Customer Reviews

He Is Legend: An Anthology Celebrating Richard Matheson

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Make no mistake: the Stephen King and Joe Hill tale "Throttle" is the main attraction here. How does the father-and-son literary duo fare in their first collaboration? Pretty good, especially considering that their mission was to craft an homage to Matheson's original tale "Duel" (also included). The father and son in "Throttle" don't have the best relationship, which could be a sly wink to readers expecting a tender family story.

"Throttle" and the original Matheson tale "Duel" are entertaining for entirely different reasons. While the two stories share a similar premise (a faceless truck driver with road rage), they are very different. Matheson's story is all about escalating tension; the King/Hill collaboration begins at full throttle and never lets up. "Duel" is subtle; "Throttle" is visceral.

If you're a King fan but don't want to spend $60 for this limited edition anthology, the Road Rage audiobook is an economical alternative. I would expect it to be collected in a future King or Hill collection, though, so it's not a necessary purchase for most King fans. The film option has already been picked up, so it could see a mass market paperback release when (if?) the movie is released.

But if you do spring the $60 for this anthology, you'll be pleasantly surprised--Richard Matheson IS a legend, and it's fun to watch current authors try to match wits with the master.

Anybody interested in the stories of Richard Matheson should stick to his work and not this hodgepodge of rather ordinary sequel and prequels of his own vastly superior work. The only real selling point for this anthology is the unreleased script for "Conjure Wife" written in collaboration with Charles Beaumont. Do yourself a favor, and order some original Matheson work from Amazon. You'll be glad you did.