Reviews for Nightmare at 20,000 Feet

The average rating for Nightmare at 20,000 Feet based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2011-03-27 00:00:00 Sjgqhg Sjgqhg 8 Excellent short stories, 1 Boring short misfire, and 11 Dazzling, GRANDtastic short masterpieces combine to make this one delicious helping of gumdrop goody goodness....in a scare you stool-less and leave you whimpering kind of way. This is a rare blend of literate, high quality prose and "oh shit" screaming terror. Matheson's story-telling is addictive and the heavy, meaty sense of tension-filled dread with which he is able to consistently imbue his stories is truly special. Yeah, I thought this collection was pretty terrific. Of the 20 tales in this collection, the following are the 11 AWEgasm causing masterpieces that I thought Matheson just knocked out of the park: NIGHTMARE AT 20000 FEET: I must have seen the Twilight Zone episode with a bucky young Captain Kirk a dozen times before finally reading/listening to this classic tale of a mentally troubled passenger seeing a "Gremlin" on the wing of an airplane. Well, as good as the James T. and Rod Serling were at the adaptation, it was a thin, pale shadow to the robustness of the original in its ability to create a rising, pulsating sense of terror. What a great way to lead off this collection as it showcases Matheson's tremendous skill at layering on real terror with psychological perception so that the reader continues to ask themselves...how much of this is real? DRESS OF WHITE SILK: Holy nutshakers people, this one had me waiting for the bomb to drop (metaphorically as well as in my shorts) from the very first line. Everything about this story of a seriously bizarre little girl and her strange obsession with dead mommy's heirlooms (including the titular silk dress) spelled CREEPY with a capital AHHHHH!! This one reminded me a lot of Matheson's "Born of Man and Woman" which is one of my all time favorites. Short, tension filled, engrossing and with the best last line of the entire collection. BLOOD SON: This superb story concerns another very odd boy (I sense a pattern developing) who becomes OBSESSIONALLY "out of his nutty little mind" OBSESSED with vampirism after reading Bram Stoker's Dracula. He wants to be one...very, very badly, making his family, school mates and neighbors "long tail cat in rocking chair room" nervous whenever he is around. Only an extraordinary writer like Matheson could have pulled this story off as it balances on the edge of "mental instability" and "genuine horror" all the way until another amazing ending. THROUGH CHANNELS: If you want an absolute case study in the art of "let the readers imagination fill in the horror" than this may be it. I have heard from some that this was one of the lesser works in this collection but I would respectfully disagree (and give them a raspberry behind their back). This is a masterly piece. The story takes place in an interview room where a son is being questioned by police about the "horrific" murders of his parents and two of their friends. While I think by the end of the story, it is pretty clear "what happened" it is all slowly pieced together based on the reactions of the officers and the boy who have all seen the crime scene. I will remember this one for a while. WITCH WAR: This 5th story makes it a stellar 5 out of 5 for Matheson in this collection. Despite being completely different from the others, the quality and imagination are superb. This one has a very "Village of the Damned" vibe to it and involves a group of prepubescent (but "holy shit" powerful witches absolutely demolishing an army of soldiers (with tanks, planes, etc.) sent to destroy them. Much more actiony than the previous stories, but the best part of the story is the casual, unemotional mind-set of the little girls who see this as nothing more than a fun game to play. DISAPPEARING ACT: Another fantastic product by Matheson, this story involves a struggling writer who begins an affair with another woman. After arguing with his wife, he calls up his mistress only to discover that no one has ever heard of her. Thus begins a true piece of psychological terror as things begin to disappear from the characters life as if erased from history. This is masterful story-telling. LEGION OF PLOTTERS: One of the most disturbing stories in the collection, this is a salty little psychology study of a man who has hit 11 on the paranoia scale and believes, literally, that everyone is out to get him. When this story is over, it will make you look at certain news stories in a whole new light. DANCE OF THE DEAD:Arguably the most "important" story in the collection for its scathing and piercing commentary on loss of empathy and the ability to human beings to give up the ability to feel compassion for their fellow man. This is also, in my opinion, the most difficult story in the collection to navigate through as it is a futuristic tale full of a strange new vocabulary (which Matheson uses to great effect). In short, the story takes place in a post World War III America where a group of teens travel to a unique bar to see a very bizarre show. My advice: take your time with this one and even read some commentary on the story before you read it. The haunting image of the "show" will stay with me s good long while. THE CHILDREN OF NOAH: This is as good an example of nasty, big city tourist driving through tiny "out of the way" town and having a bizarre run in with the locals. Think "The Wicker Man" or "The Children of the Corn" and you will be on the right track. However, Matheson brings a little extra oomph to this story through his understated writing, his unlikable main character and the slow, tension filled build up to the terror spewing climax...Ah satisfaction indeed!! THE DISTRIBUTOR: Stephen King mentions in the introduction that without Richard Matheson, he would not be here and compared him to his father in the world of writing horror. Well Stevie boy sure must have found inspiration in this tale as it has some amazing parallels to his "Needful Things" (a book I really like but is not generally seen as one of King's best...shows what I know). This a terrific little story about a man who comes to town and brings a whole bag of "fucking with your life" with him to distribute among the neighborhood. I loved, loved, loved the ending. THE LIKENESS OF JULIE: Another example of absolutely pitch perfect narrative voice and an ending I did not see coming and still can not believe. A guy named Eddie becomes obsessed with a sweet girl in his physics class and can not stop thinking about her. He devises a vicious plan to drug her and black-mail her into being with him. The creep factor in this story approaches "I need a shower" level and Matheson's portrayal of an out of control compulsion is amazing. Nasty, haunting and brilliantly written, this is a gem. With the exception of Old Haunts, which for some reason I just did not care for, the remaining 9 stories are all better than good to excellent. Two of the stories "Long Distance Call" and "Prey" are among Matheson's best known stories and I really enjoyed them. I think it just evidences how much I truly loved the 11 listed above that those two did not make the cut. For those interested the remaining nine stories are: Madhouse Long Distance Call Slaughter House Wet Straw The Holiday Man Old Haunts Crickets First Anniversary Prey Overall, a no doubt about it five 5 rating and Richard Matheson earns an immediate spot among the most impressive writers of speculative short fiction I have ever encountered. HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION!!

Review # 2 was written on 2007-06-15 00:00:00 Richard Leach Remember the Twlight Zone episode with William Shatner seeing gremlins on the wing of the plane? Well, that's the title story. And many others in this collection are just as good.