2024 the best of richard matheson review

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(as of Dec 15, 2024 08:15:14 UTC - Details)

Duel, Stephen Spielberg’s terrifying first film, was adapted by Richard Matheson from his nail-biting short story of the same name.

But “Duel” is only one of the many classic tales in this outstanding collection of stories by the award-winning author of I Am Legend, Somewhere in Time, What Dreams May Come, and The Incredible Shrinking Man.

Remember that murderous semi chasing a driver down a lonely stretch of desert highway?

Here are over a dozen unforgettable tales of horror and suspense, including several stunning shockers that inspired timeless episodes of The Twilight Zone.

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0312878265
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tor Books; First Edition (January 4, 2003)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780312878269
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0312878269
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.89 x 8.5 inches
Reviewer: Andrew Rowell
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A Great Range of Darkness
Review: I have so enjoyed experiencing the "quiet genius" that is Richard Matheson. Whether the story on the page is of a science fictional nature or a more gothic and horrific tale, this author never fails to weave a narrative that is suspenseful, dark, and formidably bleak. When I delve into a collection of stories for a second or third time, I know I am dealing with dimensional and provocative prose, and I find myself returning to Mr. Matheson's work with regularity. This anthology takes the reader on a midnight train through a landscape of darkness and mystery. I highly recommend this volume.

Reviewer: Digital Dreamer
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Great collection of stories
Review: If you have never read anything by Richard Matheson before this is a great book to start with. The various stories will show why he is considered a master in the craft of writing. He has the ability to not only describe scenes that make them real but explores different sides of humanity that are timeless.Instead of going through all the stories I'm going to mention the ones I liked the most in this collection.The Last Day- How would you spend your last day on Earth? One man spends the night drinking and having sex only to realize that in the end he just wanted to spend his last day with his family. This story is not a new idea but the way Matheson handles it, makes you feel the emotion of just wanting to be with the most important people in your life. I have to admit it made me teary eyed.Little Girl Lost- A little girl slips into the fourth dimension when a portal opens up under her bed. A father and his friend must find a way to bring her back before the portal closes. If you are a fan of the Twilight Zone you will recognize this episode. Being a huge fan of the Twilight Zone it was great to read the original story.The Test- Set in the future people of a certain age must take and pass a test every five years to prove they are not useless. If they do not pass the test then they will be put to death. A son has mixed feelings after he realizes that his father will not pass the test and that eventually he will be in his father's place. This was a great story about mortality and how we all handle the elderly, it was so moving but it doesn't beat you over the head with anything.

Reviewer: Joe Makepeace
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Great book
Review: Great book, prompt shipping

Reviewer: Justin Robinson-Prickett
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: The master at work
Review: There's no one better at short fiction than Richard Matheson, and he's at the top of his game here. Buy it.

Reviewer: lisatheratgirl
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Duel is the Best, Some Others Good
Review: I agree with some of the other reviewers here. The story Duel is a work of genius (which could actually happen). I even watched the movie again after reading it. The stories in the collection which were made into Twilight Zone episodes were also good, such as Little Girl Lost (with an original explanation). Most of the other stories, however, were typical 1950s sci-fi tales involving flying saucers, invasions by the Martians, rocket ships and all the other cliches. If these stories were all that Matheson had written, I dont know that he would be considered great. One possible exception is the story Shipshape House, which builds the suspense to a really horrifying ending. I found most of this collection pretty dated, but the good stories made getting the book worthwhile. I do recommend the movie Duel, the first one directed by Steven Spielberg. It is too bad the collection wasnt more uniform in quality; I hesitate to pick up his other books after this. Duel is the only story written after the early 1950s, so you know what to expect.

Reviewer: Gordon Vail III
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: He's brilliant. The tone of the times comes through strong ...
Review: So sorry it took me so long to discover Matheson. He's brilliant. The tone of the times comes through strong in his stories which add so much.

Reviewer: Jason M. Sullivan
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Good, old-school SF and horror.
Review: I got this for the titular short story, and ended up knowing most of the other ones, too.

Reviewer: Nic Farra
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Short Story Virtuoso
Review: Richard Matheson had long been regarded by other writers as a master storyteller. It is time detailed critical attention is paid to someone who can describe the anxieties of a postwar generation and twist them into the truly macabre.

Reviewer: Susan Hutchings
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: When I was five years old, I was scared spitless by the Twilight Zone episode starring William Shatner and written by Richard Matheson. That gremlin on the airplane wing: OMG! Since then I have read everything by Matheson that I could find. This collection of stories is excellent.

Reviewer: Kristian Klausen
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Genuinely funny stories. Matheson knows no boundries, anything might happen. In addition, he says deep things about human life, time, love, perception, the basic unfathomable cosmos.

Reviewer: Shawn D. Osborne
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Matheson is one of the masters of the genre. Besides Duel there are several other intriguing stories to be found in this collection. I am very glad I purchased it.

Reviewer: kelly marie
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: 🙂

Reviewer: herick69
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: nice