Which author wrote the short story 'Nightmare at 20,000 Feet'?

Richard Matheson wrote the short story “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet.” The story first appeared in the 1961 anthology Alone by Night and later became one of The Twilight Zone’s most famous adaptations.

Matheson also wrote the television screenplay for the original episode, which aired on October 11, 1963, as the fifth episode of season 5. William Shatner plays Robert Wilson, a passenger who sees a gremlin tampering with an airplane wing during a storm. Because Wilson recently suffered a nervous breakdown, the other passengers and crew doubt what he is seeing.

The episode’s final image reveals damage to the aircraft’s engine, suggesting that Wilson’s frightening vision was real even though the story preserves some uncertainty. The short story differs in several details: its protagonist is named Arthur Jeffrey Wilson, he is flying alone, and his psychological history is different.

Matheson’s work often blended ordinary fears with supernatural or speculative premises. “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” turned anxiety about flying into a visual nightmare and helped establish the gremlin as a lasting symbol of unexplained danger.