Who wrote the short story “Button, Button,” adapted into the film The Box?

Richard Matheson wrote “Button, Button,” the short story adapted into the film The Box. Matheson first published the story in 1970, and its compact premise centers on a visitor who offers a couple money if they press a button that will kill an unknown person.

The story’s power comes from its restricted information. The couple must decide whether financial benefit can justify a death they will not witness and do not personally know. The film keeps this central moral dilemma but adds substantial science-fiction mythology, family drama, and visual spectacle.

Richard Matheson was an American author and screenwriter known for speculative fiction, horror, and psychological suspense. His work also influenced films and television, including adaptations of I Am Legend and episodes of The Twilight Zone.

“Button, Button” is not a version of Hesiod’s Pandora myth. The connection is thematic: both narratives involve an apparently tempting object whose use unleashes consequences. The film’s title and premise invite that comparison, but Matheson is the specific source author.