Richard Matheson (1926–2013) — American author of speculative fiction

Major works and notable stories

Matheson published novels and a large body of short fiction. His 1954 novel I Am Legend reimagined the vampire myth in a post‑apocalyptic setting and has been adapted for film and radio multiple times. Another important novel, The Shrinking Man (published in some editions as The Incredible Shrinking Man), explores existential terror through a speculative physical transformation. His later novel Bid Time Return (often known to film audiences as the basis for Somewhere in Time) shows his range from horror toward romantic and metaphysical themes. Matheson’s short stories include many pieces that became television episodes or short films.

Television and film adaptations

Matheson wrote for television and adapted material for screen on many occasions. He is well known for contributing memorable episodes to The Twilight Zone, including works that entered popular culture and were frequently anthologized. His fiction has inspired major studio films, independent movies, and television remakes; producers and directors have repeatedly turned to his premises because they blend intimate human drama with speculative situations. Matheson also adapted his own novels for different media at times, and his plots have been remade across decades.

Style, themes and influence

Matheson’s writing is characterized by a focus on ordinary people placed in extraordinary circumstances. Psychological interiority, moral ambiguity, and stripped‑down prose are hallmarks of his style. He often used a speculative element—monsters, shrinking bodies, time travel—to examine loss, identity and survival. His work influenced later horror and science fiction writers and screenwriters, and he is often cited by contemporary authors as an important precursor for modern psychological horror.

Life and legacy

Born in Allendale, New Jersey, and raised in Brooklyn, Matheson attended Brooklyn Technical High School and later studied at the University of Missouri. He married Ruth Ann Woodson in 1952; the couple had four children. Matheson died in Los Angeles in 2013 after a long illness. His influence endures through ongoing reprints, film and television remakes, and through writers who credit his fusion of human drama with speculative ideas as formative.

Selected titles and resources

• Novels: I Am Legend; The Shrinking Man; Bid Time Return.
• Short fiction: numerous stories later adapted for television anthologies.
• Television: several Twilight Zone scripts and other teleplays.

Further links

• Biography and overview
• Overview of genres he worked in
• Selected bibliography
• I Am Legend — novel information
• Birthplace and early life
• Family background
• Brooklyn upbringing
• Education and formative years
• University studies
• Inspiration sources and influences
• Connections to classic horror cinema
• Later life and residence
• Death and legacy

For readers new to Matheson, start with I Am Legend or a collected volume of his short stories to see how he blends intimate character study with unsettling speculative premises. His work is a useful bridge between mid‑century pulp and contemporary literary horror, and remains a reference point for adaptations in film and television.