The Incredible Shrinking Man

Matheson's classic novel about a man doomed to shrink a seventh of an inch every day centers on his last week's adventures, with flashbacks to earlier struggles. Yuri Rasovsky reads with great energy and expression, which is engaging at first. But the novel is already melodramatic, a characteristic that Rasovsky emphasizes. Dialogue is especially strident. He's true to the text, in his fashion, but this text could have used less slavish devotion and more modulation, more variability in the dynamics, less exaggeration. An echo effect in the introduction of some of the flashbacks is just silly. Still, Rasovsky's brio makes this reading more entertaining than not. W.M. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine

Starred review from June 30, 2008
Matheson's legendary 1956 sci-fi tale of Scott Carey, a family man who is slowly shrinking into obscurity and a terrifying new world inside his own house, is beautifully realized by Yuri Rasovsky's memorable reading. Enthusiastic and compelling, Rasovsky seems predisposed to the suspense master's style of writing. Capturing the brilliant mix of everyday life and extraordinary horrors that Matheson is so revered for creating, Rasovsky reads with a dry, cool wit that breathes new life into this classic tale. He knows exactly how to relay the tension and anxiety to his audience, and never ceases to raise the stakes and bring the audience to their knees in sheer terror. This is a thrilling and unforgettable experience. A Tor paperback.