Born in New York City on April 6, 1927, Arthur Herzog was an award-winning novelist, nonfiction writer, and journalist, renowned for his best-selling novels The Swarm, Orca (both made into popular movies), and IQ 83. Film rights were purchased by Dreamworks. IQ 83 was acclaimed by the British press as one of the best science fiction works ever written.
After earning his bachelor’s degree at Stanford, his master’s degree at Columbia University and serving in the U.S. Navy where he was Light Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the 7th Regiment, Herzog declined the chance at a doctorate, declaring an “aversion to both libraries and authority.” He worked in the Far East for the Peace Corps as an evaluator. He then went on to become a freelance magazine writer and wrote 18 stories for The New York Times Magazine. He was offered a job at the magazine to be groomed for the prestigious job of editor. But the young Herzog’s spirit for adventure overtook the desk job, and he declined the offer. Soon thereafter, he became the first person to visit the Congo and write about Angola when the Angolan rebels, led by Holden Roberto, were under fire. Mr. Herzog also wrote for The Nation, Harper’s, Esquire and other magazines.
Herzog was a prolific author and well known for his works of science fiction and true crime books. He created a new genre called “near in sci-fi,” a fictional form that combines theoretical scientific phenomena with realism. He was termed the “Master of Disaster.” Whether fiction or nonfiction after reading one of his books, you might walk away terrified, alarmed, or astonished but feeling like you were more informed than before. He carefully studied complex subject matter and broke it down for the reader to understand and exposing the reader to subjects that were unfamiliar at the time. He was also before his time on writing disaster related novels that tackled the environment and nature before it was popular to do so in books such as Heat, Orca, The Swarm, Earthsound, and Polar Swap. He entertained the reader with well investigated details of true crimes such as 17 Days: The Katie Beers Story, The Woodchipper Murder, Vesco, and A Murder in Our Town. The New York Times called Vesco “a comic epic of nonstop scamming” and they went on to say the book made clear “the sheer doggedness of Mr. Vesco’s compulsive fabrications.” Mr. Herzog, researched his subjects so well, that many news outlets often would use his expertise by interviewing him when doing an exposé on the subject matter of one of his true crime books.
Herzog was a lover of literature and felt passionate about the craft of writing. He fathered a book and lecture series called How to Write Almost Anything Better–And Faster! to show others how to achieve what he knew was possible. Herzog taught a practical approach to writing based on his belief that at least 75% of the writing process is proper preparation. “Discipline is half the battle,” he said, “Writing is more method and organization than inspiration.” The concise, painless method Herzog patterned lead the neophyte or the pro through five steps to better writing: Psyche Yourself Out; Sit Yourself Down; The Right Idea; The Write Stuff; and Read It and Weep. Herzog once said the ability to write, is imperative to a life fulfilled. A person who can’t write is going to be ever more deprived in a world based on communication. “If you can’t write well,” notes the author, “You lose a tremendous occupational level.”