Richard Matheson: Collected Stories, Vol. 1

Yeah, some of these stories are undeniably dated and there are a few that are a bit on the silly side, but this has got too many classic stories to give it anything less than 5 stars: There's Matheson's classic first story, 'Born of Man and Woman', about a mutant child, intriguingly written in broken, invented English; 'Blood Son' about another mad child who wants to be a vampire; 'Witch War', about telekinesis and the use of little girls as weapons; 'Through Channels' an unusual, innovative horror story presaging the tech-horror trend of modern times; 'F-' a nominal sci-fi/time-travel tale with a very amusing central conceit which I won't reveal; 'Death Ship', the inspiration for the classic 'Twilight Zone' episode of the same name; 'The Disinheritors' a clever story about slipping from reality into something else, and so on. Beyond all those stories I have two particular favorites, 'Legion of Plotters' and 'The Last Day'. The former is, as Matheson described it, the ultimate in paranoia, as our protagonist slowly determines that all the minor annoyances that come upon him are part of a vast conspiracy against him. 'The Last Day' is probably my very favorite story in the collection, and truly depressing but also kind of touching story about, you guessed it, the end of the world. Anyway, I could just keep going on and on with specifics as there are still quite a few great stories here that I haven't mentioned, (such as `Lover, When You're Near Me', `Mad House', `Little Girl Lost' etc.) but you get the idea. Very cool stuff, check it out. (The latter two Matheson collections are very good as well, though this one is probably my favorite of the 3. They're all worth getting, definitely)

I always like to describe Richard Matheson as the best writer whose work you know but whose name you don't. Certainly, his name as not been as big as some of the people he's influenced such as Stephen King, but his work is unforgettable. Movies that have been based on his work include the very recent I Am Legend (previously filmed as The Last Man on Earth and the Omega Man), The Incredible Shrinking Man, Somewhere in Time, Stir of Echoes, Hell House and What Dreams May Come. Beyond those are the TV adaptations, including a number of Twilight Zones, Trilogy of Terror and Duel. Then there are his screenplays, most notably his work for Roger Corman with the Poe movies. Collected Stories, Volume 1 (of 3) has a couple dozen of Matheson's earliest short stories, and while not every story is a classic, there is also not a dud in the bunch. I can't describe them all, but some of the highlights include stories that would later become Twilight Zone episodes: Third From the Sun (about a couple families fleeing into space from a worldwide disaster), Death Ship (about space explorers who come across a crashed spaceship with a disturbing surprise inside), Little Girl Lost (about a young child falling into another dimension) and Long Distance Call (involving an invalid old lady receiving mysterious phone calls). Those may be the more familiar stories, but there are other gems as well, including Matheson's first story, Born of Man and Woman, a child's story of maltreatment by his parents. Blood Son involves another child, this one whose sole aspiration is to become a vampire; F--, a science fiction story of a future era where food is no longer not consumed, its very mention is considered obscene; Mad House, about a man whose rage eventually poisons his very home; Shipshape Home, about an apartment complex with a strange janitor and stranger things in the basement; and The Disinheritors, a twist on the Goldilocks story. And there are many more stories as well. Nowadays, when many short stories are artistic slice-of-life stories with more style than substance, Matheson's stories may come off as old-fashioned, but I'll take them there straightforward brilliance any day over more literary efforts. This book is a bag of candy, a whole collection of wonderful treats; and even better, there are two more volumes to go!

I'm only about halfway through Vol. 1 at this point, so this isn't a review (Born of Man and Woman is one of the best things I've read, though), but since many of these stories are available in other Matheson collections I thought it might be helpful to list exactly what stories are included. Volume 1: -Born of Man and Woman -Third From the Sun -When the Waker Sleeps -Blood Son -Clothes Make the Man -Dress of White Silk -Return -The Thing -Through Channels -Witch War -Advance Notice -Brother to the Machine -F-- -Lover When You're Near Me -Mad House -Shipshape Home -SRL Ad -To Fit the Crime -Death Ship -Disappearing Act -The Disinheritors -Dying Room Only -Full Circle -The Last Day -Lazarus II -Legion of Plotters -Little Girl Lost -Long Distance Call

great

The used prices are utterly ridiculous for a used trade paper back. Where they get the idea you can charge over $100+ is beyond me. Regarding the book, the printing and binding are okay, not great, not that high quality, but it'll hold together and there isn't really any way to get the material any cheaper in any better condition. If you find the original hard back limited edition version for less than or around $150 which includes all the stories in one volume, the Dream Press edition, it's a good deal since the three paperbacks will run you $45 or more new. That version is Hardback, Leather, author signed.

This is the first of a three volume set of Matheson's stories. Matheson has written many stories that were adapted into episodes of the Twilight Zone, Tales from the Darkside, and others. This volume has many stories from the Twilight Zone such as 'Third from the Sun', 'Death Ship', 'Little Girl Lost' and 'Long Distance Call', and 'Disappearing Act'. It's an excellent three volume collection that also has other writers giving their take on Matheson's work throughout the volumes. I really enjoyed these stories and I can read them over and over.

This book is a compilation of Richard Matheson's earliest short stories. If you are a fan of Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone, you will absolutely love this book. There are three volumes in the whole collection; I recommend buying all three at once so you won't have to wait for more when you finish this volume.

This item was just as it was described in the posting and I was very happy with the quality. Thanks!