Fun for vintage Sci-Fi fans, but not what I expected.

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	• Duel Richard Matheson, Ray Bradbury Tor Books, 2003 - 400 pages average customer review:based on 11 reviews view larger image
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5 Stars For Duel and 1 Star For The Rest

As an admirer of Matheson, it pains me to give this rating to a collection of his short stories. Duel is as good as advertised. It stands up well next to the 1971 movie by the same name and is as good as anything Matheson has written. But the rest of the stories in are as dated as a Victrola. B movie themes from the 50s permeate this group. Pure dreck. Barely interesting even as a period piece, each offering is just another variation of sci-fi silliness in the vain of 'I Was A Teenage Werewolf' but without the campy charm. Matheson has written many worthwhile stories and a reader would be rewarded by seeking them out. These selections (Duel excepted) are not among them.

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Duel is the Best, Some Others Good

I agree with some of the other reviewers here. The story Duel is a work of genius (which could actually happen). I even watched the movie again after reading it. The stories in the collection which were made into Twilight Zone episodes were also good, such as Little Girl Lost (with an original explanation). Most of the other stories, however, were typical 1950s sci-fi tales involving flying saucers, invasions by the Martians, rocket ships and all the other cliches. If these stories were all that Matheson had written, I dont know that he would be considered great. One possible exception is the story Shipshape House, which builds the suspense to a really horrifying ending. I found most of this collection pretty dated, but the good stories made getting the book worthwhile. I do recommend the movie Duel, the first one directed by Steven Spielberg. It is too bad the collection wasnt more uniform in quality; I hesitate to pick up his other books after this. Duel is the only story written after the early 1950s, so you know what to expect.

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Great compilation of short stories

Not much of a sci-fi reader, but received this book as a gift. The stories were creative, imaginative, and very well written. If you need a good night time read to get away from reality then I definitely recommend these short stories.

Fun for vintage Sci-Fi fans, but not what I expected.

Overall, I enjoyed the stories, particularly 'SRL Ad', 'Shipshape Home', and 'F---'. The stories that inspired 'Twilight Zone' TV episodes were more of a mixed bag, however, and definitely were improved in the move to television.
The title story is really the highlight of the book, which is why it was a bit disappointing that none of the other stories fit in with 'Duel'. This should have been promoted as a science-fiction anthology. Matheson was clearly inspired by Bradbury, although at times, his work seems derivative, with a lot of '1950s' style dialogue applied to the 'distant future'...of the 1990s!
An interesting introduction (for me) to the work of a writer I'd been curious about.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3

Remember that murderous semi chasing Dennis Weaver down a lonely stretch of desert highway?

Duel, Steven Spielberg's acclaimed first film, was adapted by Richard Matheson from his unforgettable story of the same name.

But "Duel" is only one of the classic suspense tales in this outstanding collection of stories by the Grand Master of Horror, which also contains Matheson's legendary first story, "Born of Man and Woman," as well as several stunning shockers that inspired memorable episodes of The Twilight Zone, including "Little Girl Lost," "Steel," and "Third from the Sun."

Like Matheson's previous collection, Nightmare at 20,000 Feet, this collection is an indispensable treasure trove of terror from the New York Times bestselling author of I Am Legend and What Dreams May Come.

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