Duel: Terror Stories »

Richard Matheson is The New York Times bestselling author of I Am Legend, Hell House, Somewhere in Time, The Incredible Shrinking Man, A Stir of Echoes, The Beardless Warriors, The Path, Seven Steps to Midnight, Now You See It . . . , and What Dreams May Come. A Grand Master of Horror and past winner of the Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement, he has also won the Edgar, the Hugo, the Spur, and the Writer's Guild awards.

He lives in Calabasas, California.

Remember that murderous semi chasing Dennis Weaver down a lonely stretch of desert highway?

Duel, Steven Spielberg's acclaimed first film, was adapted by Richard Matheson from his unforgettable story of the same name.

But "Duel" is only one of the classic suspense tales in this outstanding collection of stories by the Grand Master of Horror, which also contains Matheson's legendary first story, "Born of Man and Woman," as well as several stunning shockers that inspired memorable episodes of The Twilight Zone, including "Little Girl Lost," "Steel," and "Third from the Sun."

Like Matheson's previous collection, Nightmare at 20,000 Feet, this collection is an indispensable treasure trove of terror from the New York Times bestselling author of I Am Legend and What Dreams May Come.

Publishers Weekly

Science fiction's forward-looking sense of wonder curdles into an apprehensive glance over the shoulder in the 18 tales that comprise this latest repackaging of Matheson's (Nightmare at 20,000 Feet) seminal fantastic fiction. Although decked out with the paraphernalia that defined 20th-century SF-robots, interplanetary travel, close encounters of the third kind-they are most memorable for reflecting the same fundamental fears and vulnerabilities that Matheson all but trademarked in his tales of supernatural horror. "Trespass" transforms the mystery of motherhood into a ghoulish variation on the theme of alien invasion, when a pregnant woman's unusual cravings suggest that the child she bears is not even remotely human. In "Lover When You're Near Me," extraterrestrial contact approximates a rape ordeal when a human emissary to another planet finds that the alien females are as telepathically irresistible as they are physically repulsive. The parental nightmare of a lost child is a springboard for speculations on extradimensional travel in "Little Girl Lost," while "Steel" is a meditative treatment of technophobia presented in the unlikely form of a futuristic sports story. The selections showcase Matheson's minimalist style, which is perfect for elaborating the thoughts and ideas of solitary characters who find themselves facing challenges totally beyond their control. Readers will know many of these stories from their TV adaptations, but like the greatest hits album everyone sings along to, this book is a must-have for fantastic fiction fans. (Jan. 8) FYI: Matheson has won Edgar, Hugo and Stoker awards.

An Appreciation by Ray Bradbury

Duel

Third From the Sun

When the Waker Sleeps

Born of Man and Woman

Return

Brother to the Machine

F. . .

Lover When You're Near Me

Shipshape Home

SRL AD

Death Ship

The Last Day

Little Girl Lost

Trespass

Being

The Test

One For the Books

Steel