Tag Archives: Richard Matheson

Richard Matheson at 100

2 Replies

Today is February 26, which makes it the one hundredth birthday of Richard Matheson.

Matheson should need no introduction here. He’s one of the greats of dark fantasy.  From his first published story, “Born of Man and Woman” to such classics as  The Shrinking Man and I am Legend, he has set a high standard that few have met.

His short story “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” is a classic Twilight Zone episode starring William Shatner. The ending is probably a little predictable to those new to the episode, but that’s because the story has had such a lasting impact.

Matheson’s work wasn’t confined to print, either. He wrote the screenplays for the Roger Corman adaptations of Edgar Allan Poe’s work that starrred Vincent Price. If you’ve not seen any of them, you should check them out.

Continue reading →

Crafting the Short Story: Reflections on Charles Beaumont

2 Replies

This is the second birthday post for today. It’s on Charles Beaumont (1929-1967), if you couldn’t tell from the title. The first birthday post was on Isaac Asimov.

Beaumont couldn’t have been more different than Asimov.  Where Asimov focused on science, often at the expense of the humanity of his characters (it’s been said), Beuamont was a master at crafting believable, individual characters. But then Asimov wrote science fiction, whereas Beaumont primarily wrote fantasy.

Beaumont was a protege of Ray Bradbury, something I’ve commented on before. That’s not to say Beaumont was inferior to Bradbury. He wasn’t, although he was to soem extent a different kind of writer.  For a compasrison of two stories written by Beaumont and Bradbury from the same prompt, see this post.

What I want to focus on today is Beaumont as short fiction writer. Continue reading →

Richard Matheson

2 Replies

Today, February 20, is the birthday of Richard Matheson (1926-2013).  Matheson was one of the great fantasy writers of the Twentieth Century. I doubt he needs any introduction here.

But why should I let that stop me?

His first published short story, “Born of Man and Woman”, appeared in the Summer 1950 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. It was a chilling look at what happens when a child is born with grotesque mutations. With this story, Matheson set a high standard for himself, as well as other writers. It’s considered by many to ba a classic. Continue reading →

Mayhar and Matheson

7 Replies

Today, February 20, marks the anniversary of the births of two great short story writers.  One of them, Richard Matheson (1926-2013), will need no introduction. Ardath Mayhar (1930-2012), on the other hand, might not be familiar to you. We’ll start with Matheson because he was born first, but I’m going to focus more on Ardath. Continue reading →

Richard Matheson’s Birthday

Leave a reply

There are a number of familiar (at least to me) authors who are having a birthday today.  The one I want to focus on is Richard Matheson (b. February 20, 1926).  I’ve written birthday posts on Matheson before, and I really haven’t had time to come up with something new to say this year.

So here’s the approach I’m going to take.  Early in his career Matheson was a prolific author of short stories.  Some of his better known tales were adapted for the original Twilight Zone.  Those episodes, and others which Matheson scripted, are among the best the show aired.

Matheson’s stories were a favorite of mine growing up,  I intend to read some this evening.  What stories should I read?  Let me know if you have a personal favorite.

Kuttner’s Death, Moore’s Silence

14 Replies

Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore

Deuce Richardson pointed out to me in an email that today is the 60th anniversary of Henry Kuttner’s death. Since I don’t think I’ll be able to finish what I had intended to review today, this is a good topic to talk about.  (Thanks, Deuce.)

I’ve done a few posts on the anniversary of a person’s death  before, but I prefer to acknowledge birthdays. However, a 60th anniversary is a milestone. So if you’ll indulge me, I’d like to share a few somewhat random thoughts.

Kuttner had been teaching a course on writing at USC when he died, and Moore took over. I’m not sure how long she continued teaching, if it was only to finish out the semester or if she taught beyond that semester.

She remarried in 1963. Her husband Thomas Reggie didn’t want her writing anymore. At least that’s the legend, and I’m inclined to believe it. C. L. Moore’s voice fell silent. She never wrote fiction again.

Her husband supposedly (according to Wikipedia) asked the Science Fiction Writers of America not to honor her with a Grand Master Award because by that time Catherine was suffering from Alzheimer’s by then. Her husband thought the ceremony would be too stressful and confusing.

Let that sink in for a moment. This had to have been sometime in the early to mid-1980s. Moore died in 1987.* Andre Norton was the Grand Master for 1984. There wouldn’t be another woman to receive the honor until Ursula K. LeGuin in 2003, nearly 20 years later. I don’t know why Moore couldn’t have been presented with the award and it simply be announced that she was unable to attend for unspecified health reasons.  Essentially, her husband denied her recognition that was well deserved.** Continue reading →

Happy 91st Birthday, Richard Matheson

Leave a reply

Richard Matheson was born 1926 on this date, February 20, in Allendale, New Jersey.  He was one of the greatest short story writers of the 20th Century.  Best known to the general public as the author of The Incredible Shrinking Man, I Am Legend, Somewhere in Time, and numerous Twilight Zone episodes, he also adapted a number of Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories to the big screen for Roger Corman.

Matheson is a writer whose work I return to time and again, and a reread is long overdue.  I’ll try to work in some of his stories over the next few months.  I’ll honor his memory this evening by working on a short story.

A Sampling of Texas Horrors

Leave a reply

road killRoad Kill
E. R. Bills & Bret McCormick, eds.
Eakin Press
Paperback $16.95
ebook $5.99

I’d like to thank Bret McCormick for sending me a review copy of Road Kill.  Most anthologies have two or three (or more) stories that aren’t my flagon of ale.  There was only one story in this one that fits that description.  All of the others I liked, some a lot.  And not just because of the Texas theme.

The variety in Road Kill is impressive.  The type of horror ranges from quiet to grisly to Lovecraftian to science fictional.  Here were a few of my favorites. Continue reading →