Button, Button: Uncanny Stories

“Dying Room Only” is a story filled with suspense and intrigue, and most of it takes place within Jean’s mind, creating an immersive experience. By setting the story in an isolated café in the middle of the desert, Matheson creates a vaguely ominous tone, hinting that something is bound to go wrong. Jean’s initial reluctance to enter the café further foreshadows this eventuality, as does the wordless hostility of the three men within. By creating deliberate contrasts with the dominant “schema” of how a visit to a café is supposed to proceed, Matheson intensifies the sense of unease that permeates the narrative. For example, rather than being warmly greeted, the couple is stared at, and Jean is served cloudy, undrinkable water rather than something more wholesome or refreshing. Within this context, Matheson also situates Jean as the more perceptive of the two, for Bob notices none of the warning signs and proceeds to blithely order a meal, lacking any foresight or intuition of potential danger. 

While The Dilemmas of Marriage remains a prominent theme throughout the collection, this story represents a sharp departure from the previous tales’ more cynical approach to married life, for Jean expresses great concern for her spouse’s welfare and shows none of the irritation or contempt that characters like Frank or Greg do. Instead, Bob is most notable for his absence, and Jean’s only concern is to find him well and safe. As Jean struggles to figure out why her husband has simply vanished, Matheson makes it clear that the threat in this story comes not from within the marriage, but from an unknown, external source. Even the visceral imagery contributes to this trend, and the author invokes the feeling of ice water to describe Jean’s chilling suspicions about the men in the café, creating a deliberate contrast with the hot, dry desert setting. Additionally, Jean’s emotions, thoughts, and minute gestures are described in strong detail: “She felt her stomach muscles drawing in. Her right hand twitched suddenly as a fly settled on it” (51). This narrative choice effectively illustrates Jean’s tense emotional state and the rising anxiety of being alone and vulnerable in a strange place. However, because Matheson’s storytelling patterns rely upon contrast, all of the story’s ominous foreshadowing of death is ultimately reversed, and Bob is discovered to be alive.

With “A Flourish of Strumpets,” Matheson returns to themes that first arose in “Button, Button,” for this latest story speaks of temptation and of the grueling mental journey required to overcome core moral beliefs and instead give way to The Devastating Effects of Selfishness. In Frank’s case, this means succumbing to the temptation of sleeping with sex workers to add a new spark to his dull domestic lifestyle. As several women knock on Frank’s door to tempt him, this relatively short period of time becomes symbolic of the temptations that any married person must endure throughout a lifetime. Likewise, the catchy tune that lingers in his mind mirrors the concept of a nagging idea that will not go away no matter how much one struggles not to think of it. Thus, Frank eventually gives in, becoming powerless to the pressure and the ease of acting without consequences. Notably, rather than taking responsibility for his own decisions, Frank starts to dislike his wife, and as he becomes caught up in The Dilemmas of Marriage, he starts to blame “that evil old mass mind” instead of his own lack of self-control (82). He starts to reason that this form of temptation is a cultural phenomenon and an inevitable change that should not be resisted. Like Norma, Frank ultimately finds that his hopes of satisfying his temptations without consequences are dashed, as his betrayal is exposed by the very company that lured him in. Frank thus becomes his own worst enemy.

With “No Such Thing as Vampires,” Matheson once again subverts expectations by creating a likely premise for a vampire story and then shifting course to shine a spotlight on The Dilemmas of Marriage. Every detail of the story’s exposition and setting is designed to be suggestive of vampire lore, and Matheson also draws heavily from the tropes of the Gothic genre. For example, the narrative takes place in the 1800s, the syntax and cadence are old-fashioned, and the characters in the story actively fear the presence of vampires despite the ironically skeptical tone of the title. The only person who does not fear vampires is Dr. Gheria, because he is the one behind the attacks, and even his words are calculated to raise others’ fears of this false threat. For example, when Dr. Gheria says, “Nothing alive will enter this room tonight” (88), his statement is a cleverly timed and intentional assertion that is only made to seem like an accidental slip of the tongue. His wording implies that something nonliving or undead (like a vampire) may in fact enter. However, the climax of the story reveals a more realistic focus on The Dilemmas of Marriage, illustrating that betrayal can incite violent acts of revenge as the wronged person’s emotions outweigh reason and logic.

With “Pattern for Survival,” Matheson creates a more whimsical tone, for the story appears to feature several characters who work together to publish a popular science fiction story. In truth, all of these characters are one man—the writer—and the story is only “popular” because he is the only person around to form an opinion of it. Shaggley writes stories that feature peace, love, and Hope in the Wake of Destruction, which is exactly how he lives his life. As the narrative eventually reveals, Shaggley is alone and living amongst the ruins of war, but he stays alive, motivated, and hopeful by writing and publishing science fiction novels. The novels offer Shaggley an escape from reality while also giving him a reason to wake up every day. Although Shaggley lives his life in an ineffectual loop, this loop gives him the motivation to keep going.