Button, Button: Uncanny Stories

How does Matheson make use of cruel ironies to demonstrate The Devastating Effects of Selfishness? Use at least three concrete examples to support your interpretation.

Compare and contrast the tone of “The Creeping Terror” with that of “Mute.” How does the stylistic flexibility of Matheson’s writing enhance the mood, setting, and characters of each story?

Compare and contrast Greg from “Girl of My Dreams” and Dr. Petre Gheria from “No Such Thing as Vampires.” What motivates each husband’s abuses? Do Matheson’s descriptions of the two characters convey a sense that he is condemning or condoning their actions?

What compels Norma to push the button? What does “Button, Button” illustrate about The Dilemmas of Marriage and the consequences of being a stranger in one’s own life?

How does Matheson take advantage of common storytelling tropes to challenge expectations in “Dying Room Only”?

Why is writing and publishing science fiction a tool of survival for Richard Allen Shaggley? What indications exist in the story to suggest that he is living alone in a post-apocalyptic world?

Even in a world where he and his family are turning to jelly, Luke looks forward to marriage and a happy future. What does this demonstrate about Hope in the Wake of Destruction? Where else in Matheson’s stories can this sense of unyielding hope be found?

Does Matheson suggest that Paal Nielsen is better off now that he is with Cora and the sheriff? Why or why not?