book 42 - Richard Matheson "I Am Legend"

Richard Matheson "I Am Legend" (Gollancz)







Robert Neville lives alone and in desperation in a world that is nothing like our own. Some unknown phenomena have turned the majority of the human population into vampires. And Neville alone seems to be immune to the plague. Night after night he stays indoors hearing them growl and shout for him to come out. Madness and paranoia grow with time making the last human on Earth question his reasons for staying alive and wallowing in despair.


I am Legend offers a new and refreshing perspective on vampires. Being sci-fi first and classical fantasy second, it gives a very different account of how the vampire came to be while managing to award to its undead characters all the normal vampiric characteristics. In this book, there are crosses, fear of sunlight, blood to drink, and even immortality. But its explanations will be original and interesting.

Also, there is the psychological side of the book to consider. I am Legend is about a man, the last normal man in the world. It is fascinating to see just how the character develops in such conditions.

And it's exactly the character development that earns this book 4 stars instead of 5. While Neville's reactions are 'good and proper, it seems like the author got tired of writing him after 70 pages. So the end is a bit rushed... and I mean it not only in the literal sense but also because I think the character's 'end' doesn't fit such a protagonist. It's probably one of the few flaws of this book.

That said, I would recommend this book to each and every fan of sci-fi and/or the supernatural.