The Best of Richard Matheson

De: Richard Matheson, Victor LaValle - editor/introduction

Narrado por: Donald Corren, Peter Berkrot, Richard Powers, Hillary Huber, Traber Burns, Scott Brick, Devon Sorvari, Kevin Kenerly

Among the greats of 20th-century horror and fantasy, few names stand above Richard Matheson. Though known by many for novels like I Am Legend and his 16 Twilight Zone episodes, Matheson truly shines in his chilling, masterful short stories. Since his first story appeared in 1950, virtually every major writer of science fiction and fantasy has fallen under his influence, including Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Peter Straub, and Joe Hill, as well as filmmakers like Stephen Spielberg and J. J. Abrams.

Matheson revolutionized horror by taking it out of Gothic castles and strange cosmos and into the darkened streets and suburbs we recognize as our own. He infused tales of the fantastic and supernormal with dark explorations of human nature, delving deep into the universal dread of feeling alone and threatened in a dangerous world. The Best of Richard Matheson brings together his greatest hits as chosen by Victor LaValle, an expert on horror fiction and one of its brightest talents, marking the first major overview of Matheson's legendary career.

Narrated by Robertson Dean, Donald Corren, Peter Berkrot, Paul Michael Garcia, Hillary Huber, Traber Burns, Scott Brick, Devon Sorvari, and Kevin Kenerly.

©2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc. (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Solid.

Like twilight zone? You'll probably dig this then. A bit sporadic in consistency but all solid.

A seminal collection of horror

In spite of this book not having many reviews at the time of my download and the fact that I did not love The Shrinking Man (one of Matheson's most famous novels), I took a chance and downloaded it anyway, mostly on the strength of Stephen King's reverence for Matheson's work. I was not disappointed. This book deserves much more love than it's so far received here at Audible. It is a hidden, under-appreciated gem of wide-ranging horror, from supernatural to sci-fi influenced.

Matheson's work is seminal; you know it even if you don't know you know it. But even aside from its better known inclusions such as Duel (which would become Steven Spielberg's first directed feature), Death Ship and Third Planet from the Sun (which would become beloved Twilight Zone episodes), all of which deserve their recognition, there are scads of genuinely unsettling tales here, all superbly written with a deft, understated style. At times humorous, and often existentially unnerving, any fan of horror, well-written prose, or student of suspenseful writing should give this book a listen.

The narrator's performances are nothing to write home about, but perfectly serviceable. It's Matheson himself and his writing that shines here, or rather, flickers before leaving you in the dark with a strange, heavy breathing coming from the corner of the room behind you.

Victor LaValle Introduction is NOT included

I was excited for this collection, as I've only read Matheson's novels and have always enjoyed his work. Unfortunately the introduction by Victor LaValle which is part of the reason I purchased this collection is not included even though it's listed in the book information on Audible.

There are several narrators here, which is a nice way to break up the stories. They are all very traditional style audiobook narrators, which isn't always my preference, but they fit Matheson's work nicely.

Great Collection, Varied Readings, Mostly Holds Up

MOST of the readers are pretty solid. The first two stories have their issues. The first reader is doing a *nearly* offensive portrayal of a developmentally disabled person but it's accurate enough that it still works. The second reader I just found off-putting. After that things pretty much smooth out. Sound is great all the way through.
Matheson's writing is a separate issue. The man was a master of his genre to the point where a lot of what is collected here will sound like retreads of plots and premises you're well familiar with but there's good reason for this. First of all his writing was featured on anthology television frequently eg he wrote maybe most of the best known and revered episodes of the original Twilight Zone (some of which are included here) although younger listeners will as likely recognize their Treehouse of Horror counterparts. Many horror nerds will recognize the stories in this collection which would eventually be adapted to film "Prey", "Duel", "Button Button" and "Dance of the Dead". Although he is probably best known for writing the book "I Am Legend" (not included) which became "The Last Man on Earth" with Vincent Price, "The Omega Man" with Charlton Heston, and the eponymous film starring Will Smith. So the prolific consumer of genre fiction may have to think of this the same way modern metal fans think of Black Sabbath; the bones upon which a genre was built.
It's also worth noting that if you're coming to Matheson via The Twilight Zone that you may need a forewarning. While he's no Clive Barker in terms of graphic intensity, this is primarily a horror collection, not science fiction. While there are elements of other genres throughout, horror is by far the more accurate label here. Not the best bedtime listening unless that's specifically what you're into.
This collection spans his entire career, from the 50s into the 00s. So if the first few stories feel clunky and dated (which they largely didn't to me, although Witch War is.. o d d) hang around, because it gets more streamlined as it goes. All in all this is an amazing collection from an awesome writer that I strongly recommend to any fan of horror or aspiring writer.

A Brilliant Author.

I’ve only scratched the surface of this collection, but loving every minute so far! Dying Room Only is a brisk listen, and you can feel the panic!