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I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
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I Am Legend (original 1954; edition 1997)

by Richard Matheson

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7,7472471,145 (3.86)101
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 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.… (more)
Member:OhTheHumanity
Title:I Am Legend
Authors:Richard Matheson
Info:Orb Books (1997), Paperback, 320 pages
Collections:Your library
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Work Information

I Am Legend {story collection} by Richard Matheson (1954)

  1. 30
    The Death of Grass by John Christopher (crdf)
  2. 20
    The Shrinking Man by Richard Matheson (sturlington)
    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.
  3. 31
    The Dog Stars by Peter Heller (KatyBee)
  4. 02
    The Mouse on the Mile by Stephen King (VictoriaPL)
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» See also 101 mentions

English (243)  Swedish (1)  Dutch (1)  All languages (245)
Showing 1-5 of 243 (next | show all)
2.5
The isolation and mental torment was the most interesting part for me. He lost me on his poorly linked science garble. Just not my thing ( )
  cmpeters | Feb 2, 2024 |
If all you know of I Am Legend is the Will Smith movie, you owe it to yourself to read this, the source material. It's FAR better. ( )
  GordCampbell | Dec 20, 2023 |
I watched the movie first and just got around to reading the novel. I certainly didn't expect it to be so different! The author certainly built up the feeling of loneliness that that was characterized by the movie. I was drawn into the book and finished it in one sitting. Very glad I decided to read it. Recommended! ( )
  talalsyed | Jul 22, 2023 |
Overall, I thought this was an excellent book. There were two short stories that I didn't like and one that I liked the premise, but it was written like Matheson just wanted to show how many SAT words he knew. ( )
  LynnMPK | Jul 1, 2023 |
I made sure to give myself some time between seeing the film version and reading the book (I always prefer to see the movie first; novels always add to the story and usually improve upon it). I'm glad I waited. The two versions are similar in many ways, but the characters are different: regular white guy in the book v. hyper-intelligent black guy in the movie. The nature of the vampires is different: classic conception of the vampire v. zombie-like, demythologized superfreaks. The setting is different: suburban L.A. v. Manhattan. So, OK, maybe they're not similar beyond the basic premise.

Anyway, the book was more satisfying with its take on the "science" of vampirism, and the ending was more honest and creative. (The movie ended the way you think the book is going to end but doesn't.)

What the movie does surprisingly well (and this is a testament to Will Smith as an actor) is capture the arc of emotions Neville experiences in his horrific situation. The book takes you there, too, but reading it makes Smith's performance all the more impressive.

Well. I didn't expect to be reviewing the film here, as well, but there you go. ( )
  bookwrapt | Mar 31, 2023 |
Showing 1-5 of 243 (next | show all)
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» Add other authors (3 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Richard Mathesonprimary authorall editionscalculated
Dean, RobertsonNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Rasovsky, YuriNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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Epigraph
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.
Quotations
Last words
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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 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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Wikipedia in English (1)

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 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.

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Book description
THE LAST MAN ON EARTH IS NOT ALONE

Robert Neville may well be the only survivor of an incurable plague that has mutated every other man, woman, and child into bloodthirsty, nocturnal creatures who are determined to destroy him.

By day, he scavenges for food and supplies, desperate to find any other survivors who might be out there. But all the while the infected lurk in the shadows, watching his every move, waiting for him to make a mistake....

I AM LEGEND
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