Commentary: Trek Stars 40: Room Temperature Sweat

Matheson, Part 6: Ride the Nightmare.

After a string of SF/horror stories, Richard Matheson returned to the crime genre with his sixth novel, Ride the Nightmare. The book tells the story of a family whose life is turned upside down when some characters from his shady past come to seek revenge. 

This week, Max and Mike are joined by research librarian Tony Powers to discuss the novel as well as Matheson’s own adaptation for an episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, and legendary James Bond director Terence Young’s film version, Cold Sweat. 

We discuss the book as a precursor to popular works such as Reservoir Dogs and 24, Matheson’s ability to adapt his own work for the screen, and how the movie was altered to act as a starring vehicle for Charles Bronson. We also touch on Matheson’s seventh novel, The Beardless Warriors.