Nightmare At 20,000 Feet

Nightmare at 20,000 Feet by Richard Matheson. Originally published by Ballantine, 1962. Approx. 21 pages.

Ah, now here we have a true classic. It is unlikely that you have not seen at least one of the screen adaptations of this, one of horror Grandmaster Richard Matheson's most popular stories. Whether you prefer the Shatner version or the Lithgow one, they are both terrifying in their own rights.

But how many of us have actually read the story that serves as the basis for this tale? And what exactly makes this yarn so enduring?

The fact is that Nightmare at 20,000 is more than a story of what may or may not be an actual monster tampering with the works of an airplane. It is about fears, phobias, and frustrations.

Our protagonist, Wilson, is traveling coast to coast on a business trip. we get the sense that he is pretty harried; no big fan of flight, irritable stomach issues, a general dissatisfaction with his life in general, Even his job comes with the fear of attack from looming youth gangs; hence, Wilson has taken to carrying a gun with him for safety.

But are these boogeymen real or in his head? The true test comes when, during the storm-tossed plane's flight, Wilson is sure he sees something, something very much like a man, tampering with one of the plane's engines. Not only that, this hunched, hairy creature is taunting him; taking advantage of the apparent fact that only Wilson is aware of him.

Wilson's calls for help make him seem, of course, all the more irrational. But, the creature's tampering is upping the stakes more with each minute. Who will ultimately win this battle of wits?

Matheson starts this story off extremely well. He uses a situation most of us can sympathize with: wariness of air travel, as the basis for understanding the danger. Along with this fear is the crippling claustrophobia of being in a plane, and the utter impotence of not being able to help in any way should anything start to go wrong.

The plane roils, so does Mr. Wilson's stomach. Even his mental state is tossed and turned. This really sets the overall tone.

The climax, however, is a tad bit rushed. It could be argued that the endings to either the TV episode or the movie version tied things up in a more satisfactory manner. Each of those end with a "kicker"; there is some evidence that shows something odd did, in fact, happen to the engine. The close here is a bit ambiguous; which is fine as well. We are left more to ponder whether Wilson lost his sanity, or made a desperate grab at something meaningful in what he already felt was an meaningless existence. Or, was there actually a creature on the wing? An actual gremlin, like the ones the men returning from the War talked about.

Track this story down and give it a whirl, it makes for a nice half hour of reading in the days before Halloween. Or revisit one of the film versions. The original Twilight Zone series is on Netflix, and this is Season 5, Episode 3. The movie version isn't too hard to find, just skip to this story (the last one, because the other ones kind of suck).

Final Score: 8/10 

Prey

Prey by Richard Matheson. Originally published in 1969. Approx. 8 pages.

If you were going to try and compile a short list of Richard Matheson's most iconic contributions to the horror genre, it would be a guarantee that Prey would make it to the Top 5. Better known for its film adaption: "Amelia", story three in the Trilogy of Terror television movie, Prey follows Amelia, a timid woman who gets trapped in a horrifying encounter with an African fetish statue come to life. Based on how old you were when you first saw it, the segment was either the scariest or most hilarious thing you had seen in your life. I'd estimate, under 10 years old, scary, over 10, or if you just listen to the sound effects, hilarity. If you have never watched it, take 16 minutes and check it out here:

It's kind of required Halloween viewing. I fell into the under 10 category when I first saw it, plus I was terrified by any movie with evil little things running around, so I was scared pretty thoroughly by it.

These being the other little critters that traumatized me. Damn you 1970's made-for-TV horror movies!

Point being, "Amelia" is still effectively scary today, partly because of a great Zuni fetish prop, and more importantly because of its pedigree as a work written and adapted for the screen by Matheson.

So, without that evil little "He Who Kills" doll running around, does Prey deliver on the chills? Very much so. Matheson makes the best of an economical word count here. In the first paragraphs you know all that you need about Amelia; she is something of a pushover, someone easily controlled. Thirty-three years old, still single (essentially a spinster for the day and age), and living under the absolute control of her mother.

Matheson's focus in writing for the Zuni fetish hunting doll, AKA "He Who Kills", is to play up what makes it scary. When writing about a homicidal, seven inch tall living doll, there is an absurdity that cannot be avoided; the author's duty is to make it a horrifying, incongruous nightmare, instead of a laughable oddity. The scary parts the Matheson centers on are all the "sharp edges". The focus is always on the doll's rows of shark-like teeth, and on the appropriated kitchen knife which is always in play, whirling like a cyclone. The comedic aspects of a half-foot tall doll chasing you diminish greatly when it keeps carving your feet and ankles to ribbons. Also, to make the danger of the doll surpass its size, Matheson infuses He Who Kills with the strength of the entombed spirit, allow it to go beyond physical limitations.

There is a brutal chase, punctuated by painful moments which will make the reader wince in sympathy with Amelia plot.

Best of all, the story ends with a solid ending, as Matheson is smart enough to adhere to the theme of controlling forces.

So, if you haven't enjoyed these two horror classics, you can probably both read the story and watch the clip in around half an hour. And there are few better ways to spend half an hour during the Halloween season.

You can read the entire short story here, even though there are some typos. Enjoy!

Final Score:

10/10

Born Of Man And Woman

Today's entry is less a review than a mention; a mention in keeping with the trend this month of spooky stories. This year, we have seen the passing of some real literary heavyweights, such as Elmore Leonard, and, more recently, Tom Clancy. But, of all those that passed this year, none had had the impact of Richard Matheson. Even the most casual reader/viewer of horror material has probably encountered one or more of his creations. He was that integral to the genre.

Looking back, you can how Matheson's star was shining in even his first sold work. Published in 1950, a 1,200 word masterpiece titled "Born of Man and Woman", was penned by a then 22 year old Matheson. It tells the tale of a creature; some kind of child abomination, that is kept chained in a basement by its 'normal' parents. As the story is told from a first-person POV, you see the entire landscape of its world through the mentality of an ashamed, uneducated, juvenile mind. And there's a lot of sorrow in that kind of concept.

In the span of what equates to be two pages, Matheson delivers three fully-realized characters. The parents have real emotions; they do not simply chain up and beat the child. There are palpable notes of love, sadness, and, most of all, shame and anger. These might be part of the whole gamut of emotions endured by parents of special needs children, elevated to an astronomical level. The child has a palette of feelings as well; inquisitiveness, need to explore, love, shame, and eventually, pride and anger.

Matheson lets the tale unfold with a true mastery; as the trio that is the central cast reach their individual breaking points, we can see more and more just how inhuman this child is. And yet, even as the last lines give you a glimpse at the abomination, the true horror, like all good horrors, remains implied:

For no explanation is given; as to why this creature was born. It is not attributable to aliens, the Devil, or the cruel humors of demons. It could be born to anyone, a true affront to the security of white picket fence suburbia,  it could be lurking in any basement, and, as it asserts its independence, it will not be bound by chains or man.

Born of Man and Woman can be read in .pdf format here, and, I cannot recommend highly enough that you do so. If you have never read works by Richard Matheson, or, if you do not know that he is the man behind many great horror works that you've probably enjoyed, then you are in for a treat. For those who already know, make sure you read it again this Halloween season.

Like I said earlier, I am not assigning this short a numerical grade, but trust me, it is five out of five star reading.