Richard Matheson is a great, unsung hero of literature. While he is well-known in writerly circles, he often seems vacant from mainstream discussion. Nevertheless, he may be one of the most talented horror authors and genre writers of all time. This is because he writes in a modern, straightforward way that speaks to a universal audience. His style is utilitarian, and has no frills or accoutrement. Putting it plainly, he is just a brilliant writer with an equitable style. In this post, we will analyze his history and his style.
About Richard Matheson
Born in Allendale, New Jersey on Feb. 20, 1926, Matheson loved the film Dracula and the writings of history author Kenneth Roberts. He attended Brooklyn Technical High School and went on to serve in the US Army during WWII before entering The Missouri School of Journalism.
Matheson started his career much like many other writers by writing short stories. His first story published, “Born of Man and Woman,” which told the tale of a monster child, appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.
Following this, Matheson’s career became a long one, and he wrote a lot material in many genres, including science fiction and horror. His list of written works features numerous books that include The Beardless Warriors, The Incredible Shrinking Man, A Stir of Echoes, and What Dreams May Come. He is also an accomplished short story writer, having written “Third from the Sun,” “Little Girl Lost,” “The Conqueror,” and “Steel.”
Likewise, he has written many films, such as Tales of Terror and The Legend of Hell House. Most notably, Matheson wrote 14 episodes of The Twilight Zone, also writing Rod Serling’s introduction and concluding statement of each episode. He also wrote the two Kolchak: The Night Stalker movies. Considering this, his work is worth investigating purely for his ability to jump from genre to genre.
After a long and robust writing career, Matheson died at the age of 87 on June 23, 2013.
Matheson’s Lasting Impression
Matheson left behind a large quantity of memorable works and many of which defined genres, from the vampiric creatures in I am Legend to the harrowing science experiment in The Incredible Shrinking Man. This balance between genres is a difficult one to maintain, but his ability to create compelling stories of average people dealing with above average conflicts is a crucial element of his staying power.
Not only that, he inspired many authors who were on the rise, which in itself is an extraordinary achievement.
As stated by the AP:
“Matheson influenced several generations of storytellers. Among them were Stephen King, who dedicated his 2006 novel Cell to Matheson, and Steven Spielberg, whose first feature-length film was the made-for-TV movie Duel, based on the Matheson short story of the same name.”
