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May be too dated for new readers Nov 26, 2008 (2 of 2 found this helpful)
I bought this book during the "I am Legend" hubbub last year, remembering that Matheson had been a frequent contributor to the original Twilight Zone series, and, not interested in investing the time required for a full novel, I thought it would be fun to revisit some "Uncanny Stories". If I had ever read any of the selections in this volume before, I don't remember it, though the style of writing is familiar to anyone who, as I did, devoured innumerable science fiction and horror stories from the fifties and early sixties when they were younger. It must have been the prerequisite to getting a story published back then - set it up and then really sock it to the reader on the last line. Roald Dahl may have been the master of this form, though many others were also able to snap off a good yarn during this time period.
Even Dahl had to quit this type of story eventually - it's just too difficult to continually find new twists to keep the reader guessing. Of course, Harlan Ellison came around in the late 60's, and depending on your veiwpoint, either ruined it all or ushered in a brave new world for these genre type stories with "Dangerous Visions". I suppose that's beside the point, as Matheson's "Button, Button" is firmly entrenched in the latter form, and the whipcrack of the stories' last lines are intended to send a shiver down the spine or elicit a belly laugh of disbelief.
Perhaps I'm just too jaded for these types of stories anymore. I find myself involved in a guessing game with Matheson, extrapolating what the 'surprise' ending will be. Even if I'm not right, the surprise is already ruined simply because I'm waiting for it. It's not as though these stories are poorly written - that isn't the case at all. But after a while, they begin to feel contrived and pointless, sort of an end unto themselves. Taken together, stories of this type, collected and read one after another, rarely have any staying power with me anymore.
That's not to say that Matheson doesn't have an excellent imagination, and a few of the stories in "Button, Button" still carry with them some of that excitement I remember experiencing as a young teenager two or three eons ago while devouring hundreds of Sci-fi and horror anthologies. I think there may still be some younger readers, perhaps 12-13, who would still get a kick out of this collection, though it would probably seem incredibly dated to them, and they might not get all of the references. Then again, they might not be able to relate at all, as there isn't a boy wizard attending wizard school to be found anywhere here.
Lest I seem to be unfair, it's worth noting that Matheson was, if not a pioneer, then at least a highly successful writer of these types of stories. After all, I picked this collection up based on what I remembered about him from 30 years ago. He certainly made an impression on me once, at any rate.
There were 4 stories here that I still enjoyed, even in my jaded view. All four I thought were imaginitive, and though I still thought they were dated, they were written in an engaging enough manner that I forgot about that and could appreciate them for their humor, above and beyond the effectiveness (or not) of the snap ending.
In "A Flourish of Strumpets", a collective union of women practicing the world's oldest profession begin a new push for customers by knocking on doors like vacuum salesmen. The main character is extremely indignant, though his neighbors seem a little more indulgent. The brazenness and the availability begin to wear the man down, until he finally has to find some kind of compromise or go crazy.
"Pattern for Survival" is a short little tale reminiscent of "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty", and concerns a man who's his own best audience.
In "Clothes Make the Man", a drunken party-goer relates a bizarre tale to another guest about h
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Matheson Fans BEWARE! REHASHED Stories! May 20, 2008 (1 of 2 found this helpful)
First Off, I'm a big fan of Richard Matheson senior and am rating this book low NOT because of content, but because they weren't forthright about the fact that it's basically a rehashed compilation. I bought this because I know 'Button Button' was supposedly an unpublished story based on the upcoming Cameron Diaz film 'The Box'. After I bought it I cross referenced the short story titles w/ my Richard Matheson Collected Stories Vols #1 - #3 (Edge Books) and EVERY story - including BUTTON BUTTON even - is already printed in those volumes! So save your $ if you already have the others. I mistakingly assumed these were all previously unpublished stories here. Buyer Beware of my mistake.
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superb anthology Apr 2, 2008 (0 of 1 found this helpful)
The twelve stories that make up this collection were mostly written in the 1950s and 1960s (the newest is 1970) but continue to be timely as they showcase a strong suspense horror author who remains renowned for his Twilight Zone twists affirmed by this anthology. The title story is a terrific tale of ethics vs. greed as a married couple possesses a device in which each time they press a button they receive $50,000, but a stranger dies. "Girl of My Dreams" stars a rat who abuses his naive girlfriend's psychic gift to make money; greed is one of the deadly sins in the Matheson world while the loss of innocence ("Mute") is even deadlier. "No Such Thing as a Vampire" feels very Twilight Zone like. This superb anthology is top rate as the short stories are filled with everyday people with moral choices between avarice and ethics involved in scenarios beyond their normal existence; any moment Rod Serling will inform the audience they entered a world filled with imagination and much more.
Harriet Klausner
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An Excellent Offering of Matheson Stories May 19, 2008
Though not as strong a collection as either of the previous two volumes published by Tor, "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" and "Duel", "Button, Button" is a slim volume that offers quality throughout and, in some places, true greatness. Matheson experiments stylistically more in this collection than in the other two. The best stories are those that he does not attempt to experiment with, or, in other words, those keeping with Matheson's trademarked style of cinematic minimalism applied to a dark fantasy story, or suspense story, constructed in the realist manner.
The title story is certainly one of the finer offerings in the collection. It is written almost as a parable, or a fable, with the lines of distinctions marking not the characters but the action and the consequences of those actions. "Girl of My Dreams" and "Dying Room Only" are crime/suspense stories, the former containing fantasy elements, that are driven by action and dialogue to a rational conclusion. "Girl of My Dreams" concern a battle between the mental and the physical and shows how fear and uncertainty can easily usurp the power of physical strength.
"A Flourish of Strumpets" is a darkly humorous story that is pervaded by an invasive atmosphere that underlies the funny moments in the story, including the twist ending, with a vision of human frailty. "No Such Thing As a Vampire" is a story dealing not only of vampires (of the real variety) but with revenge, myth, belief, and the conductive power of these intertwined. "Pattern for Survival" is a short piece with a surprisingly unexpected cohesiveness. "Mute" is a darkly brooding commentary on the frailty of genius, the corruptible innocence of a child, and the undeserving punishment inflicted upon the weak and helpless by those stronger yet mentally and emotionally inferior.
"The Creeping Terror" is a long, boring, experimental piece that aims to be satirical and comes off as pointless, dated, and unoriginal. "Shock Wave," however, is original, suspenseful, and a jolt to the senses. "Clothes Make the Man" is a story that plays solely off its twist ending but since the story is short and the twist a satisfying one, it is pulled off exceptionally. "The Jazz Machine" is an atypical prose poem that is actually quite a good story if the style doesn't weigh you down too much. "Tis the Season to Be Jelly" is a baffling stylistic piece of bizarre fantasy, and not very satisfying.
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The Most Consistent Level of Quality Across a Matheson Anthology Collection May 28, 2008
Richard Matheson has certainly written some of the most classic and well known masterpieces throughout his career, many of which are short stories. Usually with a Matheson anthology the title story is superb (such as with Duel: Terror Stories By Richard Matheson) and the rest are just fillers and to be honest are very average stories. Those coming across Button, Button Uncanny Stories will be pleased to know that the majority are of not only readable but fairly high quality. The only thing though this collection lacks is a masterpiece, there's nothing of the quality of Duel, or The Shrinking Man, I Am Legend or Nightmare At 20,000 Feet in this collection.
All short stories within, with the exception of Button, Button, (this anthology's title story) were all originally published in the 1950s or early 1960s. Button, Button is no new work either it first appeared in 1970. Trying to track down a lot of these Matheson gems today would be pretty difficult and expensive so it's good to see publishers republishing old work together for the first time in new anthologies.
So what are the stories about?
Button, Button - is more of a philosophical question than a story as other than the characters coping with the dilemma of being asked if they would push the button on a device delivered to their home which will give them $50 000 at the expense of someone they don't know being killed every time they push it. There is really not much substance to this story, it is actually one of the weaker stories of this collection simply because other than the what would you do aspect, nothing much happens after that.
Girl of My Dreams - has a woman who can see the future deaths of people. A loser guy sees her as his ticket to wealth and hot women by blackmailing those close to those she sees to hand over cash in exchange for the information so they can protect the ones they love.
Dying Room Only - is an interesting little tale. A married couple stop in an isolated town's service station to get something to eat. Both use the bathrooms as their food is cooking but the husband never comes out. What happened to him? You'll need to read and find out.
A Flourish of Strumpets - does show its age a bit but remembering when it was written (1956) and picturing that time period as the setting makes it brilliant. A conservative husband and wife answer the door to a prostitute who is bringing herself to her customers rather than wait on street corners and is after business. Appalled this couple ring the police who aren't that helpful. The husband soon learns his neighbours aren't as appalled by the daily visits of a different woman each day as he and his wife are.
No Such Thing as a Vampire - is certainly no I am Legend quality wise but still a worthwhile read. A women awakens to find puncture marks on her neck. No matter what vampire remedies and precautions are taken she is still bitten every night. Servants leave, the town fears they will be next when the vampire has finished with her. The husband is an unbeliever in vampires, there is no such thing as vampires surely!
Pattern for Survival - I reread this three and half page story twice and still have no idea what the point of it is. A popular writer gets another story published in a magazine, that's it.
Mute - Fire destroys an isolated house. A boy is later found to have in the woods having escaped. Remarkably he cannot speak. How did he escape the fire and why can he not speak? One of the few average reads in this anthology.
Creeping Terror - LA is alive! Citrus trees start growing where they shouldn't be, people dress for and start heading to the beach on foot in places where there is no beach. This story of LA expanding and taking over the world is written in the style of a paper written for assessment in a university class complete with footnotes. Easily ot