The Man Who Left Too Soon: The Biography of Stieg Larsson [Hardcover]

'Through extensive research, Forshaw uncovers the man behind the manuscripts.' - Screenlit --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

His best-selling books are violent, terrifying, brilliantly written and have sold millions of copies around the world, but Stieg Larsson was not there to witness any of their international success. That he died in 2004 and his fame as an author is entirely posthumous demonstrates the dizzying speed with which his star has risen. But when one looks a little deeper at the man behind these phenomenal novels, it is clear that his life would be remembered as truly extraordinary, even if his Millennium trilogy had never been published. Larsson was a workaholic: a keen political activist, photographer, graphic designer, a respected journalist and editor of numerous science fiction magazines...and at night, to relax after work, he wrote crime novels. As the world now knows, by the time of his death at just 50 years of age he had completed The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, the third book featuring his hypnotic character, Lisbeth Salander. But his relentless personality and political convictions did not make his life easy. He famously reported about some dangerous neo-Nazi organisations in Sweden, which led to numerous death threats. In fact, since his death, officially caused by a massive heart attack, there had been much speculation that his enemies had a hand in his premature demise. This difficult man, brilliant and multifaceted, here receives a penetrating biography - and celebration of his remarkable life and books - from top crime fiction journalist Barry Forshaw.

Barry Forshaw's books include British Crime Writing: An Encyclopedia and The Rough Guide to Crime Fiction, along with books on Italian Cinema and Film Noir. He has written for the Independent, the Express, The Times, The Times Literary Supplement, Waterstone's Books Quarterly, Good Book Guide and Movie Mail; he also edits Crime Time, and is one of the talking heads for the ITV Crime Thriller author profiles. He has been Vice Chair of the Crime Writers' Association. As well as his specialist area of books (in most genres), he writes on film (creating booklets for special edition DVDs) and all aspects of the arts (popular and serious). He lives in London.