The Twilight and Other Zones: The Dark Worlds of Richard Matheson

by Stanley Wiater, Matthew Bradley, Paul Stuve

The Twilight Zone * The Incredible Shrinking Man * Hell HouseHe's the author of I Am Legend, a novel that has spawned three movies, including the blockbuster starring Will Smith. He has influenced horror movie makers from the 1950s through the present. He gave baby boomers nightmares with the episodes he wrote for The Twilight Zone. He turned his books & stories into screenplays for dozens of films & tv shows, including the 1st feature directed by Steven Spielberg, Duel. He inspired two generations of horror novelists, including Stephen King, Dean Koontz & dozens more. Who is he? He is legend. He is Richard Matheson.

I Am Legend * Duel * Nightmare At 20,000 Feet

In this 1st, fully authorized biography & comprehensive companion devoted to the brilliant & groundbreaking author who has captivated audiences for over fifty years, Stanley Wiater, Matthew R. Bradley & Paul Stuve pay homage to one of the most acclaimed & prolific writers of our time. Vividly detailed contributions from some of the biggest names in horror, sf & fantasy discuss Matheson's most famous tales and provide personal, behind-the-scenes insights into his work.

Somewhere In Time * The Night Stalker * Stir Of Echoes

Featuring contributions from Matheson's wife and children, complete indexes to his work in books, television, and film, and photos from his private collection, The Twilight and Other Zones gives readers a rare glimpse into the mind and unique talent of one of the world's most extraordinary legends.

With Essays By:
Harlan Ellison
Dean Koontz
Brian Lumley
David Morrell
F. Paul Wilson

StanleyWiater is the creator and host of Dark Dreamers, a television series profiling personalities in horror and suspense. Recognized as "the world's leading expert on horror filmmakers and authors" (Radio-TV Interview Report), Wiater is coauthor of The Collected Stephen King Universe and Comic Book Rebels. He is also the editor of Richard Matheson's The Twilight Zone Scripts, and Richard Matheson: Collected Stories. In 1993 and 2005 he was master of ceremonies at the World Horror Convention. Wiater lives in Massachusetts with his wife and daughter.

Recognized as an authority on Richard Matheson, Matthew R. Bradley has interviewed Matheson's fellow members of the southern California school of writers Robert Bloch, Ray Bradbury, George Clayton Johnson, William F. Nolan, and Jerry Sohl and plans to publish a collection of these conversations. Bradley holds a B.A. in English Literature from Trinity College and worked in the book publishing and home video industries for 20 years. Currently he is copy specialist for MBI, Inc., in Norwalk, Connecticut, where he lives with his wife and daughter.

Paul Stuve is a clinical psychologist when he's not reading, collecting, or, most recently, writing about Richard Matheson. Over the years, he has assembled an outstanding collection of books, magazines, and other items relating to Matheson, some of which he graciously allowed Gauntlet Press to reproduce in Duel & The Distributor. He lives in Columbia, Missouri.

Genres: Nonfiction

382 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2009

Reviews

[D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is basically a revised reprinting of THE RICHARD MATHESON COMPANION, which was published by GAUNTLET PRESS, a small press publisher. From what I can tell, the revisions made for this edition were as follows: this version includes a copy of Matheson's 1977 World Fantasy Convention speech, and does NOT include THE YEARS STOOD STILL, the novel he wrote when he was 14. The exhaustive bibliography has also been updated.

THE RICHARD MATHESON COMPANION is actually a more appropriate title because this isn't a biography, per se, but a collection of introductions, essays, and remembrances by people who are close to Matheson, or have worked with him closely. The list is impressive: Harlan Ellison, Dean Koontz, David Morrell, Ed Gorman, William F. Nolan, Matheson's wife and children, and many others all provide well-written, thought-provoking pieces. There are examinations of his work in novels and film, and a short, but interesting biography.

The major flaw of the book is that it DOES focus on his entire body of work, so if a person hasn't read the majority of his work, there are sections that will be of little interest, or won't make much sense at all. In a sense that's a positive, because it makes the reader want to discover those works, but it's also a bit of a letdown, because those works are (understandably) not included in the book. The section that focuses on his movie and TV writing is particularly frustrating because many of the works are hard or impossible to find.

The book makes a great case for Matheson as a criminally under-appreciated author, whose work has a depth and craft that make him the true "author's author." I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in Matheson, but for those only vaguely familiar with him, I'd say read THE SHRINKING MAN, I AM LEGEND, HELL HOUSE, and then dive in.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned that Matheson is more talented and diverse than previously thought--from children's books to award winning western novels.

The only disapointment being that this was more a series of essays on personal experiences with the author, rather than a linear biography.

[Carol Storm · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointed because this is neither an in-depth critical study nor a full-length biography. It's just a random collection of tributes from fans, friends, family, and fellow authors, in no particular order.

[Daniel DeLappe · Rating 3 out of 5]

MOre of a tribute then biography-none the less intersting read. Would love to read a regular biograpy of Mister Matheson.

[Marsmannix · Rating 3 out of 5]

the genius behind many of the TZ episodes. amazing writer.