Re: The Hit List
Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 1:59 pm
the shrinking man - richard matheson
only in science fiction does a hero’s exposure to radiation result in bizarre human mutation and not plain old cancer like it would for the rest of us. as you may have guessed from the title, when this happens to scott carey he steadily begins to get shorter by a seventh of an inch everyday until he believes he will disappear into nothing. although the premise might be typical b-movie fodder, the novel itself is in a league of storytelling that transcends the limitations of the genre and would appeal to anyone who likes a good read. from the initial health worries of the accident, the eventual destruction of his family life to miniature battles with a relentless spider, this is a survival story with unexpected emotional depth and insight.
only in science fiction does a hero’s exposure to radiation result in bizarre human mutation and not plain old cancer like it would for the rest of us. as you may have guessed from the title, when this happens to scott carey he steadily begins to get shorter by a seventh of an inch everyday until he believes he will disappear into nothing. although the premise might be typical b-movie fodder, the novel itself is in a league of storytelling that transcends the limitations of the genre and would appeal to anyone who likes a good read. from the initial health worries of the accident, the eventual destruction of his family life to miniature battles with a relentless spider, this is a survival story with unexpected emotional depth and insight.