I Am Legend Author Richard Matheson
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One of the most influential vampire novels of the 20th century, I Am Legend regularly appears on the "10 Best" lists of numerous critical studies of the horror genre. As Richard Matheson's third novel, it was first marketed as science fiction (for although written in 1954, the story takes place in a future 1976). A terrible plague has decimated the world, and those who were unfortunate enough to survive have been transformed into blood-thirsty creatures of the night. Except, that is, for Robert Neville. He alone appears to be immune to this disease, but the grim irony is that now he is the outsider. He is the legendary monster who must be destroyed because he is different from everyone else. Employing a stark, almost documentary style, Richard Matheson was one of the first writers to convince us that the undead can lurk in a local supermarket freezer as well as a remote Gothic castle. His influence on a generation of bestselling authors--including Stephen King and Dean Koontz--who first read him in their youth is, well, legendary. --Stanley Wiater --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
Robert Neville is the lone survivor of a vampire plague which has wiped out most of earth's inhabitants. by day he single-handedly stalks the city laying undead to rest. At night he drinks himself into a stupor and listens to classical music. After 5 months alone Robert realizes that some of the legends about vampires are true and begins to seek scientific explanation. With all the time in the world, he reads books from the library and steals an expensive microscope to help him analyze the bacteria in the victims. This book reminds me a lot of Robinson Caruso. At first Neville rails against his loneliness, the vampires and the world in general... Eventually he develops a survivor mentality which allows him to deal with the situation. When Neville finds a dog things begin to look up... Can Robert survive humanity's near extinction or will he become the last survivor of earth's great plague?
I read the book in anticipation of the movie in December starring Will Smith. I can't wait to see how this is treated in film. Neville is an interesting character who I took a while to get to like. Mostly because the first 1/4 of the novel he drinks, smokes, and feels sorry for himself (who wouldn't). I really warmed to the character once the dog arrived... Overall this was a compelling audiobook well narrated and worth a listen.
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