The three men inside look at them for a long time. They decide to stop, because they don’t know when they’ll get another chance. Dying Room Onlyīob and Jean are driving through the desert when they come upon a café. This is the first story in the preview of Duel: Terror Stories. Shortly after, the semi roars past and abruptly cuts in front of him. Mann is driving to San Francisco for an appointment. Shortly after, things start getting strange. He goes out one evening with his married friend and two women they’ve met. His writing isn’t bringing in anything, and his part-time job doesn’t bring in much. He and his wife Mary had been arguing about money. Read “Deus Ex Machina” (Ctrl + F the title) Disappearing ActĪ man records the events of the last ten days. He tries to take care of it without alarming his family. He sees blood running from the wound, but also a reddish-brown oil. One morning while shaving with a straight razor, he falls, hitting his head on the sink and driving the razor into his throat. Robert Carter is a typical man-a thirty-four-year-old accountant with a wife and two daughters. “Death Ship” can be read in the preview of The Time Traveler’s Almanac. Captain Ross orders a landing to check it out. The crew speculates that it might be a ship. While nearing a new planet, Mason spots a metallic flash. The crew of a spaceship is collecting samples from various planets to determine their suitability for human habitation. One Sunday afternoon, he tries it for the first time. He devotes his time and resources to building a duplication machine. William Cook decides it would be nice to be two people-he could enjoy himself while his double carried out the obligatory chores of life. He eventually asks who’s the fastest draw in Grantville. The narrator tries to make conversation, but the young man is reticent. He carries a small black bag on his lap that he guards carefully. The narrator is riding the coach to Grantville with one other passenger, a city boy of about twenty. This is the first story in the preview of The Box: Uncanny Stories. He arrives at the appointed time and makes them a startling proposition. Inside is a contraption with a button on it, and a note saying that Mr. Read “Born of Man and Woman” (first story in Amazon preview) Button, ButtonĪ hand addressed package is left at the door of Arthur and Norma Lewis. The child is chained up in the basement, and has to keep out of sight or be beaten. His stories are often horror or sci-fi, but in everyday settings and with ordinary people.Ī good collection is The Best of Richard Matheson, (Amazon) which has 30+ short stories including some of his best-known, like “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet”, “Button, Button” and “Third From the Sun.” Born of Man and WomanĪn unidentified narrator, a child, tells their story through diary entries. Some of them were adapted into episodes of The Twilight Zone. Richard Matheson is known for his unusual and interesting stories.