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A review by chaosetc
The Best of Richard Matheson by Richard Matheson
4.0
This might have been even better if I hadn't already seen some of the tv and film adaptations. I recognized more of them than I thought I would. Some of these were straight-up psychological dramas, and those are not my personal favorites. His real gift is in springing those surprise and often thought-provoking endings.
These descriptions might contain spoilers.
Born of Man and Woman
***** What if your child was a monster. The narration was spot on.
Prey
**** One of the scariest shorts ever adapted for television.
Witch War
**** It's a mans world even when women have awesome power.
Shipshape Home
**** You get what you pay for.
Blood Son
**** The spooky kid turns out to be right.
Where There's a Will
**** You can't go home again, even if you're super rich.
Dying Room Only
*** Small towns aren't so friendly after all.
Counterfeit Bills
**** A stab at humor, the entire story is a setup for the punchline.
Death Ship
**** This was some seriously potent self delusion.
Dance of the Dead
**** Your friends can get you into some loopy trouble.
Man with a Club
*** The last line made this story, a nod to Planet of the Apes.
Button, Button
***** Do you ever truly know anyone.
Duel
*** You're minding your own business and then you meet a psychopath.
Day of Reckoning
*** A tragic whodunit.
The Prisoner
*** Some people have to die twice before it takes.
Dress of White Silk
**** First person revelation.
Haircut
*** This is why cremation is better than burial, ha!
Nightmare at 20,000 Feet
**** Would you know if you lost your mind?
The Funeral
*** Another funny one. Don't lose your nerve when opportunity knocks.
Third from the Sun
**** Hmmm, so that's how we got here. History repeats itself.
The Last Day
***** A powerful look at how things might end.
Long Distance Call
**** I sure don't miss land lines. This would never happen with a cell phone.
Deus Ex Machina
***** We could come to regret learning the secrets of the universe.
One for the Books
*** I guess it's a relief to think that brain harvesting might be survivable.
Now Die In It
*** Another mystery husband.
The Conqueror
*** When you don't know who you are, you can just pretend to be someone else.
The Holiday Man
**** I wouldn't want this guy's job.
No Such Thing as a Vampire
**** It was going all Dracula, until it wasn't.
Big Surprise
*** Grab the marshmallows, this one would make a great campfire story.
A Visit to Santa Claus
*** This is why most people shouldn't get married.
Finger Prints
*** A brush with desperation and loneliness.
Mute
**** Ruminations on the value of meditation. Sort of. I might have read into that a bit.
Shock Wave
**** A story for those who refuse to go quietly.
These descriptions might contain spoilers.
Born of Man and Woman
***** What if your child was a monster. The narration was spot on.
Prey
**** One of the scariest shorts ever adapted for television.
Witch War
**** It's a mans world even when women have awesome power.
Shipshape Home
**** You get what you pay for.
Blood Son
**** The spooky kid turns out to be right.
Where There's a Will
**** You can't go home again, even if you're super rich.
Dying Room Only
*** Small towns aren't so friendly after all.
Counterfeit Bills
**** A stab at humor, the entire story is a setup for the punchline.
Death Ship
**** This was some seriously potent self delusion.
Dance of the Dead
**** Your friends can get you into some loopy trouble.
Man with a Club
*** The last line made this story, a nod to Planet of the Apes.
Button, Button
***** Do you ever truly know anyone.
Duel
*** You're minding your own business and then you meet a psychopath.
Day of Reckoning
*** A tragic whodunit.
The Prisoner
*** Some people have to die twice before it takes.
Dress of White Silk
**** First person revelation.
Haircut
*** This is why cremation is better than burial, ha!
Nightmare at 20,000 Feet
**** Would you know if you lost your mind?
The Funeral
*** Another funny one. Don't lose your nerve when opportunity knocks.
Third from the Sun
**** Hmmm, so that's how we got here. History repeats itself.
The Last Day
***** A powerful look at how things might end.
Long Distance Call
**** I sure don't miss land lines. This would never happen with a cell phone.
Deus Ex Machina
***** We could come to regret learning the secrets of the universe.
One for the Books
*** I guess it's a relief to think that brain harvesting might be survivable.
Now Die In It
*** Another mystery husband.
The Conqueror
*** When you don't know who you are, you can just pretend to be someone else.
The Holiday Man
**** I wouldn't want this guy's job.
No Such Thing as a Vampire
**** It was going all Dracula, until it wasn't.
Big Surprise
*** Grab the marshmallows, this one would make a great campfire story.
A Visit to Santa Claus
*** This is why most people shouldn't get married.
Finger Prints
*** A brush with desperation and loneliness.
Mute
**** Ruminations on the value of meditation. Sort of. I might have read into that a bit.
Shock Wave
**** A story for those who refuse to go quietly.