2024 the best of richard matheson review

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The definitive collection of terrifying stories by "one of the greatest writers of the 20th century" (Ray Bradbury), edited by award-winning author Victor LaValle

Among the greats of 20th-century horror and fantasy, few names stand above Richard Matheson. Though known by many for novels like I Am Legend and his sixteen Twilight Zone episodes, Matheson truly shines in his chilling, masterful short stories. Since his first story appeared in 1950, virtually every major writer of science fiction, horror, and fantasy has fallen under his influence, including Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Peter Straub, and Joe Hill, as well as filmmakers like Stephen Spielberg and J.J. Abrams. Matheson revolutionized horror by taking it out of Gothic castles and strange cosmos and setting it in the darkened streets and suburbs we recognize as our own. He infused tales of the fantastic and supernormal with dark explorations of human nature, delving deep into the universal dread of feeling alone and threatened in a dangerous world. The Best of Richard Matheson brings together his greatest hits as chosen by Victor LaValle, an expert on horror fiction and one of its brightest talents, marking the first major overview of Matheson's legendary career.

"[Matheson is] the author who influenced me most as a writer." -Stephen King

"Richard Matheson's ironic and iconic imagination created seminal science-fiction stories . . . For me, he is in the same category as Bradbury and Asimov." -Steven Spielberg

"He was a giant, and YOU KNOW HIS STORIES, even if you think you don't." -Neil Gaiman

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Classics (October 10, 2017)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 432 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 014313017X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0143130178
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.04 x 0.73 x 7.72 inches
Reviewer: Conch
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Excellent Reading on a plane
Review: Good, short and intriguing stories.

Reviewer: AceDanW
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A worthwhile read from an amazing author.
Review: I've always been a fan of Richard Matheson's work going back to his Twilight Zone days. A few of these short stories were made into some of the better episodes. The story that was used for the TV movie "Duel" was my favorite. That was the movie that launched Steven Spielberg. The story was much more gripping than the movie. It moved along at a faster pace without all of the filler needed to stretch it out into a movie. All in all this was an enjoyable book for anyone who's a fan.

Reviewer: Brian P
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Matheson was the first
Review: Before Stephen King or Rod Sterling came along with their tales of suspense, a satire, and darkness, Richard Matheson was the first occupant of that grand hall of literature. His short stories, in this book alone, brought about some of the best movies and stories that aired in the Twilight Zone. They tap into the dark and weird recesses of the human mind and soul with a flair of intensity, horror, humor, despair, and human drama. So I highly recommend this book to all of you who want to awed, spooked, and thrilled. Your fingernails will be gnawed to the quick by the time you finish.

Reviewer: Dave The Magic Man
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Some of the best of Matheson
Review: One of the great writers who stands level with Bradbury, Heinlein and Sturgeon as a great story teller of much more than just science fiction.

Reviewer: Josh Mauthe
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: The best stories by one of the legends of suspense - what else do you need to know?
Review: Neil Gaiman once said about Richard Matheson that "you know his stories, even if you think you don't." And that's true even for those of us who think we know them. Sure, I knew to expect some of Matheson's classics in this anthology - the murderous trucker of "Duel," the wing-dwelling monster of "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet," the miniature hunter of "Prey" - but it's easy to forget how many of these other tales have forced themselves into the public consciousness. (Much of this, of course, is due to Matheson's work on The Twilight Zone, a series that I'm currently working my way through with my children, which has made Matheson's talent all the more obvious.)And yet, no matter how much you know them, it's hard not to just be floored by Matheson's imagination at all times, especially as you see how many genres he could take one. You want a Western? How about "The Conquerer," the story of a young man coming to town to take on the fastest draw in the West for reasons that only become clear in the story's quietly tragic final moments? Comedy? Oh, man, are there some odd little wonders here, including "Counterfeit Bills," a shaggy dog tale with a groaner of a punchline (which admittedly cracked me up), or "The Funeral," which finds some classic monsters wanting to celebrate a death they never actually had. More of a science fiction fan? Matheson has those in spades, using other genres to extend the feel of his tales into the range of horror, suspense, thriller, and so much more - all genres that are well represented here. And you know the master has plenty to offer in all of those latter ones as well - which may leave you surprised by the heartfelt supernatural drama of "Mute" or the strange and awful humanity of "Day of Reckoning."As noted by Victor LaValle in his (excellent) introduction, Matheson's prose isn't always something you walk away remembering, and that can feel like a detriment at times. There aren't those beautiful sentences, those perfect images that can so often elevate tales like this. No, Matheson was a career writer, and his gift was in telling a tale clearly, tightly, and without frills. But what you lack in style and and flowery language, you more than make up in pure narrative momentum. As a killer doll stalks a woman in "Prey," or a housewife ponders the moral choice of "Button, Button", or a man flees from the trailer truck of "Duel," you find yourself absolutely gripped, flying through pages as Matheson turns the screws tighter and tighter.Even when he's not trading in suspense, Matheson has a way of making you need to just keep reading. We're sucked in by the tragic narrators of "Born of Man and Woman" and "Dress of White Silk"; we need to know what horror is awaiting the men on the "Death Ship"; we're right there with the elderly woman getting the "Long Distance Call" even though we know there's nothing good on the other end of the line. Matheson plays into that "need to know," sucking us into the tales all the way to their endings, which so often go in directions that feel inevitable and yet wholly surprising.I want to spend paragraphs and paragraphs talking about these stories, and yet, I don't want to spoil the joy of reading them. Sure, there are a few that don't quite live up to the rest - "Finger Prints," while deeply human, never really coalesces into a point; "A Visit to Santa Claus" starts off fantastically but whimpers out and feels like it's giving us a weaker ending than Matheson wanted to; "The Holiday Man" feels like a great idea in search of a richer tale. But those even those are compulsively, effortlessly readable, and they're more than made up for by the ample riches of this collection. You've got more than thirty stories here, written by one of the legendary authors of horror and suspense - an influence on almost every modern day practitioner of the genre. You've got nightmares and absurd comedies, tragic tales of human cruelty and darkly violent tales of violence, thrillers and mysteries - and all done with a sense of human nature that shines through and makes them all work, even nearly half a century later.Basically, what I'm saying is this: it's an anthology of some of the best work Richard Matheson ever did. What are you waiting for?

Reviewer: Rufus Hallmark
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Some good stories, and I can appreciate how Matheson's imagination ...
Review: Some good stories, and I can appreciate how Matheson's imagination was seminal. But I think he is overrated. And the introduction to this particular compilation is poor. (I'm sorry, but I have trouble getting beyond all the grammatical shortcomings of the introducer's writing. Was there no editor???)

Reviewer: Miss Mary
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: You'll want to keep a lamp on.
Review: Superbly written tales sure to unnerve you. Matheson, amongst the very best of writers of horror, is a master at crafting situations in which individuals come to find themselves alone against the unspeakably terrifying.I didn't care for the editor's self-indulgent introduction and would like to have been given the publication years for all and not just some of the stories -- hence, four stars for this fine collection.

Reviewer: Joe Terrell
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: An Essential Collection for Fans of Horror and Suspense
Review: Richard Matheson may be one of the most underrated writers of the 20th century. Known primarily for his contributions to The Twilight Zone and Night Gallery television shows, his short stories are witty, dark, and instantly recognizable. He is the absolute master of depicting ordinary people caught up in horrifying situations (it's no wonder that Stephen King cites him as the major influence of his writings).Some of the highlights of this collection include "Prey," a young woman fights for her life in an apartment against a 6-inch tall Zulu warrior; "Duel," a man is terrorized by 18-wheeler driver on an empty stretch of desert road in California; "Where There's a Will," a man wakes up buried alive in a coffin and struggles to free himself; "The Last Day," a sobering look at the end of the world from the perspective of a young man trying to make it home to his mother; and "Shipshape Home," a young couple discovers a terrifying secret about their apartment complex.One of the most fascinating aspects of Richard Matheson's writing style is how little it calls attention to itself. At times, it's almost Hemingway-esque in its simplicity and starkness. Even though these stories were written in the 60s and 70s, a lot of them feel timeless in their depiction of middle-American life.This collection is highly recommended (and talk about gorgeous cover art), and these 30+ stories will thrill, amuse, and horrify you at every nasty twist and turn.

Reviewer: Marcos
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Contos que trabalham com o inusitado e o estranhamento permeados por fantasia, terror e ficcão científica. Matheson é um mestre em prender a atenção do leitor com escrita clara e envolvente. Como em toda coletânea há altos e baixos. Para mim os melhores contos foram Button, Button, Shipshape Home e Death Ship, aliás, este último virou um episódio de Twilight Zone em sua versão clássica com Rod Sterling, há ainda muitos outros contos do livro que foram roteirizados para televisão. Leitura para lá de recomendável para quem gosta do gênero e do autor que tanto influenciou de Stephen king a Joe Hill, como muito bem coloca a introdução do livro.

Reviewer: Adam
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Awesome stories in this collection. They are perfect for people with limited reading time unlike the short stories of say Stephen king

Reviewer: Fernando Martínez T.
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Conozco bien la obra de Matheson y efectivamente, esta es una muy buena selección de sus cuentos cortos la cual recomiendo ampliamente a los amantes de la ciencia ficción corta, seria y estilizada y para quienes gustan de leer historias extrañas y muy imaginativas.El único detalle negativo es que por descuido YO no leí bien las especificaciones en cuanto al tamaño del libro. Es un libro pequeño en sus dimensiones solo un poco más grande que un libro de bolsillo. Pero el contenido de la obra desquita el costo del producto el cual es, para mi gusto, una ganga.Servicio y entrega excelentes como siempre.

Reviewer: Aidan
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Love Matheson. This treasure trove of short stories brilliantly showcases his inimitable style. Some gems in here. Personal favourite was the Caveman in Times Square story. I bought the Kindle version.

Reviewer: Jane Smith
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Did think his fascinating short story i am legend was in this book - my mistake, however he is a brilliant writer that I have only just discovered