The Twilight and Other Zones: The Dark Worlds of Richard Matheson [Paperback]

Stanley Wiater (Author), Mat Bradley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 27, 2009

The Twilight Zone * The Incredible Shrinking Man * Hell House

He is the author of I Am Legend, a novel that has spawned three movies, including the blockbuster starring Will Smith. He has influenced horror movie makers from the 1950s through the present. He gave baby boomers nightmares with the episodes he wrote for The Twilight Zone. He turned his books and stories into screenplays for dozens of films and television shows, including the first feature directed by Steven Spielberg, Duel. He inspired two generations of horror novelists, including Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and dozens more. Who is he? He is legend. He is Richard Matheson.

I Am Legend * Duel * Nightmare At 20,000 Feet

In this first, fully authorized biography and comprehensive companion devoted to the brilliant and groundbreaking author who has captivated audiences for over fifty years, Stanley Wiater, Matthew R. Bradley, and Paul Stuve pay homage to one of the most acclaimed and prolific writers of our time. Vividly detailed contributions from some of the biggest names in horror, sci-fi, and fantasy discuss Matheson's most famous tales and provide personal, behind-the-scenes insights into his work.

Somewhere In Time * The Night Stalker * Stir Of Echoes

Featuring contributions from Matheson's wife and children, complete indexes to his work in books, television, and film, and photos from his private collection, The Twilight and Other Zones gives readers a rare glimpse into the mind and unique talent of one of the world's most extraordinary legends.

With Essays By:
Harlan Ellison
Dean Koontz
Brian Lumley
David Morrell
F. Paul Wilson

Stanley Wiater is the creator and host of Dark Dreamers, a television series profiling personalities in horror and suspense. Recognized as "the world's leading expert on horror filmmakers and authors" (Radio-TV Interview Report), Wiater is coauthor of The Collected Stephen King Universe and Comic Book Rebels. He is also the editor of Richard Matheson's The Twilight Zone Scripts, and Richard Matheson: Collected Stories. In 1993 and 2005 he was master of ceremonies at the World Horror Convention. Wiater lives in Massachusetts with his wife and daughter.

Recognized as an authority on Richard Matheson, Matthew R. Bradley has interviewed Matheson's fellow members of the southern California school of writers Robert Bloch, Ray Bradbury, George Clayton Johnson, William F. Nolan, and Jerry Sohl and plans to publish a collection of these conversations. Bradley holds a B.A. in English Literature from Trinity College and worked in the book publishing and home video industries for 20 years. Currently he is copy specialist for MBI, Inc., in Norwalk, Connecticut, where he lives with his wife and daughter.

Paul Stuve is a clinical psychologist when he's not reading, collecting, or, most recently, writing about Richard Matheson. Over the years, he has assembled an outstanding collection of books, magazines, and other items relating to Matheson, some of which he graciously allowed Gauntlet Press to reproduce in Duel & The Distributor. He lives in Columbia, Missouri.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The author of The Incredible Shrinking Man, Somewhere in Time, I Am Legend and dozens of short stories (a number of which became Twilight Zone episodes), Richard Matheson is himself a modern legend, a writer who shaped modern terror (a term he prefers to "horror") and fantasy fiction, becoming a hero to Stephen King, Brian Lumley, Dean Koontz and others. This collection straddles the line between biography and reader's companion, but as the first fully authorized volume of its kind, it should enthrall devotees. Editors Wiater, Bradley and Stuve faithfully compile interviews with friends, family members and famous fans, as well as tributes, introductions to various Matheson editions and personal letters by the author. Boasting an exceptionally comprehensive, 150-page bibliography, this collection is clearly a labor of love. Those less enchanted by Matheson's work may find much redundant, as different introductory essays and tributes inevitably retread the same ground. For his part, Matheson speaks for himself quite eloquently, and there's more than enough insight and fan favor in the rest to satisfy serious aficionados.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Richard Matheson is far from a household name, yet his influence on popular fiction and Hollywood has been immeasurable. This collection of essays tracing Matheson’s creative contributions to both those domains constitutes a long-overdue celebration of his legacy. Among the more than two-dozen entries are accolades by colleagues, ranging from Harlan Ellison to Dean Koontz; reprints of afterwords and introductions to several of Matheson’s works, including his novel The Shrinking Man, whom Hollywood decided was Incredible in a 1957 hit film; and even tributes from his wife and four children. Serving primarily as a companion to Matheson’s oeuvre, the volume is a gold mine of interesting literary details. Stephen King, for instance, credits Matheson as his chief inspiration to become a writer. Steven Spielberg also acknowledges indebtedness to Matheson for the script to the made-for-TV movie Duel, which launched his career. An exhaustive Matheson bibliography that consumes a full third of the volume caps a fascinating, indispensable guide to a major figure in speculative fiction. --Carl Hays

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Citadel Press; Original edition (January 27, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806531134
• ISBN-13: 978-0806531137
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,256,539 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Praised by Stephen King as "a very talented journalist," Stanley Wiater is a widely acclaimed observer of the dark side of popular culture. He has interviewed more major horror and suspense authors, filmmakers, actors, and artists than any other journalist. He is the creator of "Dark Dreamers" (available on DVD at Amazon), a television series profiling these personalities, which has been broadcast in Canada and Great Britain.

Rue Morgue magazine has hailed him as "the top horror journalist in North
America for the past twenty-five years." He has won the coveted Bram Stoker
Award three times, and been nominated for the International Horror Guild, Hugo, Rondo, Eisner, Harvey, and Readercon awards. A collection of his short stories, "Intimate Strangers," has been dramatized and is available as an audio book at Amazon.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Same Book, Different Cover. Companion owners beware. Amazon Deceptive Purchase, March 23, 2010

By 

Bilko (Fenton, MI) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Twilight and Other Zones: The Dark Worlds of Richard Matheson (Paperback)

The book itself is a fine read, BUT it is virtually the same book as "Richard Matheson Companion" which I already have. So for me it was a ripoff. Matheson fans will enjoy it. It does say that it was renamed on one of the feps, but you can't tell that on amazon.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Richard Matheson, thank you, September 15, 2010

By 

Joel, Holden "Barry Eysman MY REAL NAME" (TN..) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Twilight and Other Zones (Kindle Edition)

from hands these days broken machines, from the boy me then, to the me now. May love bless you forever. Thank you for a world of thought, insight and fun.
barry

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars rejoice, January 9, 2010

By 

Brian Cole "Silent Gem" (The Big Apple) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Twilight and Other Zones: The Dark Worlds of Richard Matheson (Paperback)

I cannot believe I am the first person to review this book. Has not anyone else wanted to chime in? This is the first and ONLY authorized biography devoted to Richard Matheson. Sir Author contributed for this book which makes it all the more important. Matheson's wife and children helped contribute as well. Features a never-before-published essay by Richard Matheson. Screen career, filmogaphy, book dedications, anthology contributions, everything is included in this book. Stephen King himself said the writer who influenced him most was Richard Matheson.

I purchased four books about The Twilight Zone this year. Two were script books and I discovered, sadly, that the essays were the only good part of the book. The scripts themselves were only as fascinating as watching the same TV episode for the fifteenth time. Book three was written by Martin Grams, "The Twilight Zone: Unlocking the Door to a Television Classic" which is also available on Amazon.com. It has to be the finest book ever written on the subject. Book four was this one, "The Dark Worlds of Richard Matheson." This will remain on the top shelf (not the bottom shelf where I discard the crappy tomes until the cats shred them with their claws) as one of the best books of the year.

Do yourself a favor and buy this book for you or a Twilight Zone fan.