Customer Reviews

Earthbound

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Matheson has had a long and distinguished career as a writer of speculative fiction -- sometimes fitting better in the science fiction category, and sometimes more in horror, but always solid, imaginative fiction. EARTHBOUND is another of his tales that truly defies easy genre classification as it effortlessly blends elements of suspense and horror in a tale that is both a supernatural chiller and suspense filled tale of obsession. Unholy desires fill the beautiful and mysterious Marianna that comes to visit David, the protagonist, whenever his wife is away. This leads to a spiral of depravity, fear and guilt for David--and a chilling conclusion that exposes secrets that lie deep in the past. Truly a tortuously entertaining tale that is highly recommended.

I'm a recent fan of Richard Matheson, and this my recent Matheson discovery. This story is about a couple trying to re-ignite the flame of their marriage by revisiting their original honeymoon. A bizarre story quickly unfolds at that point, with some suspense and twists/turns.

I do agree with some of the criticism of this book - it was short, it wasn't as "depthy" as some of his other work. And this is understandable - not a lot of people realize this, but this book started out as a short story written very early in Matheson's career, over 25 years ago. But Matheson revisted it, added to it, and the final product is still a great story with some unique twists. Besides, sometimes I prefer reading "leisurely", and being able to tackle the whole thing in just a day or two. (Call it a guilty pleasure?)

I'm not rating this based on a comparison of his other books, rather, I'm just giving a rating based on how much I enjoyed reading it. Be warned - it does have some erotic moments.

Who would I recommend this book to? I suspect you would like this if you like Matheson's other books/movies, or if you like the TV shows Fallen, New Amsterdam, Moonlight, Heroes, etc.

This is the latest Richard Matheson book Ive read, it was a great fast read, finnished it all in one day. Its a well written story of a troubled marriage with the couple trying to recapture their honeymoon by returning to the same place their original one was..... Then some crazy things start happening.
I was worried about the ending, but just when you think you know whats going on.... think again!
All in all, I liked the book, not one of Mathesons best books, but a great read none the less

David and Ellen came to the lonely beachside cottage in hopes of rekindling their troubled marriage. Yet they are not alone on their second honeymoon. Marianna, the most beautiful woman David has ever seen, appears whenever Ellen is out of the house. Even as she seduces him, David begins to realize that something is terribly wrong. And when an elderly neighbor tells him the story of Marianna he slowly accepts it as the truth, but is still powerless to resist her.

I found the story chilling and captivating - you'll want to read it all in one sitting. Highly recommended.

While I did not enjoy this book as much as Matheson's 'HELL HOUSE' I did find it eerie and hair-raising. It definatley does not contain the number of blood-curdling scenes that 'HELL HOUSE' does (which is an EXCELLENT book) but for a (relativley) short novel it is a fun excursion into the world of ghosts and possession. I recommend this book highly if you enjoy Matheson already (or are looking for a one-nighter), but if you like longer, darker, more complicated tales check out Stephen King's 'IT'.

I'm an A1 Richard Matheson fan. but this one is a classic ghost tale gone terribly wrong. Unlike his excellent suspense classic HELL HOUSE, this book starts out promising but ends up being ridiculous. Don't waste time, go straight to I AM LEGEND, THE SHRINKING MAN, or 7 STEPS TO MIDNIGHT for some truly exceptional Matheson mayhem.

A fairly rambling ghost story that is ultimately not on par with Matheson's classic Hell House, but is okay if you don't expect much. Too much introspection on the part of the "hero" and not enough stuff really happens. Might be a little too graphic sexually for some people looking for an old fashioned haunted house tale.

Earthbound was originally published in 1982 under the pen name Logan Swanson. That Earthbound version was more edited than this 1989 re-release under his own name.

Earthbound is certainly no where near the masterpiece league level of Matheson's classics I Am Legend, The Shrinking Man or Duel but it is still an enjoyable read.

Richard Matheson is the master of the normal guy suddenly plunged into a terrifying situation thriller and we certainly have that with the main character, husband David who is trying to rekindle his marriage to wife Ellen by revisiting their same original honeymoon destination, Logan Beach. The story isn't as well written as in the above mentioned masterpieces but through David's eyes we do get to experience his changing emotions including everything from lust to fear. Nor are there any twists in Earthbound, pretty much what you think is going on is and what you think is going to happen does.

So the basic plot is a troubled in marriage couple revisit the spot of their honeymoon in the hope of rekindling the flame of their marriage. David is determined to do this however when his wife goes out walking one night and he decides to surprise her with a cosy fire in the living room or their rental property he is surprised when another woman is standing in the doorway. Her name is Marianna and she is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen, she tells him she mistook him for a former renter but shows him the renter's paintings, and also a secret room. David knows he shouldn't but has strong lust towards this strange woman and when he has an argument with his wife who goes to sulk in the bedroom and Marianna reappears he doesn't object to sleeping with her in the secret room. The affair continues as David debates if he should be doing it in his mind or leaving the house and returning early with Ellen to their home. David also seems to be losing more energy and becoming very tired all the time. The old lady down the road also tells him something terrifying about his new mistress which surely David thinks can't be true. Can he escape the lure of the earthbound Marianna before its too late?

So although good enough to pass the time I wouldn't buy Earthbound for someone to introduce them to Matheson's work. However if they've read all his classics, it's worth picking up.

This is most definately not Richard Matheson's best work. It's an OK read but it wasn't quite what I would expect from him. It simply seemed to be lacking the depth of a typical Matheson novel. If you're like me you're going to buy it anyways because you love Richard Matheson's work; but don't be surprised when you place it on the shelf never to read again.

earthbound is a okay book, but it is not up to par with his other novels. in fact, you would be better off to think of it as a novella. the character development (or lack thereof) is very poor and the characters are pretty one sided. It takes an interesting concept, but even Matheson's immense skill for writing couldn't save this one. If you are new to his work, try Hell House or I am Legend instead. This one is definitely for the die hard fans of his writing and it just didnt work for me...