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Shock #1
Shock!
Contents:
· The Children of Noah · ss AHMM Mar ’57
· Lemmings · vi F&SF Jan ’58
· The Splendid Source · ss Playboy May ’56
· Long Distance Call [“Sorry, Right Number”] · ss Beyond Fantasy Fiction Nov ’53
· Mantage · nv Science Fiction Showcase, ed. Mary Kornbluth, Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1959
· One for the Books · ss Galaxy Sep ’55
· The Holiday Man · ss F&SF Jul ’57
· Dance of the Dead · ss Star Science Fiction Stories #3, ed. Frederik Pohl, Ballantine, 1954
· Legion of Plotters · ss Detective Story Magazine Jul ’53
· The Edge · ss F&SF Aug ’58
· The Creeping Terror [“A Touch of Grapefruit”] · ss Star Science Fiction Stories #5, ed. Frederik Pohl, Ballantine, 1959
· Death Ship · ss Fantastic Story Magazine Mar ’53
· The Distributor · ss Playboy Mar ’58
· The Children of Noah · ss AHMM Mar ’57
· Lemmings · vi F&SF Jan ’58
· The Splendid Source · ss Playboy May ’56
· Long Distance Call [“Sorry, Right Number”] · ss Beyond Fantasy Fiction Nov ’53
· Mantage · nv Science Fiction Showcase, ed. Mary Kornbluth, Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1959
· One for the Books · ss Galaxy Sep ’55
· The Holiday Man · ss F&SF Jul ’57
· Dance of the Dead · ss Star Science Fiction Stories #3, ed. Frederik Pohl, Ballantine, 1954
· Legion of Plotters · ss Detective Story Magazine Jul ’53
· The Edge · ss F&SF Aug ’58
· The Creeping Terror [“A Touch of Grapefruit”] · ss Star Science Fiction Stories #5, ed. Frederik Pohl, Ballantine, 1959
· Death Ship · ss Fantastic Story Magazine Mar ’53
· The Distributor · ss Playboy Mar ’58
191 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1961
14 people are currently reading
654 people want to read
About the author
Richard Matheson
737 books4,836 followersBorn in Allendale, New Jersey to Norwegian immigrant parents, Matheson was raised in Brooklyn and graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School in 1943. He then entered the military and spent World War II as an infantry soldier. In 1949 he earned his bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri and moved to California in 1951. He married in 1952 and has four children, three of whom (Chris, Richard Christian, and Ali Matheson) are writers of fiction and screenplays.
His first short story, "Born of Man and Woman," appeared in the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction in 1950. The tale of a monstrous child chained in its parents' cellar, it was told in the first person as the creature's diary (in poignantly non-idiomatic English) and immediately made Matheson famous. Between 1950 and 1971, Matheson produced dozens of stories, frequently blending elements of the science fiction, horror and fantasy genres.
Several of his stories, like "Third from the Sun" (1950), "Deadline" (1959) and "Button, Button" (1970) are simple sketches with twist endings; others, like "Trespass" (1953), "Being" (1954) and "Mute" (1962) explore their characters' dilemmas over twenty or thirty pages. Some tales, such as "The Funeral" (1955) and "The Doll that Does Everything" (1954) incorporate zany satirical humour at the expense of genre clichés, and are written in an hysterically overblown prose very different from Matheson's usual pared-down style. Others, like "The Test" (1954) and "Steel" (1956), portray the moral and physical struggles of ordinary people, rather than the then nearly ubiquitous scientists and superheroes, in situations which are at once futuristic and everyday. Still others, such as "Mad House" (1953), "The Curious Child" (1954) and perhaps most famously, "Duel" (1971) are tales of paranoia, in which the everyday environment of the present day becomes inexplicably alien or threatening.
He wrote a number of episodes for the American TV series The Twilight Zone, including "Steel," mentioned above and the famous "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet"; adapted the works of Edgar Allan Poe for Roger Corman and Dennis Wheatley's The Devil Rides Out for Hammer Films; and scripted Steven Spielberg's first feature, the TV movie Duel, from his own short story. He also contributed a number of scripts to the Warner Brothers western series "The Lawman" between 1958 and 1962. In 1973, Matheson earned an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for his teleplay for The Night Stalker, one of two TV movies written by Matheson that preceded the series Kolchak: The Night Stalker. Matheson also wrote the screenplay for Fanatic (US title: Die! Die! My Darling!) starring Talullah Bankhead and Stefanie Powers.
Novels include The Shrinking Man (filmed as The Incredible Shrinking Man, again from Matheson's own screenplay), and a science fiction vampire novel, I Am Legend, which has been filmed three times under the titles The Omega Man and The Last Man on Earth and once under the original title. Other Matheson novels turned into notable films include What Dreams May Come, Stir of Echoes, Bid Time Return (as Somewhere in Time), and Hell House (as The Legend of Hell House) and the aforementioned Duel, the last three adapted and scripted by Matheson himself. Three of his short stories were filmed together as Trilogy of Terror, including "Prey" with its famous Zuni warrior doll.
In 1960, Matheson published The Beardless Warriors, a nonfantastic, autobiographical novel about teenage American soldiers in World War II.
He died at his home on June 23, 2013, at the age of 87
http://us.macmillan.com/author/richar...
His first short story, "Born of Man and Woman," appeared in the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction in 1950. The tale of a monstrous child chained in its parents' cellar, it was told in the first person as the creature's diary (in poignantly non-idiomatic English) and immediately made Matheson famous. Between 1950 and 1971, Matheson produced dozens of stories, frequently blending elements of the science fiction, horror and fantasy genres.
Several of his stories, like "Third from the Sun" (1950), "Deadline" (1959) and "Button, Button" (1970) are simple sketches with twist endings; others, like "Trespass" (1953), "Being" (1954) and "Mute" (1962) explore their characters' dilemmas over twenty or thirty pages. Some tales, such as "The Funeral" (1955) and "The Doll that Does Everything" (1954) incorporate zany satirical humour at the expense of genre clichés, and are written in an hysterically overblown prose very different from Matheson's usual pared-down style. Others, like "The Test" (1954) and "Steel" (1956), portray the moral and physical struggles of ordinary people, rather than the then nearly ubiquitous scientists and superheroes, in situations which are at once futuristic and everyday. Still others, such as "Mad House" (1953), "The Curious Child" (1954) and perhaps most famously, "Duel" (1971) are tales of paranoia, in which the everyday environment of the present day becomes inexplicably alien or threatening.
He wrote a number of episodes for the American TV series The Twilight Zone, including "Steel," mentioned above and the famous "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet"; adapted the works of Edgar Allan Poe for Roger Corman and Dennis Wheatley's The Devil Rides Out for Hammer Films; and scripted Steven Spielberg's first feature, the TV movie Duel, from his own short story. He also contributed a number of scripts to the Warner Brothers western series "The Lawman" between 1958 and 1962. In 1973, Matheson earned an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for his teleplay for The Night Stalker, one of two TV movies written by Matheson that preceded the series Kolchak: The Night Stalker. Matheson also wrote the screenplay for Fanatic (US title: Die! Die! My Darling!) starring Talullah Bankhead and Stefanie Powers.
Novels include The Shrinking Man (filmed as The Incredible Shrinking Man, again from Matheson's own screenplay), and a science fiction vampire novel, I Am Legend, which has been filmed three times under the titles The Omega Man and The Last Man on Earth and once under the original title. Other Matheson novels turned into notable films include What Dreams May Come, Stir of Echoes, Bid Time Return (as Somewhere in Time), and Hell House (as The Legend of Hell House) and the aforementioned Duel, the last three adapted and scripted by Matheson himself. Three of his short stories were filmed together as Trilogy of Terror, including "Prey" with its famous Zuni warrior doll.
In 1960, Matheson published The Beardless Warriors, a nonfantastic, autobiographical novel about teenage American soldiers in World War II.
He died at his home on June 23, 2013, at the age of 87
http://us.macmillan.com/author/richar...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
August 18, 2016
Richard Matheson's stories are seriously weird - and this collection is no exception. He is one writer whose writing effortlessly crosses the boundaries of SF, dark fantasy, and horror - often tempered by a strong sense of dark humour. Consequently, it is sometimes very difficult to define the genre he is writing, but what does that matter when the output is so superior?
I found all the thirteen stories in this collection enjoyable to a more or less degree.
1. The Children of Noah - Maybe the only out-and-out horror story in this collection. Small-town America is frightening, especially for outsiders who don't know the rules the local cops play by: so when you are picked up for speeding in the night, things are bound to end badly. I loved this story with its traditional last-line sledgehammer punch.
2. Lemmings - A surreal sketch - not a full-fledged story. I found this one rather indifferent, though not bad.
3. The Splendid Source - A humorous sketch of an eccentric billionaire in search of the origin of dirty jokes. Though well-written, I found the story rather pointless.
4. Long Distance Call - A mildly interesting story of a telephone call from beyond the veil - rather predictable and nothing to write home about.
5. Mantage - What happens when a life spanning years is condensed into eighty-five minutes of movie time? And what if one's life was like that? Extremely interesting analysis on the relativity of time and the way we experience it.
6. One for the Books - This is the most unusual tale in the collection, and the most engaging. The Brain of an uneducated janitor starts mopping up knowledge like a sponge. The denouement was rather trite, however.
7. The Holiday Man - The only story in the book I couldn't make head or tail out of. One gathers that something frightening is happening, and there is a feeling of dread: but it peters out towards the end.
8. The Dance of the Dead - A girl, a high school freshman, loses her innocence while on a date with a rowdy team of seniors, but not in the way one expects. Watching a corpse dance makes one mature very fast! Enjoyable story, though not very frightening.
9. Legion of Plotters - Standard fare of a paranoid man against the world: however, Matheson's presentation raises the tale above the humdrum.
10. The Edge - For me, this was the best story in the collection, using two of fantasy fiction's standard tropes: the parallel universe and the doppelganger. However, exquisite structuring and a truly surprising and ambiguous ending made it stand out.
11. The Creeping Terror - Don't be frightened; this is a dark comedy. The "creeping terror" mentioned in the title is the state of Los Angeles, slowly advancing and swallowing America!
12. Death Ship - A gripping SF story, which totally metamorphoses into something else in the last paragraph. The title is a clue, but it will be a very astute reader who gets it. A gem.
13. The Distributor - Theodore Gordon is a distributor who moves into a new neighbourhood. What he distributes makes up the story. Mildly enjoyable.
Recommended for all connoisseurs of the weird.
I found all the thirteen stories in this collection enjoyable to a more or less degree.
1. The Children of Noah - Maybe the only out-and-out horror story in this collection. Small-town America is frightening, especially for outsiders who don't know the rules the local cops play by: so when you are picked up for speeding in the night, things are bound to end badly. I loved this story with its traditional last-line sledgehammer punch.
2. Lemmings - A surreal sketch - not a full-fledged story. I found this one rather indifferent, though not bad.
3. The Splendid Source - A humorous sketch of an eccentric billionaire in search of the origin of dirty jokes. Though well-written, I found the story rather pointless.
4. Long Distance Call - A mildly interesting story of a telephone call from beyond the veil - rather predictable and nothing to write home about.
5. Mantage - What happens when a life spanning years is condensed into eighty-five minutes of movie time? And what if one's life was like that? Extremely interesting analysis on the relativity of time and the way we experience it.
6. One for the Books - This is the most unusual tale in the collection, and the most engaging. The Brain of an uneducated janitor starts mopping up knowledge like a sponge. The denouement was rather trite, however.
7. The Holiday Man - The only story in the book I couldn't make head or tail out of. One gathers that something frightening is happening, and there is a feeling of dread: but it peters out towards the end.
8. The Dance of the Dead - A girl, a high school freshman, loses her innocence while on a date with a rowdy team of seniors, but not in the way one expects. Watching a corpse dance makes one mature very fast! Enjoyable story, though not very frightening.
9. Legion of Plotters - Standard fare of a paranoid man against the world: however, Matheson's presentation raises the tale above the humdrum.
10. The Edge - For me, this was the best story in the collection, using two of fantasy fiction's standard tropes: the parallel universe and the doppelganger. However, exquisite structuring and a truly surprising and ambiguous ending made it stand out.
11. The Creeping Terror - Don't be frightened; this is a dark comedy. The "creeping terror" mentioned in the title is the state of Los Angeles, slowly advancing and swallowing America!
12. Death Ship - A gripping SF story, which totally metamorphoses into something else in the last paragraph. The title is a clue, but it will be a very astute reader who gets it. A gem.
13. The Distributor - Theodore Gordon is a distributor who moves into a new neighbourhood. What he distributes makes up the story. Mildly enjoyable.
Recommended for all connoisseurs of the weird.
December 19, 2023
Shock I (which was originally published as Shock! in 1961 but they changed the "!" to "I" when they used the same title for more volumes of Matheson's collected short work) is a collection of thirteen stories from the 1950s, most of which first appeared in diverse venues including Fantastic Stories, Playboy, Beyond, Alfred Hitchcock's, F&SF, Playboy, Detective Story Magazine, etc. Matheson had become a well-known author by this time due to the success he'd had with films based on The Shrinking Man and I Am Legend. My favorites in this one are Long Distance Call from H. L. Gold's Beyond (aka Sorry, Right Number; this is better than the Twilight Zone version), The Creeping Terror (aka A Touch of Grapefruit) from Frederik Pohl's Star anthology series, and a nifty early zombie tale, Dance of the Dead, also from Pohl's Star.
October 31, 2022
4.5
Conocí a Richard Matheson con su novela corta "Soy leyenda" y me llevé una sorpresa muy positiva, así que cuando anunciaron esta colección de cuentos de terror me lancé de cabeza a por ellos. Este es el primero de los cuatro recopilatorios de relatos y me ha dejado igual de buen sabor de boca que la novela.
"Shock 1" recoje trece relatos que se mueven entre distintas temáticas dentro del terror, tocando también de refilón otros géneros como la ciencia ficción. Aunque varían en cuanto a extensión (desde las 3 páginas hasta las más de 30) todos tienen un buen ritmo y van al grano rápidamente, lo que se traduce en una lectura ágil y adictiva. De todos los relatos creo que solo uno de ellos ("El abominable avance del terror") me dejó un poquito fría, pero sin llegar a disgustarme. El resto los disfruté mucho, pero tengo que destacar entre ellos:
- Los hijos de Noah: Un hombre es detenido por exceso de velocidad en un pueblo recóndito y enseguida empieza a notar cosas extrañas... Me recordó a uno de mis libros favoritos de Stephen King, "Desesperación", y es posible que no sea solo cosa mía, ya que Matheson fue una fuente de inspiración para él.
- Mantage: Un escritor se impacienta con su lenta llegada al éxito y desea que todo en su vida vaya tan rápido como en las películas... Sin saber que a veces hay que tener cuidado con lo que uno desea...
- La nave de la muerte: Mezcla de terror psicológico y ciencia ficción. Un grupo de científicos que buscan planetas viables para la colonización descubrirá algo en un planeta que les llamará la atención...
- El repartidor: Un nuevo vecino llega a un barrio residencial para desatar el caos.
Aún siendo capaz de destacar esos, tengo que decir que todos me han gustado en mayor o menor medida. Creo que estos cuentos son una buena elección si os apetece leer algo corto en esta época.
Conocí a Richard Matheson con su novela corta "Soy leyenda" y me llevé una sorpresa muy positiva, así que cuando anunciaron esta colección de cuentos de terror me lancé de cabeza a por ellos. Este es el primero de los cuatro recopilatorios de relatos y me ha dejado igual de buen sabor de boca que la novela.
"Shock 1" recoje trece relatos que se mueven entre distintas temáticas dentro del terror, tocando también de refilón otros géneros como la ciencia ficción. Aunque varían en cuanto a extensión (desde las 3 páginas hasta las más de 30) todos tienen un buen ritmo y van al grano rápidamente, lo que se traduce en una lectura ágil y adictiva. De todos los relatos creo que solo uno de ellos ("El abominable avance del terror") me dejó un poquito fría, pero sin llegar a disgustarme. El resto los disfruté mucho, pero tengo que destacar entre ellos:
- Los hijos de Noah: Un hombre es detenido por exceso de velocidad en un pueblo recóndito y enseguida empieza a notar cosas extrañas... Me recordó a uno de mis libros favoritos de Stephen King, "Desesperación", y es posible que no sea solo cosa mía, ya que Matheson fue una fuente de inspiración para él.
- Mantage: Un escritor se impacienta con su lenta llegada al éxito y desea que todo en su vida vaya tan rápido como en las películas... Sin saber que a veces hay que tener cuidado con lo que uno desea...
- La nave de la muerte: Mezcla de terror psicológico y ciencia ficción. Un grupo de científicos que buscan planetas viables para la colonización descubrirá algo en un planeta que les llamará la atención...
- El repartidor: Un nuevo vecino llega a un barrio residencial para desatar el caos.
Aún siendo capaz de destacar esos, tengo que decir que todos me han gustado en mayor o menor medida. Creo que estos cuentos son una buena elección si os apetece leer algo corto en esta época.
May 5, 2022
Primer volum de la col·lecció de relats de Matheson recopilats per Gigamesh. Tots els relats són esplèndids, i alguns senzillament magistrals. La majoria anticipen el tipus de conte fantàstic i de terror de la segona meitat de segle XX, i són la llavor de totes les històries pertorbadores que hem vist i llegit arreu.
El plot twist de "Digno de mención" no el vaig veure venir.
Com a petita pega, m'hauria agradat una mica més de context per a cada conte, o almenys saber-ne l'any en què va ser publicat i on.
El plot twist de "Digno de mención" no el vaig veure venir.
Com a petita pega, m'hauria agradat una mica més de context per a cada conte, o almenys saber-ne l'any en què va ser publicat i on.
September 28, 2011
A very fine collection of stories, mostly with strong horror elements, although I might call the collection in general "Speculative fiction." Many of the stories were made into Twilight Zone episodes, and several others were surely the inspiration for such modern movies as "Click." The only tale I didn't care for here was "Legion of Plotters." Maybe I just didn't understand it. The other tales were wonderful and inspired me with several ideas.
Read
January 5, 2022The Children of Noah - A fun little magazine story, nothing too deep. Trademark Matheson tension and other elements, but no classic.
June 7, 2018
A fine collection, but Nightmare at 20,000 feet is the better choice! In this volume I especially loved Lemmings and The Edge. Definitely worth reading but if you already have Nightmare at 20,000 feet you'll find many stories either in the one and in the other volume. Great cover illustration though!
October 5, 2020
Alacakaranlık kuşağının senaristlerinden, Ray Bradbury ile aynı zamanlarda eser vermiş olan Richard Matheson, ne yazık ki ülkemizde sadece Ben Efsane romanı ile biliniyor.
Bı kitabında II. Dünya savaşı sonrasında yayınladığı (çoğu 1950 sonrası) hikayeleri var. Çoğu korku, gerilim hikayesi olsa da içeriğinde Bilim-Kurgu ve Komedi unsurları da içeriyor.
Hikayeler:
1- The Children Of Noah
2- Lemmings
3- The Splendid Source
4. Long Distance Call
5. Mantage
6. One For The Book
7. The Holiday Man
8. Dance Of The Dead
9. Legion Of Plotters
10.The Edge
11. The Creeping Terror
12. Death Ship
13. The Distributor
Dance of the dead gerçekten korkuyu iyi veren farklı bir hikaye. The Creeping Terror ise L.A. 'in canlı bir varlık gibi tüm ülkeyi nasıl ele geçirdiğini anlatan en eğlenceli öyküsü. The Distributor ise eğlenceli bir gerilim hikayesi.
Bı kitabında II. Dünya savaşı sonrasında yayınladığı (çoğu 1950 sonrası) hikayeleri var. Çoğu korku, gerilim hikayesi olsa da içeriğinde Bilim-Kurgu ve Komedi unsurları da içeriyor.
Hikayeler:
1- The Children Of Noah
2- Lemmings
3- The Splendid Source
4. Long Distance Call
5. Mantage
6. One For The Book
7. The Holiday Man
8. Dance Of The Dead
9. Legion Of Plotters
10.The Edge
11. The Creeping Terror
12. Death Ship
13. The Distributor
Dance of the dead gerçekten korkuyu iyi veren farklı bir hikaye. The Creeping Terror ise L.A. 'in canlı bir varlık gibi tüm ülkeyi nasıl ele geçirdiğini anlatan en eğlenceli öyküsü. The Distributor ise eğlenceli bir gerilim hikayesi.
January 10, 2009
I am a big fan of Matheson's writing for film and tv especially the Twilight Zone so I was excited when I unearthed this from my thousands of paperbacks, not yet read. It seems to be somewhat hard to find this particular one (Shock II being more common) but it's worth the hunt. Features several stories that were turned into TZ eppys, including one of my faves, "Long Distance Call" (this one comes with a different and much scarier ending than the show's version) and "Death Ship". "Dance of the Dead" is surprisingly modern and would make a great short film for zombie lovers. Overall, just a really great read--I highly recommend this one for fans of Matheson and anthologies.
June 19, 2019
Shock! is a wicked little collection of a baker's dozen of short stories from the masterful Richard Matheson, all from the 1950's. I wish Good Read's rating system was more nuanced than one-to-four stars, because while the stories aren't great enough to rate four or five stars, a three-star rating just doesn't seem to do them justice. They are of varying quality, but they are all well-written and will not disappoint Matheson fans
October 8, 2024
No me ha gustado absolutamente nada. Ya no tanto las historias, que alguna idea ni tan mal, sino la manera en que están escritas, me ha resultado una narrativa muy pobre y no me transmitía nada. Pensé en abandonarlo, pero quería al menos poder decir que algún cuento me gustó (obviamente no ha pasado).
November 14, 2023
Algunos buenos, otros muy buenos y alguno fantástico. Seguro que sigo con los siguientes volúmenes.
March 21, 2015
13 early stories from Matheson. The most noteworthy ones:
"Long Distance Call", which you probably know from the Twilight Zone adaptation a few years later, in which an old bed-ridden woman is disturbed by series of increasingly creepy phone calls, only to discover in the end the calls are coming from a most unexpected place. The Twilight Zone episode changed the ending a bit. Matheson's ending is much creepier.
In "Dance of the Dead", which I think was also adapted for TV(I wanna say Masters of Horror, but don't quote me on that), four teens in an apocalyptic near future drive out to a seedy club to see a "performance" by one of the zombie-like "loopies" left in the wake of a biological nightmare.
"Legion of Plotters" is one of my favorites. A much-put-upon fellow, irritated beyond rational thought by what he sees as non-stop inconsideration and annoyance from everyone else, starts to see an underlying pattern to his "persecution".
"The Edge" is, in my opinion, the best story in the book, and kinda gave me a bit of a chill at the end. A man is shocked and disturbed when, in a bar, he is approached by a stranger who claims to know him well-- his name, his job, his wife, his entire life-- and the stranger is equally disturbed that he doesn't know him at all. The man starts to wonder if he has somehow stumbled into an alternate reality, and the answer to that question in the last paragraph is genuinely creepy.
"The Distributor" is a nice satire on 1950's suburban life, as a new neighbor sets about to meticulously insinuate himself into the lives of his neighbors and manipulate them all into horrible ruin, playing on their fears and turning them against each other. It's a clever, biting little tale.
"Long Distance Call", which you probably know from the Twilight Zone adaptation a few years later, in which an old bed-ridden woman is disturbed by series of increasingly creepy phone calls, only to discover in the end the calls are coming from a most unexpected place. The Twilight Zone episode changed the ending a bit. Matheson's ending is much creepier.
In "Dance of the Dead", which I think was also adapted for TV(I wanna say Masters of Horror, but don't quote me on that), four teens in an apocalyptic near future drive out to a seedy club to see a "performance" by one of the zombie-like "loopies" left in the wake of a biological nightmare.
"Legion of Plotters" is one of my favorites. A much-put-upon fellow, irritated beyond rational thought by what he sees as non-stop inconsideration and annoyance from everyone else, starts to see an underlying pattern to his "persecution".
"The Edge" is, in my opinion, the best story in the book, and kinda gave me a bit of a chill at the end. A man is shocked and disturbed when, in a bar, he is approached by a stranger who claims to know him well-- his name, his job, his wife, his entire life-- and the stranger is equally disturbed that he doesn't know him at all. The man starts to wonder if he has somehow stumbled into an alternate reality, and the answer to that question in the last paragraph is genuinely creepy.
"The Distributor" is a nice satire on 1950's suburban life, as a new neighbor sets about to meticulously insinuate himself into the lives of his neighbors and manipulate them all into horrible ruin, playing on their fears and turning them against each other. It's a clever, biting little tale.
September 11, 2020
Update on second read 2020: I'm much more forgiving of "the creeping terror," especially the footnote device, and "manage" was a fine length. "The distributor," about a man who intentionally sows discord in a neighborhood, seemed so much darker this read-through than it ever has before.
2012 review: almost half of these i've read before (children of noah, long distance call, the holiday man, dance of the dead, death ship, the distributor) -- out of the ones i hadn't read, a few of them were rather goofy, such as the splendid source and the creeping terror, the latter about how los angeles is slowly, literally taking over the rest of the country. i giggled at these, but they just didn't seem that effective, and i found myself just waiting for them both to end. i was also entranced by mantage, but thought it too was a little long. out of the"new" crop, the lemmings was my favorite, short and chilling, in the way that matheson does best -- demonstrating how the most terrifying things come from humankind's nature.
2012 review: almost half of these i've read before (children of noah, long distance call, the holiday man, dance of the dead, death ship, the distributor) -- out of the ones i hadn't read, a few of them were rather goofy, such as the splendid source and the creeping terror, the latter about how los angeles is slowly, literally taking over the rest of the country. i giggled at these, but they just didn't seem that effective, and i found myself just waiting for them both to end. i was also entranced by mantage, but thought it too was a little long. out of the"new" crop, the lemmings was my favorite, short and chilling, in the way that matheson does best -- demonstrating how the most terrifying things come from humankind's nature.
December 17, 2022
A pesar de que su gran discípulo, Stephen King, nunca ha dejado de clamar por la importancia del nombre y la obra de Richard Matheson en la literatura universal de género (y por supuesto, en la suya propia). El decidirse en leer a este autor aún puede ser un puente que puede no querer sortearse nunca... Y sería una pena.
Gracias al nuevo lavado de cara de la colección de relatos de Matheson conocidos como Shock, por parte de Gigamesh por fin empiezo a indagar en la obra Mathesiana y WOW. Totalmente comprensible que sea un autor TAN fundacional y venerado. Más allá de reconocer historias que se han ido adaptando al audiovisual (y no, aún no llegué a Terror a 20.000 pies) en espacios tan curiosos como la serie de TV Movies Masters of Horror o incluso en un episodio de Padre de Familia. A los pocos relatos de este compendio queda clara la maestría e importancia de que este autor emplazase la mayoría de sus historias de terror y suspense en espacios urbanos, costumbristas y mundanos. Algo que a día de hoy es lo usual pero que incluso en su mayor cantidad no logran encapsular este potente medio de difusión del terror ficticio como lo hizo este autor tantas décadas atrás. El mayor exponente es sin duda el relato Lemmings, el cual sigue produciéndome escalofríos al rememorar su contundencia y truculencia en TAN pocas páginas y párrafos. A las historias de terror se le unen algunas más ligeras de humor negro o historias singulares o incluso de poso de romanticismo dramático, e incluso de ciencia ficción carne de Twilight Zone. A unas cuantas entregas más de esta revisión de la obra como relatista de Richard Matheson, me parece que me he adentrado en el imaginario de este autor de la mejor de las maneras.
Gracias al nuevo lavado de cara de la colección de relatos de Matheson conocidos como Shock, por parte de Gigamesh por fin empiezo a indagar en la obra Mathesiana y WOW. Totalmente comprensible que sea un autor TAN fundacional y venerado. Más allá de reconocer historias que se han ido adaptando al audiovisual (y no, aún no llegué a Terror a 20.000 pies) en espacios tan curiosos como la serie de TV Movies Masters of Horror o incluso en un episodio de Padre de Familia. A los pocos relatos de este compendio queda clara la maestría e importancia de que este autor emplazase la mayoría de sus historias de terror y suspense en espacios urbanos, costumbristas y mundanos. Algo que a día de hoy es lo usual pero que incluso en su mayor cantidad no logran encapsular este potente medio de difusión del terror ficticio como lo hizo este autor tantas décadas atrás. El mayor exponente es sin duda el relato Lemmings, el cual sigue produciéndome escalofríos al rememorar su contundencia y truculencia en TAN pocas páginas y párrafos. A las historias de terror se le unen algunas más ligeras de humor negro o historias singulares o incluso de poso de romanticismo dramático, e incluso de ciencia ficción carne de Twilight Zone. A unas cuantas entregas más de esta revisión de la obra como relatista de Richard Matheson, me parece que me he adentrado en el imaginario de este autor de la mejor de las maneras.
March 5, 2022
#Llegit el primer de quatre dels vòlums recopilatoris de relats breus d’horror, terror psicològic i intriga “Shock” de Richard Matheson i editat @edicionesgigamesh.
Els relats m’han recordat a la mítica sèrie de finals dels 80’s emesa per @tv3cat, “La dimensió desconeguda”. Relats curts, intensos, surrealistes, un punt absurds... que l’autor és capaç d’escriure amb destresa per mantenir-te amatent a un desenllaç sorprenent i inesperat.
Com tot llibre de relats, no tots ens agraden igual. Personalment, els meus preferits han estat: “Los hijos de Noah”, “Conferencia telefónica”, “Digno de mención”, “El hombre de los festivos”, “Al borde”, “El repartidor”.
Quins han estat els vostres relats preferits?
Els relats m’han recordat a la mítica sèrie de finals dels 80’s emesa per @tv3cat, “La dimensió desconeguda”. Relats curts, intensos, surrealistes, un punt absurds... que l’autor és capaç d’escriure amb destresa per mantenir-te amatent a un desenllaç sorprenent i inesperat.
Com tot llibre de relats, no tots ens agraden igual. Personalment, els meus preferits han estat: “Los hijos de Noah”, “Conferencia telefónica”, “Digno de mención”, “El hombre de los festivos”, “Al borde”, “El repartidor”.
Quins han estat els vostres relats preferits?
March 26, 2021
We might be living in a golden age of horror, but when it comes to short stories, the golden age was Richard Matheson. They just don't write em like this anymore. Such a great collection, a few stories that were turned into Twilight Zone episodes (maybe the CBS should have looked back to Matheson or Bradbury for their new season) and 1 story that chilled me to the bone.
I can't recommend reading Richard Matheson enough. He influenced Stephen King himself, and there's just not anyone else out there doing it this good. This is a great collection to start with, but really, any Matheson collection will do!
I can't recommend reading Richard Matheson enough. He influenced Stephen King himself, and there's just not anyone else out there doing it this good. This is a great collection to start with, but really, any Matheson collection will do!
April 9, 2025
Recopilación de relatos de terror de 192 páginas, publicada en 1961. Me ha recordado la primera época de Stephen King. Un conductor es detenido por una patrulla a las 3:00 de la madrugada, en una población de 64 habitantes. La gente acude en masa y en silencio a un pueblo, siguen la misma dirección, algunos se ahogan al meterse en el mar. Tras la IIIGM, dos chicos y dos chicas visitan un tétrico espectáculo. Algunos relatos más flojos, de fantasía. Pero, en general, me han parecido relatos muy adelantados a su época y de los que estoy seguro se influenciaron posteriores escritores del género. Sin duda, una lectura muy recomendada.
February 27, 2023
Con los libros de relatos siempre es difícil saber qué decir al dar una opinión.
Me quedo con que este señor tenía buenas ideas pero no sabía bien del todo cómo plasmarlas a veces. En algunos relatos he estado confusa con lo que estaba pasando porque no era capaz de visualizar lo que estaba leyendo. Como si faltara algo.
Los hijos de Noah y La nave de la muerte han sido mis favoritos.
La danza de los muertos lo aborrecí y no entiendo para nada cómo está contado.
Con todo, me gustaría leer el segundo.
Me quedo con que este señor tenía buenas ideas pero no sabía bien del todo cómo plasmarlas a veces. En algunos relatos he estado confusa con lo que estaba pasando porque no era capaz de visualizar lo que estaba leyendo. Como si faltara algo.
Los hijos de Noah y La nave de la muerte han sido mis favoritos.
La danza de los muertos lo aborrecí y no entiendo para nada cómo está contado.
Con todo, me gustaría leer el segundo.
February 29, 2024
Shock is a diverse collection of short stories by Richard Matheson. Some of the stories are sci-fi, others are humour. The collection showcases the diverse talent that Matheson had for writing a short story. If you are a fan of Twilight Zone or even Family guy you might recognize some of the stories found in this collection! Each story is fairly short and easy to read in one sitting, but at the same time sticks with you. If you are looking for light reading that will either keep you awake or make you laugh than be sure to check this book out!
November 27, 2021
Matheson is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine, which shouldn't be much of a surprise having loved his tv and film work for years. This collection only furthers that. We all enjoy a good novel but the short story is where I feel horror can really thrive. There are a few pieces in here that really knock it out of the park. The ones that are less horror are still very well written and entertaining. Great read.
August 29, 2022
Don't be deceived by the cover art. This is not a collection of horror stories and there are no gory elements. Most of these stories are good and many of them are dark, but again, not horrifying. The only horror story is "The Children of Noah". The standouts are the aforementioned, "Mantage", "Legion of the Plotters" and "The Distributor".
October 5, 2022
If you're a fan of the old Twilight Zone show you will be a big fan of this. Richard Matheson covers a lot of ground in the 13 short stories in this book. From genuinely unnerving to comedic, a lot of these stories have been used as inspiration for many different TV shows from the Twilight Zone, yes, but also even an episode of Family Guy.
May 12, 2022
Como pasa a menudo con los libros de relatos, es algo irregular. Hay algunos muy buenos, hay otros más durillos. La mayoría tienen high concepts muy chulos, aunque tienden a flojear en el medio de la historia y vuelven a remontar al final.
July 31, 2024
4.5. Libro de relatos de terror o más bien inquietantes. Creo que en algunos de sus relatos es un precursor de historias que luego han inspirado a otros.
Tremendamente adictivo (me lo he leído en un día). Todos los relatos me han gustado mucho.
Tremendamente adictivo (me lo he leído en un día). Todos los relatos me han gustado mucho.
January 23, 2020
I've been spending this winter rereading my very old books. This still stands as good reading.
May 1, 2021
Only two out of the 13 stories have any real merit. The rest just seem like something written on a whim, never redrafted and of no use to anyone outside of compilation filler
October 28, 2021
Some real gems here. Twilight Zonish stories, but with Matheson's own style. Recommended!
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