Conversations with the Father: A Memoir about Richard Matheson, My Dad and God

by Chris Matheson

Overview

In Conversations with the Father, screenwriter and author Chris Matheson shares memories of his dad, famed horror and science fiction writer Richard Matheson. He recalls the warmth and affection his dad showed him as a child—their shared love for the Dodgers and family game nights—and recounts their later estrangement over the big questions: life, death, the unknown and unknowable. Through his own unique point of view as son, Matheson offers the reader rare insights into the wit, intellect, fears, and, later, regrets of the man who penned such classics as I Am Legend, What Dreams May Come, and The Shrinking Man—and the strongly held yet often chimeric personal religious and spiritual views that shaped many of his most memorable stories and characters.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781634312325
Publisher:	Pitchstone Publishing
Publication date:	07/19/2022
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Chris Matheson is a screenwriter whose credits include the Bill & Ted movies and Rapture-Palooza. He is also the author of The Story of God, The Trouble with God, and The Buddha's Story. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

Editorial Reviews

"I came to Chris Matheson’s Conversations with the Father expecting some insight into the life an author whose work influenced a generation of mystery, horror, and science fiction writers. The memoir provides that and more: it’s a glimpse into an obviously affectionate but troubled father-son relationship, a meditation on the way deeply-held beliefs can drive a wedge into family dynamics, and an implicit warning—perhaps especially to writers of imaginative fiction—about the importance of observing the bright line between fantasy and reality." —Robert Charles Wilson, Hugo Award–winning author of Spin

"This book is ultimately an ode to the late Matheson, allowing readers to understand the famous author at his best and worst. Fans of the Mathesons and science fiction will easily be drawn in, but the memoir will also appeal to readers interested in questioning the meaning of life and uncovering how a person's beliefs influence their life and art." —Library Journal 

From the Publisher

06/01/2022

Matheson, a novelist (The Story of God) and screenwriter (the Bill & Ted movies), offers a unique case study of his relationship with his late father, the famed horror and science fiction writer Richard Matheson (author of I Am Legend). The once loving relationship between the Mathesons strained over time as Chris grew into his own person and his father developed a strong, unwavering bond with his religious beliefs. Divided into two very different sections, this book evolves from a memoir focused on just a sliver of the Mathesons' lives together, filled with debates about religion and life into a science fiction short story highly influenced by Chris Matheson's debates with his father and the grief felt after losing him. The two halves of the book feel strikingly different at first when jumping genres. But this book is ultimately an ode to the late Matheson, allowing readers to understand the famous author at his best and worst. Fans of the Mathesons and science fiction will easily be drawn in, but the memoir will also appeal to readers interested in questioning the meaning of life and uncovering how a person's beliefs influence their life and art. VERDICT An enjoyable and creative snapshot of an uneasy relationship between father and son.—Leah Fitzgerald

Library Journal