![]() ![]() ![]() Close reading rewards the attentive reader when assessing the Matheson corpus. Existential crises in masculinity and the construction of the individual are in evidence, which gained Matheson a dedicated readership and which also influenced succeeding generations of writers. Both the burgeoning mass-suburbanisation and the bland conformism of the times are used in Matheson’s fiction as sites for the creation of disquiet and as horrific settings in themselves. What makes the speculative fiction of Richard Matheson important and worthy of critical attention? Dust jacket quotes from luminaries like Ray Bradbury: "Richard Matheson is worth our time, attention, and great affection" (Button, Button: Uncanny Stories) and Stephen King: “When people talk about the genre, I guess they mention my name first, but without Richard Matheson, I wouldn’t be around” (Duel: Terror Stories), can easily be consigned to the bin of publishing hype, in which many a prominent author can be found recommending another but supposing there is substance in their claims, how should one assess Matheson’s merit? As a writer whose career began in the 1950s, Matheson is at once shaped by and helped to shape the times in which he wrote. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |