Career Richard Matheson

1 career

1.1 1950s , 1960s
1.2 1970s , 1980s
1.3 1990s
1.4 21st century
1.5 sources of inspiration

career
1950s , 1960s

his first-written novel, hunger , thirst, ignored publishers several decades before being published in 2010, short story born of man , woman published in magazine of fantasy & science fiction, summer 1950, new quarterly s third issue , attracted attention. tale of monstrous child chained parents in cellar, cast creature s diary in poignantly non-idiomatic english. later year placed stories in first , third numbers of galaxy science fiction, new monthly. first anthology of work published in 1954. between 1950 , 1971, produced dozens of stories, blending elements of science fiction, horror, , fantasy genres.

he member of southern california sorcerers in 1950s , 1960s, included charles beaumont, ray bradbury, george clayton johnson, william f. nolan, jerry sohl, , others.

several of stories, including third sun (1950), deadline (1959), , button, button (1970) simple sketches twist endings; others, trespass (1953), being (1954), , mute (1962) explore characters dilemmas on 20 or 30 pages. tales, such doll (1954) , funeral (1955) incorporate satirical humour @ expense of genre clichés, , written in overblown prose different matheson s usual pared-down style. others, test (1954) , steel (1956), portray moral , physical struggles of ordinary people, rather ubiquitous scientists , superheroes, in situations @ once futuristic , everyday. still others, such mad house (1953), curious child (1954), , perhaps of all, duel (1971), tales of paranoia, in everyday environment of present day becomes inexplicably alien or threatening. duel adapted 1971 tv movie of same name.

matheson s first novel published, bleeding, appeared lion books in 1953. in 1960, matheson published beardless warriors, non-fantastic, autobiographical novel teenage american soldiers in world war ii. filmed in 1967 young warriors though of matheson s plot jettisoned. during 1950s published handful of western stories (later collected in gun); , during 1990s published western novels such journal of gun years, gunfight, memoirs of wild bill hickok, , shadow on sun.

his other novels include shrinking man (1956, filmed in 1957 incredible shrinking man, again matheson s own screenplay) , science fiction vampire novel, legend (1954) (filmed last man on earth in 1964, omega man in 1971 , legend in 2007).

matheson wrote screenplays several television programs including westerns cheyenne, have gun – travel, , lawman. closely associated american tv series twilight zone, wrote more dozen episodes, including steel (1963), nightmare @ 20,000 feet (1963), little girl lost (1962), , death ship (1963). of twilight zone scripts, matheson wrote introductory , closing statements spoken creator rod serling. adapted 5 works of edgar allan poe roger corman s poe series, including house of usher (1960), pit , pendulum (1961), , raven (1963).

he wrote star trek episode enemy within (1966).

for hammer film productions wrote screenplay fanatic (1965; title: die! die! darling!) based on novel nightmare anne blaisdell, starring tallulah bankhead , stefanie powers; , hammer adapted dennis wheatley s devil rides out (1968).

1970s , 1980s

in 1973, matheson earned edgar award mystery writers of america teleplay night stalker, 1 of 2 tv movies written matheson , directed dan curtis (the other night strangler preceded series kolchak: night stalker. matheson worked extensively curtis; 1977 television movie dead of night features 3 stories written screen matheson — second chance (based on story jack finney); no such thing vampire (based on matheson s story of same name); , bobby , original script written omnibus movie matheson.

three of short stories filmed trilogy of terror (1975), including prey (initially published in april 1969 issue of playboy magazine) famous zuni warrior doll.

other matheson novels turned notable films in seventies include bid time return (as somewhere in time), , hell house (as legend of hell house), both adapted , scripted matheson himself.

in 1980s matheson published novel earthbound, wrote several screenplays tv series amazing stories, , continued publish short fiction.

1990s

matheson published 4 western novels in decade, plus suspense novel 7 steps midnight (1993) , blackly comic locked-room mystery novel, see it ..., aptly dedicated robert bloch (1995).

he wrote several movies—the offbeat comedy , box-office flop loose cannons, biopic dreamer of oz (about l. frank baum), segment of rod serling s lost classics, , trilogy of terror ii. short stories continued flow pen, , saw adaptations other hands of 2 more of novels big screen—what dreams may come , stir of echoes (as stir of echoes). in 1999, matheson published non-fiction work path, inspired interest in psychic phenomena.

21st century

many unpublished novels matheson appeared late in career, did various collections of work , unpublished screenplays. wrote new works, such suspense novel hunted past reason (2002). , children s illustrated fantasy abu , 7 marvels.

sources of inspiration

matheson cited specific inspirations many of works. duel derived incident in , friend, jerry sohl, dangerously tailgated large truck on same day assassination of john f. kennedy.

according film critic roger ebert, matheson s scientific approach supernatural in legend , other novels 1950s , 1960s anticipated pseudorealistic fantasy novels rosemary s baby , exorcist.