I Am Legend {story collection}
by Richard Matheson
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Winner of the Bram Stoker Lifetime Achievement Award for best vampire novel of the century: the genre-defining classic of horror sci-fi that inspired three films. The population of the entire world has been obliterated by a pandemic of vampire bacteria. Yet somehow, Robert Neville survived. He must now struggle to make sense of what happened and learn to protect himself against the vampires who hunt him nightly. As months of scavenging and hiding turn to years marked by depression and show more alcoholism, Robert spends his days hunting his tormentors and researching the cause of their affliction. But the more he discovers about the vampires around him, the more he sees the unsettling truth of who is--and who is not--a monster. Richard Matheson's I Am Legend has been a major influence on horror literature. In 2012, it was named the best vampire novel of the century by the Horror Writers Association and the Bram Stoker Estate. The novel was adapted to film in 1964 as The Last Man on Earth, in 1971 as Omega Man, and in 2007 as I am Legend, starring Will Smith. show lessTags
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sturlington Similar in many ways. Each stays in the head of a solitary hero, isolated by unnatural events beyond his control, struggling to hold onto his sanity and his sense of self.
Member Reviews
I came to this book in a roundabout fashion, which was through the films. I had seen "The Omega Man" years before, and I watched "I Am Legend" when it was in the theaters, but it was only after I saw the first film adaptation, 1964's "The Last Man on Earth," that I finally decided to read the novel. I'm glad that I did, too, as it helped me to appreciate the many ways in which it is the ur-text of the entire zombie-apocalypse phenomenon of today. Part of this is because of the first film, which influenced George Romero's classic film "Night of the Living Dead," which redefined zombies in the popular imagination. But while the look of zombies may have been borrowed from the film, the basic premise is all Matheson's -- just about every show more subsequent post-zombie-apocalyptic tale, from Romero's films down to "The Walking Dead," is really little more than a take on the storyline in Matheson's novel, where a lone survivor finds himself struggling to persevere against mindless hordes besieging him. All the basics are here, from zombieism as a disease to the challenges of isolation and survival that the still-living face -- and very few have really improved on Matheson's ability to capture the monotonous horror of Robert Neville existence, as he battles the exhaustion and isolation imposed on him by his life after society's collapse. His short novel really doesn't receive the full recognition it deserves for all that it has spawned, and no fan of the modern apocalypse genre can truly regard themselves as such without reading this powerful and influential book. show less
The title novella was very good, and very little like the most recent film version of the same name (I've seen the Vincent Price adaptation, but too long ago to remember its fidelity to the novella). For much of the first part of the novella, we get a very intimate picture of a man dealing with constant horrors and the extreme loneliness of being the only survivor (as far as he knows, not being able to travel far). This Robert Neville is more human than heroic. It's interesting to note the differences in the cause of the disaster. The novella, written in the 50s, mentions an earlier war and bombings (presumably nuclear). The recent film points to genetic engineering. The threat of unintended consequences of science and technology is show more still a compelling theme, but the specific threats change over time.
The short stories included in this volume are disturbingly memorable and well written. I think my favorites were "Prey", "Witch War", and "Mad House". The only one I didn't like was "The Funeral". It was sort of funny, but comic relief in this book felt too out of place. I'm fairly certain I've seen a TV adaptation of "Prey", though I can't remember when or where. But I'm pretty sure the TV ending was less unsettling. show less
The short stories included in this volume are disturbingly memorable and well written. I think my favorites were "Prey", "Witch War", and "Mad House". The only one I didn't like was "The Funeral". It was sort of funny, but comic relief in this book felt too out of place. I'm fairly certain I've seen a TV adaptation of "Prey", though I can't remember when or where. But I'm pretty sure the TV ending was less unsettling. show less
Robertson Dean has a creepy voice. It is a bit like Jack Nicholson in The Shining, waffling between anger and despair. When he yells or raves, it is exceedingly uncomfortable, but therein lies the point. Robert Neville is a man on the edge, walking a fine line between insanity, despair, and hope. Mr. Dean showcases Robert’s precarious balance, adding to the poignancy of the story as Robert struggles to mentally survive his isolation. A short audiobook, Mr. Dean brings a reader to that very same edge as Robert and keeps him there with his powerful performance.
I Am Legend is a classic. It may be science fiction, but the story it has to tell about one man’s fight for survival in the face of hopeless odds is timeless. The story is show more written in such a way that it could occur in any time period while the lessons to be learned apply to anyone anywhere. It is a surprisingly philosophical story which transcends the vampires and germ theory that comprise a majority of the novel and leaves a reader contemplative about the true monster in any given scenario. show less
I Am Legend is a classic. It may be science fiction, but the story it has to tell about one man’s fight for survival in the face of hopeless odds is timeless. The story is show more written in such a way that it could occur in any time period while the lessons to be learned apply to anyone anywhere. It is a surprisingly philosophical story which transcends the vampires and germ theory that comprise a majority of the novel and leaves a reader contemplative about the true monster in any given scenario. show less
This is probably my weirdest "comfort" book. None of the three movies made from this story are as good as the book. The insight into Robert's mind is the most important part of the story. I first read this book in college in a class called "Evil Lurks Among Us," and I fell in love with it. I have since read it many times and listened to the audiobook. Despite the fact that it is a rather scary story, I find the story to be very comfortable. I think Robert feels like a familiar person to me, and I enjoy my time with him. My favorite part of the story is the last few lines which include the title and I feel that the movies all miss the point being made in the last bit of the story. Robert has become the monster in this world. He is now show more the equivalent of the myth of the vampire that we have in our world. show less
For good reason this book has formed the basis of several movies over the decades. The general plot is very interesting - essentially, the last remaining man on Earth must survive a world that is now inhabited by various types of vampire like humans that are out to destroy him.
Certain parts of the book were outstanding. For example, I appreciated the beginning of the work where the author described the protagonist's efforts to survive alone in his home in a desolate world where he is the only normal inhabitant. I also thought the interaction between the protagonist and the woman towards the end of the book was also interesting, as was the final conclusion.
Much less interesting was extensive discussion of the protagonist's efforts to show more discover the cause(s) of the vampire like humans, and the unnecessarily long section devoted to the protagonist's interaction with the dog. I also thought the author went a bit overboard describing the protagonist's rantings, ravings and drinking spells as a result of his situation.
Nonetheless, a quick and recommended read on a most interesting subject. show less
Certain parts of the book were outstanding. For example, I appreciated the beginning of the work where the author described the protagonist's efforts to survive alone in his home in a desolate world where he is the only normal inhabitant. I also thought the interaction between the protagonist and the woman towards the end of the book was also interesting, as was the final conclusion.
Much less interesting was extensive discussion of the protagonist's efforts to show more discover the cause(s) of the vampire like humans, and the unnecessarily long section devoted to the protagonist's interaction with the dog. I also thought the author went a bit overboard describing the protagonist's rantings, ravings and drinking spells as a result of his situation.
Nonetheless, a quick and recommended read on a most interesting subject. show less
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.
Let me caveat this whole thing with I am not a vampire guy. I love horror in all its forms, but I find vampire stories to be tedious, I found I am Legend to be tedious.
In a post-apocalyptic LA, a man survives alone as a mysterious plaque has overrun the population that has turned them into vampiric monsters. Some are the undead kind of vampires, it is unclear how to tell the difference. The man is tormented by his personal lost and the new monsters outside his barricaded home. Overtime he learns to better survive, kill, and find the cause of the plaque that has overtaken the world. Discovering that next step in human evolution looks very different from our current trajectory.
For the most part, the vampires are just background noise. The show more story is an about a man dealing with lost and being possibly the only human left in the world. Dealing with loneliness and guilt. Driven closer and closer to the edge by the demons outside and within his mind. All compelling story elements on their own, if they are handled with care and nuance. Matheson does not do nuance, we get a functioning, horny alcoholic through good portions of the story. Not until he begins investigating the cause and function of vampires does this story opens up into anything more interesting than a man losing his mind. The main character is just ill-equipped for something like an adventure survival tale. He really doesn’t posse much in the way of survival skills, not particular heroic in his deeds, and frankly kind of dumb. But the story doesn’t really work as a psychological thriller either. We get to be inside is head the whole time, but his thought process is painfully slow and pretty shallow. It tries to be both and in my estimation fails. Sprinkle in a bit of that 1950s sexism and racism as casually as you’d like, and this becomes an ugly tale for all the wrong reasons.
Vampire is metaphor. Sometimes a stand in for evils of the aristocracy. Sometimes for toxic masculinity and the fears that bring. Here it’s a mixed metaphor for an inferiority complex and failure to understand the diseased. At least that is what I think it is supposed to be about, or he was just tired of zombies and subbed in vampires without a lot of thought.
The movie was better than this story, and it wasn’t even close to borrowing from the plot. show less
In a post-apocalyptic LA, a man survives alone as a mysterious plaque has overrun the population that has turned them into vampiric monsters. Some are the undead kind of vampires, it is unclear how to tell the difference. The man is tormented by his personal lost and the new monsters outside his barricaded home. Overtime he learns to better survive, kill, and find the cause of the plaque that has overtaken the world. Discovering that next step in human evolution looks very different from our current trajectory.
For the most part, the vampires are just background noise. The show more story is an about a man dealing with lost and being possibly the only human left in the world. Dealing with loneliness and guilt. Driven closer and closer to the edge by the demons outside and within his mind. All compelling story elements on their own, if they are handled with care and nuance. Matheson does not do nuance, we get a functioning, horny alcoholic through good portions of the story. Not until he begins investigating the cause and function of vampires does this story opens up into anything more interesting than a man losing his mind. The main character is just ill-equipped for something like an adventure survival tale. He really doesn’t posse much in the way of survival skills, not particular heroic in his deeds, and frankly kind of dumb. But the story doesn’t really work as a psychological thriller either. We get to be inside is head the whole time, but his thought process is painfully slow and pretty shallow. It tries to be both and in my estimation fails. Sprinkle in a bit of that 1950s sexism and racism as casually as you’d like, and this becomes an ugly tale for all the wrong reasons.
Vampire is metaphor. Sometimes a stand in for evils of the aristocracy. Sometimes for toxic masculinity and the fears that bring. Here it’s a mixed metaphor for an inferiority complex and failure to understand the diseased. At least that is what I think it is supposed to be about, or he was just tired of zombies and subbed in vampires without a lot of thought.
The movie was better than this story, and it wasn’t even close to borrowing from the plot. show less
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Author Information
Richard Matheson was born on February 20, 1926 in Allendale, New Jersey. He was eight when his stories appeared in a local newspaper, the Brooklyn Eagle. He served during World War II. He received a degree in journalism from the University of Missouri in 1949. In 1950 he first was noticed as an upcoming writer-to-watch, starting with the short show more story Born of Man and Woman. He wrote numerous novels and short stories during his lifetime including I am Legend, The Shrinking Man, What Dreams May Come, and Hell House. He won the World Fantasy Convention's Life Achievement Award, the Bram Stoker Award for Life Achievement, the Hugo Award, the Golden Spur Award, and the Writer's Guild Award. He also was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2010. When Hollywood approached him for the rights to his novel The Shrinking Man, he negotiated the chance to write the screenplay. This began a long career in screenwriting and adapting. He wrote the screenplay for Steven Spielberg's Duel and 16 episodes of the television series The Twilight Zone. He won an Edgar Allan Poe Award in 1973 for The Night Stalker. He died on June 23, 2013 at the age of 87. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Contains
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- I Am Legend {story collection}
- Original publication date
- 1954
- People/Characters
- Robert Neville
- Important places
- Los Angeles, California, USA
- Related movies
- I Am Legend (2007 | IMDb); The Omega Man (1971 | IMDb); The Last Man on Earth (1964 | IMDb)
- Dedication
- To HENRY KUTTNER with my grateful thanks for his help and encouragement on this book.
- First words
- On those cloudy days, Robert Neville was never sure when sunset came, and sometimes they were in the streets before he could get back.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)I am legend.
- Blurbers
- Koontz, Dean; King, Stephen
- Disambiguation notice
- This is the work for a short story collection, which includes the novella "I Am Legend" (1954). Please do NOT combine it with the main "I Am Legend" work which just contains the novel.
Stories contained in this ... (show all)work are:- I Am Legend
- Buried Talents
- The Near Departed
- Prey
- Witch War
- Dance of the Dead
- Dress of White Silk
- Mad House
- The Funeral
- From Shadowed Places
- Person to Person
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