Reading Richard Matheson: A Critical Survey

Richard Matheson (1926-2013) was a prolific author and screenwriter whose career of more than 60 years has shaped the horror and fantasy genres in literature, film, and television. This volume examines seven of Matheson’s full-length novels, a sampling of short stories, and several film adaptations. The chapters, which are arranged in three thematic sections, emphasize Matheson’s historical prominence, consider his precursors and successors, and situate him within narrative traditions of mythology, cinema, genre, and memory studies.

Cheyenne Mathews is a Ph.D. student in modern British literature at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Her research interests include espionage fiction, film, and popular culture. Janet V. Haedicke, Ph.D., is a professor in the department of English at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. She has served as editor of the Tennessee Williams Literary Journal, president of the David Mamet Society, and performance review editor of the David Mamet Newsletter.