Short Story Review – Death Ship
Book Details
“Death Ship” by Richard Matheson | The Time Traveler’s Almanac collection
Editors: Ann VanderMeer, Jeff VanderMeer
Total Pages in the collection: 960
Published: March 18, 2014 by Tor Books
My Review
Oh, Richard Matheson, you sneaky, fabulous writer.
At the beginning of Death Ship, I had an eyebrow raised, asking in my mind, “Where’s the time travel at?”
But I was being impatient.
I was expecting to be hit over the head with it.
This subtle yet eerie story draws you in and lulls you into comfort until you’re hit with that moment which changes everything. Then, like the crew of men (captain Ross, Mickey and Mason), you’re scrambling to make sense of what just happened, and you’re already thinking through possibilities and scenarios.
Ross (as captain) is obviously the lead, with a stubborn pride to him, and Mason seems to know what to say in order to help nudge Ross in a certain direction. Mickey is the faithful crew member who will go with captain no matter what. They’re on a mission to collect and catalog samples from planets to help determine which ones are inhabitable for humans and which aren’t. It seems in our future, Earth can no longer be the only planet humans live and thrive on, and these men have a vital task to accomplish.
However on this particular excursion, Mickey notices something out of the ordinary, and his curiosity gets the best of him. He urges Ross to let them turn back and investigate–and from there, the secrets of this story unravel.
One thing I really enjoyed about Death Ship is the subtext. If you’re reading the Almanac along with us, you’ve probably already picked up on this as well. The men suspect and even reveal a glimmer of understanding as to what’s going on, what’s truly being said and done, but fear keeps them from arriving at the conclusion.
I just may re-read it again just to let it all sink in. A great read indeed 🙂
My Rating:
4.8 out of 5
About The Time Traveler’s Almanac
The Time Traveler’s Almanac is the largest and most definitive collection of time travel stories ever assembled. Gathered into one volume by intrepid chrononauts and world-renowned anthologists Ann and Jeff VanderMeer, this book compiles more than a century’s worth of literary travels into the past and the future that will serve to reacquaint readers with beloved classics of the time travel genre and introduce them to thrilling contemporary innovations.
This marvelous volume includes nearly seventy journeys through time from authors such as Douglas Adams, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, William Gibson, Ursula K. Le Guin, George R. R. Martin, Michael Moorcock, H. G. Wells, and Connie Willis, as well as helpful non-fiction articles original to this volume (such as Charles Yu’s “Top Ten Tips For Time Travelers”).
The Time Traveler’s Almanac Review Group
This review is part of an on-going review series. We’re trying to review a short story per week from The Time Traveler’s Almanac. Please join us and share your thoughts! My partners in crime on this reading adventure includes the following authors and bloggers. Check out their reviews as well:
Preston from the Leighgendarium
I had to research the term used at the end and then reread, but once I did that the story jumped and made me very satisfied. It is hard to make a story affect someone like this one did.
Agreed, Tim!
I, like Tim, had to research part of the story like Tim. Since I had to research something in order to understand it, the stories rating dropped. But this story was written in the 60s so I am guessing it made more sense to people back then.
I’m thinking it made more sense to the readers back then as well.
Yes! I was completely expecting the time-travel theme to be present right at the start! So when the conclusion came, it totally blindsided me.
That was the best part for me!
Yeah, I think you hit the nail on the head with the characters, whose development was my favorite part. They are such strong personalities, and those personalities decide the story.