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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
This is a fascinating journey into the land of the supernatural and horror. We meet a telepathic child, a murderous truck, a button that could kill random people when pressed, an unhappy husband, aliens and 'aliens', a sentient organ, a child who dreams to become a vampire, an actual vampire, a mysterious caller, and so much more. I had a good time reading the stories as Matheson is consistent in surprising his readers in various morbid ways. You never see the twists coming. His imagination knows no bounds as he straddles horror, fantasy, and science fiction - genres that are hard to pull off.
My favorites in this collection:
1. Third from the Sun
2. Death Ship
3. No Such Thing as a Vampire
4. Button, Button
5. A Visit to Santa Claus
My favorites in this collection:
1. Third from the Sun
2. Death Ship
3. No Such Thing as a Vampire
4. Button, Button
5. A Visit to Santa Claus
I've read a number of these before but this collects a wide selection of short stores, flitting between genres with an emphasis on horror, mystery and thrillers. The writing is taut, tense and sharp, the twists shocking, the atmosphere intense. I enjoyed this immensely and intend to work my way through more of his short stories.
I have the book but also listened to the audiobook, read by a number of different narrators, to a high level of quality. A great book to dip in and out of and a writer deserving of a renaissance.
I have the book but also listened to the audiobook, read by a number of different narrators, to a high level of quality. A great book to dip in and out of and a writer deserving of a renaissance.
adventurous
dark
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
A lot of these stories just trailed off. It was a bit strange.
This is a wonderful collection of short stories that blend horror, science fiction, fantasy, and drama. Richard Matheson is a phenomenal writer and it's evident within these pages. His dialogue is fantastic, his pacing is thrilling, and his twists are fun.
Best Of had stories that scared me ("Day of Reckoning"), stories that weirded me out ("Big Surprise"), stories that made me laugh ("The Funeral"), stories that made me anxious ("A Visit to Santa Claus"), and stories that made me cry ("The Last Day"). Jesus Christ, what a painful blow that story is. And while some stories have non-endings, like "Big Surprise" and "Dying Room Only" - they're still fun nonetheless. I also enjoy the classic creepiness of stories like "Where There's a Will" and "Long Distance Call" - stories that probably won't do much for modern audiences, but they're just so perfectly old-school horror to me with their urban legend/'round-the-campfire like qualities.
I am very happy that this was my introduction to Richard Matheson's writing. I mean, you kinda know it's going to be good when even the story within the introduction (by Victor LaValle) is great.
My favorite of the thirty-three tales are: Blood Son; Where There's a Will; Death Ship; Button, Button; Day of Reckoning; The Last Day; A Visit to Santa Claus; and Shock Wave. On a final note: as a classical pianist, I found "Shock Wave" to be a unique and poignant scene on the relationship musicians have with their instruments.
Best Of had stories that scared me ("Day of Reckoning"), stories that weirded me out ("Big Surprise"), stories that made me laugh ("The Funeral"), stories that made me anxious ("A Visit to Santa Claus"), and stories that made me cry ("The Last Day"). Jesus Christ, what a painful blow that story is. And while some stories have non-endings, like "Big Surprise" and "Dying Room Only" - they're still fun nonetheless. I also enjoy the classic creepiness of stories like "Where There's a Will" and "Long Distance Call" - stories that probably won't do much for modern audiences, but they're just so perfectly old-school horror to me with their urban legend/'round-the-campfire like qualities.
I am very happy that this was my introduction to Richard Matheson's writing. I mean, you kinda know it's going to be good when even the story within the introduction (by Victor LaValle) is great.
My favorite of the thirty-three tales are: Blood Son; Where There's a Will; Death Ship; Button, Button; Day of Reckoning; The Last Day; A Visit to Santa Claus; and Shock Wave. On a final note: as a classical pianist, I found "Shock Wave" to be a unique and poignant scene on the relationship musicians have with their instruments.
In The Time Traveler's Almanac, but I see this as horror not time travel.
Merged review:
In The Time Traveler's Almanac, but I see this as horror not time travel.
Merged review:
In The Time Traveler's Almanac, but I see this as horror not time travel.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I am a sucker for short stories. I love the complexity and the suspense that the authors can pack into so few words. I found Richard Matheson after reading a lot of other authors and I was shocked at how much these authors were influenced by Matheson, especially, one of my favorites, Stephen King. This is an excellent collection of short fiction ranging from science fiction to horror.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No