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Zodiac (book)
Encyclopedia
Zodiac is a non-fiction
book
written by Robert Graysmith
about the unsolved serial murders committed by the "Zodiac Killer
" in San Francisco in the late 1960s
and early 1970s
. Since its initial release in 1986, Zodiac has sold 4 million copies worldwide. Graysmith was a cartoonist
for the San Francisco Chronicle
and later also wrote Zodiac Unmasked.
. It details the investigations of the many law enforcement branches that worked on the case and other murders that might have been committed by Zodiac including the 1966 Cherie Jo Bates stabbing. Later chapters deal with Graysmith's many theories on the case and the book eventually cites two possible suspects and details some of the circumstantial evidence against them. Both men are listed under pseudonyms. Graysmith got help from police
departments that were in the jurisdictions of the murders, especially from Inspector
Dave Toschi
from the San Francisco Police Department
who was assigned to the Zodiac case.
working for the San Francisco Chronicle in the 1960s when the Zodiac murders started. The Zodiac sent letters to the Chronicle which he wanted published in the paper. These letters included evidence that made it clear that he actually was the Zodiac. Graysmith saw these letters from the Zodiac coming into the Chronicle and it intrigued him. For years he kept his own scrap book of evidence and with them tried to figure out who the Zodiac was on his own. When asked why he began working on this book he said, "I saw it going into obscurity. Nobody is sharing all the different jurisdictions, and all this information. What if I as a private citizen went around and got all this information?" This led to a 10 year stretch to get all the information and eventually the book published. The book was originally to be titled "This Is the Zodiac Speaking". It was originally supposed to be published in 1981, then in 1983, but eventually got published in 1986.
is roughly based on Graysmith's books, Zodiac and Zodiac Unmasked. The film follows the work of Graysmith from being a cartoonist in 1969 to several years after the publication of the first Zodiac book in the early 1990's.
Graysmith's meeting with Arthur Leigh Allen in the end of the movie is also slightly different. Graysmith was following Allen around until he parked outside of the hardware store where he, Allen, worked. As Graysmith was parked Allen pulled up next to his car "so close I couldn't open the door" Graysmith claimed, and "Allen gave me a look like you wouldn't believe." In the movie it shows Graysmith going into the hardware store and seeing Allen working when Allen turns around and asks Graysmith if he can help him.
Non-fiction
Non-fiction is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be fact...
book
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
written by Robert Graysmith
Robert Graysmith
Robert Graysmith is an American true crime author. He was working as a political cartoonist for the San Francisco Chronicle in 1969 when the Zodiac Killer case came to light. Graysmith attempted to decode letters written by the killer...
about the unsolved serial murders committed by the "Zodiac Killer
Zodiac Killer
The Zodiac Killer was a serial killer who operated in Northern California in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The killer's identity remains unknown. The Zodiac murdered victims in Benicia, Vallejo, Lake Berryessa and San Francisco between December 1968 and October 1969. Four men and three women...
" in San Francisco in the late 1960s
1960s
The 1960s was the decade that started on January 1, 1960, and ended on December 31, 1969. It was the seventh decade of the 20th century.The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends across the globe...
and early 1970s
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
. Since its initial release in 1986, Zodiac has sold 4 million copies worldwide. Graysmith was a cartoonist
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
for the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
and later also wrote Zodiac Unmasked.
Plot synopsis
This book gives the history of the Zodiac killer who was active in the 1960s and 70s in CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It details the investigations of the many law enforcement branches that worked on the case and other murders that might have been committed by Zodiac including the 1966 Cherie Jo Bates stabbing. Later chapters deal with Graysmith's many theories on the case and the book eventually cites two possible suspects and details some of the circumstantial evidence against them. Both men are listed under pseudonyms. Graysmith got help from police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
departments that were in the jurisdictions of the murders, especially from Inspector
Inspector
Inspector is both a police rank and an administrative position, both used in a number of contexts. However, it is not an equivalent rank in each police force.- Australia :...
Dave Toschi
Dave Toschi
Dave Toschi is a former inspector in the San Francisco Police Department, where he served from 1952 to 1983. He is best known for his role as a chief investigator in the Zodiac Killer case, which he began work on after the murder of taxi driver Paul Stine.Toschi is currently vice president of...
from the San Francisco Police Department
San Francisco Police Department
The San Francisco Police Department, also known as the SFPD and San Francisco Department Of Police, is the police department of the City and County of San Francisco, California...
who was assigned to the Zodiac case.
Origin of the book
Robert Graysmith was a cartoonistCartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
working for the San Francisco Chronicle in the 1960s when the Zodiac murders started. The Zodiac sent letters to the Chronicle which he wanted published in the paper. These letters included evidence that made it clear that he actually was the Zodiac. Graysmith saw these letters from the Zodiac coming into the Chronicle and it intrigued him. For years he kept his own scrap book of evidence and with them tried to figure out who the Zodiac was on his own. When asked why he began working on this book he said, "I saw it going into obscurity. Nobody is sharing all the different jurisdictions, and all this information. What if I as a private citizen went around and got all this information?" This led to a 10 year stretch to get all the information and eventually the book published. The book was originally to be titled "This Is the Zodiac Speaking". It was originally supposed to be published in 1981, then in 1983, but eventually got published in 1986.
Movies based on the book
The 2007 adaptation ZodiacZodiac (film)
Zodiac is a 2007 American mystery-thriller film directed by David Fincher and based on Robert Graysmith's non-fiction book of the same name. The Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros...
is roughly based on Graysmith's books, Zodiac and Zodiac Unmasked. The film follows the work of Graysmith from being a cartoonist in 1969 to several years after the publication of the first Zodiac book in the early 1990's.
Comparisons between the Zodiac (2007) film and the book
In the film the woman in the car with her baby who had claimed to be picked up by Zodiac was depicted as realizing what was going on very quickly; they are shown passing a service station almost immediately and the woman starts to get fearful as the man does not stop. The man actually took her to a service station but it was closed; he then drove her around for hours passing station after station until she jumped from the car because he would not stop.Graysmith's meeting with Arthur Leigh Allen in the end of the movie is also slightly different. Graysmith was following Allen around until he parked outside of the hardware store where he, Allen, worked. As Graysmith was parked Allen pulled up next to his car "so close I couldn't open the door" Graysmith claimed, and "Allen gave me a look like you wouldn't believe." In the movie it shows Graysmith going into the hardware store and seeing Allen working when Allen turns around and asks Graysmith if he can help him.