Richard Matheson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Richard Matheson
In 2008
Born	Richard Burton Matheson (1926-02-20)February 20, 1926 Allendale, New Jersey, U.S.
Died	June 23, 2013(2013-06-23) (aged 87) Los Angeles, California
Pen name	Logan Swanson
Occupation	Novelist short story writer screenwriter
Alma mater	University of Missouri
Period	1950–2013
Genre	Science fiction, fantasy, horror
Notable works	I Am Legend The Shrinking Man A Stir of Echoes Hell House What Dreams May Come Bid Time Return
Notable awards	World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement, Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement, Science Fiction Hall of Fame (2010)
Spouse	Ruth Ann Woodson ​ (m. 1952)​
Children	4
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Richard Burton Matheson (born February 20, 1926 – died June 23, 2013) was an American writer. He was famous for his stories and screenplays in the world of fantasy, horror, and science fiction.

He is best known for writing the novel I Am Legend in 1954. This science fiction horror story has been made into a movie three times. Matheson himself helped write the first film version, The Last Man on Earth, which came out in 1964. Later movies based on his book include The Omega Man and I Am Legend starring Will Smith.

Matheson also wrote many episodes for the TV show The Twilight Zone. Some of his most famous episodes are "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" and "Steel". He also adapted several stories by Edgar Allan Poe into movies for director Roger Corman. These include House of Usher and The Pit and the Pendulum. In 1971, he turned his short story "Duel" into a screenplay for a TV movie. This movie, also called Duel, was directed by Steven Spielberg.

Many of Matheson's other novels and short stories have also become movies. These include The Shrinking Man (filmed as The Incredible Shrinking Man), Hell House (filmed as The Legend of Hell House), and What Dreams May Come. His story "Button, Button" was even made into a Twilight Zone episode and later a movie called The Box.

Richard Matheson's Early Life

Richard Matheson was born in Allendale, New Jersey. His parents were immigrants from Norway. When he was eight years old, his parents divorced. He then grew up in Brooklyn, New York, with his mother.

How He Started Writing

Young Richard was inspired by the movie Dracula (1931). He also loved novels by Kenneth Roberts and a poem he read in the Brooklyn Eagle newspaper. He even published his first short story in that newspaper when he was just eight!

He went to Brooklyn Technical High School and graduated in 1943. After high school, he served in the Army in Europe during World War II. His experiences there later inspired his 1960 novel, The Beardless Warriors. After the war, he studied at the Missouri School of Journalism and earned his degree in 1949. Then, he moved to California.

Richard Matheson's Writing Career

Matheson's first published short story was "Born of Man and Woman" in 1950. This story was about a monstrous child kept chained in a cellar. It was written like the creature's diary, using unusual English. This story quickly got a lot of attention.

Writing in the 1950s and 1960s

In the 1950s, Matheson became part of a group of writers called the "Southern California Sorcerers." This group included famous authors like Ray Bradbury. His first novel to be published was Someone Is Bleeding in 1953. He also wrote Western stories and novels.

His most famous novels from this time include The Shrinking Man (1956) and I Am Legend (1954). Both of these were later made into movies, with Matheson often writing the screenplays himself.

Television and Film Work

Matheson wrote many scripts for television shows. He wrote for Westerns like Cheyenne and Have Gun – Will Travel. He also wrote the Star Trek episode "The Enemy Within".

He is most famous for his work on The Twilight Zone. He wrote over a dozen episodes, including "Steel" and "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet". For all his Twilight Zone scripts, Matheson wrote the famous opening and closing lines spoken by the show's creator, Rod Serling. He also adapted five stories by Edgar Allan Poe into movies for director Roger Corman.

Later Career: 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s

In 1971, his short story "Duel" became a popular TV movie. In 1973, Matheson won an Edgar Award for his TV script for The Night Stalker. He continued to write many novels and screenplays throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

In the 1990s, Matheson published more Western novels and suspense stories. He also wrote screenplays for movies like Loose Cannons and the TV movie The Dreamer of Oz: The L. Frank Baum Story. Two more of his novels, What Dreams May Come and A Stir of Echoes, were made into movies during this decade.

21st Century Works

In his later years, many of Matheson's earlier, unpublished novels and stories were finally released. He also wrote new books, such as the suspense novel Hunted Past Reason (2002) and a children's fantasy book called Abu and the 7 Marvels (2002).

Richard Matheson's Writing Style

Matheson's stories often had surprising twist endings. Examples include "Third from the Sun" and "Button, Button." Other stories, like "Mute," explored difficult choices characters faced.

Different Kinds of Stories

Some of his tales, such as "The Doll that Does Everything," used humor to make fun of common story ideas. Others, like "Steel," showed the struggles of everyday people in future or unusual situations. Many of his stories, like "Duel," created a feeling of paranoia. In these, normal places suddenly become strange or scary.

Inspiration for His Stories

Matheson often shared what inspired his works. For example, the idea for "Duel" came from a real event. He and a friend were dangerously followed by a large truck on the same day that John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

Film critic Roger Ebert noted that Matheson's way of looking at supernatural events in a scientific way influenced later fantasy novels like Rosemary's Baby.

Richard Matheson's Family and Passing

In 1952, Richard Matheson married Ruth Ann Woodson. They had four children: Bettina, Richard Christian, Christopher, and Ali Marie. Three of his children, Richard, Chris, and Ali, also became writers.

Richard Matheson passed away on June 23, 2013, at his home in Los Angeles, California. He was 87 years old.

Awards and Recognition

Matheson received many awards for his writing. He won the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement in 1984. He also received the Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1991 from the Horror Writers Association. In 2010, he was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame.

He also won specific awards for his books. His novel Bid Time Return won a World Fantasy Award in 1975. His collection of stories, Richard Matheson: Collected Stories, won the best collection award in 1989.

Matheson was supposed to receive the Visionary Award at the 39th Saturn Awards ceremony just days before he died. The ceremony was dedicated to him, and the award was given to his family after his passing. Robert Holguin, the Academy president, said that Matheson's work "will live on forever in the imaginations of everyone who read or saw his inspired and inimitable work."

Richard Matheson's Influence

Matheson's work had a big impact on other writers and directors.

Influence on Other Writers

Famous author Stephen King has said that Matheson was a major influence on his own writing. King even dedicated his novels Cell and Elevation to Matheson. Director George A. Romero, known for zombie movies, also said Matheson was an inspiration. Romero was inspired by the vampire creatures in The Last Man on Earth for his own zombie "ghouls" in Night of the Living Dead.

Author Anne Rice, famous for her vampire novels, said that Matheson's short story "A Dress of White Silk" sparked her interest in vampires and fantasy.

Influence on Directors

After Matheson's death, many directors shared their respect for him. Director Edgar Wright said that 140 characters (like a tweet) could not begin to describe what Matheson gave to the science fiction and horror genres. Director Richard Kelly added that he loved Matheson's writing and felt honored to adapt his story "Button, Button" into a film.

Works by Richard Matheson

Novels

Short Stories

Short Story Collections

Films Based on His Work or Screenplays by Him

Television Work

Non-Fiction Books

• The Path: Metaphysics for the 90s (1993)
• The Path: A New Look at Reality (1999)

Images for kids

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  Richard Matheson's signature

See also

In Spanish: Richard Matheson para niños