The Best of Richard Matheson by Richard Matheson

"Groundbreaking for its time, Matheson's stories still hold their horror and suspense even into the 21st century. He's a truly master at suspense and leaving you feeling helpless and alone, which is exactly what you're hoping for when reading Horror Fiction."

4 Stars.

Pros: There were definitely some stand out stories in this collection and I can see why Matheson has a reputation for being groundbreaking in the Horror fiction genre.

Cons: The problem with collections of short stories, is near the end, it all starts to feel similar.

Full Review:

I've always heard of Richard Matheson but have never taken the time to read any of his works. I'm glad I finally did. He was and still is, ground breaking for his time. His works, dealing mainly with Science Fiction, space travel and a smattering of horror, are all original, eerie, spine chilling and some even manage to pull at your heartstrings and make you teary eyed.

A few stand outs in this collection were Where There's A Will, Dance of the Dead, The Last Day, Long Distance Call and No Such Thing as a Vampire. Many people know some of Matheson's works, since at least two of his short stories, "Third from the Sun" and "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" were made into "Twilight Zone" episodes.

He's not afraid to dig into the arcane, the obscure, the stranger, darker parts of human life and explore what it is that makes us tick, or more accurately, what it is that scares us and makes us feel helpless and alone. Though by the end of the book, I was ready for it to be done, since you can only read so many short stories at once before they all start kind of blurring together, overall I really enjoyed this collection. It was good to sit and read and be truly, properly terrified. It was fun, in a dark and twisted sort of way, which I'm sure is exactly what Matheson was aiming for.

Comments

Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov

"When a scientist, Benes, who has integral and world changing information attempts to defect and join our Side, he's injured. A blood clot forms in his brain and the only way to save his life is to miniaturize the crew of the Proteus and inject them into Benes' body, so they can break up the blood clot from the inside. Of course, one thing after another goes wrong and every chapter is a new catastrophe but it was definitely a fantastic voyage. 2 Stars Pros: Grant is one dry character but he's a welcome bit of amusement in an otherwise serious and scientific novel. Cons: Grant is also SUCH a man that he spends most of the mission staring at saving the one woman board, Cora./Definitely ripe with anatomical lessons and what part of the body they were in. Since I've never been great at anatomy, a lot of it was lost on me and became burdensome near the end. Full Review: As in all things, there is a good side and a bad side. This book is very vague as...

Animal Farm by George Orwell

"A blithe and scathing commentary on equality, power, corruption and how everyone is created equal, but...some are more equal than others. Orwell hit the nail right on the head with this novel and it's no wonder it's a staple for most high school curriculums. " 3 Stars. Pros: Benjamin the Donkey is the smartest animal on the farm and it would have done all the others a world of good if they had listened to him in the first place. Cons: The fact that societies like this actually do exist is nauseating and terrible. It's not a con, per se, it's just a gut wrenching fact. Full Review: When the overworked and mistreated Animals on Manor Farm decide to rise up and overthrow their cruel master, they're successful. They rebel and now find themselves with an entire Farm to run. They rename it Animal Farm and are intent on creating a paradise, where work and play are equal, where productivity is key but relaxation is a must and all the lives of all the animal...

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.

"Arnold Spirit, Jr, or "Junior" as he's known on the Rez, does something no Spokane Indian has ever done. He enrolls in Reardon High School and begins the long and often painful process off navigating not only high school and adolescence but also being an outsider. Alexie handles it all with grace, humor and honesty. This was a great read. I would recommend it to anyone." 5 Stars Pros: Alexie handles the ups and downs of not only adolescence, but tragedy and loss in a stark, honest but gut wrenchingly relatable way. Cons: Some of Junior's all-consuming guilt, though understandable was a little repetitive but it's all part of being a teenager. Full Review: It all starts when Arnold Spirit Jr, or Junior, throws a textbook across the classroom. When he opened the book he saw his mother's name, her maiden name and it enrages him. He's furious that the reservation is so poor that they're learning from thirty-year old textbooks. He doesn't...

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