almost military in his control of cadences and I liked that. Rather algebraic in his grooves but always pulsed by feeling. Specifically, he taught me that the iconic, twenty-six rudiments of drumming, which are the the rhythmic building blocks of creating beats, can be integrated onto all of the drums and cymbals of the set rather than just on the snare drum or tom-toms. This effectively multiplies each rudiment’s impact by a huge degree if done correctly. He certainly taught me double bass-drum technique which involves both feet on separate pedals, a kind of profound, almost meditative discipline which by extension also aligns one’s inner clock and brings symmetry. He showed me how to zen my way through intricate beats that initially felt impossible; a complex version of rubbing your stomach and patting your head. He taught me to use four limbs independently to lock a groove and how to shift the flow of a song.
FM. What’s next for you musically? Are you still playing with Preston Sturges jr.? RCM. We’re working on a project that will be done in 2012. We get on musically and he’s one of my closest friends .A wonderfully talented writer.
FM. When writing for film or TV, there’s usually producers or a studio to “give you guidance”. When it’s music, you’re usually writing with your bandmates. When penning a piece of literature, it is often just you. Is there one creative process (the unilateral vs. the collaborative) that you prefer over another? Or maybe one that has come to you more naturally or that you’ve found more enjoyable than the others? RCM. I prefer to write alone. But I enjoy collaboration with a partner who listens well, thinks exotically and has natural powers of diplomacy.
FM. One of the biggest things people are surprised by is when they meet someone who has created very dark and disturbing films or books, and find out that this person is reasonably well-adjusted (or at least not a homicidal maniac). Your stories have run the gamut of dark and disturbing, what is it that inspires and fascinates you about much of your subject matter? RCM. Psychology and motive. The logic of madness. Outward behaviors are the smoke; it’s about the flames.
FM. The 1980s was a time dominated by movies chronicling the high school experience. You wrote THREE O’CLOCK HIGH, one of the few that has endured. Although it took place in a high school, it kind of seemed to turn a lot of the conventions on their heads. The main character didn’t have all the answers. He wasn’t necessarily going to end up dating the nice girl instead of the popular girl. It’s also a film that has a lot of heart. Going into it were you trying to turn the paradigm upside-down, or was that just something that happened along the way? RCM. Like most guys, I was picked-on here and there. It’s terrifying, especially when a fight is threatened; you feel briefly doomed. The perfect starting point for a dark comedy. As to the paradigm, none was designed; just an ironic, existential view of high school; the tyranny of trivia. The idea for the film popped into my head one night and I jotted it down. The six period structure of a high school day was ideal to plot it. Once Jerry is informed he’s going to get beat-up after school, every period was used as a
8 THE GRAVEYARD EXAMINER • NOV 21 - NOV 27, 2011
desperate rung in trying to flee or avoid his fate.
FM. The fans would never let me off the hook if I didn’t ask: What are some of your favorite works of your father? And what knowledge did he impart to you that you’ve taken with you throughout your life and career? RCM. Among his many gifts, he is a very funny writer and little is made of that. I love his writing; in some ways the comedic and irreverent are particular favorites; like Benchley,Twain or Perelman he playfully skins hypocrisy. Consider THE SPLENDID SOURCE, F_ _ _. MISS STARDUST. NOW YOU SEE IT, WOMAN, ‘TIS THE SEASON TO BE JELLY, THE NIGHT STALKER. I’m also struck by his methods of uninflected heartache, offhandedly poetic description and, of course, brilliant twists. He taught me discipline, extravagance, expediency, trapdoor logic, editorial rigor. precision, obsession with reversals.
FM. What can we expect next from you? More short stories? Another novel, perhaps? A new album? RCM. My new novella, THE RITUAL OF ILLUSION, is being published this year; a study of movie stars via magic realism. Next year, a new suspense novel is due, a short story collection and an album or two. There are always new stories coming out; five or six in various upcoming anthologies. I wish I had time to write more of them.
FM. Seriously, who do we have to kill to get DYSTOPIA back on the bookshelves? RCM. It is now available from CROSSROADS PRESS in e-book form; just came out. They’ll also make an audio-book version available; I plan to read all 60 stories if I don’t go hoarse. As to a hardcover version, the original publisher of DYSTOPIA was GAUNTLET and we’re talking about doing a second printing since the first one sold out. It would include another 15 or 20 stories I’ve published since DYSTOPIA, some essays about various things, maybe some fashion tips.
So head on over to
www.crossroadpress.com to get your digital download of DYSTOPIA today!
“Richard Christian Matheson is one of a handful of resourceful, fear-minded authors helping to create a new sensibility in horror fiction that is as frightening and merciless as the modern world itself.”
~ ROLLING STONE
“Richard Christian Matheson is a great, ingenious horror writer. His works are minor masterpieces.” ~ THE NEW YORK TIMES
“Richard Christian Matheson is a brilliant chip off the old block.” ~ STEPHEN KING
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