Matheson, Richard Books

I Am Legend

Richard Matheson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 521 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

One of the most influential vampire novels of the 20th century, I Am Legend regularly appears on the "10 Best" lists of numerous critical studies of the horror genre. As Richard Matheson's third novel, it was first marketed as science fiction (for although written in 1954, the story takes place in a future 1976). A terrible plague has decimated the world, and those who were unfortunate enough to survive have been transformed into blood-thirsty creatures of the night. Except, that is, for Robert Neville. He alone appears to be immune to this disease, but the grim irony is that now he is the outsider. He is the legendary monster who must be destroyed because he is different from everyone else. Employing a stark, almost documentary style, Richard Matheson was one of the first writers to convince us that the undead can lurk in a local supermarket freezer as well as a remote Gothic castle. His influence on a generation of bestselling authors--including Stephen King and Dean Koontz--who first read him in their youth is, well, legendary. --Stanley Wiater

Hell House

Richard Matheson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 149 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

When curiosity kills more than a cat 3 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I picked this up because I adore haunted house stories, they're a nice juicy break when I'm in the mood for something wicked and I was curious about it after hearing everyone always recommending it as the scariest haunted house book ever. Well, it's not the scariest, in the least, I was disappointed that it never chilled me but it was entertaining and it didn't shy away form the usual formula these novels follow.

Abandoned and left to decay, the Belasco house is called the Hell House because of horrific and despicable acts that took place there in the early 1900's leaving the building enveloped in a thick, cloying coat of black aura and seeping negative energy. Years ago some very indulgent and immoral parties took place in the once great house but overtime the madness got so big that the energy couldn't be contained and everyone that indulged there disappeared and was never heard form again. All the expeditions that were send to demystify the bizarre happenings have turned up dead, all but one man, Benjamin Franklin Fischer, and twenty years later he is back at the dark, heavy doors with a new team and perhaps a new way of battling the demons of his past. Accompanied by Dr. Barrett, a physicist and his wife Edith along with Florence Tanner who's a medium, the small group gets a salary form a dying millionaire and is send to prove any facts they can about survival, mainly about surviving death since the Hell House is anything but abandoned even thought no one dares to live there. Each character has his and her own reason for wanting to prove something, but not everyone is as passionate about saving any souls form the house as Florence, whose extreme openness makes me vulnerable form the start. It isn't long before everyone starts bickering about what really haunts the house when the manifestations grow form eerie to violent and intense. Tour of the house reveals perverse and perhaps dirty photos and art that give it a menacing feel and it touches the female characters as they have some major issues with their own $exuality. The spirit of Emeric Belasco is not only always present but those who dined and partied in his house also seem present, keen on keeping the new guests trapped forever.

Overall I liked the story, it was interesting and had a nice feel to it, but it wasn't very scary, I enjoyed that the haunting started manifesting rather quickly, there was no beating around the bush but I felt that the characters fell a little flat and were slightly underdeveloped. The most annoying was the medium; Florence Tanner. She was a necessary vehicle for unleashing the evil but she was so susceptible and weak that she made me angry, always putting everyone else in danger with her actions. In the end we were supposed to care about her but I found it hard, she disagreed with the doctor and was always protected by Fischer, why, I don't know, it was never really clear and the weirdness between the doctors and his wife was also suddenly almost uncomfortable. An older couple who never lie close and are never tender, only polite and professional towards each other suddenly have issues in a haunted house that is famous for it's perversions, hmmm big surprise there...can you guess what happens? Another annoying bit - after the scares, and beating and blood the characters kept coming back to the house, I swear the book almost begged for revolving doors because they just couldn't stay away...dead bodies, possessions, flying tables, who cares, lets all sit at the table and finish our pork chops and peas then wash it down with coffee, never mind that half way though someone can be killed......It's almost as if the ego to solve the mystery was bigger than everyone's desire to salvage what they had left and live. I did like one part of the ending, when a chunk of the mystery is finally revealed, it was a little kick in the gut and I said out loud " No way!" and it certainly added to the book but it didn't make it a perfect horror novel. I say read it, enjoy and don't get too annoyed, and I will certainly read more of Matheson, his ideas are interesting and he's a talent in the literary world.

- Kasia S.

Editorial Review:

Rolf Rudolph Deutsch is going die. But when Deutsch, a wealthy magazine and newpaper publisher, starts thinking seriously about his impending death, he offers to pay a physicist and two mediums, one physical and one mental, $100,000 each to establish the facts of life after death.

Dr. Lionel Barrett, the physicist, accompanied by the mediums, travel to the Belasco House in Maine, which has been abandoned and sealed since 1949 after a decade of drug addiction, alcoholism, and debauchery. For one night, Barrett and his colleagues investigate the Belasco House and learn exactly why the townfolks refer to it as the Hell House.

What Dreams May Come

Richard Matheson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 204 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

A classic novel of love after death, from one our greatest fantasy writers. The premise is deceptively simple: Chris Neilson has died in a car accident, but his life-force--his spirit--is still conscious of this plane of reality. And he is still too in love with his wife, Ann, to completely let go. She in turn does not want to go on living without him, as each regards the other as their soul mate. What Chris will do to get back with Ann after she dies makes for one of the most unusual love stories ever told. Even though the story can be enjoyed as pure fantasy, what makes What Dreams May Come unique is how the author spent years researching the subject of life after death. (An exhaustive bibliography is included to verify this.) And while Matheson admits that the characters are of course fictional, he also states that "With few exceptions, every other detail is derived exclusively from research." Whether, after reading this novel, one believes in life after death is of course a matter of opinion. At least you'll entertain the possibility that, even though we may not live forever, true love can be eternal. --Stanley Wiater

Richard Matheson: Collected Stories, Vol. 1

Richard Matheson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

RICHARD MATHESON: COLLECTED STORIES, VOLUME ONE is an expanded tradepaperback version of the 1989 Dream/Press hardcover limited edition. We will be publishing it in 3 volumes, the first in 2003 and one each year following.

RICHARD MATHESON: COLLECTED STORIES is the gathering together of 86 Richard Matheson short stories, beginning with Born of Man and Woman from 1950 and ending with Duel from 1971. The stories were arranged by Matheson himself roughly in chronological order of original publication. There are also several tributes to Richard Matheson throughout the volumes from admirers such as Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, Robert Bloch, William F. Nolan, and others. Finally, Matheson wrote a deeply revealing Introduction for the collection. As Matheson himself states in this Introduction, "A twenty-year period of creativity reduced to the psychological background of my output of fantasy and science-fiction stories. If this were a thesis, that would be my premise".

For the Volume One, editor Stanley Wiater has included:

> A "bibliophile" at the end of each story containing Matheson's very own commentary on the behind-the-scenes details of each story. Each story is also listed with it's original publication date and place of publication.

> A brand new introduction written expressly for this version of the book

Each subsequent volume of RICHARD MATHESON: COLLECTED STORIES that we publish will include the Matheson bibliophiles with each story.

A Stir of Echoes

Richard Matheson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 51 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

A Stir of Outdated-ness 2 out of 5 stars.
0 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I was excited to read from this author, who many popular Sci Fi and Fantasy writers today give homage to. That excitement quickly turned to dissapointment. The writing is choppy and very out-dated. The plot was not very compelling. In fact I would never have finished this very thin book if I hadn't heard such adulation of it from authors whom I love. I'm guessing now that when these authors were younger, very young perhaps, they enjoyed the basic intrigues and imagination in this book. If they were to have read it for the first time as an adult,now, I find it hard to believe that they would have the same sentiments. It may have been ahead of its time, but how can that be considering Tolkien was before it. I am reluctant to read any of Matheson's other works because this was so unintriguing. It was a fairly interesting yarn at best. I may still give I am Legend a shot, if it's in the bargain bin.

Editorial Review:

Tom Wallace lived an ordinary life, until a chance event awakened psychic abilities he never knew he possessed. Now he's hearing the private thoughts of the people around him-and learning shocking secrets he never wanted to know. But as Tom's existence becomes a waking nightmare, even greater jolts are in store as he becomes the unwilling recipient of a compelling message from beyond the grave!

This eerie ghost story, by award-winning author of Hell House and I Am Legend, inspired the acclaimed 1999 film starring Kevin Bacon.

Nightmare At 20,000 Feet: Horror Stories By Richard Matheson

Richard Matheson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 20 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

This classic horror collection showcases the early career of one of the field's most influential and innovative writers. Much of Richard Matheson's work has found its way into pop culture: the title story became a memorable episode of television's The Twilight Zone, and horror aficionados reading "Prey" will immediately visualize Trilogy of Terror's Karen Black hunkered down with a butcher knife. But this collection's power lies in its wide-ranging exploration of style and subject and the literary skill that Matheson demonstrated right from the start of his career. Many of his stories were decidedly unconventional when published (most in the 1950s and early 1960s), and still have the power to shock or to satisfy with their graceful inevitability. Matheson is not primarily a monster writer: rather, he examines how we create monsters from our own fears and frailties, and sometimes become the monsters ourselves. Nightmare at 20,000 Feet is a must-have collection for Matheson fans and readers who like their horror spare, precise, and chilling. --Roz Genessee

Richard Matheson: Collected Stories, Vol. 3 (Richard Matheson: Collected Stories)

Richard Matheson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Here we have VOLUME THREE of our Edge Books imprint publication of RICHARD MATHESON: COLLECTED STORIES. Again, it is an expanded tradepaperback version of the 1989 Dream/Press hardcover limited edition. We are publishing it in 3 volumes (click here to view RICHARD MATHESON: COLLECTED STORIES, VOLUME ONE and VOLUME TWO).

This three volume edition of RICHARD MATHESON: COLLECTED STORIES is the gathering together of 86 Richard Matheson short stories, beginning with Born of Man and Woman from 1950 and ending with Duel from 1971. The stories were arranged by Matheson himself roughly in chronological order of original publication. There are also several tributes to Richard Matheson throughout the volumes from admirers such as Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, Robert Bloch, William F. Nolan, and others. Finally, Matheson wrote a deeply revealing Introduction for the collection. As Matheson himself states in this Introduction, "A twenty-year period of creativity reduced to the psychological background of my output of fantasy and science-fiction stories. If this were a thesis, that would be my premise".

As with Volume One and Two, for Volume Three editor Stanley Wiater has included a "bibliophile" at the end of each story containing Matheson's very own commentary on the behind-the-scenes details of each story. Each story is also listed with it's original publication date and place of publication.

The Incredible Shrinking Man

Richard Matheson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 33 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

True Science Fiction Classic 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

For those newly interested in Richard Matheson because of the new I am Legend movie, you will not be dissapointed with this book. One of his great novels along with I am Legend, Hell House, and A Stir of Echoes are all must reads.

The Incredible Shrinking Man (Paperback) and other stories by Richard Matheson 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I'm reading the book now, I'm looking forward to seeing if its any different than the movie which I saw as a boy. The unexpected surprise is that the novels came with about a dozen or so different stories like "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" and "Duel" which was turned into a movie by Steven Spielberg.

Editorial Review:

Some people will remember The Incredible Shrinking Man as a movie with great special effects and a surprisingly good script, given the ridiculous title. Matheson's classic novella is the reason for that. As Scott Carey -- husband, father, and all-around decent guy -- mysteriously shrinks, he faces unimagined horrors at every step, up to the story's surprising resolution. It's packaged here with a number of Matheson's other classic stories, including "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet," which became a popular Twilight Zone episode, and "Duel," which was turned into a movie by a very young Steven Spielberg.

Earthbound

Richard Matheson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Poor 2 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

About: A visitor to a vacation cabin isn't what she seems

Pros: Well written, not very long, big font

Cons: Slow, uninteresting, not scary enough horror story.

Grade: C-

This Writers Cut Rerelease Edition Under his Own Name is More Graphic than the Original Pen Name Version 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Earthbound was originally published in 1982 under the pen name Logan Swanson. That Earthbound version was more edited than this 1989 re-release under his own name.

Earthbound is certainly no where near the masterpiece league level of Matheson's classics I Am Legend, The Shrinking Man or Duel but it is still an enjoyable read.

Richard Matheson is the master of the normal guy suddenly plunged into a terrifying situation thriller and we certainly have that with the main character, husband David who is trying to rekindle his marriage to wife Ellen by revisiting their same original honeymoon destination, Logan Beach. The story isn't as well written as in the above mentioned masterpieces but through David's eyes we do get to experience his changing emotions including everything from lust to fear. Nor are there any twists in Earthbound, pretty much what you think is going on is and what you think is going to happen does.

So the basic plot is a troubled in marriage couple revisit the spot of their honeymoon in the hope of rekindling the flame of their marriage. David is determined to do this however when his wife goes out walking one night and he decides to surprise her with a cosy fire in the living room or their rental property he is surprised when another woman is standing in the doorway. Her name is Marianna and she is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen, she tells him she mistook him for a former renter but shows him the renter's paintings, and also a secret room. David knows he shouldn't but has strong lust towards this strange woman and when he has an argument with his wife who goes to sulk in the bedroom and Marianna reappears he doesn't object to sleeping with her in the secret room. The affair continues as David debates if he should be doing it in his mind or leaving the house and returning early with Ellen to their home. David also seems to be losing more energy and becoming very tired all the time. The old lady down the road also tells him something terrifying about his new mistress which surely David thinks can't be true. Can he escape the lure of the earthbound Marianna before its too late?

So although good enough to pass the time I wouldn't buy Earthbound for someone to introduce them to Matheson's work. However if they've read all his classics, it's worth picking up.

Editorial Review:

An Erotic Ghost Story by the author of Hell House and A Stir of Echoes

David and Ellen Cooper came to the lonely beachside cottage in hopes of rekindling their troubled marriage. Yet they are not alone on their second honeymoon. Marianna, a beautiful and enigmatic stranger, comes to visit David whenever Ellen is away.

Who is Marianna, and where has she come from?

Even as he succumbs to her seductive charms, David realizes that Marianna is far more than a threat to his marriage, for her secrets lie deep in the past and beyond the grave. And her unholy desires endanger the life and soul of everyone she touches.

The Incredible Shrinking Man

Richard Matheson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Great Value! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

There's nothing more I can say about the book and the author that hasn't already been said in countless reviews. I'll just say it's a great story by a great writer. But I do want to praise the fantastic value of this special, $4.99 edition paperback by Tor. Especially since it contains not only the title novel but also nine short stories: "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet," "The Test," "The Holiday Man," "Mantage," "The Distributor," "By Appointment Only," "Button, Button," "Duel," and "Shoofly."

Also, be sure to check out the other titles in this series of special editions, such as his little-known novel The Beardless Warriors.

Editorial Review:

Inch by inch, day by day, Scott Carey is getting smaller. Once an unremarkable husband and father, Scott finds himself shrinking with no end in sight. His wife and family turn into unreachable giants, the family cat becomes a predatory menace, and Scott must struggle to survive in a world that seems to be growing ever larger and more perilous--until he faces the ultimate limits of fear and existence.