▁to ▁Fran ken stein ▁and ▁D rac ula . ▁She ▁also ▁gave ▁him ▁a ▁human ▁sk ull ▁for ▁his ▁ 1 3 th ▁birth day . ▁Hor ow itz ▁said ▁in ▁an ▁interview ▁that ▁it ▁rem inds ▁him ▁to ▁get ▁to ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁each ▁story ▁since ▁he ▁will ▁soon ▁look ▁like ▁the ▁sk ull . ▁From ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 8 , ▁Hor ow itz ▁knew ▁he ▁wanted ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁writer , ▁real izing ▁" the ▁only ▁time ▁when ▁I ' m ▁totally ▁happy ▁is ▁when ▁I ' m ▁writing ". ▁He ▁graduated ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁York ▁with ▁a ▁lower ▁second ▁class ▁degree ▁in ▁English ▁literature ▁and ▁art ▁history ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 7 , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁in ▁Van b rug h ▁College . ▁ ▁In ▁at ▁least ▁one ▁interview , ▁Hor ow itz ▁claims ▁to ▁believe ▁that ▁H . ▁P . ▁Love craft ▁based ▁his ▁fict ional ▁N ec ron om icon ▁on ▁a ▁real ▁text , ▁and ▁to ▁have ▁read ▁some ▁of ▁that ▁text . ▁ ▁Hor ow itz ' s ▁father ▁was ▁associated ▁with ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁polit icians ▁in ▁the ▁" circle " ▁of ▁prime ▁minister ▁Harold ▁Wilson , ▁including ▁Eric ▁Miller . ▁F acing ▁bank rupt cy , ▁he ▁moved ▁his ▁assets ▁into ▁Swiss ▁number ed ▁bank ▁accounts . ▁He ▁died ▁from ▁cancer ▁when ▁his ▁son ▁Anthony ▁was ▁ 2 2 , ▁and ▁the ▁family ▁was ▁never ▁able ▁to ▁track ▁down ▁the ▁missing ▁money ▁despite ▁years ▁of ▁trying . ▁ ▁Hor ow itz