Although Matheson (I Am Legend; Hell House; etc.) needs no introduction to most horror fans, Stephen King provides one for this collection of classic weird tales in which he appreciatively remembers his mentor's "gut-bucket short stories that were like shots of white lightning." Spanning almost half a century, the influential contents are as much a roadmap to the direction horror fiction has taken since the 1950s as to Matheson's own legacy of spare, scary chillers. In lieu of pedantic priers into the Unknown, he offers sympathetic everymen, like the husband in "First Anniversary," who finds hints of the unearthly suddenly seeping through his comfortably complacent marriage. Matheson strips away horror's traditional gothic clutter to expose ordinary landscapes that perfectly take the imprint of his characters' paranoid fixations: that life's petty annoyances are part of a universal conspiracy to drive a person mad in "Legion of Plotters," and that dangerously malfunctioning household items are channels for a man's self-destructive anger in "Mad House." The agents of horror in these stories are less often the usual supernatural bogies than malignantly endowed everyday objects, like telephones, television sets and home appliances that are all the more frightening for their ubiquity. The well-known title tale about a nervous air traveler is a showcase for the author's trademark less-is-more prose style, which suspensefully delineates a psychological tug-of-war between man and a monster that may be purely imagined. Timeless in their simplicity, these stories are also relentless in their approach to basic fears. (Feb. 9) FYI: A Grand Master of Horror and winner of a Stoker for Lifetime Achievement, Matheson has also won Edgar and Hugo awards. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
One of the finest and most influential horror writers of the twentieth century, Richard Matheson has left his stamp on the collective imagination. Here are more than twenty of Matheson's most memorable tales of fear and paranoia, personally selected by the author himself. Many of these stories have already entered into popular culture, including the title story, which became a landmark episode of The Twilight Zone, and "Duel," the nail-biting tale of man versus machines that inspired Steven Spielberg's first film.
Other stories include "First Anniversary," "Dress of White Silk," "Witch War," "Dance of the Dead," "Mad House," "Prey," "Blood Son," "Crickets," "Wet Straw," "The Children of Noah," "Through Channels," "Old Haunts," "Disappearing Act," "The Holiday Man," "Legion of Plotters," "The Distributor," "Long Distance Call," "Slaughter House," and "The Likeness of Julie." Find out why Stephen King (who writes the introduction) has called Matheson one of his favorite writers.
One of the finest and most influential horror writers of the twentieth century, Richard Matheson has left his stamp on the collective imagination. Here are more than twenty of Matheson's most memorable tales of fear and paranoia, personally selected by the author himself. Many of these stories have already entered into popular culture, including the title story, which became a landmark episode of The Twilight Zone, and "Duel," the nail-biting tale of man versus machines that inspired Steven Spielberg's first film.
Other stories include "First Anniversary," "Dress of White Silk," "Witch War," "Dance of the Dead," "Mad House," "Prey," "Blood Son," "Crickets," "Wet Straw," "The Children of Noah," "Through Channels," "Old Haunts," "Disappearing Act," "The Holiday Man," "Legion of Plotters," "The Distributor," "Long Distance Call," "Slaughter House," and "The Likeness of Julie." Find out why Stephen King (who writes the introduction) has called Matheson one of his favorite writers.
Nightmare at 20,000 Feet: Horror Stories
Nightmare at 20,000 Feet: Horror Stories
Editorial Reviews
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940169918786 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Blackstone Audio, Inc. |
| Publication date: | 06/01/2009 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
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