Richard Matheson

Born in New Jersey in 1926, Richard Matheson became one of the most important American writers of horror, fantasy, and science fiction in the 20th century. He is especially remembered for the novel I Am Legend, as well as The Shrinking Man and many celebrated short stories that brought psychological tension and eerie ideas into everyday settings.

Matheson also had a major career in film and television. He wrote numerous screenplays and became closely associated with The Twilight Zone, where his work helped define the show's unsettling, imaginative style. His writing has influenced generations of novelists, filmmakers, and screenwriters.

He died in 2013 in California, but his work continues to reach new readers and listeners because it feels both classic and surprisingly modern: direct, gripping, and full of human fear, wonder, and resilience.