The long-awaited horror short story collection by Richard Christian Matheson is finally out. Dystopia collects all of Matheson's stories in one mammoth volume. 50+ brutal chunks of fiction that will leave indelible scars in your brain. These are some of the most intense stories you'll ever read. Most of the stories are 1-2 page assaults to your senses. And they are like a literary equivalent of Lay's potato chips; you can't read just one. When I started reading this book, it was 10 o'clock at the night. I had work early the next morning. I figured I could get maybe five or six stories in before bedtime, ten stories at the most. But as I read each story, I became increasingly drawn into Matheson's dark world. Even though my eyes begged to be shut, even though my body was at the point of shutdown, I kept wading through the pages. I was stuck, ensnared. True verbal quicksand. Word cocaine. Work be damned, I read until it was light outside. I only stopped because I had to get ready for work. I had no sleep. And all throughout the day, I couldn't wait to get back home and finish the book. I became a genuine Matheson addict.

The key to the addictiveness of Matheson's stories is their frantic pacing. Matheson's stories don't meander along, bogged down with extraneous descriptions and SAT-level words. They are abrupt. Stilleto-sharp. To the point. They are exercises in bottled intensity. Stephen King likened Matheson's stories to the barking of a staple gun. Oftentimes, it seems as if Matheson was meaning to aim those staples at the poor reader. Standout stories include "Red," a story of horrendous accidental murder, and "Mobius," a story about a poor retarded man programmed to take the blame for a series of killings. "Dead End" chronicles a couple's hellish drive through a labyrinthine community. The company represented in "Incorporation" has a unique and disturbing way of 'promoting' its employees. It's odd no one ever sees these 'promoted' individuals again. "Shutterbugs" truly creeped me out. Now when I look at the sweet old woman next door, I wonder how innocent she really is and what she does in her spare time... There is even a tag-team effort in Dystopia. Richard Christian Matheson teams up with his father Richard Matheson (the acclaimed author of such seminal horror works as I Am Legend) on "Where There's a Will," where a man wakes up to find himself buried six feet under. In some stories, Matheson discards conventional syntax to achieve a desired effect. "Vampire" looks more like a poetic word collage than a regular old short story. As a result, it takes the reader through a chaotic two-page whirlwind of a story. "Things to Get" is in the form of a simple list. But there are things on the list which will make you shudder with repulsion. "Conversation Piece" is in the form of an interview with a... well, not-so-sane person. The book also contains a number of previously unpublished works like "Mugger," "Timed Exposure," and "Goosebumps," so serious Matheson fans and horror fiction collectors won't want to miss out. If you have the least interest in horror, you should definitely check this book out. I have hundreds of books at home, and this is the one I display with the most pride. If I was exiled on a deserted island with no hope of future literary sustenance, and I had my choice of one book to take, you can bet I'd take Richard Christian Matheson's Dystopia. Where to buy DYSTOPIA Dystopia is available in limited quantities through Gauntlet Press, the book's publisher. "Dystopia" is available in two forms: 500 numbered editions --This is the basic edition of the book, with an afterword by Peter Straub and full color illustrated dustjacket by Harry O. Morris. This is signed by Matheson, Straub, and Morris. 250 deluxe numbered editions --This is the ultimate edition of this book. It is a hardcover housed in a sleek leather slipcase. In addition to signatures by Matheson, Straub, and Morris, this edition contains signatures by 20 other famous writers, including Dean Koontz, Clive Barker, Poppy Z. Brite, and others. Each of these authors has written a short 1-2 page blurb praising Richard C. Matheson and his achievements. Also, this edition contains 6 beautiful (er, terrifying) color illustrations not found in the basic numbered edition. Hurry, supplies are extremely limited. Order yours today from Gauntlet Press by clicking below: In the unfortunate event that Gauntlet Press runs out of copies of Dystopia, you can check YAHOO!Auctions or Abebooks.

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