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Born of Man and Woman – The Collection Richard Matheson

Illustrations by Clive Hicks-Jenkins
Foreword by R.C. Matheson
Introduction by Robert Bloch

Out of print for more than five decades, Born of Man and Woman is the first short story collection by Richard Matheson, featuring seventeen masterful early works that showcase the author’s unparalleled ability to dive into the dark and mysterious corners of the human psyche.

With over 100 pages of carefully curated bonus material, a new foreword by R.C. Matheson and the introduction from the first edition by Robert Bloch, this is the first limited edition of the collection, offering readers the opportunity to experience Matheson’s mastery of the short story form, as he seamlessly blends science fiction, horror and fantasy with profound existential themes.

From the unsettling title story which kicks off the collection—a harrowing tale of a grotesque creature’s desperate desire for freedom—to the thought-provoking “Third from the Sun” wherein a family attempts to escape impending nuclear disaster, these tales weave themes of existential dread and the supernatural. In “Dress of White Silk,” Matheson delves into the nature of life, death and the afterlife, while “Mad House” explores the terrifying unraveling of reality itself. These stories, among others in the collection provoke philosophical questions, leaving readers with a lingering sense of unease and wonder.

Born of Man and Woman was first published by Chamberlain Press in 1954, featuring fifteen short stories that had been previously published in magazines such as Galaxy, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science-Fiction and Thrilling Wonder Stories between the years 1950 and 1953, plus two new stories (“Dear Diary” and “The Traveller”) that were published for the first time in the collection.  

Richard Matheson’s work would go on to influence a legion of writers and artists, with Ray Bradbury referring to him as “one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century.” Steven Spielberg has stated, “Richard Matheson’s ironic and iconic imagination created seminal science-fiction stories, and for me, he is in the same category as Bradbury and Asimov,” while Stephen King once noted Matheson is “the author who influenced me most as a writer.”

A definitive collection of terrifying tales, Born of Man and Woman cements Richard Matheson’s legacy as one of the most influential voices in horror and science fiction, offering readers a glimpse into the mind of a master storyteller.


About The Edition

Our edition of Born of Man and Woman by Richard Matheson is presented in three states: Artist, Numbered & Lettered. The edition measures 6” x 9” and features nineteen color illustrations by award-winning artist Clive Hicks-Jenkins, as well as a new foreword by R.C. Matheson and an introduction by Robert Bloch. Also included is a note on the illustrations by the artist.

All illustrations in the Numbered and Lettered states are printed as giclée fine art prints on Hahnemühle Bugra and are tipped-on, with the text printed letterpress on Mohawk Via Vellum and Neenah Cotton papers by Scott Vile at The Ascensius Press in Buxton, Maine. The text is set in LeBé types with interior design & typography by award-winning designer Jerry Kelly. The Artist state, and the supplemental material is printed by offset lithography on Cougar Natural.

Over 100 Pages of Bonus Material

For this 75th anniversary of Matheson’s electrifying debut, we have taken a deep dive into those formative years through a carefully curated collection of material from multiple historical archives, granting readers rare access to a pivotal period in the author’s development.

Matheson collector, archivist and scholar Paul Stuve spent almost a year curating over 100 pages of bonus content, contributing rare items from his personal collection. He also travelled to various universities to review manuscripts and other material including the Special Collections Research Center at Syracuse University in New York, the University of Missouri Archives in Columbia, Missouri and the Ray Bradbury Center at Indiana University Indianapolis.

The material comes primarily from four different sources: a collection of letters between Matheson and his college creative writing professor William Peden; a large archive of correspondence and other records from Mercury Press, the publisher of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction; a collection of correspondence between Matheson and George Haas, an early fan; and a series of letters between Matheson and Ray Bradbury.

The supplemental material includes previously unpublished correspondence, footnotes and an introduction by Paul Stuve.

A Note on the Typography

LeBé types, a revival inspired by the 16th-century work of Guillaume Le Bé, exudes an antique yet sharply defined elegance, making it an evocative choice for Richard Matheson’s Born of Man and Woman. The typeface’s refined serifs and organic flow suggest a tension between tradition and the grotesque, much like the unsettling duality in Matheson’s stories, where the familiar turns sinister.

The Artist edition is limited to 500 copies with a dust jacket illustrated by Clive Hicks-Jenkins. The dust jacket is double-sided featuring a reproduction of the first edition jacket by Mel Hunter published by Chamberlain Press on the reverse side. It is a full cloth binding with a foil blocked front cover, designed as an homage to the first edition cover design. Endsheets are illustrated and the edition is housed in a cloth covered slipcase with end caps in a complimentary color. It is printed by offset lithography on Cougar Natural, and is signed by Clive Hicks-Jenkins.

Dust Jacket Illustration
Endsheet Illustration

The Numbered edition of 250 copies is a Millimeter style binding covered in Hahnemühle Bugra with Dubletta cloth trim on the spine and fore edges. The spine label is printed letterpress and the cover features an inset leather label with artwork by Clive Hicks-Jenkins blocked in gold from a brass plate. Each copy is bound by hand and is housed in a clamshell enclosure covered in Dubletta cloth.

The edition is printed letterpress on Mohawk Via Vellum with illustrations printed giclée on Hahnemühle Bugra which are tipped-on. The dust jacket and endsheet illustrations from the Artist state are featured here as frontispieces to the collection and the bonus content respectively. The edition is signed by R.C. Matheson, Clive Hicks-Jenkins and Paul Stuve.

The Lettered edition is limited to 26 copies and is bound in red and black Alran goatskins as a Jan Sobota box binding with a two-cover board structure. It is designed as a tribute to the first edition of the collection which featured red boards and the iconic “X—” motif. Head & tail bands are leather, and the top edge is stained red. Endsheets are hand marbled for this edition by renowned marbler, Claire Guillot in France. The book is housed in a quarter leather clamshell enclosure with a rounded spine, European cloth sides and a leather spine label.

An original hand-signed signature by Richard Matheson is carefully mounted into a matted display area in the back cover of the binding. Grateful acknowledgement to John Scoleri for making these signatures available to us for this edition.

This state is printed letterpress on Neenah Cotton Pearl white 120 gsm paper. The edition is handbound by Jacek Tylkowski in Komorniki, Poland and is signed by R.C. Matheson, Clive Hicks-Jenkins, Paul Stuve and Jacek Tylkowski.

Binding the Unconventional:
Jan Sobota’s Artistry Meets Matheson’s Masterpiece

Jan Sobota was a distinguished Czech master bookbinder who was renowned for his innovative approach to the art of bookbinding. He developed a unique binding technique known as the two- or three-cover board structure, and the box binding. This method involves constructing a book with multiple layers of boards, and creating a binding that resembles a clamshell box when closed. The book’s cover takes the form of a box, serving not only an aesthetic function but also a protective one.

The process begins with the first layer, which functions as the doublure and is covered with leather. In this case, a second and final layer is added and covered in red goatskin which is die-cut revealing the initial layer below. The tray-like enclosure is constructed by carefully adding board material along the inner edges of the cover boards, forming a rectangular frame around the cover. This approach allows for a sculptural quality, effectively transforming the book into a three-dimensional art object, without compromising readability.

We felt this binding structure was the perfect choice for our Lettered state of Born of Man and Woman, a collection renowned for its groundbreaking narrative techniques and psychologically charged stories that defy traditional literary norms. Matheson’s works, blending speculative fiction, horror, and psychological depth, are themselves works of art, and Sobota’s binding—combining functionality with artistry—perfectly mirrors this avant-garde approach, transforming the book into a holistic art object that celebrates and honors Matheson’s creativity.

This technique is rarely used by bookbinders today, and with the publication of this edition, we hope to honor not only Richard Matheson and his work, but also the legacy of one of the most innovative and celebrated artisans in the history of bookbinding.


About the Author

Photograph by Beth Gwinn

Richard Matheson

Richard Matheson (1926-2013) is the author of many classic novels and short stories.  He wrote in a variety of genres including terror, fantasy, horror, paranormal, suspense, science fiction and western. In addition to books, he wrote prolifically for television (including The Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, Star Trek) and numerous feature filmsMany of Matheson’s novels and stories have been made into movies including I Am Legend, Somewhere in Time, The Shrinking Man and What Dreams May Come. His many awards include the World Fantasy and Bram Stoker Awards for Lifetime Achievement, the Hugo Award, Edgar Award, Spur Award for Best Western Novel, multiple Writer’s Guild awards, and in 2010 he was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame.

About the Collaborators

R.C. Matheson

R.C. Matheson is a #1 bestselling author/screenwriter/producer The New York Times praises as a “great horror writer.” Acclaimed for dark, psychological stories, Stephen King calls his work “brilliant” and Clive Barker hails it as “masterly and devastating.” Matheson’s tales appear in 100 major anthologies, including 20 Year’s Best volumes, and his collections Scars And Other Distinguishing Marks, Zoopraxis and #1 bestseller Dystopia. His novels include Created By, The Ritual of Illusion and Paranoia. His work has been translated into multiple languages.

Paul Stuve

Paul Stuve, a Matheson scholar and co-editor of The Richard Matheson Companion and The Twilight and Other Zones: The Dark Worlds of Richard Matheson, has been reading and collecting Matheson’s works for nearly 50 years. His extensive collection includes rare first appearances, limited editions, and unique memorabilia, along with original notes and correspondence. A clinical psychologist based in Columbia, Missouri—where Matheson attended college and drew inspiration for several stories—Paul has provided expertise for numerous Matheson-related projects over the years.

Clive Hicks-Jenkins

Clive Hicks-Jenkins, RCA was born in Newport, south Wales and began his career as a choreographer and stage director before turning to painting in the 1990s. Celebrated for his expressive style, he has been described by Simon Callow as “one of the most individual and complete artists of our time.” He regularly exhibits with the Martin Tinney Gallery and has held solo exhibitions at venues such as the Museum of Modern Art Machynlleth and the National Library of Wales. In 2017, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Arts by Southampton Solent University.

Hicks-Jenkins has collaborated on several major projects, including The Mare’s Tale with composer Mark Bowden and poet Damian Walford Davies, and Hansel & Gretel: a Nightmare in Eight Scenes with Simon Armitage and Matthew Kaner, culminating in his V&A Illustrated Book Award win in 2020. His work is held in major public collections, including the National Museum of Wales and Pallant House Gallery.



Matching Numbers & Letters

A Matching Pre-Order email is sent to owners of our previous publication, Carrion Comfort at 9:00 A.M. PT on the day of announcement. If you did not receive the email, contact us here. If your order is not received before the deadline, your designated number or letter will be assigned to the new owner.


Order Limits

Please be aware of the order limits for our editions. You can read more about this in the Order Limits article on our support site.


Sixteen of nineteen illustrations by Clive Hicks-Jenkins printed as fine art giclée prints in the Numbered and Lettered editions.

Published editions may differ slightly from mockups and prototype designs.
Illustrations © 2023 by Clive Hicks-Jenkins

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