Scars and Other Distinguishing Marks

“A typical Matheson story is like something shot out of a staple gun—short, tightly-wrapped, and abrupt.”
—Stephen King, from his Foreword

“The central images of these stories are so powerful and resonant that they linger after structure and specific language have been forgotten. ‘Red’ seems to me to be a masterwork. ‘Vampire’ is a breathtaking work of virtuosity.”
—Dennis Etchison, from his Introduction

“An impressive debut. These stories are all beautifully written and very, very disturbing.”
—Fangoria

“Richard Christian Matheson’s prose is elegant, yet spare. He is undoubtedly the master of the contemporary horror short story. His potent, subtle horror sneaks up on the reader and its echoes linger long after the story has ended.”
—Ellen Datlow, fiction editor, Omni