}
External links
- Author Profile at 'Fantastic Fiction'
- Author Profile at 'Miskatonic River Press' website