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Ride the Nightmare
At 32, Chris Martin lives a conventional life. He's married with a daughter, runs his own small business, and is working to save up money for a bigger home with his wife, Helen. He is happy and content with this staid but comfortable existence—until a late weeknight phone call turns everything upside down.
Chris hasn't always been the model family man he appears to be. And when his past catches up to him, the terror comes into his home—just where he thought he was safest. As Chris finds all that he loves under attack, he must go to heroic lengths to keep his family and his life together.
Chris hasn't always been the model family man he appears to be. And when his past catches up to him, the terror comes into his home—just where he thought he was safest. As Chris finds all that he loves under attack, he must go to heroic lengths to keep his family and his life together.
126 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1959
12 people are currently reading
184 people want to read
About the author
Richard Matheson
759 books4,811 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 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 4, 2020
Wow, what a compelling page turner. The past catches up with Chris Martin. A call from an escapee changes his life and that of his wife and little girl considerably. The criminal isn't alone, a scheme of blackmail soon is in progress. Can Chris safe his family in the end and bury the past? This crime story held me on the edge of the seat. Quick, hard, directly to the point. Everything is possible here. Bad villains, an unsuspecting wife and an obscure husband. The story doesn't smell like a happy ending... a real crime classic with a pulp feel that reads like a movie. Absolutely recommended!
December 10, 2021
An old fashioned thriller from veteren writer Richard Matheson. We see what happens when a family man's dark past catches up with him, and the situation escalates wildly out of control.
It was predictable but tense throughout. The author raised the stakes in an exciting way.
It was predictable but tense throughout. The author raised the stakes in an exciting way.
February 9, 2016
Chris Martin is a young husband, father, suburbanite, owner of a record store and member of the chamber of commerce. He's living the post-War American Dream. But he has a dark secret: he fell into a bad crowd as a teen, a trio of malcontents who decided to rob a jewelry store. The police showed up earlier than expected, and Chris, the getaway driver, sped off, leaving the others to face prison. Changing his name and moving to sunny California, Chris hoped for a fresh start to wash away his past sins.
And for a while it worked... until the three ex-cons arrive, strong-arming Chris around with threat of violence to his family. As his serene suburban life collapses around him, Chris will do what he can to keep his wife and daughter safe, even as they start to question how well they really know him.
I'm always impressed by the tension and suspense that Matheson could inject into his fiction, and this one is no exception. There's a few brilliant scenes where Chris is given a short deadline to complete a task, and while he watches the clock and sweats inside, he's surrounded by people living out their painfully normality. They can't seem to understand why Chris is so flustered and hurried---the isolation of his situation is where the tension works best, the terrifying peril he must face alone.
Ride the Nightmare is brief, only 120-some pages, and it literally flies by in your hand—the prose is gripping, the plot a real page-turner. I can't say it's Matheson's best, but the constant stream of complications thrown at poor Chris keeps the plot moving without any breathing room, and obscures the novel's insubstantial nature---as does Matheson's skillful ability to create suspense.
Full review found here.
And for a while it worked... until the three ex-cons arrive, strong-arming Chris around with threat of violence to his family. As his serene suburban life collapses around him, Chris will do what he can to keep his wife and daughter safe, even as they start to question how well they really know him.
I'm always impressed by the tension and suspense that Matheson could inject into his fiction, and this one is no exception. There's a few brilliant scenes where Chris is given a short deadline to complete a task, and while he watches the clock and sweats inside, he's surrounded by people living out their painfully normality. They can't seem to understand why Chris is so flustered and hurried---the isolation of his situation is where the tension works best, the terrifying peril he must face alone.
Ride the Nightmare is brief, only 120-some pages, and it literally flies by in your hand—the prose is gripping, the plot a real page-turner. I can't say it's Matheson's best, but the constant stream of complications thrown at poor Chris keeps the plot moving without any breathing room, and obscures the novel's insubstantial nature---as does Matheson's skillful ability to create suspense.
Full review found here.
December 15, 2016
This is a quick little crime novel with no surprises. It is unfortunately a rather weak entry for Matheson, in my opinion. The breezy pacing and lack of filler made it at least a decent read, but it is completely forgettable.
September 13, 2020
Intense thriller about a wheelman who left his partners in crime during an armed robbery. Years later the cons catch up to him after he's created a new life for himself, putting his wife and 6 year old daughter in danger. Interesting plot and characters. Highly recommended.
January 18, 2016
Real rating: 4.6/10
A product of its time and seemingly locked within the boundaries of the cliche "Ride the Nightmare" is a dime store novel that aspiring authors read so they know that no one in the business starts out at the top of their game and secondly what they should try their darnedest not too reproduce.
The story is limited and the characters are flushed out yet still seemingly wooden, it is to be passed over unless you are a fan of 1950's nostalgia and the plodding story telling of drugstore pulp fiction.
A product of its time and seemingly locked within the boundaries of the cliche "Ride the Nightmare" is a dime store novel that aspiring authors read so they know that no one in the business starts out at the top of their game and secondly what they should try their darnedest not too reproduce.
The story is limited and the characters are flushed out yet still seemingly wooden, it is to be passed over unless you are a fan of 1950's nostalgia and the plodding story telling of drugstore pulp fiction.
March 20, 2019
A Good, Fast, Suspenseful Yarn
Author Richard Matheson generates a fistfuls of white-knuckled suspense in this contemporary thriller about a man whose past sins come back to haunt him with devastating impact. Chris Martin is happily married, with a young daughter, and he runs a successfully music store selling albums in San Monica when wicked acquaintances from his sordid past turn up to burst his bubble. His wife Helen doesn’t know anything about Chris’s shady past, so she is surprised when mysterious callers ring up for a Chris Phillips, but the Chris that she is married to is Chris Martin. Fifteen years ago Chris worked with three men on a robbery that went bust are out to blackmail and maybe even kill his wife. Matheson provides a redemptive ending after our hero goes crazy contending with his adversaries. Altogether, this is a B-movie type thriller enlivened by Matheson’s concrete prose and editing skills. I’ll have to read it again since I don’t think the author ever revealed what became of the $3-grand. I don’t think that Chris wound up turning himself in to the police. I want to say that Helen talked him out of it.
Author Richard Matheson generates a fistfuls of white-knuckled suspense in this contemporary thriller about a man whose past sins come back to haunt him with devastating impact. Chris Martin is happily married, with a young daughter, and he runs a successfully music store selling albums in San Monica when wicked acquaintances from his sordid past turn up to burst his bubble. His wife Helen doesn’t know anything about Chris’s shady past, so she is surprised when mysterious callers ring up for a Chris Phillips, but the Chris that she is married to is Chris Martin. Fifteen years ago Chris worked with three men on a robbery that went bust are out to blackmail and maybe even kill his wife. Matheson provides a redemptive ending after our hero goes crazy contending with his adversaries. Altogether, this is a B-movie type thriller enlivened by Matheson’s concrete prose and editing skills. I’ll have to read it again since I don’t think the author ever revealed what became of the $3-grand. I don’t think that Chris wound up turning himself in to the police. I want to say that Helen talked him out of it.
July 25, 2018
Well done thriller, for the most part. A now respectable business owner, husband and father has his past catch up to him as his three former partners in crime (now escaped prisoners) attempt at first to murder him and then to shake him down for enough money to escape the country. A noir thriller that will seem familiar territory today, but is nevertheless effective. The most suspenseful and least predictable element actually lies in resolving the split that results between the husband who has never revealed his past to his wife and her decision to stand, or not, by him through the ordeal and its aftermath. Suffers somewhat from catering to a market, but of course Matheson, once better established, would have the freedom to write less conventional material.
July 3, 2018
A 1950's story of a family man whose past comes back to haunt him, "Ride the Nightmare" is a straightforward thriller that doesn't really offer anything new. Chris Martin receives a telephone call one night, asking for a Chris by another name. The call precipitates a sequence of events that involves bank robbers, kidnapping, wildfires, and daring armed escapes. There's no paranormal or even speculative elements to the story. For the 1950's, I'm pretty sure this was daring stuff. For a jaded reader of the 21st century, it's book fodder, unfortunately. As a recently renewed fan of Richard Matheson, I had to read it as part of his body of work. Otherwise, it would be a pass.
May 18, 2022
An exciting story that has been done a million times. This novel might have been unique at one time, but it was predictable. Not my favorite Richard Matheson story and I just didn't get into the story.
July 9, 2019
Great story! I was hooked from start to finish!
March 12, 2025
The best example of how married couple should treat each other. I cried at the end. A great short novel.
July 26, 2025
A fast-moving, almost breathless thriller from Richard Matheson, and basis for the movie Cold Sweat.
March 4, 2017
I'm not a big fan of short stories but this had quite a bit of suspense.
October 31, 2016
Едно младо семейство си живее съвсем прилично, докато едно телефонно позвъняване от миналото променя всичко. Избягали от затвора стари познати хвърлят Крис в двудневен кошмар, за да спаси жена си и дъщеря си, трябва да просто да го яхне, пък каквото ще да става.
Много пъплпи произведение, ама съвсем в традициите на тази литература. Едно от най-ранните неща на Матисън, което показва как е тръгнал от булевардни книжлета. Бруталният му потенциал като автор си личи още от първите изречения. С един сбъркан телефонен номер, те изправя на нокти и вече си в действие, което не можеш да оставиш докато не свърши, а то свършва на края на книжката.
Понеже съм расъл след като подобни книги са били модерни и не съм бил заливан с тях ми беше доста забавно.
Много пъплпи произведение, ама съвсем в традициите на тази литература. Едно от най-ранните неща на Матисън, което показва как е тръгнал от булевардни книжлета. Бруталният му потенциал като автор си личи още от първите изречения. С един сбъркан телефонен номер, те изправя на нокти и вече си в действие, което не можеш да оставиш докато не свърши, а то свършва на края на книжката.
Понеже съм расъл след като подобни книги са били модерни и не съм бил заливан с тях ми беше доста забавно.
December 18, 2009
A fast-paced thriller from a young Matheson. Fifteen years later, Chris Martin's perfect suburban life is disrupted by an echo from his long-forgotten past. Can his marriage survive the revelation? Can he survive the irruption into his life of three characters he once cavorted with?
April 9, 2022
A thrilling novel by Matheson. Aspects of the plot reminded me of the graphic novel A History of Violence, in that it is a story about an average family with a husband that has a checkered past that catches up to him in an unexpected way.
July 24, 2015
I thought this book was brilliant. Short, fast paced, good old fashioned story with a great soppy ending.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews