--- product_id: 8202019 title: "Richard Matheson: Collected Stories, Vol. 1" price: "R5800" currency: ZAR in_stock: true reviews_count: 8 url: https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/8202019-richard-matheson-collected-stories-vol-1 store_origin: ZA region: South Africa --- # Richard Matheson: Collected Stories, Vol. 1 **Price:** R5800 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Richard Matheson: Collected Stories, Vol. 1 - **How much does it cost?** R5800 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.za](https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/8202019-richard-matheson-collected-stories-vol-1) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Richard Matheson: Collected Stories, Vol. 1 [Matheson, Richard, Wiater, Stanley] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Richard Matheson: Collected Stories, Vol. 1 Review: Lots of classic stories - Yeah, some of these stories are undeniably dated and there are a few that are a bit on the silly side, but this has got too many classic stories to give it anything less than 5 stars: There's Matheson's classic first story, 'Born of Man and Woman', about a mutant child, intriguingly written in broken, invented English; 'Blood Son' about another mad child who wants to be a vampire; 'Witch War', about telekinesis and the use of little girls as weapons; 'Through Channels' an unusual, innovative horror story presaging the tech-horror trend of modern times; 'F-' a nominal sci-fi/time-travel tale with a very amusing central conceit which I won't reveal; 'Death Ship', the inspiration for the classic 'Twilight Zone' episode of the same name; 'The Disinheritors' a clever story about slipping from reality into something else, and so on. Beyond all those stories I have two particular favorites, 'Legion of Plotters' and 'The Last Day'. The former is, as Matheson described it, the ultimate in paranoia, as our protagonist slowly determines that all the minor annoyances that come upon him are part of a vast conspiracy against him. 'The Last Day' is probably my very favorite story in the collection, and truly depressing but also kind of touching story about, you guessed it, the end of the world. Anyway, I could just keep going on and on with specifics as there are still quite a few great stories here that I haven't mentioned, (such as `Lover, When You're Near Me', `Mad House', `Little Girl Lost' etc.) but you get the idea. Very cool stuff, check it out. (The latter two Matheson collections are very good as well, though this one is probably my favorite of the 3. They're all worth getting, definitely) Review: One of the all-time greats - I always like to describe Richard Matheson as the best writer whose work you know but whose name you don't. Certainly, his name as not been as big as some of the people he's influenced such as Stephen King, but his work is unforgettable. Movies that have been based on his work include the very recent I Am Legend (previously filmed as The Last Man on Earth and the Omega Man), The Incredible Shrinking Man, Somewhere in Time, Stir of Echoes, Hell House and What Dreams May Come. Beyond those are the TV adaptations, including a number of Twilight Zones, Trilogy of Terror and Duel. Then there are his screenplays, most notably his work for Roger Corman with the Poe movies. Collected Stories, Volume 1 (of 3) has a couple dozen of Matheson's earliest short stories, and while not every story is a classic, there is also not a dud in the bunch. I can't describe them all, but some of the highlights include stories that would later become Twilight Zone episodes: Third From the Sun (about a couple families fleeing into space from a worldwide disaster), Death Ship (about space explorers who come across a crashed spaceship with a disturbing surprise inside), Little Girl Lost (about a young child falling into another dimension) and Long Distance Call (involving an invalid old lady receiving mysterious phone calls). Those may be the more familiar stories, but there are other gems as well, including Matheson's first story, Born of Man and Woman, a child's story of maltreatment by his parents. Blood Son involves another child, this one whose sole aspiration is to become a vampire; F--, a science fiction story of a future era where food is no longer not consumed, its very mention is considered obscene; Mad House, about a man whose rage eventually poisons his very home; Shipshape Home, about an apartment complex with a strange janitor and stranger things in the basement; and The Disinheritors, a twist on the Goldilocks story. And there are many more stories as well. Nowadays, when many short stories are artistic slice-of-life stories with more style than substance, Matheson's stories may come off as old-fashioned, but I'll take them there straightforward brilliance any day over more literary efforts. This book is a bag of candy, a whole collection of wonderful treats; and even better, there are two more volumes to go! ## Features - Used Book in Good Condition ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #2,079,439 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #19,070 in Contemporary Literature & Fiction #120,927 in Erotic Literature & Fiction | | Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 60 Reviews | ## Images ![Richard Matheson: Collected Stories, Vol. 1 - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/5133APF25GL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Lots of classic stories *by G***E on May 21, 2006* Yeah, some of these stories are undeniably dated and there are a few that are a bit on the silly side, but this has got too many classic stories to give it anything less than 5 stars: There's Matheson's classic first story, 'Born of Man and Woman', about a mutant child, intriguingly written in broken, invented English; 'Blood Son' about another mad child who wants to be a vampire; 'Witch War', about telekinesis and the use of little girls as weapons; 'Through Channels' an unusual, innovative horror story presaging the tech-horror trend of modern times; 'F-' a nominal sci-fi/time-travel tale with a very amusing central conceit which I won't reveal; 'Death Ship', the inspiration for the classic 'Twilight Zone' episode of the same name; 'The Disinheritors' a clever story about slipping from reality into something else, and so on. Beyond all those stories I have two particular favorites, 'Legion of Plotters' and 'The Last Day'. The former is, as Matheson described it, the ultimate in paranoia, as our protagonist slowly determines that all the minor annoyances that come upon him are part of a vast conspiracy against him. 'The Last Day' is probably my very favorite story in the collection, and truly depressing but also kind of touching story about, you guessed it, the end of the world. Anyway, I could just keep going on and on with specifics as there are still quite a few great stories here that I haven't mentioned, (such as `Lover, When You're Near Me', `Mad House', `Little Girl Lost' etc.) but you get the idea. Very cool stuff, check it out. (The latter two Matheson collections are very good as well, though this one is probably my favorite of the 3. They're all worth getting, definitely) ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ One of the all-time greats *by M***L on February 3, 2008* I always like to describe Richard Matheson as the best writer whose work you know but whose name you don't. Certainly, his name as not been as big as some of the people he's influenced such as Stephen King, but his work is unforgettable. Movies that have been based on his work include the very recent I Am Legend (previously filmed as The Last Man on Earth and the Omega Man), The Incredible Shrinking Man, Somewhere in Time, Stir of Echoes, Hell House and What Dreams May Come. Beyond those are the TV adaptations, including a number of Twilight Zones, Trilogy of Terror and Duel. Then there are his screenplays, most notably his work for Roger Corman with the Poe movies. Collected Stories, Volume 1 (of 3) has a couple dozen of Matheson's earliest short stories, and while not every story is a classic, there is also not a dud in the bunch. I can't describe them all, but some of the highlights include stories that would later become Twilight Zone episodes: Third From the Sun (about a couple families fleeing into space from a worldwide disaster), Death Ship (about space explorers who come across a crashed spaceship with a disturbing surprise inside), Little Girl Lost (about a young child falling into another dimension) and Long Distance Call (involving an invalid old lady receiving mysterious phone calls). Those may be the more familiar stories, but there are other gems as well, including Matheson's first story, Born of Man and Woman, a child's story of maltreatment by his parents. Blood Son involves another child, this one whose sole aspiration is to become a vampire; F--, a science fiction story of a future era where food is no longer not consumed, its very mention is considered obscene; Mad House, about a man whose rage eventually poisons his very home; Shipshape Home, about an apartment complex with a strange janitor and stranger things in the basement; and The Disinheritors, a twist on the Goldilocks story. And there are many more stories as well. Nowadays, when many short stories are artistic slice-of-life stories with more style than substance, Matheson's stories may come off as old-fashioned, but I'll take them there straightforward brilliance any day over more literary efforts. This book is a bag of candy, a whole collection of wonderful treats; and even better, there are two more volumes to go! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Stories Included *by C***S on January 13, 2010* I'm only about halfway through Vol. 1 at this point, so this isn't a review (Born of Man and Woman is one of the best things I've read, though), but since many of these stories are available in other Matheson collections I thought it might be helpful to list exactly what stories are included. Volume 1: -Born of Man and Woman -Third From the Sun -When the Waker Sleeps -Blood Son -Clothes Make the Man -Dress of White Silk -Return -The Thing -Through Channels -Witch War -Advance Notice -Brother to the Machine -F-- -Lover When You're Near Me -Mad House -Shipshape Home -SRL Ad -To Fit the Crime -Death Ship -Disappearing Act -The Disinheritors -Dying Room Only -Full Circle -The Last Day -Lazarus II -Legion of Plotters -Little Girl Lost -Long Distance Call --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/8202019-richard-matheson-collected-stories-vol-1](https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/8202019-richard-matheson-collected-stories-vol-1) --- *Product available on Desertcart South Africa* *Store origin: ZA* *Last updated: 2026-04-24*