The Prisoner by Richard Matheson

"They won't let me out, they won't let me out, (I'm locked up)" - Akon

Well, this was disappointing. The story starts off with so much promise and then fizzles into meaningless drivel. A man wakes up in a prison with no memory of how he got there and will soon be executed. I was actually hooked from the start and thought the author presented an intriguing premise with lots of potential. Unfortunately, Matheson has no idea where to go from here and the story ends up being this drawn-out Abbot and Costello routine. The prisoner keeps asking the guards and priest the same questions without getting a straight answer from either of them. 

The story seems to suggest that the prisoner is stuck in purgatory and being punished for causing mass death as a nuclear physicist. Regardless, any kind of exegesis of this text would be a waste of time. I just saved you 10 minutes of your life--use it wisely. You're welcome. 

Counterfeit Bills by Richard Matheson

Cloning yourself rarely ends well.

Remember this 90's comedy starring Michael Keaton and Andie MacDowell? Feeling overwhelmed with the lack of time in his day due to a demanding job, family obligations and spending quality time with his wife, the Keaton character decides it would be a good idea to make multiple clones of himself to alleviate these responsibilities. Thus, he will have more personal time to spend at his leisure. Of course, not everything goes according to plan and the clones become increasingly difficult to control with comedic results. As far as I know, this film is not a direct adaptation of Counterfeit Bills by Richard Matheson but I would not be surprised if it was at least inspired by this short-story, which follows a very similar plot. As I continue making my way through this anthology, I am beginning to notice Matheson's influence cropping up more and more in other literary works, television shows and movies.

Tangent aside, this story is a silly farce and my least favorite so far by the author. The narrative is primarily concerned with setting up the joke for a punchline that has no payoff. Instead, the ending comes across as one of those really embarrassing dad jokes that makes you cringe. Luckily, the story is only a few pages and you don't need to suffer too long. Considering my soft-spot for puns, the only positive takeaway for me is the clever title.  

Born of Man and Woman by Richard Matheson

Welcome to the macabre and bizzaro world of Richard Matheson.

First off, how cool is this cover art? The Penguin Classics really know how to do it right. 

Born of Man and Woman is the first story to appear in this collection of Ricard Matheson short stories. Incredibly dark and disturbing, the reader is presented with a series of fragmented diary entries by an unnamed narrator being tortured and locked up in a basement by his abusive parents. Think "Flowers of Algernon" if it was a horror revenge story. The first-person narrative view brings the reader directly into the mindset of our psychologically wounded storyteller. The stream-of-consciousness, spelling mistakes and bad grammar effectively captures the interior thoughts of a developmentally challenged individual. For instance, his mother is verbally abusive and calls him "reteched" but he does not understand the meaning. He is a prisoner, chained up and completely void of any human contact other than his cruel parents who come downstairs to beat him or hurl insults. 

We get the sense that he might be physically deformed or abnormal in some way but such details are never made clear. Due the narrator's limited point of view, the story is full of ambiguity and the reader must fill in the blanks. His only glimpse of the outside world is a small window in the basement and his observations are akin to a child's imagination. His innocence and resilient nature makes him sympathetic, inviting the reader to root for his escape and enact revenge on the cruel parents. Whether you are an optimist or a cynic, the ending is purposefully ambiguous. Since this story is only a few pages long, this is a very quick read and totally engrossing from start to finish. 

Third from the Sun by Richard Matheson

Home sweet home.

The "twist" ending really isn't much of a twist at all since the clue is in the title. Being only a few pages long, Matheson subscribes to the less-is-more technique of short-story writing. The highly condensed narrative consisting mostly of dialogue, makes for a very quick read. There are certainly some Ray Bradbury vibes going on here although it lacks a certain ingenuity and poetic flair in comparison. The simplicity and lapidary style often associated with the short-story form does not always provide enough depth. Hence, this makes for an enjoyable read in the moment but not worth revisiting.  

Richard Matheson's influence on the horror, fantasy and science fiction genre is undeniable, with authors like Stephen King and Neil Gaiman being huge proponents of his work. He is probably most famous for the horror classic "I am Legend" and also wrote many episodes of "The Twilight Zone", adapted from his short-stories. Several of them can be found in this excellent anthology released by Penguin Classics entitled "The Best of Richard Matheson" and much of this week will be devoted to reviewing his work. 

The Great Wide World Over There by Ray Bradbury

Cabin in the woods but not a horror story.

Here is another disappointing Ray Bradbury short-story saved by Levar Burton's excellent dramatic reading. He imbues such delicate care to Bradbury's words, highlighting the cadence and rhythm of his prose. Bradbury's technique and command of language rivals the very best writers. Stylistically, his syntax and choice of words are so precise. His writing is rarely an issue; rather, this story was too slight, leaving me indifferent. 

The Great Wide World Over There establishes a sense of nostalgia and sentimentalism for a bygone era when letter writing was still the preferred method for long-distance communication. Cora and her husband are an elderly couple living in the mountains, isolated from society. Both of them are also illiterate and therefore have no access to any news about the outside world via mail. Hence, the title of the story. Their nephew visits them one summer and ends up helping Cora to correspond with various mail subscriptions. Her world turns upside down and this becomes the most exciting thing to ever happen in her entire life. Ironically, she gets so wrapped up in the excitement of sending and receiving mail that she does not take the opportunity to learn how to read or write. The nephew eventually leaves and she goes back to living her old life. The ending is bittersweet but there is not enough depth or substance here for me to recommend it. Skip.

A Scandal in Bohemia by Arthur Conan Doyle

There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact.

Sherlock Holmes requires no introduction and describing the plot of A Scandal in Bohemia would be an exercise in futility. Come on, this is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the iconic Sherlock Holmes so you already know it's going to be a doozy. 

I was first introduced to Sherlock Holmes middle school when my homeroom teacher read us "The Hound of the Baskervilles" and it instantly became my favorite book of all time. Looking back, I am not sure my eight-year old self fully appreciated the author's clever wit, sophisticated prose and ingenious plots as much as I thought Sherlock Holmes was the coolest character ever. Also, I don't recall him using cocaine to sharpen his mind although the drug was obviously viewed differently back in the 1880's. I just thought this was an amusing side note worth mentioning.  

Quick, fun and highly entertaining, this story is quintessential Sherlock Holmes. It hooks the reader immediately from the very first sentence and doesn't let go: "To Sherlock Holmes, she is always the woman." Love it. So much intrigue built around such a simple statement that perfectly sets up the mystery. If you do end up reading this story, please let me know in the comments below if you successfully deduced the twist ending. I must confess that I did not.

Flying Carpets by Steven Millhauser

A whole new world...

Whimsical childhood reflections, magical realism and flying carpets sounds like an excellent recipe for a great short-story. Unfortunately, I found the overall result to be a mixed bag. Had it not been for Levar Burton's enthusiastic reading of this story, I probably would have liked it less. 

Essentially, we are presented with a coming-of-age story, with the first person narrator looking back on their childhood when every kid on the block wanted a flying carpet. You see, in this alternative world, flying carpets exist. They are the latest popular trend and the young narrator is totally over the moon when his father brings one home for him as a gift. Similar to learning how to ride a bike for the first time, flying a carpet requires practice. We follow the young protagonist as he develops his skills, building up the confidence to soar higher and higher up in the sky. The young boy's sense of freedom and pure joy while flying his carpet evokes those strong feelings of childhood innocence and optimism where anything seems possible. In the tradition of magical realism, the story presents fantastic events in the most commonplace surroundings and matter-of-fact tone. Millhauser emphasizes the power of the imagination, inextricably linked to childlike wonder and curiosity. Capturing this essence is the story's main strength despite the narrative falling flat. 

The Skull by Philip K. Dick

Smoke if you got em!

Philip K Dick's strong suit is story ideas, not characterization. If you are looking for complex characters and emotional or psychological depth, you are bound to be disappointed. Some of his early sci-fi pulp adventure narratives like The Skull are supposed to be fast-paced entertainments, nothing more. Personally, I see nothing wrong with this narrative approach and not every literary work needs to be some kind of profound intellectual exercise. Give me a good story well-told and I'm one happy camper. The pulps are often labeled as "trash" by literary pundits but I never subscribed to this elitist attitude. Sure, in this story, the characters are flat, driven by basic desires or they fall into various archetypes. The narrative can often feel disjointed and haphazard, moving frenetically towards the dénouement. Yet, despite these flaws, somehow the story is still an enjoyable read. It would not be until much later in his writing career when PKD is able to develop well-rounded characters and the prose becomes much more compelling as he transcends the limitations of genre fiction. 

Nonetheless, The Skull succeeds as an entertaining story about a time-traveling assassin. He is sent back to the early 20th century to kill an important figure whose pacifist views have serious repercussions on future society because according to pro-military officials, there can be no human progress without war. Similar to other stories by Philip K Dick, expect some clever surprises along the way. The protagonist is not provided much information from his superiors about the target or where to find him, only the general location and time period. He must rely on his wits and unique hunting skillset to track him down before time runs out. Much of the suspense and intrigue is created by keeping the protagonist in the dark about his mission and by extension, the reader. Entertaining stuff.

The Shawl by Cynthia Ozick

The grey zone.

I have been putting off writing this review for several weeks now because it feels like such a daunting task to unpack this remarkable work that continues to leave a lasting impression. The Shawl by Cynthia Ozick is the newest addition to my Short Story Hall of Fame for its technique, raw power and absolutely devastating depiction of the Holocaust. This masterpiece is easily one of the most heartbreaking pieces of literature that I have ever encountered in my life and some of the haunting imagery will forever be ensconced in my brain.

I am beginning to develop a certain affinity for authors capable of blending lyricism with realism. Even though language is inadequate to fully capture the horrors of the Holocaust, there is still value in telling these stories. Moreover, the paradox of history and truth is further complicated since so many victims in the concentration camps did not survive to describe what happened to them. Art has the difficult task of filling in the gaps of this erasure, expressing the inexpressible, conveying the silence of trauma. Writers of Holocaust fiction seek an artistic reconstruction of history in a meaningful way.

On the surface, this story is about motherhood, human suffering and survival under the most dire circumstances. The resilience and fortitude of Rosa to keep her baby alive even when facing death, is a testament to the human spirit. She only lives to protect the child and the reader becomes fully immersed in her harrowing plight. This 'silence' becomes an important metaphor loaded with meaning: the silence of trauma, the silence of history, the silence of unspeakable horrors. There is also Stella but she exists on the periphery, a shadowy figure only seen through Rosa's perspective. In fact, the entire narrative construction is full of shadowy fragments. Ozick's elliptical, impressionistic and sparse prose further contributes to this ambiguity. This aesthetic creates a disorienting effect, a hallucinatory style to reflect Rosa's intense trauma. Another salient feature includes vague descriptions and a bare minimum of information, forcing the reader to infer through context. The poetic lyricism and metaphors might seem inappropriate for the subject matter (finding beauty in horror) but this narrative technique paradoxically serves to represent the un-representable. For example, pay attention to the animal metaphors in relation to survival, hunger, starvation. Ozick also utilizes ironic contrasts for dramatic effect: flowers and fecal matter; butterflies and electric fences. 

There are so many rich layers of complexity packed into a few pages, which, for me, is usually indicative of a great short-story. The Shawl is an important and unforgettable artistic achievement.