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He Is Legend: An Anthology Celebrating Richard Matheson
Richard Matheson, the New York Times bestselling author of I Am Legend, has inspired a generation of storytellers. Now, an outstanding cast of top writers pays tribute to his legacy with an all-new collection of original stories set in Matheson's own fictional universes, including sequels, prequels, and companion stories to I Am Legend , Hell House , The Incredible Shrinking Man , Somewhere in Time , "Duel," and "Button, Button." Among the highlights of this one-of-a-kind anthology is the first ever collaboration between Stephen King and his son, bestselling horror writer Joe Hill. Other notable contributors include Nancy A. Collins, Joe R. Lansdale, William F. Nolan, Whitley Strieber, F. Paul Wilson, and Matheson's son, Richard Christian Matheson. Previously published as a limited edition by Gauntlet Press in 2009, He Is Legend is now available to Matheson's many fans, as well as all lovers of gripping horror and suspense.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
November 2, 2015
I haven't read that much Richard Matheson, just one short story collection containing I am Legend, but I enjoyed it immensely. I don't remember where I came across this collection, but when I saw the combination of Richard Matheson, Joe Hill, and Stephen King, I added it to my wishlist. Like any anthology, this was a mixed bag, but pretty strong overall.
"Throttle" by Joe Hill and Stephen King--I found this, not surprisingly, to be the strongest story in the collection. It was an edge-of-your-seat tale of a rogue trucker vs. a motorcycle gang with a nice twist at the end. 4.5 stars
"Recalled" by F. Paul Wilson--This is a sequel to Matheson's story, "The Distributor," which I haven't read. I didn't have any trouble following it or enjoying it. I imagine readers of the source material will find it very satisfying. 4 stars
“I Am Legend, Too” by Mick Garris—This one’s a prequel, set just as the outbreak begins. The author imagines what Neville’s envious neighbor’s last day was like. 3 stars
“Two Shots from Fly’s Photo Gallery” by John Shirley—Loosely based on “Somewhere in Time,” this story is about a man time traveling back to the shootout at the OK Corral in an effort to save his wife in the present day, with results that are somewhat predictable. The actual ending was a surprise to me though. 3 stars
“The Diary of Louise Carey” by Thomas F. Monteleone—Told from the point of view of the wife of The Shrinking Man, this entry was kind of creepy and disturbing. 3 stars
“She Screech Like Me” by Michael A. Arnzen—This story was a sequel to “Born of Man and Woman,” which I haven’t read. I liked it but I feel like I would have enjoyed it more if I had known the back story. 3 stars, probably just because of my ignorance.
“Everything of Beauty Taken from You in This Life Remains Forever” by Gary A. Braunbeck—I liked this follow-up to “Button, Button.” There’s a transition toward the end that felt a bit awkward but it led to a satisfying twist. 3.5 stars
“The Case of Peggy Ann Lister” by John Maclay—Someone is Bleeding is updated in this sequel. While femme fatale crime fiction isn’t really my thing, this story was well-written. 4 stars
“Zachry Revisited” by William F. Nolan—I haven’t read “The Children of Noah,” the story that precedes this one, but I didn’t feel I needed to. It was horrifying in a very Greek tragedy kind of way. 4 stars
“Comeback” by Ed Gorman—Inspired by “The Finishing Touches,” this tale of a modern rocker and the friends he left behind in order to jump start his career is a bit disturbing because it’s utterly believable. 4 stars
“An Island unto Himself” by Barry Hoffman is described as “A Variation on ‘Disappearing Act.’” It started off strong and then fizzled out at the end for me. I was left feeling like I’d missed something. 3 stars
“Venturi” by Richard Christian Matheson—Matheson’s son wrote this story, inspired by “Legion of Plotters.” I kind of wanted more context but that honestly would have ruined the effect. It was a great story that made me feel like I was losing my mind right along with the main character. 4 stars
“Quarry” by Joe R. Lansdale—I have read “Prey,” the story on which this one is based. It freaked me right out. This one did too. 4.5 stars
“Return to Hell House” by Nancy A. Collins--Hell House, I think, would be a bit intense for me. I like to read horror but I have to choose carefully. I can’t read about demons at all. Horror movies are almost all a bad idea. I’ll be up all night, terrified. “Return to Hell House” is a prequel that fans of graphic haunted house movies will probably enjoy. It was not my cup of tea and it was by far the longest story of the group. 2 stars
“Cloud Rider” by Whitley Strieber is based more on Matheson’s collected body of work than on any particular piece. A regular guy finds himself battling unimaginable forces of greed and nature. I loved it. 4.5 stars
I do recommend this anthology for anyone who’s a fan of Matheson’s work. You might not like every story, but you’ll probably find several you do enjoy. I plan to read more works by some of these authors who are new to me as well.
"Throttle" by Joe Hill and Stephen King--I found this, not surprisingly, to be the strongest story in the collection. It was an edge-of-your-seat tale of a rogue trucker vs. a motorcycle gang with a nice twist at the end. 4.5 stars
"Recalled" by F. Paul Wilson--This is a sequel to Matheson's story, "The Distributor," which I haven't read. I didn't have any trouble following it or enjoying it. I imagine readers of the source material will find it very satisfying. 4 stars
“I Am Legend, Too” by Mick Garris—This one’s a prequel, set just as the outbreak begins. The author imagines what Neville’s envious neighbor’s last day was like. 3 stars
“Two Shots from Fly’s Photo Gallery” by John Shirley—Loosely based on “Somewhere in Time,” this story is about a man time traveling back to the shootout at the OK Corral in an effort to save his wife in the present day, with results that are somewhat predictable. The actual ending was a surprise to me though. 3 stars
“The Diary of Louise Carey” by Thomas F. Monteleone—Told from the point of view of the wife of The Shrinking Man, this entry was kind of creepy and disturbing. 3 stars
“She Screech Like Me” by Michael A. Arnzen—This story was a sequel to “Born of Man and Woman,” which I haven’t read. I liked it but I feel like I would have enjoyed it more if I had known the back story. 3 stars, probably just because of my ignorance.
“Everything of Beauty Taken from You in This Life Remains Forever” by Gary A. Braunbeck—I liked this follow-up to “Button, Button.” There’s a transition toward the end that felt a bit awkward but it led to a satisfying twist. 3.5 stars
“The Case of Peggy Ann Lister” by John Maclay—Someone is Bleeding is updated in this sequel. While femme fatale crime fiction isn’t really my thing, this story was well-written. 4 stars
“Zachry Revisited” by William F. Nolan—I haven’t read “The Children of Noah,” the story that precedes this one, but I didn’t feel I needed to. It was horrifying in a very Greek tragedy kind of way. 4 stars
“Comeback” by Ed Gorman—Inspired by “The Finishing Touches,” this tale of a modern rocker and the friends he left behind in order to jump start his career is a bit disturbing because it’s utterly believable. 4 stars
“An Island unto Himself” by Barry Hoffman is described as “A Variation on ‘Disappearing Act.’” It started off strong and then fizzled out at the end for me. I was left feeling like I’d missed something. 3 stars
“Venturi” by Richard Christian Matheson—Matheson’s son wrote this story, inspired by “Legion of Plotters.” I kind of wanted more context but that honestly would have ruined the effect. It was a great story that made me feel like I was losing my mind right along with the main character. 4 stars
“Quarry” by Joe R. Lansdale—I have read “Prey,” the story on which this one is based. It freaked me right out. This one did too. 4.5 stars
“Return to Hell House” by Nancy A. Collins--Hell House, I think, would be a bit intense for me. I like to read horror but I have to choose carefully. I can’t read about demons at all. Horror movies are almost all a bad idea. I’ll be up all night, terrified. “Return to Hell House” is a prequel that fans of graphic haunted house movies will probably enjoy. It was not my cup of tea and it was by far the longest story of the group. 2 stars
“Cloud Rider” by Whitley Strieber is based more on Matheson’s collected body of work than on any particular piece. A regular guy finds himself battling unimaginable forces of greed and nature. I loved it. 4.5 stars
I do recommend this anthology for anyone who’s a fan of Matheson’s work. You might not like every story, but you’ll probably find several you do enjoy. I plan to read more works by some of these authors who are new to me as well.
February 16, 2011
First off I’m not a huge fan of the short story. You won’t usually catch me gobbling down anthologies or collections by the dozen. Stephen King, Shirley Jackson and Flannery O’Connor – these are the only authors I will go out of my way to read their short stuff. So when I heard that Joe Hill and Stephen King were collaborating on an original story for this collection I was sold. I do love Richard Matheson and one good thing about this anthology is that I’m now determined to read more of him, especially his short stories.
This is a decent collection, but not a great collection. There are a few duds, but the best are quite good. "Throttle" - Stephen King’s first ever collaboration with son Joe Hill - does not disappoint. It’s a gripping, white-knuckler tale that is delivered at full throttle (sorry, I couldn’t resist). Despite the action and gore, there is a father-son story going on at the same time that is quite tragic and sad.
The prequel to "I Am Legend" entitled "I Am Legend Too" is also quite good, and nasty in the way it explores upper-middleclass jealousies – the petty behaviors and tawdry affairs of suburban living. Probably not how any reader imagined Robert Neville’s life before he becomes the last man on earth, but certainly an interesting portrait of the creature who screams for "Neville!" every night in Richard Matheson’s story.
The best of the collection is a prequel to Hell House entitled "Return to Hell House" by Nancy A. Collins. This is a creepy, claustrophobic (at times pornographic) tribute to Matheson’s legendary Belasco House. All the elements are here for a truly unsettling ghost story with a twist of evil and depravity.
This is a decent collection, but not a great collection. There are a few duds, but the best are quite good. "Throttle" - Stephen King’s first ever collaboration with son Joe Hill - does not disappoint. It’s a gripping, white-knuckler tale that is delivered at full throttle (sorry, I couldn’t resist). Despite the action and gore, there is a father-son story going on at the same time that is quite tragic and sad.
The prequel to "I Am Legend" entitled "I Am Legend Too" is also quite good, and nasty in the way it explores upper-middleclass jealousies – the petty behaviors and tawdry affairs of suburban living. Probably not how any reader imagined Robert Neville’s life before he becomes the last man on earth, but certainly an interesting portrait of the creature who screams for "Neville!" every night in Richard Matheson’s story.
The best of the collection is a prequel to Hell House entitled "Return to Hell House" by Nancy A. Collins. This is a creepy, claustrophobic (at times pornographic) tribute to Matheson’s legendary Belasco House. All the elements are here for a truly unsettling ghost story with a twist of evil and depravity.
October 3, 2011
I picked up "He is Legend" because I've always been a great admirer of Richard Matheson mainly through his film and television scripts and adaptations, some of the more famous being "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" (Twilight Zone) and "The Incredible Shrinking Man". As well, the most interesting being his story "I Am Legend" from which the Vincent Price film "Last Man on Earth" was filmed from (and of course more recently, "I Am Legend" the film with star Will Smith).
Anyway, this book is a different take on Matheson's story - all these authors base their stories on a Richard Matheson story, either writing a sequel or adding more info to the tale.
Some of these work and some don't!
I won't bore the reader with every single synopsis of each story. There are 15 stories here from various authors, notably Richard's son, and a collaboration with Stephen King and his son, Joe Hill, a pretty amazing horror writer in his own right.
Stories:
Most of these stories are written from Matheson stories from the 1950s and 1960s, adapted for modern audiences. I was most impressed with only a few:
"Return to Hell House" is the most graphic, with harsh language and some fairly obscene sex scenes. This is a "prequel" to Matheson's story where a group of psychics and scientists stay at this house and a malevolent spirit clearly shows them the way to hell. As I say, graphic writing that will literally haunt your thoughts!
"Throttle" is a take on Matheson's story "Duel" (you may have seen the film version with Dennis Hopper - first film directed by Stephen Spielberg!) about a truck driver with a murderous thirst for killing people on the road. A father and son are the head of a bike gang and we find out all kinds of things about them - and as they head to Vegas, a trucker starts bumping off the bikers - and the driver's identity is quite a shock! Stephen King and Joe Hill do a great job here in building suspense and tension.
"The Diary of Louise Carrey" by Thomas F. Monteleone is the story of "The Incredible Shrinking Man" from the view of the wife of the shrinking man! From reading the original story and seeing the 1950s film, I can see where she is coming from. A distasteful sex scene is the only thing I didn't like about this story, but it certainly paints the wife as an unsympathetic loser.
Bottom Line: Most of the stories are a fair read, but the three above really hit me one way or the other, thanks to the quick pacing of plot and the great homage to writer Richard Matheson. But please, read the originals first. You'll enjoy these adaptations more if you do.
I Much Prefer:
The Incredible Shrinking Man
I Am Legend & Hell House
Nightmare At 20,000 Feet: Horror Stories By Richard Matheson
February 8, 2015
This book was a total surprise to me - I was actually looking at short stories from one of the authors who contribute to this collection and stumbled across this anthology. Don't get me wrong I have read quite a bit of Richard matheson's work from I am legends to the incredible shrinking man and numerous short stories. However through all of that I had never heard of this 2009 project to create an anthology celebrating his work while at the same time creating new works as well (they took the idea of some of his most famous and influential work and created pieces that complimented them or linked to them).
As a result you have a book of stories which are varied both in content and style - some i liked some I loved.
So if you are a fan of his work this is a collection worth reading although I would warn that it is most definitely not Richard Matheson who is doing the story telling.
As a result you have a book of stories which are varied both in content and style - some i liked some I loved.
So if you are a fan of his work this is a collection worth reading although I would warn that it is most definitely not Richard Matheson who is doing the story telling.
January 22, 2020
Overall this was a good solid collection of stories.As always when there are various authors involved some stories were better then others and some were easier to read then others. I will say that there were no stories included that I did not enjoy. This collection will be enjoyed, obviously, by fans of Richard Matheson. I think that it will also be enjoyed by horror and short story fans.
July 25, 2011
This is by far one of the best short story collections I have ever read. It helps that all of the writers are stars and they are saluting one of the all time great writers, Richard Matheson. I especially liked the collaboration between Stephen King and Joe Hill based on Matheson's story "Duel". Not only was it an excellent story, it took it to a new level and depth that I appreciated.
I also especially liked Nancy Collins story which was a prequel to "Hell House". One of my favorite Matheson stories and movies, I was eager to see what Collins would do with it. She stayed true to the character types and gave a good background to the "Hell House" novel that rang true, but had a voice of its own.
Another standout for me was the F. Paul Wilson story. He managed to meld his fictional world (Repairman Jack) with Matheson's world. It worked beautifully.
If you like Richard Matheson, or if you like great storytelling, this is a great collection to spend your money on.
I also especially liked Nancy Collins story which was a prequel to "Hell House". One of my favorite Matheson stories and movies, I was eager to see what Collins would do with it. She stayed true to the character types and gave a good background to the "Hell House" novel that rang true, but had a voice of its own.
Another standout for me was the F. Paul Wilson story. He managed to meld his fictional world (Repairman Jack) with Matheson's world. It worked beautifully.
If you like Richard Matheson, or if you like great storytelling, this is a great collection to spend your money on.
February 2, 2011
I love Richard Matheson and I looooved this book!
My favorites:
Recalled...This one was modeled after Matheson's original tale 'The Distributor'. For some reason I wasn't the biggest fan of that story but I loved this story! Great twists and a very satisfying ending.
I am Legend, too....I am Legend is perhaps my favorite Matheson tale and I loved how this story told a bit of the back story and explained why Ben had such an obsession with Bob Neville.
Two Shots from Flys Photo Gallery....I got a bit lost in the middle of this one but I loved the premise and the ending!
Everything of Beauty....Perhaps my favorite in the collection. I loved 'Button, Button', the story this was modeled after. This story was haunting and gripped me right up until the end!
Return to Hell House....A great prequel to "Hell House".
My favorites:
Recalled...This one was modeled after Matheson's original tale 'The Distributor'. For some reason I wasn't the biggest fan of that story but I loved this story! Great twists and a very satisfying ending.
I am Legend, too....I am Legend is perhaps my favorite Matheson tale and I loved how this story told a bit of the back story and explained why Ben had such an obsession with Bob Neville.
Two Shots from Flys Photo Gallery....I got a bit lost in the middle of this one but I loved the premise and the ending!
Everything of Beauty....Perhaps my favorite in the collection. I loved 'Button, Button', the story this was modeled after. This story was haunting and gripped me right up until the end!
Return to Hell House....A great prequel to "Hell House".
February 4, 2011
I am a huge Richard Matheson fan, and this tribute short story compilation did not disappoint. The stories are set before or after, and with a different take on, his original short stories. The Stephen King and Joe Hill, his son, story was fantastic, as was the Hell House prequel, and the I am Legend prequel. Even if you have not read any of his stuff previous enough context is provided to make each story interesting on its own. Still there are a few duds but the vast majority of the stories are excellent.
July 23, 2014
As a fan of Matheson's work, I was very excited when I found this collection in the book section of dollar tree. Well worth the dollar I paid to add it to my collection. Highly recommended. Highlight, the prequel to Hell House. I would love to see a new adaptation that incorporated some of the ideas of the prequel with the original book, perhaps a mini series???
August 25, 2010
I enjoyed quite a few of the stories just as stories (King/Hill, Wilson, and Lansdale's especially), but as a "Celebration" of Matheson, it bothered me a little. These prequels, sequels, and inspired bys all felt like they took a little something away, or lessened the impact of the original works.
February 17, 2014
Great book. And great idea for a book. Really fun to read a lot of different writer's takes on the work of the great Richard Matheson.
July 14, 2014
Great collection of stories honoring the feel of Matheson. Each voice still unique. And each story great.
October 11, 2019
It's been a while since I read any Matheson, but reading this made me want to read more Matheson, or at the very least watch some old Twilight Zone episodes. It was really fun to re-immerse myself into some of the world and atmosphere that he created and many of the stories were very adept at capturing the feel of the original stories.
Notice, I said 'many' not 'all'. As with any anthology collection, some stories really fell short of what they were trying to accomplish. Thankfully, in my opinion, this book only had 2 dud stories. "Throttle" by Joe Hill and Stephen King was surprisingly one of the dud stories, to me. It just didn't have that Matheson feel to it, nor did it have a Hill/King feel to it. It's possible that King/Hill just aren't good at emulating other writer's style, and in their effort to do so, lost their own styles as well, which is too bad because I love Joe Hill and Stephen King. I rarely have anything critical to say about either of them.
"Throttle" was at least readable. "Cloud Rider" was one of the worst short stories I have ever read, I think. I almost wanted to stop reading it, but since it was the last story in the book, I didn't want to cop out without being able to say that I finished the entire thing. I'm wondering if the author of "Cloud Rider" has ever read anything by Matheson before? Could have fooled me into thinking otherwise.
The rest of the stories were fantastic and definitely captured that Matheson feel. If you have ever enjoyed reading Matheson, this is definitely an appropriate collection to check out and would be well worth the time.
Notice, I said 'many' not 'all'. As with any anthology collection, some stories really fell short of what they were trying to accomplish. Thankfully, in my opinion, this book only had 2 dud stories. "Throttle" by Joe Hill and Stephen King was surprisingly one of the dud stories, to me. It just didn't have that Matheson feel to it, nor did it have a Hill/King feel to it. It's possible that King/Hill just aren't good at emulating other writer's style, and in their effort to do so, lost their own styles as well, which is too bad because I love Joe Hill and Stephen King. I rarely have anything critical to say about either of them.
"Throttle" was at least readable. "Cloud Rider" was one of the worst short stories I have ever read, I think. I almost wanted to stop reading it, but since it was the last story in the book, I didn't want to cop out without being able to say that I finished the entire thing. I'm wondering if the author of "Cloud Rider" has ever read anything by Matheson before? Could have fooled me into thinking otherwise.
The rest of the stories were fantastic and definitely captured that Matheson feel. If you have ever enjoyed reading Matheson, this is definitely an appropriate collection to check out and would be well worth the time.
March 9, 2025
This was a very entertaining collection. I didn't have any stand out 5 star favorites but a bunch of 4 stars and the rest were 3 star stories...not a single story I DISLIKED.
Favorites from this collection for me were:
Quarry
Return to Hell House
Cloud Rider
She Screech Like Me
The Diary of Louisd Carey
Recalled
Everything of Beauty Taken from You In This Life Remains Forever
You don't need to have read the original stories to appreciate most of these. There is a little explanation before each story of how it relates to the original Matheson story (prequel, sequel, inspired by, set in the same world as, etc) and I think that's enough to set you up before reading. I think I Am Legend, Too is the one exception...as I don't know if that stands alone as interesting without knowing what happens in I Am Legend. But this was a good collection and I enjoyed it.
Favorites from this collection for me were:
Quarry
Return to Hell House
Cloud Rider
She Screech Like Me
The Diary of Louisd Carey
Recalled
Everything of Beauty Taken from You In This Life Remains Forever
You don't need to have read the original stories to appreciate most of these. There is a little explanation before each story of how it relates to the original Matheson story (prequel, sequel, inspired by, set in the same world as, etc) and I think that's enough to set you up before reading. I think I Am Legend, Too is the one exception...as I don't know if that stands alone as interesting without knowing what happens in I Am Legend. But this was a good collection and I enjoyed it.
February 18, 2019
In retrospect I should have read the stories that inspired this book first. However I found that they stand on their own perfectly fine without reading the Matheson tales beforehand, (although I did reserve a "best of Matheson" book at the library after I checked this out, and I had seen the filmed adaptations of a few of the originals).
As in most short story collections, the styles and quality vary widely, but I enjoyed most of them.
Recommended, whether you're a fan of Matheson, or merely a lover of the strange and fantastic.
As in most short story collections, the styles and quality vary widely, but I enjoyed most of them.
Recommended, whether you're a fan of Matheson, or merely a lover of the strange and fantastic.
September 7, 2022
It's been a little while since I've read a book that I enjoyed most of the short stories in.
I should have known that I would have already reads the Joe Hill and Stephen King short story that opened the book. However, I enjoyed 75% of the stories in this book. They were interesting and kept me reading. Out of all of them I think Return to Hell House was my favorite.
I should have known that I would have already reads the Joe Hill and Stephen King short story that opened the book. However, I enjoyed 75% of the stories in this book. They were interesting and kept me reading. Out of all of them I think Return to Hell House was my favorite.
October 25, 2020
4.5/5: This book had so many amazing stories!!! Thoughts on many of them are in my activity.
February 17, 2011
I've been reading these two collections, "Songs to a Dying Earth" for Jack Vance, and "He is Legend" for Richard Matheson, so I could compare and contrast the two collections. Trouble is, they are vastly unequal.
"Dying Earth" includes a story by Neil Gaiman, and "He is Legend," a collaboration between Stephen King and his son, Joe Hill. Up front, I have to confess that although I've read some Jack Vance, I'm not nearly as familiar with his "Dying Earth" series as I am with the author of "I Am Legend,""Hell House", and "Button, Button."
All of the stories in the Matheson book are takeoffs, or continuations, of a famous Matheson story - and I know and love every single one of them. Oddly enough, the last story, which is simply based on a Matheson collection, is almost the best in the collection. It's wonderful, with notes of Robert Heinlein in his heyday. But, I do have to admit, the standout story is by Hill and King. They've taken the world-famous story (or movie, if that's all you've seen) of "Duel" and given it something it always lacked -- heart. It's an incredibly moving work, and fit to be included in many more collection of the short stories of each writer. The most frightening story (predictably) is the story of the FIRST group to go to Hell House, and what they find. When a blurb on the back of a book says "I couldn't put the book down." they HAD to have something like this in mind - Talk about extreme tension!!!
I wish I could say more about "The Dying Earth" because it's a concept that has fascinated me since I read a novel by Phillip Jose Farmer many years ago about the last days of the dying sun, and its' effect on the inhabitants of earth. To my way of thinking, the Farmer book was far the better -- for one, the language is accessible. The "Dying Earth" stories are littered with those unpronounceable names and place names that totally detract from the stories. Even, and it breaks my heart to admit it, the Neil Gaiman story disappoints, although it's far and away the best in the collection. I do have to admit, I might have enjoyed this book more if I were more familiar with its source material-- But the truth of the matter is, Jack Vance is just NOT Richard Matheson.
For any fan of Matheson (and I know there are many, many of you out there,) you MUST read this book - Every story included casts a bit more light on the writings of this master. For Jack Vance fans, you'll probably love "The Dying Earth" -- but you might want to refresh your memory with the source material before you read this collection.
"Dying Earth" includes a story by Neil Gaiman, and "He is Legend," a collaboration between Stephen King and his son, Joe Hill. Up front, I have to confess that although I've read some Jack Vance, I'm not nearly as familiar with his "Dying Earth" series as I am with the author of "I Am Legend,""Hell House", and "Button, Button."
All of the stories in the Matheson book are takeoffs, or continuations, of a famous Matheson story - and I know and love every single one of them. Oddly enough, the last story, which is simply based on a Matheson collection, is almost the best in the collection. It's wonderful, with notes of Robert Heinlein in his heyday. But, I do have to admit, the standout story is by Hill and King. They've taken the world-famous story (or movie, if that's all you've seen) of "Duel" and given it something it always lacked -- heart. It's an incredibly moving work, and fit to be included in many more collection of the short stories of each writer. The most frightening story (predictably) is the story of the FIRST group to go to Hell House, and what they find. When a blurb on the back of a book says "I couldn't put the book down." they HAD to have something like this in mind - Talk about extreme tension!!!
I wish I could say more about "The Dying Earth" because it's a concept that has fascinated me since I read a novel by Phillip Jose Farmer many years ago about the last days of the dying sun, and its' effect on the inhabitants of earth. To my way of thinking, the Farmer book was far the better -- for one, the language is accessible. The "Dying Earth" stories are littered with those unpronounceable names and place names that totally detract from the stories. Even, and it breaks my heart to admit it, the Neil Gaiman story disappoints, although it's far and away the best in the collection. I do have to admit, I might have enjoyed this book more if I were more familiar with its source material-- But the truth of the matter is, Jack Vance is just NOT Richard Matheson.
For any fan of Matheson (and I know there are many, many of you out there,) you MUST read this book - Every story included casts a bit more light on the writings of this master. For Jack Vance fans, you'll probably love "The Dying Earth" -- but you might want to refresh your memory with the source material before you read this collection.
December 2, 2013
A collection of short stories honoring Richard Matheson, legend of horror, by some other famous and not-so-famous authors. Each story is either a sequel, prequel, alternate point of view, or otherwise inspired by something in Matheson's work.
I like Matheson's work, and if this book taught me one thing it's that I haven't read much of it, as I didn't remember many of the stories (but many of his stories that I do remember liking aren't dealt with). And that's a problem when many stories don't really have the same resonance without the originals to directly compare to, and even those that did... when you're directly basing a work off a classic short story, there's two big traps you can fall into, you can either tell basically the same story, rendering yours almost irrelevant, or you can do the opposite, where in a sequel to a story where a monster wins, the monster gets defeated, and, that's usually just not satisfying. And of course, there's the risk of just spitting on or not living up to the other story, or not getting it right. This was unfortunately the problem in the story I was looking forward to the most, another story in the universe of I Am Legend. The author decided to tell the story of Neville's neighbor, but he makes up stuff to try and make it pack more emotional punch, and doesn't even seem to match the details of the original story. So we're left with a tale of a minor character that denigrates the main character of the original seemingly just for the sake of doing it.
The best stories in the collection were probably the ones that were only loosely inspired by a tale, but even on there, there were no standouts. That's pretty much my feeling on the book as a whole: no standouts, few complete stinkers, it was all just okay. For a book honoring Richard Matheson, he deserves a lot better than 'okay.'
I want to close the review pointing out again that I'm not especially familiar with most of the stories that served as inspiration (some I remember only vaguely, as if I read them long ago and can't remember more than the briefest details)... someone who's a lot more in touch with his work might find the stories read better.
I like Matheson's work, and if this book taught me one thing it's that I haven't read much of it, as I didn't remember many of the stories (but many of his stories that I do remember liking aren't dealt with). And that's a problem when many stories don't really have the same resonance without the originals to directly compare to, and even those that did... when you're directly basing a work off a classic short story, there's two big traps you can fall into, you can either tell basically the same story, rendering yours almost irrelevant, or you can do the opposite, where in a sequel to a story where a monster wins, the monster gets defeated, and, that's usually just not satisfying. And of course, there's the risk of just spitting on or not living up to the other story, or not getting it right. This was unfortunately the problem in the story I was looking forward to the most, another story in the universe of I Am Legend. The author decided to tell the story of Neville's neighbor, but he makes up stuff to try and make it pack more emotional punch, and doesn't even seem to match the details of the original story. So we're left with a tale of a minor character that denigrates the main character of the original seemingly just for the sake of doing it.
The best stories in the collection were probably the ones that were only loosely inspired by a tale, but even on there, there were no standouts. That's pretty much my feeling on the book as a whole: no standouts, few complete stinkers, it was all just okay. For a book honoring Richard Matheson, he deserves a lot better than 'okay.'
I want to close the review pointing out again that I'm not especially familiar with most of the stories that served as inspiration (some I remember only vaguely, as if I read them long ago and can't remember more than the briefest details)... someone who's a lot more in touch with his work might find the stories read better.
July 25, 2016
Beware of found books.
I found this book in our office kitchen area. Was it discarded - was someone hoping to rid themselves of a unwanted burden? Or was it someone, like me, who likes to leave reading material around when I'm finished in case someone else finds themselves in need?
So this book sat in the drawer of my desk until I was abruptly called to a doctors appointment and this went along as some last minute waiting room material. I've heard of Richard Matheson in the way that I was vaguely aware that I am Legend, the movie with Will Smith, was based on a book. I had no idea he was a well-known (by others) horror genre writer.
Reading some of the stories in this book made me more familiar with his writing. This anthology is a collection of short stories inspired by his other works. The collection includes sequels, prequels and some others just along the same concepts as previous stories.
The first story in the collection, Throttle, written by Stephen King and his son, Joe Hill, is about a biker gang that becomes the target of revenge. It is inspired by a Matheson story.
Each short story is introduced by a short paragraph which details which Matheson story was the inspiration. These blurbs made me want to check out some of Matheson's original work.
As a collection, the anthology feels uneven. Some stories are superbly written and wickedly frightening, like Return to Hell House, which doesn't spare on graphic details but actually haunting scenes that was a bad choice to read right before bed. This and Throttle, really made the book. Others, including a take on the "Somewhere in Time" time travelling theme in which a man goes back in time to prevent his wife's suicide, were interesting and thought-provoking, if not exceptionally well written.
Others, like the last story, Cloud Riders, were poorly written and seemed more like poor fan fiction than the worthy efforts of the authors who worked on the stories.
I'll definitely be picking up some of Matheson's original work in the future, but for an already established Matheson fan, only a few of the stories included will probably do the man justice.
I found this book in our office kitchen area. Was it discarded - was someone hoping to rid themselves of a unwanted burden? Or was it someone, like me, who likes to leave reading material around when I'm finished in case someone else finds themselves in need?
So this book sat in the drawer of my desk until I was abruptly called to a doctors appointment and this went along as some last minute waiting room material. I've heard of Richard Matheson in the way that I was vaguely aware that I am Legend, the movie with Will Smith, was based on a book. I had no idea he was a well-known (by others) horror genre writer.
Reading some of the stories in this book made me more familiar with his writing. This anthology is a collection of short stories inspired by his other works. The collection includes sequels, prequels and some others just along the same concepts as previous stories.
The first story in the collection, Throttle, written by Stephen King and his son, Joe Hill, is about a biker gang that becomes the target of revenge. It is inspired by a Matheson story.
Each short story is introduced by a short paragraph which details which Matheson story was the inspiration. These blurbs made me want to check out some of Matheson's original work.
As a collection, the anthology feels uneven. Some stories are superbly written and wickedly frightening, like Return to Hell House, which doesn't spare on graphic details but actually haunting scenes that was a bad choice to read right before bed. This and Throttle, really made the book. Others, including a take on the "Somewhere in Time" time travelling theme in which a man goes back in time to prevent his wife's suicide, were interesting and thought-provoking, if not exceptionally well written.
Others, like the last story, Cloud Riders, were poorly written and seemed more like poor fan fiction than the worthy efforts of the authors who worked on the stories.
I'll definitely be picking up some of Matheson's original work in the future, but for an already established Matheson fan, only a few of the stories included will probably do the man justice.
January 31, 2011
Richard Matheson is one of the greatest living writers in any genre but in the fields of Science Fiction and Horror he is a giant. To the mainstream you can always say he is the guy who wrote and name any of several classics. People know and love his work but often don’t know his name. The man behind several of the best Twilight zones, I am Legend, Somewhere in Time and Duel to name a few.
He is Legend is a long overdue tribute to Matheson. This anthology has sequels and companion pieces to Matheson tales by Stephen King, Joe Hill, John Shirley, Mick Garris, F.Paul Wilson, William F. Nolan, Gary Branbeck, Thomas F. Monteleone and many other giants in the field.
Fans of Matheson should find this book to be essential. There are no stinkers in this collection, but favorites came early in the collection. Throttle is a excellent sequel of sorts to Matheson’s story/screenplay Duel written by father and son team Stephen King and Joe Hill. This is a great piece and had sentence that made laugh hard enough I put the book down.
Mick Garris has interesting prologue to I am Legend written from thye point of view of the annoying neighbor Ben Cortman. Another favorite is John Shirley’s companion piece to Matheson’s classic Somewhere in Time. In Shirley’s piece a historian uses the same method of time travel to try and stop the events at the OK Corral.
Now that is book is out in trade paperback, it’s great way to celebrate one of the greatest 20th century writers to ever expand the genre.
He is Legend is a long overdue tribute to Matheson. This anthology has sequels and companion pieces to Matheson tales by Stephen King, Joe Hill, John Shirley, Mick Garris, F.Paul Wilson, William F. Nolan, Gary Branbeck, Thomas F. Monteleone and many other giants in the field.
Fans of Matheson should find this book to be essential. There are no stinkers in this collection, but favorites came early in the collection. Throttle is a excellent sequel of sorts to Matheson’s story/screenplay Duel written by father and son team Stephen King and Joe Hill. This is a great piece and had sentence that made laugh hard enough I put the book down.
Mick Garris has interesting prologue to I am Legend written from thye point of view of the annoying neighbor Ben Cortman. Another favorite is John Shirley’s companion piece to Matheson’s classic Somewhere in Time. In Shirley’s piece a historian uses the same method of time travel to try and stop the events at the OK Corral.
Now that is book is out in trade paperback, it’s great way to celebrate one of the greatest 20th century writers to ever expand the genre.
January 27, 2014
Tanto fumo ma poco arrosto
E' vero, ci sono cascato in pieno. E' difficile parafrasare un grande cercando di costruire dei racconti a partire dai suoi. Tanti ci provano, alcuni imitano, pochi convincono, pochissimi riescono. Qui però c'erano grossi nomi, e l'attesa (la mia, almeno) era un po' più alta del solito. Invece sono rimasto molto deluso. Se le storie fossero state farina del sacco del singolo autore, senza riferimenti espliciti all'idea di base, sarebbero stati semplici racconti minori, ma con le premesse che la raccolta si prefigge sono molto peggio. Infatti proprio le caratteristiche principali dei racconti di Matheson qui vengono stravolte totalmente e ogni racconto spaventa molto meno di quelli di Matheson, così come le storie sono molto, troppo, banali, da un lato, o inutilmente fantasiose, all'altro estremo, per convincere. L'unico racconto, che mi fa concedere la seconda stella, che faccia annusare "profumo di Matheson" è l'ultimo scritto a 4 mani dal figlio, ma è troppo poco in una raccolta con così tanti lavori e autori. Ampiamente deludente
E' vero, ci sono cascato in pieno. E' difficile parafrasare un grande cercando di costruire dei racconti a partire dai suoi. Tanti ci provano, alcuni imitano, pochi convincono, pochissimi riescono. Qui però c'erano grossi nomi, e l'attesa (la mia, almeno) era un po' più alta del solito. Invece sono rimasto molto deluso. Se le storie fossero state farina del sacco del singolo autore, senza riferimenti espliciti all'idea di base, sarebbero stati semplici racconti minori, ma con le premesse che la raccolta si prefigge sono molto peggio. Infatti proprio le caratteristiche principali dei racconti di Matheson qui vengono stravolte totalmente e ogni racconto spaventa molto meno di quelli di Matheson, così come le storie sono molto, troppo, banali, da un lato, o inutilmente fantasiose, all'altro estremo, per convincere. L'unico racconto, che mi fa concedere la seconda stella, che faccia annusare "profumo di Matheson" è l'ultimo scritto a 4 mani dal figlio, ma è troppo poco in una raccolta con così tanti lavori e autori. Ampiamente deludente
October 22, 2014
This anthology was just meh to me. I thought maybe this collection will make me want to read from the authors I've never heard of. Nope. The stories for me were just okay with the exception of "Return to Hell House". That story was very good and the only story that I enjoyed. Even the story Stephen King did with his son was just blah to me. This anthology did make me want to read more from Matheson which was my whole reason for picking up this book. If you like horror short stories and want to experience different works from different authors then I would recommend you read this if you want. It won an award so it can't be that bad right?
January 24, 2011
The problem with this book of variations/sequels/prequels and so forth based on the stories and novels of Richard Matheson is...too often, when I was reading a story and going "this is REALLY clever," the bit I was finding clever was the bit from Matheson's original work, and never from this new attempt.
To put it simply, even when they were enjoyable, none of these stories did anything new, and not always anything interesting. And when they were clever, it was always because of the element from Matheson's own work.
To put it simply, even when they were enjoyable, none of these stories did anything new, and not always anything interesting. And when they were clever, it was always because of the element from Matheson's own work.
July 13, 2014
Weird.
This, unlike the last couple of anthologies I have read, ranged the spectrum from meh to awesome.
Then again, there are certain types of horror I never developed a taste for.
I also found myself being torn between the urge to go out and read a bunch more Matheson, since he spawned this, and to never read anything else by him.... going back to the meh to awesome.
There were a couple of really good stories in here, however. I wouldn't recommend buying the book, but poke a library, and see which ones catch your fancy.
I did find a couple of new authors to read more of.
This, unlike the last couple of anthologies I have read, ranged the spectrum from meh to awesome.
Then again, there are certain types of horror I never developed a taste for.
I also found myself being torn between the urge to go out and read a bunch more Matheson, since he spawned this, and to never read anything else by him.... going back to the meh to awesome.
There were a couple of really good stories in here, however. I wouldn't recommend buying the book, but poke a library, and see which ones catch your fancy.
I did find a couple of new authors to read more of.
March 7, 2011
A great collection of short stories based in the worlds of Richard Matheson. If you've enjoyed his stories you'll probably enjoy these tributes. I particularly enjoyed Stephen King and Joe Hills' take on Duel called 'Throttle'. My other favorites were 'Return to Hell House', 'I Am Legend, Too', and the sequel to Prey 'Quarry' (as seen in the 1975 tv movie Trilogy of Terror with the killer Zuni doll)
July 12, 2011
'm a Matheson fan, so I came to this anthology with high hopes. I wasn't disappointed. The editor assumes that anyone interested in this anthology is well aware of who Matheson is and is already familiar with his stories. In most cases, the short description of the Matheson story that inspired the new story is enough to jog the reader's memory. Given that “Prey” is my favorite Matheson story, and that Joe R. Lansdale is one of my favorite authors, it's no surprise that “Quarry” tops my list.
June 12, 2012
NOTE: My review is ONLY for "Throttle," the short story from Joe Hill and Stephen King, as I didn't have time to get through the entire anthology. Considering how terrifying Hill and King can be on their own, I thought this story was a bit flat. At the end I thought, "That's it?" This is not the mental statement I generally finish their stories with - I'm a bit disappointed. The story was good, just not as blood-pressure-gushing as I expected.
October 27, 2010
This an anthology of stories honoring the talent of Richard Matheson. Authors included are STephen King and his son, Joe Hill, Joe R. Lansdale, F. Paul Wilson, and others. Enjoyed most of the stories, except for the last one by Whitley Strieber. That one just didn't grab me, so I ended up skimming it.
November 3, 2012
This was a pretty credible collection of stories based on or inspired by the classic horror/sci-fi stories by Richard Matheson. I recommend it to fans of Matheson. It even includes a story by Matheson's son, and a collaboration between Stephen King and Joe Hill (king's son). Well done collection.
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