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The Shores of Space
Contents: Being (1954) • Pattern for Survival (1955) • Steel (1956) • The Test (1954) • Clothes Make the Man (1951) • Blood Son (1951) • Trespass (1953) • When Day Is Dun (1954) • The Curious Child (1954) • The Funeral (1955) • The Last Day (1953) • Little Girl Lost (1953) • The Doll That Does Everything (1954)
184 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1979
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313 people want to read
About the author
Richard Matheson
759 books4,799 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 42 reviews
October 27, 2016
The four novels that I had previously read by New Jersey-born Richard Matheson--namely, 1954's "I Am Legend," 1956's "The Shrinking Man," 1958's "A Stir of Echoes" and 1971's "Hell House"--all demonstrated to this reader what a sure hand the late author had in the fields of science fiction, fantasy and horror. Thus, it was no surprise to me that his 1957 collection "The Shores of Space," which features short stories in all three genres, turns out to be yet another winner from this beloved author. The collection gathers 13 of Matheson's shorter pieces from the 82 he penned before his passing, at age 87, in 2013; the stories here were written between the years 1951 and '56.
This reader was fortunate enough to acquire "The Shores of Space"’s second Bantam printing, which came out in '69, at Brooklyn bookstore extraordinaire Singularity, paying 10 times the book's original cover price of 50 cents. And a wonderful investment it's turned out to be, as all 13 tales in the collection are very pleasing affairs. Remarkably, not only do the stories deal with those three genres mentioned up top--sometimes mixing two in one tale--but Matheson reveals here an ability to alter his writing style to fit each particular piece. Thus, some of the stories are simply written, utilizing what Matheson has called in interviews a "less is more" approach, and some are hilariously overwritten, to great comedic effect. Displaying an unbridled imagination, a splendid knack for dialogue, and situations and denouements that simply cannot be anticipated, all 13 tales share one thing in common: tremendous entertainment value.
The collection kicks off in a big way with one of its two longer pieces, "Being," which expertly melds horror and sci-fi. Here, a young couple driving across Arizona is captured at gunpoint by a gas station owner and put into a sweltering cage under the desert sun. Their captor's predicament is soon made apparent: He's being compelled to provide human food sources for a bloblike alien whose spaceship has landed nearby! This story is told from the points of view of the young couple, the possessed captor, and the alien itself, and builds to an agonizingly suspenseful conclusion. A bravura piece of work here from Mr. Matheson.
"Pattern for Survival" depicts a nuclear-shattered world of the near future, and the important role that an author of escapist fiction (such as Matheson himself) might have in such a depleted landscape. This tale, short as it is, yet manages to make its succinct point.
In "Steel," we encounter two men who are bringing their boxing robot, Battling Maxo, to a bout in a small Kansas town in the futuristic year of, uh, 1980, when human matches have been outlawed. But when Maxo breaks down, its owner, Tim "Steel" Kelly, decides to simulate being a robot and fight the state-of-the-art Maynard Flash himself. This is a violent and downbeat story, to be sure, and if it sounds a bit familiar, it could be because Matheson adapted the tale, very faithfully, as the 10/4/63 "Twilight Zone" episode, also called "Steel"...although Lee Marvin is hardly the Steel as described in the original story.
"The Test" also takes place in the near future, and posits a world in which senior citizens must pass mental and physical examinations every five years, or else be put to sleep. Here, a family man helps his elderly Dad prepare for the following day's test, knowing full well that the senior has no chance of passing. The story examines the family's mixed feelings--sorrow at the elder's likely euthanasia, relief at not having to care for him anymore--and builds to a quiet finale of great emotional impact. This story, to my great embarrassment, got me all misty eyed on the NYC subway, where I read it; it is easily the most moving story in the collection, especially if you have recently lost your father, as I have.
"Clothes Make the Man" is a lighthearted fantasy of sorts, telling as it does the story of a suit of clothes that has more life than the person who wears it. A very strange twist ending caps off this playful little tale.
In "Blood Son," the reader meets a very odd little boy, Jules, whose stated ambition is to drink blood and be an undead vampire. After shocking his parents, teachers and schoolmates, Jules ultimately befriends and steals a vampire bat from the local zoo, leading to still another wonderful Matheson twist ending. Great fun!
Up next we have the longest story in the collection, "Trespass," in which a husband comes home from a six-month scientific trip to South America, only to find his wife two months pregnant. The wife insists that she has had no relations with any other man during that time, so what gives? After the little Mrs. evinces some very unusual pregnancy symptoms--a craving for salt, speaking in an unknown tongue, and a fetus with a double heart--the fearful answer is gradually revealed, in this increasingly suspenseful story.
"When Day Is Dun" presents us with another writer in a postapocalyptic world. This time, it is a poet--indeed, the last man on Earth--who is endeavoring to write an acid-filled screed on Earth's destroyers, before taking his own life. But when he learns that he is not, after all, the very last man on Earth, his plans get somewhat altered, in this very strange little story.
"The Curious Child" gives us the tale of Robert Graham, a NYC office worker, who one day finds that all his memories are slipping away from him. He can no longer remember where he parked his car or even where he lives. The answer to Graham's dilemma, however, is not early-onset dementia, but one having a rather science fictional basis, and one that few readers will foresee.
"The Funeral" is one of those amusingly overwritten comedic stories that I previously alluded to up top. Here, a witch, a hunchback, a werewolf and other ghastly celebrants gather at a mortuary to hold an honorary ceremony for their undead vampire friend, Asper. The events are witnessed by the director of Clooney's Cut-Rate Catafalque, one Morton Silkline, who becomes understandably aghast as the rites proceed. Some very amusing stuff here, truly.
In "The Last Day," the Earth is about to be snuffed out by the sun (at least, I think it's the sun; Matheson tells us that it is the sun, but confuses matters when he says, at one point, that the flaming object in the sky has blotted out the sun!), and we witness the orgies, violence, drunkenness and despair attendant on Earth's final hours. Could this 1953 story have been the inspiration for the British film "The Day the Earth Caught Fire" (1961), or the 11/17/61, Rod Serling-scripted "Twilight Zone" episode "The Midnight Sun"? I wonder...
In "Little Girl Lost," still another young married couple is faced with a truly bizarre conundrum. Their young daughter, it seems, has vanished. Although they can hear the girl's cries for help from beneath the living room sofa, the little missy herself is invisible. As it turns out, she has fallen into a gateway leading to another dimension, in this grippingly well-told story. And again, if this plot description seems to ring a bell, it might be because you have seen the 3/16/62 episode of "The Twilight Zone," also called "Little Girl Lost," and featuring a very faithful screen adaptation by Matheson himself.
"The Shores of Space" is closed out by another humorous short tale, told with rococo language, "The Doll That Does Everything." In this one, a poet husband and his sculptress wife have their lives made impossible by their holy terror of an infant, and purchase the play toy of the title in the hopes of keeping the little tyke quiet. But things don't go quite as planned, and are capped off by a morbidly delicious finale that Roald Dahl himself might have grinned at with approbation. And, oh, the language in this story:
"Foaming moonstruck octopus! Shovel-handed ape!" The blood-laced eyes of Ruthlen Beauson bagged gibbously behind their horn-rimmed lenses. At hipless sides, his fingers shook like leprous stringbeans in a gale. Ulcers within ulcers throbbed...
I love it!
So there you are...a baker's dozen from Richard Matheson, whom Stephen King has famously called "the author who influenced me most as a writer." As I'd expected, the man is now an impressively solid 5 for 5 with me, and I have a feeling that when I soon read his 1978 novel "What Dreams May Come," he will be an even more solid 6 for 6...
(By the way, this review originally appeared on the FanLit website at http://www.fantasyliterature.com/ ... a most excellent destination for all fans of Richard Matheson....)
This reader was fortunate enough to acquire "The Shores of Space"’s second Bantam printing, which came out in '69, at Brooklyn bookstore extraordinaire Singularity, paying 10 times the book's original cover price of 50 cents. And a wonderful investment it's turned out to be, as all 13 tales in the collection are very pleasing affairs. Remarkably, not only do the stories deal with those three genres mentioned up top--sometimes mixing two in one tale--but Matheson reveals here an ability to alter his writing style to fit each particular piece. Thus, some of the stories are simply written, utilizing what Matheson has called in interviews a "less is more" approach, and some are hilariously overwritten, to great comedic effect. Displaying an unbridled imagination, a splendid knack for dialogue, and situations and denouements that simply cannot be anticipated, all 13 tales share one thing in common: tremendous entertainment value.
The collection kicks off in a big way with one of its two longer pieces, "Being," which expertly melds horror and sci-fi. Here, a young couple driving across Arizona is captured at gunpoint by a gas station owner and put into a sweltering cage under the desert sun. Their captor's predicament is soon made apparent: He's being compelled to provide human food sources for a bloblike alien whose spaceship has landed nearby! This story is told from the points of view of the young couple, the possessed captor, and the alien itself, and builds to an agonizingly suspenseful conclusion. A bravura piece of work here from Mr. Matheson.
"Pattern for Survival" depicts a nuclear-shattered world of the near future, and the important role that an author of escapist fiction (such as Matheson himself) might have in such a depleted landscape. This tale, short as it is, yet manages to make its succinct point.
In "Steel," we encounter two men who are bringing their boxing robot, Battling Maxo, to a bout in a small Kansas town in the futuristic year of, uh, 1980, when human matches have been outlawed. But when Maxo breaks down, its owner, Tim "Steel" Kelly, decides to simulate being a robot and fight the state-of-the-art Maynard Flash himself. This is a violent and downbeat story, to be sure, and if it sounds a bit familiar, it could be because Matheson adapted the tale, very faithfully, as the 10/4/63 "Twilight Zone" episode, also called "Steel"...although Lee Marvin is hardly the Steel as described in the original story.
"The Test" also takes place in the near future, and posits a world in which senior citizens must pass mental and physical examinations every five years, or else be put to sleep. Here, a family man helps his elderly Dad prepare for the following day's test, knowing full well that the senior has no chance of passing. The story examines the family's mixed feelings--sorrow at the elder's likely euthanasia, relief at not having to care for him anymore--and builds to a quiet finale of great emotional impact. This story, to my great embarrassment, got me all misty eyed on the NYC subway, where I read it; it is easily the most moving story in the collection, especially if you have recently lost your father, as I have.
"Clothes Make the Man" is a lighthearted fantasy of sorts, telling as it does the story of a suit of clothes that has more life than the person who wears it. A very strange twist ending caps off this playful little tale.
In "Blood Son," the reader meets a very odd little boy, Jules, whose stated ambition is to drink blood and be an undead vampire. After shocking his parents, teachers and schoolmates, Jules ultimately befriends and steals a vampire bat from the local zoo, leading to still another wonderful Matheson twist ending. Great fun!
Up next we have the longest story in the collection, "Trespass," in which a husband comes home from a six-month scientific trip to South America, only to find his wife two months pregnant. The wife insists that she has had no relations with any other man during that time, so what gives? After the little Mrs. evinces some very unusual pregnancy symptoms--a craving for salt, speaking in an unknown tongue, and a fetus with a double heart--the fearful answer is gradually revealed, in this increasingly suspenseful story.
"When Day Is Dun" presents us with another writer in a postapocalyptic world. This time, it is a poet--indeed, the last man on Earth--who is endeavoring to write an acid-filled screed on Earth's destroyers, before taking his own life. But when he learns that he is not, after all, the very last man on Earth, his plans get somewhat altered, in this very strange little story.
"The Curious Child" gives us the tale of Robert Graham, a NYC office worker, who one day finds that all his memories are slipping away from him. He can no longer remember where he parked his car or even where he lives. The answer to Graham's dilemma, however, is not early-onset dementia, but one having a rather science fictional basis, and one that few readers will foresee.
"The Funeral" is one of those amusingly overwritten comedic stories that I previously alluded to up top. Here, a witch, a hunchback, a werewolf and other ghastly celebrants gather at a mortuary to hold an honorary ceremony for their undead vampire friend, Asper. The events are witnessed by the director of Clooney's Cut-Rate Catafalque, one Morton Silkline, who becomes understandably aghast as the rites proceed. Some very amusing stuff here, truly.
In "The Last Day," the Earth is about to be snuffed out by the sun (at least, I think it's the sun; Matheson tells us that it is the sun, but confuses matters when he says, at one point, that the flaming object in the sky has blotted out the sun!), and we witness the orgies, violence, drunkenness and despair attendant on Earth's final hours. Could this 1953 story have been the inspiration for the British film "The Day the Earth Caught Fire" (1961), or the 11/17/61, Rod Serling-scripted "Twilight Zone" episode "The Midnight Sun"? I wonder...
In "Little Girl Lost," still another young married couple is faced with a truly bizarre conundrum. Their young daughter, it seems, has vanished. Although they can hear the girl's cries for help from beneath the living room sofa, the little missy herself is invisible. As it turns out, she has fallen into a gateway leading to another dimension, in this grippingly well-told story. And again, if this plot description seems to ring a bell, it might be because you have seen the 3/16/62 episode of "The Twilight Zone," also called "Little Girl Lost," and featuring a very faithful screen adaptation by Matheson himself.
"The Shores of Space" is closed out by another humorous short tale, told with rococo language, "The Doll That Does Everything." In this one, a poet husband and his sculptress wife have their lives made impossible by their holy terror of an infant, and purchase the play toy of the title in the hopes of keeping the little tyke quiet. But things don't go quite as planned, and are capped off by a morbidly delicious finale that Roald Dahl himself might have grinned at with approbation. And, oh, the language in this story:
"Foaming moonstruck octopus! Shovel-handed ape!" The blood-laced eyes of Ruthlen Beauson bagged gibbously behind their horn-rimmed lenses. At hipless sides, his fingers shook like leprous stringbeans in a gale. Ulcers within ulcers throbbed...
I love it!
So there you are...a baker's dozen from Richard Matheson, whom Stephen King has famously called "the author who influenced me most as a writer." As I'd expected, the man is now an impressively solid 5 for 5 with me, and I have a feeling that when I soon read his 1978 novel "What Dreams May Come," he will be an even more solid 6 for 6...
(By the way, this review originally appeared on the FanLit website at http://www.fantasyliterature.com/ ... a most excellent destination for all fans of Richard Matheson....)
July 9, 2013
-Imaginativo e incluso impactante en su tiempo, correcto actualmente.-
Género. Relatos.
Lo que nos cuenta. Recopilación de relatos escritos por el autor entre 1951 y 1956, conocida también como “Acero puro y otras historias” en ediciones más recientes, y que toca temas tan diversos como un inquietante embarazo sin coito, la literatura como forma de escapar a la realidad, desarrollos de negocio inesperados pero provechosos en una funeraria, el secuestro de una pareja con fines terribles, diferentes formas (y actitudes) de enfrentar el fin del mundo, soluciones desesperadas a problemas con un robot luchador antes de una pelea, la desaparición de una niña que sin embargo se sabe que está ahí mismo, una persona que repentinamente se siente totalmente desubicada, ominosas perspectivas para la tercera edad, los juguetes infantiles de última generación como posible ayuda en la educación de un niño díscolo, los efectos de las musas sobre la inspiración en circunstancias extremas, ropa con personalidad muy acusada y un niño que de mayor quiere ser vampiro.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
Género. Relatos.
Lo que nos cuenta. Recopilación de relatos escritos por el autor entre 1951 y 1956, conocida también como “Acero puro y otras historias” en ediciones más recientes, y que toca temas tan diversos como un inquietante embarazo sin coito, la literatura como forma de escapar a la realidad, desarrollos de negocio inesperados pero provechosos en una funeraria, el secuestro de una pareja con fines terribles, diferentes formas (y actitudes) de enfrentar el fin del mundo, soluciones desesperadas a problemas con un robot luchador antes de una pelea, la desaparición de una niña que sin embargo se sabe que está ahí mismo, una persona que repentinamente se siente totalmente desubicada, ominosas perspectivas para la tercera edad, los juguetes infantiles de última generación como posible ayuda en la educación de un niño díscolo, los efectos de las musas sobre la inspiración en circunstancias extremas, ropa con personalidad muy acusada y un niño que de mayor quiere ser vampiro.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
July 14, 2021
Scored by a friend at a library book sale, a couldn't-be-better 1969 Dell paperback edition. It has a nicely sized stack of stories, ranging from slight to brilliant, about half of which I'd read before. No worries. Like all Matheson, it's extremely readable.
August 25, 2020
An excellent collection of Matheson's short stories from the 50's. You'll recognize a few of them if you've seen old Twilight Zone episodes. Don't let that that sway you from reading the original source material here however. Matheson, like Robert Bloch and Ray Bradbury, could cross genres from noir to horror to science fiction by giving you relatable characters in extreme situations. I would recommend any of his collections.
September 20, 2021
* Acero puro 3.5 estrellas / 03-05-2020
* Hijo de sangre 3 estrellas / 17-10-2020
* El niño curioso 3.5 estrellas / 19-09-2021
* Hijo de sangre 3 estrellas / 17-10-2020
* El niño curioso 3.5 estrellas / 19-09-2021
December 30, 2025
Este libro hoy en día podría ser un cuatro estrellas. Pero no puedo dejar de pensar EN QUE FUE ESCRITO EN 1957.
Se habla mucho de Phillip K. Dick, Asimov, y toda la camada de asiáticos, pero Richard Matheson está a la altura de todos ellos sin envidiarles nada.
Cada cuento es una idea original que te deja pensando cómo nos comportamos en sociedad, qué decisiones tomaríamos ante ciertas actitudes de los otros y ante lo externo como antagonista.
Sublime, directo a buscar más libros del autor.
Se habla mucho de Phillip K. Dick, Asimov, y toda la camada de asiáticos, pero Richard Matheson está a la altura de todos ellos sin envidiarles nada.
Cada cuento es una idea original que te deja pensando cómo nos comportamos en sociedad, qué decisiones tomaríamos ante ciertas actitudes de los otros y ante lo externo como antagonista.
Sublime, directo a buscar más libros del autor.
December 28, 2011
Las playas del Espacio es un compedio de relatos de Richard Matheson publicado en el año 1977, año en que nací, escritos en fechas que van de 1951 a 1955.
Quizás este compendio logre ponerse de moda, puesto que el relato Acero inspira el reciente film 'Gigantes de Acero' -razón por la que me busqué y leí los cuentos- y que la misma editorial acaba de relanzar con el nombre 'Acero Puro'.
Cuando le toque avaluar estos relatos, considere usted la fecha en que fueron escritos. Hoy en día imaginarnos lo imposible es casi parte de nuestra cotidianidad, ya no tememos desatar nuestros sueños, aspiraciones y terrores respecto al futuro, porque sencillamente ya sabemos que 'todo es posible' para el hombre de vanguardia, ciencia y tecnología.
Son trece relatos -y esto me fascina puesto que tengo mis propias obsesiones con escribir un compendio de relatos de horror bajo este número- que comienzan con El Ser con un horror desolado, desértico y polvoriento al estilo espantoso de Las Colinas tienen ojos pero que se va por una maldad no intencionada y más bien accidental. Su mayor mérito: la espantosa atmósfera que logra construir.
Acero es un crudo drama que nada tiene que ver con el edulcorado y cebollero film.
Una manera de sobrevivir es una lúdica narración con punch de comedia negra.
El Examen un drama alrededor de una sociedad que tiene la potestad de desacreditar tus habilidades para permanecer vivo.
El hábito hace el monje otro cruento chiste. Humor negro en gotas. Bueno a mi me dió mucha risa, quizás que tu identidad desaparezca no sea tan gracioso.
Hijo de sangre este sería para mí, uno de los más insignificantes relatos. ¿Que tan mal te puede salir el que des con tu más admirado personaje? Juzguen ustedes cuando lo lean.
El invasor el otro relato que me crispó los nervios hasta el dolor, y el más largo de todos, puesto que empaticé con el sufrimiento de la mujer. Versa sobre una pareja que lidia con un inesperado embarazo. Sin embargo la resolución final, y la explicadera innecesaria me fasditió la experiencia. El terror funciona mucho mejor si no se justifica en explicaciones razonadas.
Cuando se acaba el día Me recordó mucho muchísimo Cuna de Gato de Kurt Vonnegut... ah los genios coinciden en temas. Versa sobre el último hombre en la tierra y SU misión de plasmar para la eternidad la huella humana.
El niño curioso extraño, el título no tiene nada que ver. Otro relato capaz de llevarnos a la más pura angustia ante el miedo de lo que de verdad sí puede pasarnos. Y si, de repente, empezáramos a olvidar... algo así como un alzheimer muy violento.
El Funeral intrascendente pero cómico relato.
El último día ¿qué autor de ciencia ficción no estaría realizado sin haber aportado su visión sobre el último día de existencia del planeta tierra?
La niña extraviada Oh, sería digno de una adaptación cinematográfica. La cuarta dimensión le echa una broma desagradable a unos pobres padres con un sofá mal ubicado.
El compañero de juegos Un evil twisted de Inteligencia Artificial.
Quizás este compendio logre ponerse de moda, puesto que el relato Acero inspira el reciente film 'Gigantes de Acero' -razón por la que me busqué y leí los cuentos- y que la misma editorial acaba de relanzar con el nombre 'Acero Puro'.
Cuando le toque avaluar estos relatos, considere usted la fecha en que fueron escritos. Hoy en día imaginarnos lo imposible es casi parte de nuestra cotidianidad, ya no tememos desatar nuestros sueños, aspiraciones y terrores respecto al futuro, porque sencillamente ya sabemos que 'todo es posible' para el hombre de vanguardia, ciencia y tecnología.
Son trece relatos -y esto me fascina puesto que tengo mis propias obsesiones con escribir un compendio de relatos de horror bajo este número- que comienzan con El Ser con un horror desolado, desértico y polvoriento al estilo espantoso de Las Colinas tienen ojos pero que se va por una maldad no intencionada y más bien accidental. Su mayor mérito: la espantosa atmósfera que logra construir.
Acero es un crudo drama que nada tiene que ver con el edulcorado y cebollero film.
Una manera de sobrevivir es una lúdica narración con punch de comedia negra.
El Examen un drama alrededor de una sociedad que tiene la potestad de desacreditar tus habilidades para permanecer vivo.
El hábito hace el monje otro cruento chiste. Humor negro en gotas. Bueno a mi me dió mucha risa, quizás que tu identidad desaparezca no sea tan gracioso.
Hijo de sangre este sería para mí, uno de los más insignificantes relatos. ¿Que tan mal te puede salir el que des con tu más admirado personaje? Juzguen ustedes cuando lo lean.
El invasor el otro relato que me crispó los nervios hasta el dolor, y el más largo de todos, puesto que empaticé con el sufrimiento de la mujer. Versa sobre una pareja que lidia con un inesperado embarazo. Sin embargo la resolución final, y la explicadera innecesaria me fasditió la experiencia. El terror funciona mucho mejor si no se justifica en explicaciones razonadas.
Cuando se acaba el día Me recordó mucho muchísimo Cuna de Gato de Kurt Vonnegut... ah los genios coinciden en temas. Versa sobre el último hombre en la tierra y SU misión de plasmar para la eternidad la huella humana.
El niño curioso extraño, el título no tiene nada que ver. Otro relato capaz de llevarnos a la más pura angustia ante el miedo de lo que de verdad sí puede pasarnos. Y si, de repente, empezáramos a olvidar... algo así como un alzheimer muy violento.
El Funeral intrascendente pero cómico relato.
El último día ¿qué autor de ciencia ficción no estaría realizado sin haber aportado su visión sobre el último día de existencia del planeta tierra?
La niña extraviada Oh, sería digno de una adaptación cinematográfica. La cuarta dimensión le echa una broma desagradable a unos pobres padres con un sofá mal ubicado.
El compañero de juegos Un evil twisted de Inteligencia Artificial.
May 4, 2013
A collection by the master originally published in 1957(this edition is a 1979 Berkley) of stories from the early fifties magazines.
Thirteen stories covering a wide range.
THE LAST DAY finds the Earth plunging in toward the sun. The world has gone crazy and a son wants to find his mother for those last moments. THE FUNERAL has a director conducting services for the dead, not nearly as normal as that sounds. LITTLE GIRL LOST was turned into a Twilight Zone episode by Matheson. STEEL finds an owner with a boxing robot sadly out of date though he remains ever optimistic. THE TEST could be relevant in these days of hysteria where older folks have to pass a test every few years to continue to live.
All stories are good, but those are my favorites.
Thirteen stories covering a wide range.
THE LAST DAY finds the Earth plunging in toward the sun. The world has gone crazy and a son wants to find his mother for those last moments. THE FUNERAL has a director conducting services for the dead, not nearly as normal as that sounds. LITTLE GIRL LOST was turned into a Twilight Zone episode by Matheson. STEEL finds an owner with a boxing robot sadly out of date though he remains ever optimistic. THE TEST could be relevant in these days of hysteria where older folks have to pass a test every few years to continue to live.
All stories are good, but those are my favorites.
February 4, 2012
Great short stories -- each one with a different tone and style. Some authors have a set tone of voice that all their stories take. Some authors are more flexible with their craft. Matheson appears to be one of the flexible ones, willing to treat each story as an experiment.
December 11, 2022
4/10
Trece relatos que, en su mayoría, me han parecido bastante flojos🙁
Trece relatos que, en su mayoría, me han parecido bastante flojos🙁
September 29, 2024
Matheson is as effective in 5 pages as he is in 50, his mastery of the short story never ceases to amaze me. I will continue to search for these story collections in every secondhand shop and bookstore I enter.
January 31, 2023
Being - 5/5 - Pretty cool alien horror story. I don't want to say much because it would be easy to spoil and I loved not knowing what was going to happen as I read
Pattern of Survival - 3.5/5 - I read it as a satirical take on being a writer. It's super short so if it's deeper than my reading you'll forgive my missing the bigger picture
Steel - 4/5 - Inspiration for the movie Real Steel. I prefer the more depressing aspect of the short story to the uplifting family drama of the movie
The Test - 4/5 -The story of being old in a soft dystopia
Clothes Make the Man - 3/5 - Very short and darkly comic story. Didn't blow my mind but I enjoyed it enough
Blood Son - 4/5 - Matheson might just be perfect at writing short yet effective horror stories
Trespass - 4/5 - One of his longer short stories but it has a great ramp up of a pretty unique and interesting concept
When Day is Dun - 2.5/5 - Not much to say. I just didn't get it
The Curious Child - 3/5 - A frightening concept of losing one's memory. Effectiveness of the story is very much dampened by the ending
The Funeral - 3.5/5 - Funny little story that horror fans would enjoy
The Last Day - 4/5 - The end of the world but people have known about it for awhile and are just coping. Pretty interesting stuff
Little Girl Lost - 3.5/5 - Accidental dimension hopping and a dog. How can you go wrong?
The Doll That Does Everything - 2.5/5 - The ending was pretty good but the characters were just too annoying for me to enjoy the story
Pattern of Survival - 3.5/5 - I read it as a satirical take on being a writer. It's super short so if it's deeper than my reading you'll forgive my missing the bigger picture
Steel - 4/5 - Inspiration for the movie Real Steel. I prefer the more depressing aspect of the short story to the uplifting family drama of the movie
The Test - 4/5 -The story of being old in a soft dystopia
Clothes Make the Man - 3/5 - Very short and darkly comic story. Didn't blow my mind but I enjoyed it enough
Blood Son - 4/5 - Matheson might just be perfect at writing short yet effective horror stories
Trespass - 4/5 - One of his longer short stories but it has a great ramp up of a pretty unique and interesting concept
When Day is Dun - 2.5/5 - Not much to say. I just didn't get it
The Curious Child - 3/5 - A frightening concept of losing one's memory. Effectiveness of the story is very much dampened by the ending
The Funeral - 3.5/5 - Funny little story that horror fans would enjoy
The Last Day - 4/5 - The end of the world but people have known about it for awhile and are just coping. Pretty interesting stuff
Little Girl Lost - 3.5/5 - Accidental dimension hopping and a dog. How can you go wrong?
The Doll That Does Everything - 2.5/5 - The ending was pretty good but the characters were just too annoying for me to enjoy the story
March 21, 2017
Was surprised to see that any other Goodreaders had actually read this book, much less reviewed it. It’s really just another old paperback from my Dad’s bookshelf, picked out for sentimental reasons before we called in the estate folks. Anyway, it turned out to be better than I expected, considering it’s a rather unmemorable collection of mid-50’s short stories.
First off, a terrible title, since these are mostly all straight horror stories, not sci-fi – none of them even take place in a future beyond (a rather amusingly portrayed) 1980. Like many short stories from that era, a lot of them are really just vignettes or one-note ideas that have since become clichés – they kept the robot child and killed the real boy!; the woman was impregnated…by an alien! – but there are still a few clever ideas here and some really nice writing, especially in the longer stories, “Being,” “The Test,” “The Last Day.”
What was really more interesting is what I learned about Matheson himself when I clicked on the author link. I really knew him only from I Am Legend, but it turns out he was a major horror/sci-fi writer of his time, and a bit of a player in both TV and the movies. Other than “Legend,” he wrote the books that were made into “Somewhere in Time” and “What Dreams May Come.” And he was an early writer for “The Twilight Zone” (which is probably why so many of his stories read like episodes). In fact, he wrote the famous William Shatner episode where he saw the alien on the airplane wing! Finally, he even wrote the story that Steven Spielberg made into his first real project, “Duel.” So an interesting character indeed.
That said, most of his work hasn’t held up very well. Again, what may have been fresh then is all a cliché now, and like many dreamers of the 50’s they were amazingly – and amusingly – off base on predictive science and technology. And what’s with the hats? No matter how far all these guys project into the future, they still have everybody wearing hats – apparently NOBODY saw that one coming.
Despite the overall level of what now reads as mediocrity, I was struck by a number of his final sentences, many of which had a surprisingly sad beauty to them:
“They sat there in the evening of the last day. And, though there was no actual point to it, they loved each other.”
“And all night there was silence in the old man’s room. And the next day, silence.”
“On Saturday…there was a violent explosion in the desert and people twenty miles away picked up strange metals in their yards.
“A meteor,” they said but that was because they had to say something.”
First off, a terrible title, since these are mostly all straight horror stories, not sci-fi – none of them even take place in a future beyond (a rather amusingly portrayed) 1980. Like many short stories from that era, a lot of them are really just vignettes or one-note ideas that have since become clichés – they kept the robot child and killed the real boy!; the woman was impregnated…by an alien! – but there are still a few clever ideas here and some really nice writing, especially in the longer stories, “Being,” “The Test,” “The Last Day.”
What was really more interesting is what I learned about Matheson himself when I clicked on the author link. I really knew him only from I Am Legend, but it turns out he was a major horror/sci-fi writer of his time, and a bit of a player in both TV and the movies. Other than “Legend,” he wrote the books that were made into “Somewhere in Time” and “What Dreams May Come.” And he was an early writer for “The Twilight Zone” (which is probably why so many of his stories read like episodes). In fact, he wrote the famous William Shatner episode where he saw the alien on the airplane wing! Finally, he even wrote the story that Steven Spielberg made into his first real project, “Duel.” So an interesting character indeed.
That said, most of his work hasn’t held up very well. Again, what may have been fresh then is all a cliché now, and like many dreamers of the 50’s they were amazingly – and amusingly – off base on predictive science and technology. And what’s with the hats? No matter how far all these guys project into the future, they still have everybody wearing hats – apparently NOBODY saw that one coming.
Despite the overall level of what now reads as mediocrity, I was struck by a number of his final sentences, many of which had a surprisingly sad beauty to them:
“They sat there in the evening of the last day. And, though there was no actual point to it, they loved each other.”
“And all night there was silence in the old man’s room. And the next day, silence.”
“On Saturday…there was a violent explosion in the desert and people twenty miles away picked up strange metals in their yards.
“A meteor,” they said but that was because they had to say something.”
May 27, 2020
Otra colección de Matheson, algunos relatos ya los había leído pero no dejan de ser fantásticos, algunos no tan buenos, el resto muy bueno, unos cuantos soberbios, como siempre diré es un genio y punto, disfruto mucho de leerlo cada que tengo oportunidad, una muy buena colección, apela mucho a la nostalgia en varios, terror cósmico, paranormal, ciencia ficción, fantasía, pero también algunos bastante graciosos pero no por las razones adecuadas.
Recomendable para amantes del autor y buena compilación para conocer el trabajo de uno de los mejores escritores que ha tenido los Estados Unidos sin lugar a duda y que más ha influenciado la cultura popular, no por nada amigo e influencia enorme del gran Stephen King.
Recomendable para amantes del autor y buena compilación para conocer el trabajo de uno de los mejores escritores que ha tenido los Estados Unidos sin lugar a duda y que más ha influenciado la cultura popular, no por nada amigo e influencia enorme del gran Stephen King.
June 13, 2018
The depth of this wonderful author's imagination never ceases to amaze me. One of the reasons Matheson is memorable is not because he's flashy, gory, or shocking; it's because he takes a simple human emotion or fear and builds upon it. He shows us how fragile our human lives truly are and how precious our connections are to each other. If you've never read a Matheson short, you're missing one of the masters. There are few authors that have moved me to tears; Richard Matheson is one of those storytellers.
March 16, 2023
Excelentes cuentos de un maestro de la ciencia ficcion, cada cuento busca tener su vuelta de tuerca y en muchos lo logra y sorprende; en otros ya te ves venir los giros de la trama.
Este libro conocido originalmente como Las playas del espacio, pero toma el nombre en español del cuento que inspiro a la pelicula de disney, pero al leer las historias queda claro que el señor Richard Matheson ha escrito muchas cosas que hemos consumido en otros medios.
Gran obra que merece ser leida.
Este libro conocido originalmente como Las playas del espacio, pero toma el nombre en español del cuento que inspiro a la pelicula de disney, pero al leer las historias queda claro que el señor Richard Matheson ha escrito muchas cosas que hemos consumido en otros medios.
Gran obra que merece ser leida.
August 21, 2024
I've been a huge fan of Richard Matheson's writing since I was ten and first encountered his work in the "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" series of books. He wrote some superb Twilight Zone episodes, including "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" starring William Shatner, as well as the TV movie "Duel" (directed by a then relatively unknown Stephen Spielberg), "Trilogy of Terror" starring the great Karen Black, and, of course, "I am Legend", which would appear on the big screen as the haunting "Omega Man", starring Charlton Heston. His short story "Where There's a Will" is unforgettable.
That said, this book was a letdown. The best story among the bunch was probably "Steel", about a pair of down-on-their-luck boxing android owners. "Prey" about a human-gobbling alien, was also pretty entertaining, but most of these were meant to be a little silly, and seemed to be poor attempts at imitating Ray Bradbury's work, in terms of content, style, and titles. unfortunately, they don't even come close in polish and impact.
This is worth reading if you're a completist and already a fan of Matheson's writing. If not, I'd skip this one, and read "I am Legend" or The Penguin "Collected Works of Richard Matheson" for a better sampling of this superb writer's work.
That said, this book was a letdown. The best story among the bunch was probably "Steel", about a pair of down-on-their-luck boxing android owners. "Prey" about a human-gobbling alien, was also pretty entertaining, but most of these were meant to be a little silly, and seemed to be poor attempts at imitating Ray Bradbury's work, in terms of content, style, and titles. unfortunately, they don't even come close in polish and impact.
This is worth reading if you're a completist and already a fan of Matheson's writing. If not, I'd skip this one, and read "I am Legend" or The Penguin "Collected Works of Richard Matheson" for a better sampling of this superb writer's work.
April 23, 2024
A mixed bag of short stories. Steel, The Test, and The Last Day are the best of the bunch; all are fairly solid sci-fi dramas. Clothes Make the Man is more of a clever joke. Being and Trespass are interesting concepts that go on way too long. When Day is Dun, The Doll That Does Everything, and The Funeral seem to exist solely to expand Matheson's vocabulary. And both The Curious Child and Little Girl Lost would be perfect horror stories if Matheson hadn't tacked on explanatory endings. We don't need to know why a guy suddenly starts losing his memory, and we don't need to know why a little girl vanishes but can still be heard; the situations sell the stories, the explanations ruin them. As the saying goes, the noise in the dark is always scarier than what makes the noise in the dark.
August 3, 2024
Interesante recopilación de relatos de Matheson. El volumen no es demasiado extenso y cuenta con trece historias de extensión variable. Los relatos son para varios gustos, algunos coquetean con el terror y entes alienígenas y otros se enfocan más en aspectos de la estética del fin del mundo (un poco en la línea de "Soy Leyenda"). No soy un experto en Matheson, pero creo que los relatos compilados muestran un poco la prosa sencilla y clara del autor así como el tipo de temas sobre los que gustaba explorar. Es de reseñar que Matheson combina lo cotidiano con lo extraordinario. Recomiendo este libro a quienes deseen adentrarse en el universo de Matheson y descubrir su estilo y narrativa, que sigue resonando con fuerza en el panorama literario.
March 13, 2025
Fairly dated, but enjoyable for the most part. One story was worthy of five stars, one of four, and the remainder were two or three.
The horror simply doesn’t hold up in 2025. This is in part because Matheson himself was one of the originals; his concepts have been built upon and improved, and we’ve seen them done to death.
The one standout story is The Last Day, and any modern reprints would be wise to close the book with it. Again, the horror doesn’t translate, but this is the one piece from the collection where the main theme is what it is to be human - timeless. Were all the stories of this caliber I would recommend picking it up.
As it stands, unless you have a particular soft spot for classic campy horror and sci-fi, you can probably give this a pass.
The horror simply doesn’t hold up in 2025. This is in part because Matheson himself was one of the originals; his concepts have been built upon and improved, and we’ve seen them done to death.
The one standout story is The Last Day, and any modern reprints would be wise to close the book with it. Again, the horror doesn’t translate, but this is the one piece from the collection where the main theme is what it is to be human - timeless. Were all the stories of this caliber I would recommend picking it up.
As it stands, unless you have a particular soft spot for classic campy horror and sci-fi, you can probably give this a pass.
May 6, 2018
Le hubiera dado 3 estrellas y media, pero como no puedo le voy a dar 4, porque me gustó bastante. Algunas historias son mejores que otras, pero en general es una colección bastante buena, y se lo recomiendo a cualquiera que le guste la ficción (Y no sólo hablo de ciencia ficción, también hay algunos cuentos más fantasiosos aquí).
October 8, 2024
Se trata de una antología de relatos con toques sci-fi/paranormal. No fue de mi desagrado pero sentí que tras una buena idea de origen, no daba esa vuelta de tuerca adicional que lo transformaría en grandes relatos. Eso hizo que no me enamorase de ningún relato en concreto. Cumple pero esperaba más.
September 2, 2018
A collection of Matheson shorts that delivers everything Matheson fans love: fast moving stories of wonder, loss, and speculation. No frills, many chills. "The Test" and "The Last Day" highlight the collection.
December 23, 2018
5/10. Media de los 3 libros leídos del autor : 5/10
la fama de Matheson creo que ha venido por "Soy Leyenda", mas gracias a que la peli la protagonizaba Will Smith que a otra cosa (creo). Pues bien, a mi los tres libros que leí suyos de chaval ni fu ni fa.
la fama de Matheson creo que ha venido por "Soy Leyenda", mas gracias a que la peli la protagonizaba Will Smith que a otra cosa (creo). Pues bien, a mi los tres libros que leí suyos de chaval ni fu ni fa.
September 8, 2020
That was a really fun read. I’d give it 4.5 stars.
Some of the short stories were less intense, more kid friendly,or silly, but a few of them were stark and spooky.
Regardless the writing was really great.
I gotta read I am legend now.
Some of the short stories were less intense, more kid friendly,or silly, but a few of them were stark and spooky.
Regardless the writing was really great.
I gotta read I am legend now.
May 24, 2020
Irregular, como casi todos los libros de relatos. Recomendable para aficionados a la ciencia ficción de los años 50.
September 7, 2025
The Day is Dun is a new favorite of mine — last words on the last word.
September 11, 2025
Very Twilight Zone in style and content, but a series of mostly engaging short stories. The Last Day is probably the best.
July 2, 2024
A terrific collection of science fiction and horror tales from one of the masters of modern genre fiction, focussing upon Matheson's best short stories of the early to mid 50s. Fans of the original Twilight Zone will - unsurprisingly, since Matheson contributed numerous scripts to that TV show - enjoy this book enormously.
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