The Twilight and Other Zones: The Dark Worlds of Richard Matheson
. Citadel Press, $19.95 (352pp) ISBN 978-0-8065-3113-7
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.
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Reviewed on: 02/02/2009
Genre: Nonfiction