The Best of Richard Matheson
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About this listen
Among the greats of 20th-century horror and fantasy, few names stand above Richard Matheson. Though known by many for novels like I Am Legend and his 16 Twilight Zone episodes, Matheson truly shines in his chilling, masterful short stories. Since his first story appeared in 1950, virtually every major writer of science fiction and fantasy has fallen under his influence, including Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Peter Straub, and Joe Hill, as well as filmmakers like Stephen Spielberg and J. J. Abrams.
Matheson revolutionized horror by taking it out of Gothic castles and strange cosmos and into the darkened streets and suburbs we recognize as our own. He infused tales of the fantastic and supernormal with dark explorations of human nature, delving deep into the universal dread of feeling alone and threatened in a dangerous world. The Best of Richard Matheson brings together his greatest hits as chosen by Victor LaValle, an expert on horror fiction and one of its brightest talents, marking the first major overview of Matheson's legendary career.
Narrated by Robertson Dean, Donald Corren, Peter Berkrot, Paul Michael Garcia, Hillary Huber, Traber Burns, Scott Brick, Devon Sorvari, and Kevin Kenerly.
©2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc. (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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It
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My First Completed Stephen King Novel
- By Meaghan Bynum on 02-20-12
By: Stephen King
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Hell House
- By: Richard Matheson
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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For over 20 years, Belasco House has stood empty. Regarded as the Mt. Everest of haunted houses, its shadowed walls have witnessed scenes of unimaginable horror and depravity. All previous attempts to probe its mysteries have ended in murder, suicide, or insanity.
But now, a new investigation has been launched, bringing four strangers to Belasco House in search of the ultimate secrets of life and death. A wealthy publisher, brooding over his impending death, has paid a physicist and two mediums to establish the facts of life after death once and for all. For one night, they will investigate the Belasco House and learn exactly why the townsfolk refer to it as the Hell House.
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Hell House is like Hill House, but fiercer
- By Phebe on 08-13-12
By: Richard Matheson
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Dark Memories
- By: Jeffrey S. Savage
- Narrated by: Jason Tatom
- Length: 10 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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There are things in the darkness, things much worse than the tracks and abandoned pieces of equipment that trip the children up and gash at their feet and legs, things that brush silently past them, touching their faces before disappearing again....
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EZRA QUIT GOING TO CHURCH
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 05-11-17
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Cold City
- Repairman Jack: Early Years Trilogy, Book 1
- By: F. Paul Wilson
- Narrated by: Alexander Cendese
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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If you've never read a Repairman Jack novel, this is the place to begin. It's 1990. A twenty-one-year-old named Jack has dropped out of college, leaving his old life behind to build a new one in New York City. Manhattan's rough edges are jagged enough to shred any unwary newcomer, but perhaps not one who is determined to stay off the grid, at any cost, in the busiest metropolis on earth. And to do so, he'll have to take jobs of a less than legal nature.
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Fun, as long you don't think too much
- By Andrew Pollack on 01-17-14
By: F. Paul Wilson
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True Crime
- The Novel
- By: Andrew Klavan
- Narrated by: Ramiz Monsef
- Length: 11 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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In the heat of the city, a man is out of time: speeding in a beat-up Ford Tempo, blasting easy-listening music. Reporter Steve Everett drinks too much, makes love to his boss' wife, and has just stumbled upon a shocking truth: A convicted killer is about to be executed for a crime he didn't commit. In the cold confines of Death Row, Frank Beachum is also out of time. Ready to say good-bye to the wife and child he loves and hello to the God he still believes in, Beachum knows he did not kill a convenience store clerk six years ago.
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Gripping until the very last word.
- By louis alessandra on 04-10-22
By: Andrew Klavan
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Zombies: More Recent Dead
- By: Neil Gaiman, Carrie Vaughn, Caitlin R. Kiernan, and others
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt, Marguerite Gavin
- Length: 20 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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The living dead are more alive than ever! Zombies have become more than an iconic monster for the 21st century: They are now a phenomenon constantly revealing as much about ourselves - and our fascination with death, resurrection, and survival - as our love for the supernatural or post-apocalyptic speculation. Our most imaginative literary minds have been devoured by these incredible creatures and produced exciting, insightful, and unflinching new works of zombie fiction.
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A well blended mix
- By The Lone Mopper on 07-30-15
By: Neil Gaiman, and others
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Whistleblower
- By: Tess Gerritsen
- Narrated by: Erin Yuen
- Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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When Victor Holland came flying out of the night, he ran straight into the path of Catherine Weaver's car. Having uncovered a terrifying secret that leads all the way to Washington, Victor is running for his life - and from the men who will go to any lengths to silence him. Though Victor's story sounds like the ravings of a mad-man, the haunted look in his eyes - and the bullet hole in his shoulder - tell Cathy a different story.
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No the Tess Gerritson you know and love
- By Kschapter on 03-24-16
By: Tess Gerritsen
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A Stone for Danny Fisher
- By: Harold Robbins
- Narrated by: Charles Leggett
- Length: 15 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Born into a family of modest means and respectability, Danny Fisher was gradually driven downward into the world of crime, racketeering and poverty. His bitterness, his homesickness over the loss of the house in Brooklyn that was given to him for his eighth birthday, and his feud with his harsh father, pulled him one way; his natural decency and his love for a sweet Italian girl, Nellie Petito, pulled him another.
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My teenage read.
- By A. Mitchell on 11-11-11
By: Harold Robbins
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Last Call
- By: Tim Powers
- Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
- Length: 19 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Scott Crane abandoned his career as a professional poker player 20 years ago and hasn’t returned to Las Vegas, or held a hand of cards, in 10 years. But troubling nightmares about a strange poker game he once attended on a houseboat on Lake Mead are drawing him back to the magical city. For the mythic game he believed he won did not end that night in 1969—and the price of his winnings was his soul. Now, a pot far more strange and perilous than he ever could imagine depends on the turning of a card.
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Powers is Under-represented on Audible
- By tim on 01-18-11
By: Tim Powers
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Blind Pursuit
- By: Michael Prescott
- Narrated by: Allison McLemore
- Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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In the dead of night, psychologist Erin Reilly is abducted from her Tucson home. Her kidnapper: a serial killer who burns his victims alive. Tormented by his obsession, he wants Erin to cure him before he kills again. If she fails, she'll become his next victim. While Erin's twin sister Annie searches desperately for her, Erin delves into her captor's psyche and his past, discovering a secret guilt...a complex web of crime and betrayal...and an unexpected connection between the killer and herself.
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Turn a Five Hour Car Trip into Minutes
- By jane on 08-21-13
By: Michael Prescott
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In Matheson's vampire classic I Am Legend, a plague has decimated the world and transformed the unfortunate survivors into bloodthirsty creatures of the night. Robert Neville is the last living man on Earth. Every other man, woman, and child has become a vampire hungry for Neville's blood. By day he is the hunter, stalking the sleeping undead through the abandoned ruins of civilization. By night he barricades himself in his home and prays for the dawn. How long can one man survive in a world of vampires?
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Waste of a credit
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Shadow on the Sun
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Southwest Arizona, a century ago: an uneasy truce exists between the remote frontier community of Picture City and the neighboring Apaches. That delicate peace is shredded when the bodies of two white men are found hideously mutilated. The angry townspeople are certain the “savages” have broken the treaty, but Billjohn Finley, the local Indian agent, fears that darker, more unholy forces may be at work. There’s a tall, dark stranger in town, who rode in wearing the dead men’s clothes. A stranger who may not be entirely human.
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Matheson Western Horror Novel
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Noir
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Noir contains three classic thrillers by Richard Matheson, the grand master of suspense. Originally published in the 1950s, at the very beginning of Matheson’s distinguished career, these page-turning classics are finally on audio for your listening pleasure. Now listeners everywhere can savor three unforgettable tales of crime, corruption, and cold-blooded murder.
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Great Storytelling, Genius Writer
- By Angela Martinez on 12-27-12
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Somewhere in Time
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A dying young playwright staying in a turn-of-the-century hotel becomes captivated by a painting of a beautiful stage actress from the previous century. Obsessed, he begins to study everything he can about the woman and her time and becomes convinced he belongs with her. Through self-hypnosis, he transports himself to 1896, where he finds the soul mate he was fated to meet. But will he be able to stay?
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Worth Returning To Again and Again
- By R. E. Jones on 08-26-11
By: Richard Matheson
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What Dreams May Come
- By: Richard Matheson
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- Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
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What happens to us after we die? Chris Nielsen had no idea, until an unexpected accident cut his life short, separating him from his beloved wife, Annie. Now Chris must discover the true nature of life after death. But even Heaven is not complete without Annie, and the divided soul mates will do anything to reach each other across the boundaries between life and death. When tragedy threatens to divide them forever, Chris risks his very soul to save Annie from an eternity of despair.
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Poor ending
- By Randall on 01-10-11
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In Matheson's vampire classic I Am Legend, a plague has decimated the world and transformed the unfortunate survivors into bloodthirsty creatures of the night. Robert Neville is the last living man on Earth. Every other man, woman, and child has become a vampire hungry for Neville's blood. By day he is the hunter, stalking the sleeping undead through the abandoned ruins of civilization. By night he barricades himself in his home and prays for the dawn. How long can one man survive in a world of vampires?
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Fun & thrilling story
- By Jeff on 11-30-19
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Much of Richard Matheson's work has found its way into pop culture: The title story became a memorable episode of television's The Twilight Zone, and more recently, Will Smith starred in the blockbuster movie I Am Legend. Stephen King has declared Matheson to be one of his favorite writers. Find out why as you listen to the classic horror story of a man who peers out of his airplane window to see a gremlin destroying the wing.
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Waste of a credit
- By Randall on 01-10-10
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Noir
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Great Storytelling, Genius Writer
- By Angela Martinez on 12-27-12
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Somewhere in Time
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A dying young playwright staying in a turn-of-the-century hotel becomes captivated by a painting of a beautiful stage actress from the previous century. Obsessed, he begins to study everything he can about the woman and her time and becomes convinced he belongs with her. Through self-hypnosis, he transports himself to 1896, where he finds the soul mate he was fated to meet. But will he be able to stay?
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Worth Returning To Again and Again
- By R. E. Jones on 08-26-11
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Poor ending
- By Randall on 01-10-11
By: Richard Matheson
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The Box
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- By: Richard Matheson
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What if you were told that you could make a fortune just by pushing a button on a box? But pressing this button will simultaneously cause the death of another human being somewhere in the world . . . someone you don't know. Would you still push the button?
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Is that all there is? Not bad, but not great!
- By Ole Hippie on 08-30-11
By: Richard Matheson
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Steel and Other Stories
- By: Richard Matheson
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
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Imagine a future in which human boxing has been replaced by heavyweight bouts between massive robots. Richard Matheson’s classic short story, “Steel", is the inspiration for Real Steel, a new movie starring Hugh Jackman.
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WAS SHAKESPEARE, QUEEN ELIZABETH?
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 07-19-16
By: Richard Matheson
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A Stir of Echoes
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Tom Wallace lived an ordinary life, until a chance event awakened psychic abilities he never knew he possessed. Now, he's hearing the private thoughts of the people around him - and learning shocking secrets he never wanted to know. But as Tom's existence becomes a waking nightmare, even greater jolts are in store, as he becomes the unwilling recipient of a compelling message from beyond the grave.
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Damn you, David Koepp!
- By Roland Greaves on 03-11-18
By: Richard Matheson
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The Incredible Shrinking Man
- By: Richard Matheson
- Narrated by: Yuri Rasovsky
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Inch by inch, day by day, Scott Carey is getting smaller. Once an unremarkable husband and father, Scott finds himself shrinking with no end in sight. His wife and family turn into unreachable giants, the family cat becomes a predatory menace, and Scott must struggle to survive in a world that seems to be growing ever larger and more perilous, until he faces the ultimate limits of fear and existence.
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Outstanding.
- By Andrew on 09-09-06
By: Richard Matheson
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Perchance to Dream
- Selected Stories
- By: Charles Beaumont
- Narrated by: J. Paul Boehmer, Gabrielle de Cuir, Harlan Ellison, and others
- Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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The profoundly original and wildly entertaining short stories of a legendary Twilight Zone writer. It is only natural that Charles Beaumont would make a name for himself crafting scripts for The Twilight Zone - for his was an imagination so limitless it must have emerged from some other dimension. Perchance to Dream contains a selection of Beaumont's finest stories, including five that he later adapted for Twilight Zone episodes.
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Contents
- By Ralph Freaster on 06-22-16
By: Charles Beaumont
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Journal of the Gun Years
- By: Richard Matheson
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 7 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Back East, they told tall tales about Marshal Clay Halser, the fearless Civil War veteran who became known as the “Hero of the Plains” for his daring exploits in the Wild West. But the truth, as revealed in his private journals, is even more compelling.
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A pleasant surprise
- By Chelsea on 11-21-17
By: Richard Matheson
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Hell House
- By: Richard Matheson
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
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Overall
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For over 20 years, Belasco House has stood empty. Regarded as the Mt. Everest of haunted houses, its shadowed walls have witnessed scenes of unimaginable horror and depravity. All previous attempts to probe its mysteries have ended in murder, suicide, or insanity.
But now, a new investigation has been launched, bringing four strangers to Belasco House in search of the ultimate secrets of life and death. A wealthy publisher, brooding over his impending death, has paid a physicist and two mediums to establish the facts of life after death once and for all. For one night, they will investigate the Belasco House and learn exactly why the townsfolk refer to it as the Hell House.
-
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Hell House is like Hill House, but fiercer
- By Phebe on 08-13-12
By: Richard Matheson
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I Am Legend
- By: Richard Matheson
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 5 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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In I Am Legend, a plague has decimated the world, and those unfortunate enough to survive are transformed into blood-thirsty creatures of the night. Robert Neville is the last living man on earth. Everyone else has become a vampire, and they are all hungry for Neville's blood. By day, he stalks the sleeping undead, by night, he barricades himself in his home and prays for the dawn.
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Superb!
- By Steven Casper on 01-24-08
By: Richard Matheson
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Road Rage
- By: Joe Hill, Stephen King, Richard Matheson
- Narrated by: Stephen Lang
- Length: 2 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Richard Matheson's Duel, an unforgettable tale about a driver menaced by a semi truck, was the source for Stephen Spielberg's acclaimed first film of the same name. Throttle, by Stephen King and Joe Hill, is a duel of a different kind, pitting a faceless trucker against a tribe of motorcycle outlaws, in the simmering Nevada desert.
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No Doz for your Road Trip
- By Cynthia on 07-31-13
By: Joe Hill, and others
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Offbeat
- By: Richard Matheson
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot, R.C. Bray, Scott Brick, and others
- Length: 5 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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In the aptly titled Offbeat, Richard Matheson, a modern master of strange fiction, offers 13 excursions into the unsettling and bizarre. In these stories you will encounter a major league pitcher with a horrific secret for his astonishing success; an ordinary man who wakes to find himself in a silent, empty world; a death row prisoner with an extraordinary explanation for his innocence; and a novelist whose fictional creations transcend the printed page.
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A Fine Selection of Twisted Short Stories
- By Christian C. on 04-05-17
By: Richard Matheson
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Blue World: The Complete Collection
- By: Robert R. McCammon
- Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot, Kevin T. Collins
- Length: 16 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Father John has lived his whole life without knowing a woman's touch. Hard at first, his self-denial grew easier over time, as he learned to master his urges with a regimen of prayer, cold showers, and jigsaw puzzles. That changes the day that Debra Rocks enters his confessional. A rough-talking adult film actress, she has come to ask him to pray for a murdered costar.
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50/50 on the readers
- By BranP on 04-09-16
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Dilvish, the Damned
- By: Roger Zelazny
- Narrated by: Eric Michael Summerer
- Length: 6 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Dilivish, a half elf-half man hybrid, failed in his attempt to rescue a young maiden being ritually sacrificed by the dark sorcerer Jelerak. In his anger at the attempt Jelerak kills the maiden and turns Dilvish's body to stone and banished his soul to Hell.
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Dilvish the Damned Rides Again!
- By Penemue on 02-12-24
By: Roger Zelazny
What listeners say about The Best of Richard Matheson
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Abel
- 03-29-18
Solid.
Like twilight zone? You'll probably dig this then. A bit sporadic in consistency but all solid.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Amazon’s reviews are bullcrap.
- 11-09-24
A Brilliant Author.
I’ve only scratched the surface of this collection, but loving every minute so far! Dying Room Only is a brisk listen, and you can feel the panic!
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- Jessica
- 11-30-17
Victor LaValle Introduction is NOT included
I was excited for this collection, as I've only read Matheson's novels and have always enjoyed his work. Unfortunately the introduction by Victor LaValle which is part of the reason I purchased this collection is not included even though it's listed in the book information on Audible.
There are several narrators here, which is a nice way to break up the stories. They are all very traditional style audiobook narrators, which isn't always my preference, but they fit Matheson's work nicely.
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21 people found this helpful
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- O.
- 11-13-23
Hallelujah! Got What I Paid For
The audiobook does not contain the long sermon that serves as an "introduction" to the print and ebook versions. This is Matheson with his mystery, his humor and his epoch. No social-progress speeches unrelated to the wonderful content from a 20th century master of thrillers. No redemption needed. Fun for everyone. Isn't that what we want?
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1 person found this helpful
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- Jerod Mann
- 10-30-18
Equal Parts Horror and Weird Fiction
I had never heard of Richard Matheson before purchasing this audio book. The synopsis sounded interesting, and I felt adventurous so I downloaded it one weekend. The first story in this collection had me hooked, because of its unique perspective and empathetic portrayal. Overall, the whole collection is brilliantly written and narrated.
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- teejay spina
- 03-05-19
Wonderful
Absolutely terrific ! I had no idea. This is a great collection of stories; highly entertaining
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- Davy Sprocket
- 07-10-20
Great Collection, Varied Readings, Mostly Holds Up
MOST of the readers are pretty solid. The first two stories have their issues. The first reader is doing a *nearly* offensive portrayal of a developmentally disabled person but it's accurate enough that it still works. The second reader I just found off-putting. After that things pretty much smooth out. Sound is great all the way through.
Matheson's writing is a separate issue. The man was a master of his genre to the point where a lot of what is collected here will sound like retreads of plots and premises you're well familiar with but there's good reason for this. First of all his writing was featured on anthology television frequently eg he wrote maybe most of the best known and revered episodes of the original Twilight Zone (some of which are included here) although younger listeners will as likely recognize their Treehouse of Horror counterparts. Many horror nerds will recognize the stories in this collection which would eventually be adapted to film "Prey", "Duel", "Button Button" and "Dance of the Dead". Although he is probably best known for writing the book "I Am Legend" (not included) which became "The Last Man on Earth" with Vincent Price, "The Omega Man" with Charlton Heston, and the eponymous film starring Will Smith. So the prolific consumer of genre fiction may have to think of this the same way modern metal fans think of Black Sabbath; the bones upon which a genre was built.
It's also worth noting that if you're coming to Matheson via The Twilight Zone that you may need a forewarning. While he's no Clive Barker in terms of graphic intensity, this is primarily a horror collection, not science fiction. While there are elements of other genres throughout, horror is by far the more accurate label here. Not the best bedtime listening unless that's specifically what you're into.
This collection spans his entire career, from the 50s into the 00s. So if the first few stories feel clunky and dated (which they largely didn't to me, although Witch War is.. o d d) hang around, because it gets more streamlined as it goes. All in all this is an amazing collection from an awesome writer that I strongly recommend to any fan of horror or aspiring writer.
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- epoul
- 01-30-18
A seminal collection of horror
In spite of this book not having many reviews at the time of my download and the fact that I did not love The Shrinking Man (one of Matheson's most famous novels), I took a chance and downloaded it anyway, mostly on the strength of Stephen King's reverence for Matheson's work. I was not disappointed. This book deserves much more love than it's so far received here at Audible. It is a hidden, under-appreciated gem of wide-ranging horror, from supernatural to sci-fi influenced.
Matheson's work is seminal; you know it even if you don't know you know it. But even aside from its better known inclusions such as Duel (which would become Steven Spielberg's first directed feature), Death Ship and Third Planet from the Sun (which would become beloved Twilight Zone episodes), all of which deserve their recognition, there are scads of genuinely unsettling tales here, all superbly written with a deft, understated style. At times humorous, and often existentially unnerving, any fan of horror, well-written prose, or student of suspenseful writing should give this book a listen.
The narrator's performances are nothing to write home about, but perfectly serviceable. It's Matheson himself and his writing that shines here, or rather, flickers before leaving you in the dark with a strange, heavy breathing coming from the corner of the room behind you.
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30 people found this helpful
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- R. MCRACKAN
- 03-11-22
Very good anthology
Anthologies are always hit and miss affairs. The best you can hope for is more hits than misses. By this measure, The Best of Richard Matheson is a success. This collection is a strong reminder of how influential Matheson was. He is also, bleak, original, and at times surprisingly funny.
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- M. SALMAN
- 11-09-19
A master in his element
After listening to this audiobook I had a profound realization...
Richard Matheson is the father of modern science fiction .
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