Koji Suzuki, the Japanese writer who created the fan favorite Ring horror franchise in the early 1990s, has died.
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According to The Japan Times, the 68-year-old author passed away at a Tokyo hospital on May 8. A cause of death was not disclosed.
The story of Sadako (or Samara in the American version) began with Koji Suzuki’s 1991 novel Ring. The book was first adapted into Hideo Nakata’s 1998 Japanese film and later into the 2002 American remake directed by Gore Verbinski. The back-to-back success of these terrifying films spawned a wave of Japanese horror that became popular in the United States.
Koji Suzuki’s work helped define an entire subgenre of horror, dubbed “J-horror” by American fans. And lightning did strike twice. His short story also became the basis for Dark Water, first a Japanese horror movie in 2002 (also directed by Hideo Nakata) and later an American movie in 2005.
Koji Suzuki’s Work Led to a Slew of Popular Horror Films
According to IMDb, Koji Suzuki’s stories inspired numerous films, including Spiral, The Ring Virus, Ring 2, Ring 0: Birthday, The Ring Two, Sadako 3D, Sadako vs. Kayako, and Rings. His tale Dream Cruise also became the final episode of Showtime’s Masters of Horror series.
The author was reportedly both puzzled and pleased by his success, according to the AV Club. He passed the time sailing, riding his motorcycle across the United States, and visiting the homes of his favorite authors. In a quirky move, he once published a novella titled The Drop on rolls of toilet paper, which were sold in three-packs…
In 2025, Suzuki published his final novel, Ubiquitous, which marked a return to the horror genre. An English translation is reportedly in the works, though a release date has not yet been announced.