I Am Legend (original 1954; edition 1954)

You can find my full review at Quieted Waters.
This is more a short story than a novel, finishing up at 170 pages. My copy of the book goes on for another 140 pages, but the rest is a collection of one-chapter short stories, each of which is much darker and more macabre than the main story. A few of the later stories left me with chills, and I had to close the book and find a new story before I could fall asleep. Stephen King wrote that books like this one were an inspiration to him, and each of Matheson’s stories shows his prowess as a horror author. ( )

wackpires.

I'm teaching this to my students, and I have to say that I'm surprised at the language in this novella. I find it hard to believe that it was written in the '50s - even though Robert Neville's choice of hard drug is scotch and water.

It's a pretty good vehicle through which to discuss the various characteristics of vampires and zombies (the things after Neville have characteristics of both), and you can't beat the ending. Well, maybe "Planet of the Apes" beats the ending, but not by much.

I like the updates, too, in film. Who are the wackpires in 1958? '78? '08? Terrorists? Communists? Jews?

( )

wackpires.

I'm teaching this to my students, and I have to say that I'm surprised at the language in this novella. I find it hard to believe that it was written in the '50s - even though Robert Neville's choice of hard drug is scotch and water.

It's a pretty good vehicle through which to discuss the various characteristics of vampires and zombies (the things after Neville have characteristics of both), and you can't beat the ending. Well, maybe "Planet of the Apes" beats the ending, but not by much.

I like the updates, too, in film. Who are the wackpires in 1958? '78? '08? Terrorists? Communists? Jews?

( )

I read this book when I was a teenager, and loved it. It's still one of my favourite vampire, post-apocalyptic stories. It's only a novella, but it's the perfect length for the story. The movie was awful, as the ending destroyed the ending and meaning of the book. Do read the book before watching the movie, if you still plan to do both. ( )

It is amazing to read this novel, plus ten stories, and realize just how much Matheson wrote for Hollywood.

This is the first time I've read I am Legend, and I really understood why Charlton Heston was cast as Neville in The Omega Man. He really captured Neville's tortured psyche and sense of survivor's guilt. Neville tended toward histrionics in his inner monologues, perfect for Heston's scenery chewing. The vampires are different from those portrayed in the Heston movie, mainly in appearance. Also, it seems that no film (I haven't seen the Vincent Price version) has addressed the idea that there were two types of vampires. The Will Smith version made the vampires into creatures that do not even come close to resembling human beings.

Matheson has a fluid style that really set me into the story. I felt the claustrophobia Neville experienced when he felt trapped inside his home for too long. I understood his desperation for companionship, even from a dog he was pretty sure had been infected. Sometimes I got a little lost in the flashbacks, but maybe Neville did, too.

The short stories were a delight, and it was fun to recognize them. One paragraph into Prey, I said to myself, "This is like the killer doll segment of Trilogy of Terror." Three paragraphs in I said, "This is the killer doll segment of Trilogy of Terror!" I recognized Dance of the Dead from the Tobe Hooper episode of Masters of Horror, which I watched on Netflix within the last year. The basic idea of briefly reanimating the dead for entertainment was there, but in my recollection, much of the story line was altered.

I think this collection of stories illustrates why Richard Matheson is such a mainstay for Hollywood film and tv writing. Excellent stories that are well-told and offer a different way to view the world. I can also see why many writers cite him as an influence. ( )