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Overview
Remember that murderous semi chasing Dennis Weaver down a lonely stretch of desert highway?
Duel, Steven Spielberg's acclaimed first film, was adapted by Richard Matheson from his unforgettable story of the same name.
But "Duel" is only one of the classic suspense tales in this outstanding collection of stories by the Grand Master of Horror, which also contains Matheson's legendary first story, "Born of Man and Woman," as well as several stunning shockers that inspired memorable episodes of The Twilight Zone, including "Little Girl Lost," "Steel," and "Third from the Sun."
Like Matheson's previous collection, Nightmare at 20,000 Feet, this collection is an indispensable treasure trove of terror from the New York Times bestselling author of I Am Legend and What Dreams May Come.
Synopsis
Remember that murderous semi chasing Dennis Weaver down a lonely stretch of desert highway?
Duel, Steven Spielberg's acclaimed first film, was adapted by Richard Matheson from his unforgettable story of the same name.
But "Duel" is only one of the classic suspense tales in this outstanding collection of stories by the Grand Master of Horror, which also contains Matheson's legendary first story, "Born of Man and Woman," as well as several stunning shockers that inspired memorable episodes of The Twilight Zone, including "Little Girl Lost," "Steel," and "Third from the Sun."
Like Matheson's previous collection, Nightmare at 20,000 Feet, this collection is an indispensable treasure trove of terror from the New York Times bestselling author of I Am Legend and What Dreams May Come.
Publishers Weekly
Science fiction's forward-looking sense of wonder curdles into an apprehensive glance over the shoulder in the 18 tales that comprise this latest repackaging of Matheson's (Nightmare at 20,000 Feet) seminal fantastic fiction. Although decked out with the paraphernalia that defined 20th-century SF-robots, interplanetary travel, close encounters of the third kind-they are most memorable for reflecting the same fundamental fears and vulnerabilities that Matheson all but trademarked in his tales of supernatural horror. "Trespass" transforms the mystery of motherhood into a ghoulish variation on the theme of alien invasion, when a pregnant woman's unusual cravings suggest that the child she bears is not even remotely human. In "Lover When You're Near Me," extraterrestrial contact approximates a rape ordeal when a human emissary to another planet finds that the alien females are as telepathically irresistible as they are physically repulsive. The parental nightmare of a lost child is a springboard for speculations on extradimensional travel in "Little Girl Lost," while "Steel" is a meditative treatment of technophobia presented in the unlikely form of a futuristic sports story. The selections showcase Matheson's minimalist style, which is perfect for elaborating the thoughts and ideas of solitary characters who find themselves facing challenges totally beyond their control. Readers will know many of these stories from their TV adaptations, but like the greatest hits album everyone sings along to, this book is a must-have for fantastic fiction fans. (Jan. 8) FYI: Matheson has won Edgar, Hugo and Stoker awards.
Editorials
From the Publisher
"Richard Matheson is worth our time, attention, and great affection."-from the Appreciation by Ray BradburyPublishers Weekly
Science fiction's forward-looking sense of wonder curdles into an apprehensive glance over the shoulder in the 18 tales that comprise this latest repackaging of Matheson's (Nightmare at 20,000 Feet) seminal fantastic fiction. Although decked out with the paraphernalia that defined 20th-century SF-robots, interplanetary travel, close encounters of the third kind-they are most memorable for reflecting the same fundamental fears and vulnerabilities that Matheson all but trademarked in his tales of supernatural horror. "Trespass" transforms the mystery of motherhood into a ghoulish variation on the theme of alien invasion, when a pregnant woman's unusual cravings suggest that the child she bears is not even remotely human. In "Lover When You're Near Me," extraterrestrial contact approximates a rape ordeal when a human emissary to another planet finds that the alien females are as telepathically irresistible as they are physically repulsive. The parental nightmare of a lost child is a springboard for speculations on extradimensional travel in "Little Girl Lost," while "Steel" is a meditative treatment of technophobia presented in the unlikely form of a futuristic sports story. The selections showcase Matheson's minimalist style, which is perfect for elaborating the thoughts and ideas of solitary characters who find themselves facing challenges totally beyond their control. Readers will know many of these stories from their TV adaptations, but like the greatest hits album everyone sings along to, this book is a must-have for fantastic fiction fans. (Jan. 8) FYI: Matheson has won Edgar, Hugo and Stoker awards.VOYA
Within these pages, a little girl disappears under her couch into a fourth dimension, a woman is impregnated by a beam of light from an alien spaceship, three space travelers come upon the wreck of their ship and their own dead bodies, and the elderly are subjected to an intense battery of tests to determine their viability. This collection of science fiction stories is at once terrifying and suspenseful, just outside the realm of possibilities. Most stories are plot driven and contain last-minute twists that inspire the reader to delve backward in the story to re-examine the structure and details. Matheson's unlucky characters seem to find themselves in apocalyptic situations; many are isolated in one way or another and are wrestling with moral or ethical issues: What does one do on the last day of the world? How does a husband react to his faithful wife's new pregnancy when he has been absent for the last six months? Although there are no teen protagonists or teen issues involved in Matheson's tales and most young adults will not recall the Twilight Zone episodes that were based on some stories, librarians might be able to booktalk this title to fans of Philip K. Dick and Stephen King. Purchase for larger collections or where there is demand. VOYA Codes: 4Q 2P S A/YA (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; For the YA with a special interest in the subject; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12; Adult and Young Adult). 2003, Tor, 400p,— Beth Gallaway
Kirkus Reviews
Psychiatrist Folsom's first collection of short-shorts-42 in all-offers an world filled entirely with women on the verge of discovery. In "The Watcher," a homeless woman in a "house" constructed of castoffs leaned against a bank can go from panhandling to armed robbery, all the while being watched by an unrepentant voyeur. Elsewhere, an elegant apartment building's doorwoman is feted on her retirement ("The Doorkeeper") and speaks the unvarnished truth in her farewell speech. In "The Last Criminal," Yale wants to offer an honorary degree to the world's only remaining crook, a safecracker, but, despite her despair at being the last of her kind, she finds herself ambivalent when faced with a budding juvenile delinquent. The shipwrecked sailor of "Mammae Potentes" comes ashore in a land of slim women with massive breasts; the women treat her like property and are determined to make her over in their image-until she escapes. In "Object of Desire," a woman gains hundreds of pounds in order to become attractive to the world's biggest woman. And in the title story, Philosophie descends from her retreat in the hills, naked, to help a city in crisis: only to discover that everyone is so hung up on her nakedness that she can't accomplish her mission-until she seizes on a novel way to distract them.Instructive as parables, perhaps, but, as fiction, slim fare.