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.

Matheson began his career writing short fiction. Remember, “Born of Man and Woman” was published in 1950. Fantasy wasn’t widely published at novel lengths at that time. Most markets were short fiction markets.

His fiction is imaginative, compelling, and at times frightening. At the heart of his stories was the humanity of his characters.

Not everything he wrote was fantasy. His short story, “Duel” was filmed in the early seventies (Stephen Speilberg’s first film) and starred Deniis Weaver. There are no supernatural or fantastic elements. It’s just a story about two men, one driving a car and the other driving a semi-truck, experiencing a little road rage. I believe Matheson wrote the screenplay for that, too.

He left short fiction in his later years, sticking with novels. While I’ve read some of his novels, I much prefer his short stories. They’re like a box of chocolates. Chosolates that bite back.

So, Happy Birthday, Richard Matheson. Here’s to anotehr century of your work being read and enjoyed. I’ll raise a glass tonight in your memory when I get home.