![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() More of a science fiction fan? Matheson has those in spades, using other genres to extend the feel of his tales into the range of horror, suspense, thriller, and so much more – all genres that are well represented here. You want a Western? How about “The Conquerer,” the story of a young man coming to town to take on the fastest draw in the West for reasons that only become clear in the story’s quietly tragic final moments? Comedy? Oh, man, are there some odd little wonders here, including “Counterfeit Bills,” a shaggy dog tale with a groaner of a punchline (which admittedly cracked me up), or “The Funeral,” which finds some classic monsters wanting to celebrate a death they never actually had. (Much of this, of course, is due to Matheson’s work on The Twilight Zone, a series that I’m currently working my way through with my children, which has made Matheson’s talent all the more obvious.)Īnd yet, no matter how much you know them, it’s hard not to just be floored by Matheson’s imagination at all times, especially as you see how many genres he could take one. Sure, I knew to expect some of Matheson’s classics in this anthology – the murderous trucker of “Duel,” the wing-dwelling monster of “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet,” the miniature hunter of “Prey” – but it’s easy to forget how many of these other tales have forced themselves into the public consciousness. Neil Gaiman once said about Richard Matheson that “you know his stories, even if you think you don’t.” And that’s true even for those of us who think we know them. ![]()
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