Richard Burton Matheson was an American author and screenwriter, well-known for his works in the genres of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He was born in Allendale, New Jersey, to Norwegian immigrant parents and was raised in Brooklyn. Matheson graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School in 1943 before serving as an infantry soldier in World War II.

In 1949, he earned his bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri and moved to California in 1951. He began his writing career with his first short story, "Born of Man and Woman," which appeared in the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction in 1950. Over the years, he wrote many stories that blended elements of science fiction, horror, and fantasy.

Matheson is best known for his novel I Am Legend, a 1954 science fiction horror novel that has been adapted into three films. He was involved in writing the screenplay for the first film adaptation, The Last Man on Earth, starring Vincent Price. Other adaptations of his work include The Omega Man and I Am Legend with Will Smith.

Besides I Am Legend, Matheson worked on numerous other projects, including 16 episodes of The Twilight Zone, adaptations of Edgar Allan Poe stories for Roger Corman, and the screenplay for Steven Spielberg’s television film Duel, which was based on his short story of the same name.

Matheson's other novels and stories that were adapted into films include The Shrinking Man (filmed as The Incredible Shrinking Man), Hell House (filmed as The Legend of Hell House), What Dreams May Come, Bid Time Return (filmed as Somewhere in Time), A Stir of Echoes, and "Steel" (filmed as Real Steel). His work "Button, Button" was adapted into the film The Box.