Come out, Neville!

I'd like to take a few moments to tell to you all about Richard Matheson.
I recently picked up a copy of I Am Legend from a local used book store.  To my surprise, this particular edition contained a number of Matheson's short stories in addition to the main story.  Now, if all you know of I Am Legend is the recent movie version, you need to stop reading this right now, and go out and find the book.  I've never seen the movie, but now that I've read the book, I don't think I want to.  Ever.
Let me explain a bit further:  Richard Matheson has a certain way with his prose that I've never seen before, except maybe a little with Peter Straub.  Where most horror writers would approach things in a common fashion, Matheson does it in a very different way.  Most horror writers narrate a story something like this: "Look at the monsters, aren't they horrible?  They don't belong here, and something must be done to kill the evil!"  I'm not saying there's really anything wrong with this approach.  It works well for Stephen King, and even Neil Gaiman at times.  In fact, I've used it myself.  However, in I Am Legend, Richard Matheson does something like this:  "Look at the monsters, aren't they horrible?  Of course they are, but make no mistake, they belong here because this is how this world works.  There they are, surrounding our hero's house.  Let's go inside, away from the monsters, because what's going on inside the house is far more interesting."  If that isn't enough to interest you, you obviously aren't a fan of horror fiction.
As I said before, the icing on this ghoulish cake was the short stories.  Some of these are just as good, perhaps even better than I Am Legend itself.  Many of them contain twist endings of Hitchcockian proportions.  The sort of stories that keep you guessing until the very last sentence, until you get to that perfect "OH!" moment.  I literally did this reading a few of them.
A couple of stories I'd like to point out in particular:
The Near Departed - In just three little pages, this story packs more punch than some novels I've read.
Prey - A story about a killer doll.  Seems a little stupid at first, but it works with a vengeance.  I believe this was adapted for television on The Outer Limits or some similar program.  This story is probably responsible for several thousand doll phobias worldwide.
Witch War - As much a story as it is an elaborate haiku.  This must have taken a long time to write.
Mad House - Matheson does things with character I wish I could do.  This story concerns an unlikeable protagonist that somehow draws the sympathies of the reader by the end.  I may have to read this again to try to figure out just how it was done.

If there's anything you'd like me to talk about on this blog, send me an email at fictionfactorydave@gmail.com.