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...Deej, I was under the impression when I read this collection, that it was up to the authors involved....or maybe I saw it elsewhere, but I could be off my meds-there's always that.....71. He Is Legend: An Anthology Celebrating Richard Matheson
by Various Authors, edited by Christopher Conlon
About the Book:
"A spectacular anthology of original, never-before published stories by today's best writers — stories set in Richard Matheson's own fictional universes, and published with Mr. Matheson's complete cooperation."
My Thoughts:
Harry O. Morris contributes the cover and interior artwork for this book. I always appreciate the art and love seeing the pieces represented.
I was particularly tickled to see two authors included in this tribute to Richard Matheson and they won't be the usual suspects:
Nancy A. Collins takes us back to Hell House. She does a nice job, although it is clearly stated in Hell House that only one person survived from a failed investigation 30 years earlier, Benjamin Fischer. She erroneously has two people surviving. Still, she is a good writer and I wish she was putting out more work besides her vampire novels.
My second nice surprise was the inclusion of Michael A. Arnzen. Long story short, years ago I had a moment in time with this author where he called me, "audacious." I took that as a good thing as he sent me out of the kindness of his heart his book, 100 Jolts: Shockingly Short Stories and the audio CD of some of those stories. They were funny and disturbing and the audio was really great fun. I loved the creativity. Loved it. Anyway, his tribute in this anthology was to Matheson's, Born of Man and Woman. It follows in the same vein as the original story and just as bleak and interesting as I expected it to be.
Joe Hill and Stephen King's story, Throttle, combines two men's style that is almost identical. While I don't go out of my way to try to figure out which author wrote which parts in any book I read where a partnership is happening, at times I would think, that's old-school Stephen's way of saying something or that was Joe's way of wording the situation. Word choices tugged at me to choose one or the other but it was a rare moment of doing that.
The book finishes up with a screenplay of Conjure Wife by Charles Beaumont and Richard Matheson that I enjoyed a lot. For some reason, I really like seeing how a screenplay is put together. The screenwriter's vision. Always interesting to me.
Lots of talented writers and I wonder, were each of these authors approached with a specific story that the editor wanted them to write about, or did the authors get to choose which story they wanted to honor?
I was just curious how they do this. What if everyone wanted to write about Hell House? Would that have been okay? Or, first come first serve -- get back to me with your choice and it's yours alone....Deej, I was under the impression when I read this collection, that it was up to the authors involved....or maybe I saw it elsewhere, but I could be off my meds-there's always that.....
Bev Vincent
In an anthology like He Is Legend where various authors chose a Richard Matheson story to be inspired by, generally, how does this work in regards to who gets what stories? Wonder if everyone wanted the same story? Or, does the editor assign a story to each author chosen to participate?
In this particular instance, you might not know the procedure, but there are many anthologies out there that everyone is writing to a theme or particular author's work.
Or maybe there isn't. This might be a unique situation. Generally, how does this work?
Thank you, as always, very informative.In general, it's a case of "first dibs" -- someone requests a story and if it's not already taken, they get it. In some cases, it might be possible for two authors to tackle the same story from a completely different angle, if they can successfully pitch that to the editor. I can't image an editor handing out assignments.
...I'm certainly curious to your reaction here.....I genuinely enjoyed these.....Next Up:
I don't know why I like them so much , but I find screenplays so interesting....I'm certainly curious to your reaction here.....I genuinely enjoyed these.....
...it took me a little while to get past the scripting, stage direction etc.-but once you develop that, they are fun....I don't know why I like them so much , but I find screenplays so interesting.
see, I like reading that scripting, stage direction etc......it took me a little while to get past the scripting, stage direction etc.-but once you develop that, they are fun....
....oh no, no....that wasn’t a complaint, just an adjustment that I had to make myself....I look over the directions first, then pick up the thread of the story....see, I like reading that scripting, stage direction etc...
Oh, I knew you weren't complaining. Some people just don't like reading that, or aren't interested, or like you, just need to adjust their reading -- but, I will say, if the story itself is unenjoyable, then all that stuff just adds to the tediousness.....oh no, no....that wasn’t a complaint, just an adjustment that I had to make myself....I look over the directions first, then pick up the thread of the story....
...yep, you right....Oh, I knew you weren't complaining. Some people just don't like reading that, or aren't interested, or like you, just need to adjust their reading -- but, I will say, if the story itself is unenjoyable, then all that stuff just adds to the tediousness.
CORRECTION:71. He Is Legend: An Anthology Celebrating Richard Matheson
by Various Authors, edited by Christopher Conlon
About the Book:
"A spectacular anthology of original, never-before published stories by today's best writers — stories set in Richard Matheson's own fictional universes, and published with Mr. Matheson's complete cooperation."
My Thoughts:
Harry O. Morris contributes the cover and interior artwork for this book. I always appreciate the art and love seeing the pieces represented.
I was particularly tickled to see two authors included in this tribute to Richard Matheson and they won't be the usual suspects:
Nancy A. Collins takes us back to Hell House. She does a nice job, and follows Matheson's script. I want to know why Benjamin Fischer is thought of as the only survivor of Hell House when he clearly wasn't? The characters in the book look at him as the only survivor, he himself states he is the only survivor, and any write-up about Matheson's story mentions Fischer as the only survivor. But, "Professor Fenley, an experienced psychic investigator, who's insane and crippled to this day" also survives. So I get the feeling that this is boiling down to something along lines of your definition of what "is", is. Maybe they mean Fischer is the only one who mentally survives. Nancy A. Collins is a great writer and I wish she were putting out more work besides her vampire novels.
My second nice surprise was the inclusion of Michael A. Arnzen. Long story short, years ago I had a moment in time with this author where he called me, "audacious." I took that as a good thing as he sent me out of the kindness of his heart his book, 100 Jolts: Shockingly Short Stories and the audio CD of some of those stories. They were funny and disturbing and the audio was really great fun. I loved the creativity. Loved it. Anyway, his tribute in this anthology was to Matheson's, Born of Man and Woman. It follows in the same vein as the original story and just as bleak and interesting as I expected it to be.
Joe Hill and Stephen King's story, Throttle, combines two men's style that is almost identical. While I don't go out of my way to try to figure out which author wrote which parts in any book I read where a partnership is happening, at times I would think, that's old-school Stephen's way of saying something or that was Joe's way of wording the situation. Word choices tugged at me to choose one or the other but it was a rare moment of doing that.
The book finishes up with a screenplay of Conjure Wife by Charles Beaumont and Richard Matheson that I enjoyed a lot. For some reason, I really like seeing how a screenplay is put together. The screenwriter's vision. Always interesting to me.
Lots of talented writers and I wonder, were each of these authors approached with a specific story that the editor wanted them to write about, or did the authors get to choose which story they wanted to honor?
CORRECTION:
I am currently reading Screamplays, another entry in my Year of Cemetery Dance. In this book is Richard Matheson's screenplay of The Legend of Hell House.
Benjamin Fischer is NOT the only survivor of Hell House. Why everyone fictional and nonfictional keeps insisting he is baffles me. Fischer clearly states another investigator gets out alive. And in the story (paraphrasing)" is alive to this day!." But, in my defense, he goes on to claim he WAS the only survivor.
As I state in my revision, I think this is boiling down to people's definition of what "is", is. Or in this case, "survive."
I want to give Nancy A. Collins credit for including Professor Fenley in her list of people who received one of the I-Slept-in-Hell-House-and-Survived! t-shirts.
I have changed what I originally said to include the correct information.
They are very nice editions. Although if you ever do, be prepared to wait years sometimes for a book to get to you if it is a special one.I've never bought a Cemetery Dance book but from reading back over your posts I may just have to! Once delivery isn't too much!
They are very nice editions. Although if you ever do, be prepared to wait years sometimes for a book to get to you if it is a special one.
They are very nice editions. Although if you ever do, be prepared to wait years sometimes for a book to get to you if it is a special one.