Darker Places [Hardcover]

Richard Matheson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This cunningly wrought horror collection from master storyteller Matheson contains six early tales and an unproduced screenplay adaptation of John Saul's 1989 novel, Creature. In "Revolution," we learn that there's more in the blank stare of the animal world than mere complacency when one man becomes attuned to the surrounding fauna's radicalized proletarian message. "Puppy," a chilling tale of revenge, concerns an overbearing mother who becomes murderously jealous of her little boy's new pet, but can't seem to get rid of the darn thing, no matter how relentlessly she tries. "Cassidy's Shoes" focuses on a Broadway dancer and the haunted shoes that are just killing his feet—and perhaps him as well. The strongest piece is "Little Girl Knocking at My Door," in which a ghostly playmate slowly wins the affection—and, finally, the soul—of a young couple's daughter. This little gem is a tour de force demonstration of every creeping dread a child-in-danger tale can induce. The screenplay Creature similarly raises shudders, as the reasons that a small-town football team is just a bit too good are slowly revealed. Matheson fans and collectors should be well pleased.
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Product Details

• Hardcover: 124 pages
• Publisher: Gauntlet Press; Limited edition (April 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1887368612
• ISBN-13: 978-1887368612
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,947,230 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely amazing!, May 29, 2004

By 

Igor (Horror-Web.Com) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Darker Places (Hardcover)

Darker Places is a spectacular collection of never before published stories by Matheson. While reading, I found myself asking "Why?" Why were these stories never released? Why did he hold back on us? Luckily I don't have his phone number, so I couldn't call and ask. But boy, did I want to! This collection is definitely an excellent read!

The first few stories have an animal theme, as the main focal point was a dog. I found this rather interesting. I think Matheson was ahead of his time with the first story. The dog in "The Revolution" swayed the characters to start thinking about vegetarianism and was in league with other animals in the world to start a revolution. I'm not sure when Matheson wrote this particular piece, but throughout the whole book I felt as though I was traveling through the episodes of the "Twilight Zone".

In "The Puppy" we are taken through a "Pet Semetary" like journey. It begins with a boy desperately wanting a puppy, and the mother refuses... In the end the boy finally gets the puppy. In order to appreciate this story, you have to learn how the puppy gets to their apartment in the first place, as well as, all the trouble that is gone through to terminate this animal.

My favorite story in this collection has to be, without a doubt, "Little Girl Knocking On My Door." The dog in this story plays a small role, but he is there nonetheless. The main focus of this story is a little girl who comes knocking on the door of a family's house to see if the girl living there can play. No one knows where she comes from, and has never seen her before in the neighborhood. The best part is when the mother and father finds out that the address that this anonymous girl gives as her address is in reality, not a home. Definitely a spooky story!

While reading, I visualized these stories in black and white television. I could feel the stereotypical comforts of the 50's and 60's through the dialogue given by the characters. I could feel the pain, confusion, and fear that each character held. There are a total of 5 stories and 2 scripts in this collection. These stories definitely take you to darker places. Absolutely amazing!

5 Stars from me!