Richard Matheson books in order
American fiction writer
- Lived
- 1926–2013
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 33
- Also writes as
- Logan Swanson
Richard Matheson published 22 novels, 2 novellas, 5 short story collections and 4 other books, beginning with I Am Legend (1954).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Richard Matheson
Start here
I Am Legend
Richard Matheson's most-read book.
Standalone novels in order
Born of Man and Woman (1954)
I Am Legend (Aug 1954)
The Shrinking Man (1956)
A Stir of Echoes (1958)
The Beardless Warriors (1960)
Shock 3 (1967)
Hell House (1971)
Bid Time Return (1975)
Somewhere in Time (1975)
What Dreams May Come (Sep 1978)
Noir (1988)
7 Steps to Midnight (1993)
The Gunfight (1993)
Earthbound (1994)
Shadow on the Sun (1994)
Now You See It (1995)
Hunger And Thirst (2000)
Camp Pleasant (2001)
Hunted Past Reason (2002)
Nightmare at 20,000 Feet (2002)
Offbeat (2003)
Other Kingdoms (2011)
Novellas in order
The Path (1993)
Road Rage (2009), with Stephen King
Short story collections in order
By the Gun (1993)
Collected Stories (1993)
Duel (2003)
Button, Button (2008)
Steel and Other Stories (2011)
Other books in order
Someone Is Bleeding (1953)
The Twilight Zone (1985)
Somewhere in Time/What Dreams May Come (1991)
Passion Play (2000)
Film and TV adaptations
- The Last Man on Earth (1964)Film · from I Am Legend
- The Omega Man (1971)Film · from I Am Legend
- I Am Legend (2007)Film · from I Am Legend
- I Am Omega (2007)Film · from I Am Legend
- The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)Film · from The Shrinking Man
- The Shrinking Man (2025)Film · from The Shrinking Man
- Stir of Echoes (1999)Film · from A Stir of Echoes
- The Legend of Hell House (1973)Film · from Hell House
- Somewhere in Time (1980)Film · from Bid Time Return
- What Dreams May Come (1998)Film · from What Dreams May Come
Free to read
All free classics
About Richard Matheson
Richard Burton Matheson was an American author and screenwriter, who worked primarily in the fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Richard Matheson FAQ
- How many books has Richard Matheson written?
- Richard Matheson published 22 novels, 2 novellas, 5 short story collections and 4 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Richard Matheson's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with I Am Legend.
- What is Richard Matheson's last book?
- Steel and Other Stories (2011).
- What is Richard Matheson's most famous book?
- I Am Legend (1954) is Richard Matheson's most widely read book.
- Does Richard Matheson write under a pen name?
- Yes: Richard Matheson has also published as Logan Swanson.
- Which Richard Matheson books have been adapted?
- 6 books have been adapted for film or TV, including I Am Legend (as The Last Man on Earth, film, 1964), The Shrinking Man (as The Incredible Shrinking Man, film, 1957), A Stir of Echoes (as Stir of Echoes, film, 1999) and Hell House (as The Legend of Hell House, film, 1973).
- Can I read Richard Matheson's books for free?
- Yes. 1 book by Richard Matheson is in the public domain in the US and free to read online or download here.
Authors like Richard Matheson
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Stephenie Meyer
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Guillermo del Toro
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Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers, free texts from Project Gutenberg. Last updated September 2026.