I Am Legend (1954)

A somewhat atypical example of 1950s science fiction, or perhaps I'm just too accustomed to the rather pulpy and childish short story genre. Matheson's work is gritty, realistic, cynical and only slightly under-informed. The author paints a picture of post-apocalyptic life that is believable and makes it seem much more contemporary than it really is. The only real annoyance was the author's insistence in using the word 'germs' in place of bacteria. Doubtless this is a nod to his readership of the time but it left me rather perturbed and constantly in search of a red pen. ( )

Stunning account of the last man left alive on earth after a virus turns evrybody else into vampires. Chilling and creepy to say the least. The accompanying short stories add to the over all effect of this book. ( )

Although I have seen a lot of zombie/vampire movies in my time (including The Omega Man, one of the movies based upon this book, but not the Will Smith film of the same name), this was my first time reading such a book. And I have to say, this was simply incredible. The book delved into all of the typical themes one finds in works of this type, but it examined them in a much more profound and complex way than probably any medium besides literature could. Whether it be the obvious isolation one would inevitably experience when no others survive a plague or the conflicted feelings behind killing things that represent such a direct threat to one's own existence, Matheson has imagined a world of vampires and one man in a realistic way. The inner monologue of Robert Neville is pitch perfect and demonstrates a keen understanding of human emotion. The setting of an apocalyptic city ravaged by disease was also described better than I've seen anywhere else.

I should mention that I never had much of a feel for science, and this book leans heavily on the scientific explanations for the vampiric phenomenon at times. I was able to more or less understand where the book was going with it, but I was also lost during some of the passages. Who the heck besides a doctor or scientist understands what the lymph system is? But I did appreciate that Matheson explored a supernatural concept and looked at how science could explain it.

I think what I found most striking here was the ending. It is rare that an author can surprise with the perfect ending while also not having that ending be obvious to the reader. I'm not sure if it's just that I'm dense (certainly a possibility), but I never saw the resolution coming and when it was upon me it was absolutely the best way to end a book. The last paragraphs in particular tied together nicely much of the work's themes, and indeed the story comes "full circle" just as Matheson writes. This was my first Matheson title, and I'm sure it won't be the last. ( )

Finished last night. I was a bit disappointed. Maybe because I just had read a fantastic book Swan Song. I understand and appreciate this book was written in the fifties and the first of its kind. that is why I'll give it 3 stars. ( )

*note to self.copy from Al.