Here is the story of Mr. Robert Neville, the sole witness and only survivor of the end of the world. One good day, people started to rise from the grave and turn into vampires. Our main character isolates himself in his house with everything he needs to survive.

By night he stays in, tormented by the screams and memories of his past life, by day he hunts the devils. Kill them in their sleep.

Richard Matheson left his mark in the vampire genre with "I Am Legend", its one of the best vampires novels ever.

It leaves you with a hollow feeling in the chest (the same feeling I got when I saw almost 25 years ago the original Planet of the Apes).

The way he describes the solitude of Robert Neville, his desperation it's just incredible. The fact that a new species (vampieres) had organized and now rules the earth it's just the final touch of desperation to the trama. Robert Neville is the last man on earth, the outcast, the intruder. He is the new and last monster to be destroyed.

I Am Legend it's a must in your book collection.

Excellent story, even better ending. Definitely leaves you wanting more but in a good way. The author knew right where to leave things.

Here is the story of Mr. Robert Neville, a witness and only survivor in the world. One good day, people started to rise from the grave and turn into vampires. Our main character isolates himself in his house with everything he needs to survive.

By night he stays in, tormented by the screams and memories of his past life, by day he hunts the devils. Kill them in their sleep.

Richard Matheson left his mark in the vampire genre with "I Am Legend", its one of the best vampires novels ever.

It leaves you with a hollow feeling in the chest (the same feeling I got when I saw almost 25 years ago the original Planet of the Apes).

The way he describes the solitude of Robert Neville, his desperation it's just incredible. The fact that a new species (vampieres) had organized and now rules the earth it's just the final touch of desperation to the trama. Robert Neville is the last man on earth, the outcast, the intruder. He is the new and last monster to be destroyed.

I Am Legend it's a must in your book collection.

I just finished reading this book and was completely blown away by Matheson's gripping story of a man living in a post-apocalyptic vampire-infested world. I'm almost afraid to see the movie now, because I generally feel that the book is better than the movie. This is probably one of the best novels I've ever read.

As an aside, a few of his short stories were published with this novel and I found one of them, "Prey," to be the basis for the 1975 television horror movie, "Trilogy of Terror" which gave me nightmares for a month.

It's really hard to believe this book was written in the 50's. You can clearly see where modern post apocalyptic books/movies are getting their ideas from. I am Legend is very well written, the author does a very good job of placing you in the mindset of the main character Robert Neville. If you enjoy all of the similar books/movies that have been released recently, you will most likely appreciate this book.
-Graf Exum

Just like many end of times tales, this book is the survival of one man alone in the world. However, what makes this book stand out from the others is the inner monologue of the character. Seeing how Robert Neville's psychological well being changed throughout the book was interesting-one chapter he would have it all together, the next he was crushing a glass in his hand out of frustration.

I also appreciated the fact he was a man of regular intelligence in the book. He didn't know what he was doing when it came to the experiments and all the knowledge he gained took a lot of painstaking work.

The ironic twist at the end where Neville ends up being more feared than he was at those he was hunting was also great, this is one aspect of the book that the movie really should have incorporated.

This story neither gathered my attention, and I like to read about vampires, nor did the middle or ending do anything for my sensiblities for a horror story. Awful. just awful. Sorry, Matheson.

Robert Neville is he who strives for perfection, he whose goal is to soar among the stars with the angels on high; Neville is the man who, despite everything, has fallen into the eternal charnel pit of the soul. The bleakest and farthest regions of the dismal are his and his alone. How then did Neville come to this winter of discontent? How then did he, who sought the beautiful, become the ugly? His lustrous silver wings melted in the shining sun that he blindly mistook for redemption and when it was too late to save himself he fell like a beautiful yet poignantly destructive shooting star plummeting to earth in a ball of unquenchable fire.

In the latter days of the latter years hidden in the home of his oblivion, he has come full circle pondering over the joys and the discontents of a "normal" life that like the best of fiction is so believable yet so totally alien. Yes, truly he is Icarus dying, the embodiment of dead hopes and dreams and the paragon of destruction. Yes, truly he is the aching longing that will never be fulfilled, the imagined sound of a loved one calling in the midst of a dream. He, and he alone, is the bright and shining hope that failed. He is alive in body only for the soul has fled. Is he any better than the living dead that haunt him so, the mythical vampires who, sadly, turned out to be so real? Those miserable souls of legend that were tortured into an eternity desiring to be with their brethren yet destroying all those who were near. In a dead and howling world, Neville is all that survives to remember what civilization was once like before the virus came, the mysterious virus that turned the world into a legend. In this sea of pain, Neville must make his way alone embracing the eternal solitude amongst the wailings of the damned, but the vampires have a little surprise for Neville that might just change everything. Fly Neville, fly on your beautiful wings and touch the sun before you fall to earth, incinerated and desolate. Goodbye Neville. . .

I Am Legend is a poignant narrative conducted by the forlorn Neville, the only man left standing among the charred ruins of a formerly grand civilization . . . our civilization. All those that have gone before him have returned only they are not the same. They want blood for sustenance and in the deepest pits of the night they await Neville, their eternal hunger gnawing away at their humanity. And so, Neville's long journey through the bleak passages of the heart begins and we, the public of readers, join Neville wishing that we could reach out and grant him comfort because Neville's forced loneliness, his desire to see another human, his desire for his dead wife, is truly heart wrenching making the desolate, apocalyptic aura of the book come alive filling the reader's heart and soul with Neville's undying pain. Neville is a narrator that demands sympathy. The author's emulation of a classical, gothic horror style requires the audience to understand Neville's mental degeneration as he seeks solace in whisky and music as the damned howl outside his door. We love him because in him humanity is portrayed at both its best and its worst and his continual flashbacks remind the audience how temporarily life can be and how easily everything that is good, that is noble, can be suddenly ripped away from our grasp. While the tale echoes science fiction, the real story of one man's pining for a life that will never return is what makes the tragedy so forceful, and so believable. Yes Neville, we shed a tear for you because in your bleak existence we see our own moments of pain and loneliness and because of your humanity we are overcome with compassion.

Likewise, the drama of the plot echoes Neville's degeneration as his slow, bleak days and lonely black nights plod by and he gives himself away to contemplation, flashbacks, and the false hope promised in the bottom of a bottle. However, everything is about to change as our hopeless hero is overcome with one life mission: he must finally understand the reason behind his enforced agony, he must understand the gruesome plague, he must teach himself the mysteries of medicine and perhaps, in his quest for knowledge, redemption from loneliness will be found. As Neville finally finds a mission in life, a reason to live again, the world starts to shift and his lonely days are suddenly interrupted by an enigmatic woman. What could this mean? Is it salvation, a mirage from a dying mind, or a sinister prelude? Neville cannot decided and so the plot spirals eternally downward, dragging Neville into a shocking climax where the truth of the legend is finally revealed, leaving the reader breathless and tearful. Yes Neville, we hear the pain in your grim requiem.

Richard Matheson, the author, has a wonderfully poetic and metaphoric style that combine to bring Neville's bleak world into a shocking, surrealistic picture before the reader's mind. Originally penned in the s, I Am Legend echoes the literary style of the classics allowing the readers to care deeply for Neville due to the concentration on characterization and the exquisitely beautiful manipulation of the English language. Matheson's eloquent, descriptive language and his evocation of emotion combine to entrance the reader.

A note to those who have seen the movie:

Although, I Am Legend: The Movie was "based" on this novel, the movie was not even remotely similar. The plot and some of the characters (including the woman and the dog) are not the same in the book as in the movie. Also, the deaths of both Neville's wife and his daughter are very different in the novel. Once the novel gets rolling, it becomes instantly obvious that the movie deviated massively from the original storyline, so don't expect the same plot. The novel, while very different, was still equally as enjoyable as the movie. I highly recommend both. The movie and the novel are both classics in the horror genre.

Extras:

This addition of I Am Legend includes several short stories from Richard Matheson including the following:

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

I Am Legend concludes at the half way mark of the novel on page 159 and the short stories begin, unannounced on page 160, at first causing the reader to falsely believe that they pick up Robert Neville's saga. For the most part the stories are rather unspectacular, possessing none of the author's insight into human nature and knack for implementing stunning literary phrases. The best stories are Mad House, The Funeral, and Person to Person. These three stand above the rest and break the general mold of boredom. Other than these three short stories, I would recommend that potential readers skip the other stories. They were only added to this addition to make the novel look fuller and thus attract more potential buyers.

Conclusion:

I Am Legend is a bleak testament to one man's isolation and his eternal longing for those who have gone before him. Thought provoking and highly emotional, this is not a novel to be missed. Days after Neville's last word has fallen neatly onto the last page, the readers are still casting their minds back to visit their forlorn friend. Yes Neville, although you thought you were no longer wanted in a dead world, you live on in our memory's museum. Emotional, descriptive, and highly imaginative, I Am Legend is a story that everyone can relate to. Unequivocally recommended.

- Ravenova

I bought this book based on the enthusiastically positive reviews here on Amazon, but I'm a bit disappointed. Some of the reviews said the book was far better than the Will Smith movie, so I was expecting something really deep and engaging. Instead, I felt the story "I Am Legend" had plot weaknesses and didn't hold my interest like I expected. There were a number of times when I thought, "But what if...?" or "Why didn't this happen...?" Some Amazon reviews even said the story's ending was far superior to the ending of the Will Smith movie, but I feel like I must have read the wrong book. The end of the story was anticlimactic and didn't seem to wrap up the meaning of the title at all for me.

I picked up the book because I enjoy sci fi, but I didn't feel this book was sci fi. It feels more like horror, and not just because of the vampires. Nearly everything about the story made it feel more like a horror story, and I'm not a fan of horror so I didn't enjoy it much. There are also several short stories following "I Am Legend" in this book (which aren't mentioned anywhere on the covers) and they are all horror genre stories. I read most of them but they just aren't my cup of tea.

One thing I noticed is that all the stories, including "I Am Legend," remind me of Stephen King's works. Obviously Matheson influenced King. If you enjoy Stephen King, then you'll probably really like this collection of Matheson's stories. But if you're mostly a sci fi fan like me, you may not enjoy it so much. I suspect the glowing reviews of this book are from fans of horror who maybe would have liked the movie "I Am Legend" to more closely resemble a horror movie than a sci fi flick.

Classic vampire/zombie/end of civilization book. Matheson influenced many of today's horror authors. A simply outstanding story and fun to read. I recommend you add this to your collection.

Ok, so this is one of books that originated survival thriller/horror genre, but for me it wasn't so big. I guess it was writing style that I disliked.

Lord knows I read every novel or story by real writers who wrote horror (Edgar Allan Poe , Ambrose Bierce) and writer-entertainers like Clive Barker, Stephen King, Howard Phillips Lovecraft. I loved everything when I was 18-19 , fiction, science fiction, epic fiction, horror and read even the worst books to the end, including James Herbert's 'Survivor' . OMG, was THAT one bad!

I had seen the recent movie adaption to this book and I must say, I love both just the way they are. The book made the movie a lot clearer in ways for me, actually trying to put science behind exactly what the monsters were. This book is extremely well written for the time it came from, and the imagination is boundless. I love monster stories and this one is not one to pass up!
This book, however, comes with more than just I Am Legend. It also comes with assorted stories from Richard Matheson. Although his other stories aren't quite as long as I Am Legend, they follow a similar style and are definitely worth reading once you're done with the book itself. All in all this is an extremely great buy. I love it.

"I Am Legend" contains mostly short stories, where the book's first half is one story titled by the novel's namesake. The remaining creepy stories cover various characters, whether a younger or older female or a younger or older male, and places each person in a disturbing situation. The finely crafted plots capture the morbid struggles against a range of supernatural forces.

Since the story "I Am Legend" composes the largest amount of the book, it receives the greatest attention. It is about the supposedly last member of the human race, 36 year old Robert Neville. Daily he fights vampires and his own depression while trying to survive the deadly nights. The author brilliantly explains vampirism from a scientific perspective and additionally provides a shocking conclusion. The other stories while shorter are just as effectively engaging.

As with about every film-based novel, I would suggest at least not watching the movie prior to reading the book if not forgoing the movie thereby leaving the story entirely to the imagination.

I highly recommend this novel to any fan of the horror genre.

Thank you.

This was a great book!! It is so much better than the movie. Also the movie had changed the story way too much. If you saw the movie and then read the book, you will be disappointed in the movie. Also its interesting to note that this book was written in 1954 and takes place in 1976. Also the ending was interesting. Included in this book is not only the story "I am Legend," but also contains other short stories created by Richard Matheson. But I would definently recommend this to anyone who was interested by the movie and want to read the actual book which is way better.

Let me begin by stating that this is a short story compilation, something that was never mentioned to me at any point in time. True, the title story is by far the longest in the book, and would qualify as a novella, but it is in length similar to "The Mist" being the largest short story in "Skeleton Crew."

The Title story of "I Am Legend" is a brilliant story following Neville as the sole survivor of the vicious plague which has claimed the lives of most of the world, and then brought them back as terrible vampire like creatures. Neville is not a scientist, he is not a genius, and in fact he is far closer to an alcoholic slowly losing his mind. "I am Legend" is not an action packed thrill ride, it is instead a drawn out study on madness, the breakdown of civilization and what it does to the human psyche. We follow Neville as he tries to not only stay alive, but also retain his sanity after all that he has been through. He is alone and sees no hope for the future. True his behavior may not mimic what our choices would have been, but then again none of us know how we would behave.

If you bought this book because of the Will Smith movie, you will probably be disappointed, the story is very different, far less scientific, and doesn't take place in NYC, not to mention there is no action, the dog isn't a main character (though it is a very touching part of the book) and the ending is completely different. Do I think one is better than the other? I don't know, I enjoyed them both but find them to be completely different stories. If you can keep from comparing the two I think you can really enjoy both.

As for the other stories in the book, much like all short story books, they are hit and miss. You have everything from psycho dolls with warrior spirits inside terrorizing apartments, to houses that have gone mad from the negative energy. Some of the shortest were the most entertaining. Most have been turned into movies (many in those Creepshow/ Twilight Zone/ Amazing Stories type movies) so when you read through, a lot of them will seem familiar. I highly recommend this book to those looking for a quality set of short stories complimented by a wonderful 160 page or so novella.

I loved this book. Probably a little better than the movie. And I loved the movie. However both are one in the same. I wish they would have made the movie to match the book. But that's another review.

Do NOT buy the cd version of this book. I borrowed it from the library and had major skipping issues. I thought I'd buy the book because the first disc kept my interest. I had skipping issues with all 5 discs. I returned the first audio book and had more skipping issues with the next audio book. Luckily, if any of you have one of those things called a cassette player, circa 1963. Blackstone audio has a cassette version available and you are surely not to have any skipping issues.

Robertson Dean reads this book with so much intensity that I find myself listening to the book over and over again. Pretty soon I'll be able to recite it.

The Movie was great and the book was very good, but they are not the same. Rather misleading to use Will Smith on the cover. The protagonist in the book shares little in common with the one in the movie and the story line is vaguely the same subject. If you are looking for the written equiviant of the movie you will be disappointed. But it is a good story on it's own.

Most of the short stories after the main feature are rather week and at times confusing. At times they felt like "filler" to make the book big enough.

I received my new copy of this book quickly and at a good price. Thank you

This novel has stood the test of time. Not only has it been adapted into a movie more than once, but its dark view of the future is still fresh and thought-provoking, even decades after the book was first published.

Offering elements of suspense, science and the human condition, this is a very engaging novel. I recommend this book for a wide audience...even readers (or listeners) who might not have a strong interest in science fiction-oriented books.

An excellent novel.

This novel is up there with Stoker, and in many ways surpasses his classic work. Neville's character is far too believable, the plot unfolds with the character, and together the whole is more than any mere vampire tale -- it is a tale of what makes us human and what it means to survive.

Note: Has little if anything to do with the movie by the same name.

Don't be fooled by the cover. A short story in this book inspired the movie with Will Smith, but it is NOT the same story as the movie. The movie changed the story a lot. Both are very good. There are many other short stories in this book as well.

This story was excellent! I thought the author did a fine job of capturing the thoughts and feelings of the last human on Earth. Robert Neville is a believable guy - he mumbles to himself, procrastinates, and drinks heavily so he doesn't have to face the horrors around him. He shows a wide range of emotions, changing from his very sensitive nature in the time before the plague to the hard and bitter person he's become. I especially liked how he'd continue to form attachments to things that would kill him just to stay sane. Since Neville is the only real character in the novel, Matheson has to capture him just right. I think he succeeded.

Also, I loved Matheson's treatment of the vampire legends. His scientific approach was a great idea done well. These were probably the most interesting parts of the book. But by far my favorite parts were those where Neville was dealing with the living, and he shed his cold exterior to show some real depth. This was all brilliantly written and quite emotional.

If I had to make a complaint, I'd say that the details of Neville being attracted to the vampire women was over the top, but fortunately that tapered off within the first third of the book.

The ending was, of course, very solid. In fact I appreciated the entire pacing and organization of the book. It was gripping and read quickly and easily.

My copy is actually half I Am Legend and half other short stories, though this isn't marked and confused me greatly when I reached the ending. Reading the rest of the short stories here, I see that Matheson is actually a horror writer, and was taking a step out of his element to write this book. It's quite an accomplishment. (Incidentally I have not read horror stories before, but I was somewhat creeped out by these, so I guess that's something...)

A final comment: after reading the book I still have no problems with the different story presented in the movie. Many people complain about the changed ending, but really the movie changed quite a bit about the book, to the point where the only things in common are the title and the fact that the main character is a lone survivor. They clearly set out with different messages in mind, and developed the story in their own logical ways. Just as putting the movie ending on the book would make no sense, so would trying to use the book ending with the movie. I enjoyed them both equally, but in different ways.

Richard Matheson is one of those writers that many of us have never heard of but who has had a huge influence on a generation of very successful writers. Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and others have all acknowledged their debt to Matheson with no less than Ray Bradbury calling him "One of the most important writers of the twentieth century."

"I Am Legend" is set in Los Angeles and told from the viewpoint of Robert Neville, the apparent sole survivor of a worldwide plague. But the plague does not kill; instead, it transforms its victims into creatures with all of the characteristics of vampires: an aversion to sunlight and garlic, a lust for drinking blood, and a fear of religious symbols and mirrors.

Because of a unique experience in his past, Neville has developed an immunity to the bacteria and survives the plague. His life soon deteriorates into a struggle for survival as groups of vampires hunt him, seeking to drink his blood.

Neville turns his house into a fortress, stocked with a generator, canned food and bottled water. During the day, he roams the city, finding and killing vampires in their sleep. At night, he locks himself inside while vampires, some of whom were his neighbors and friends, circle his house, calling his name. There's something really creepy about the scenes where Neville's neighbor, now vampire, wanders outside the house calling "Come out, Neville!"

Written in 1952, "I Am Legend" is a brilliant and innovative story that grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go. I read this book after reading Stephen King's "Salem's Lot" and it's obvious that King borrowed some of his ideas from Matheson. King has even admitted that Matheson is "the author who influenced me most as a writer".

This story is not a thrill-a-minute joy ride, but the depth of the story is incredible as it explores the psychological impact that comes from being a lone survivor. We also get to follow Neville's progress as he investigates and learns more about the vampire bacteria and how to fight it.

There are two especially innovative parts of this story:

1) Matheson gives a scientific explanation for the existence of vampires. He explains their desire to drink blood and aversion to sunlight and garlic in scientific terms. It makes the idea of vampires more believable and the story more real.

Spoiler ahead!

2) Despite the other interesting ideas Matheson introduces to the vampire story, the most original is the unusual twist at the end when Neville discovers that not all humans infected with the bacteria are completely transformed into vampires. Ironically, these infected "living" view Neville as we view vampires - a "monster" who comes into their bedrooms at night and kills them in their sleep. He is no longer the "good guy" who is fighting to survive. For them, he has become the evil in the night. He is their "legend".

This last point makes "I Am Legend" something special. It is a story that defies convention and dares to do something new, to bring a fresh take to an old myth.

Highly recommended.

----------------------------------------
Michael Mihalik is the author of Debt is Slavery: and 9 Other Things I Wish My Dad Had Taught Me About Money. Learn how to gain control of your finances, pay off your debt, and create financial security!

Richard Matheson is one of those writers that many of us have never heard of but who has had a huge influence on a generation of very successful writers. Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and others have all acknowledged their debt to Matheson with no less than Ray Bradbury calling him "One of the most important writers of the twentieth century."

"I Am Legend" is set in Los Angeles and told from the viewpoint of Robert Neville, the apparent sole survivor of a worldwide plague. But the plague does not kill; instead, it transforms its victims into creatures with all of the characteristics of vampires: an aversion to sunlight and garlic, a lust for drinking blood, and a fear of religious symbols and mirrors.

Because of a unique experience in his past, Neville has developed an immunity to the bacteria and survives the plague. His life soon deteriorates into a struggle for survival as groups of vampires hunt him, seeking to drink his blood.

Neville turns his house into a fortress, stocked with a generator, canned food and bottled water. During the day, he roams the city, finding and killing vampires in their sleep. At night, he locks himself inside while vampires, some of whom were his neighbors and friends, circle his house, calling his name. There's something really creepy about the scenes where Neville's neighbor, now vampire, wanders outside the house calling "Come out, Neville!"

Written in 1952, "I Am Legend" is a brilliant and innovative story that grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go. I read this book after reading Stephen King's "Salem's Lot" and it's obvious that King borrowed some of his ideas from Matheson. King has even admitted that Matheson is "the author who influenced me most as a writer".

This story is not a thrill-a-minute joy ride, but the depth of the story is incredible as it explores the psychological impact that comes from being a lone survivor. We also get to follow Neville's progress as he investigates and learns more about the vampire bacteria and how to fight it.

There are two especially innovative parts of this story:

1) Matheson gives a scientific explanation for the existence of vampires. He explains their desire to drink blood and aversion to sunlight and garlic in scientific terms. It makes the idea of vampires more believable and the story more real.

Spoiler ahead!

2) Despite the other interesting ideas Matheson introduces to the vampire story, the most original is the unusual twist at the end when Neville discovers that not all humans infected with the bacteria are completely transformed into vampires. Ironically, these infected "living" view Neville as we view vampires - a "monster" who comes into their bedrooms at night and kills them in their sleep. He is no longer the "good guy" who is fighting to survive. For them, he has become the evil in the night. He is their "legend".

This last point makes "I Am Legend" something special. It is a story that defies convention and dares to do something new, to bring a fresh take to an old myth.

Highly recommended.

----------------------------------------
Michael Mihalik is the author of Debt is Slavery: and 9 Other Things I Wish My Dad Had Taught Me About Money

If you have never read this book you are missing out! It's well-written, intelligent, and will grab you until the end. Definitely worth buying for your own library!

In my honest opinion the book 'I Am Legend' was not as good as I had hoped it to be. After reading Richard Matheson's 'What Dreams May Come' and finding it better than the movie I was hoping that the book 'I Am Legend' would likewise be better than the movie that is before I saw the movie.

I was terribly disappointed, the story 'I Am Legend' is too short with the backstory almost entirely non-existant save for Robert Neville's flashbacks of his wife and child with only some reference to the possibility of bio/chemical warfare.

However; there are some aspects of the book that I did in enjoy such as the emotions of what Robert Neville dealt with in being the 'last man'

This has made the book by far superior than any movie can portray. As far as actual storyline goes I will stick with "The Omega Man" which is a movie based off of "I Am Legend."

Thank you

Great content, the story is fantastic, but short. Don't spend a lot of money on the book because you will have finished reading it in a couple of days! Definitely worth reading.

Good original story but the title was misleading,it should have said The Legend and other short stories,The story kind of left me hanging, I kept flipping back and forth until I realized the story was over and a new short story was beginning. The movie was better

"I am legend" is only about 150 pages or so (I guess not quite long enought to be a book on its own). Some of the stories are a bit short and unusual, some I recognized as episodes of "Tales from the Crypt" or other TV shows. Overall a good read.

I purchased this book since the movie was good. I figure the book would be even better. I was so wrong. Of course, if you like vampires, then you will like this book. The ending was uneventful and confusing.

What a fantastic concept for a story. I saw the movie "Omega Man" when I was kid and loved it and did not realize it was based on this tale until I read through some of these reviews. Two basic comments about this book. First, the story "I am Legend" only takes up about half the book. The rest is made up of short stories that just weren't anywhere close to as good as "I am Legend" in my opinion. In fact I became very bored with them and had to put the book down a few times. Because of that I am downgrading the book overall to 4 stars.

Having said that, I could not put the book down at all while reading the "I am Legend" story. To set up the tale: there could well be only one man left on earth as some sort of vampire virus has spread, possibly through biological warfare. The time is in the 70's which is the future when you consider this book was written in the 50's. The tale delves into this one man's fight against vampires who try to get at him every night. He has turned his house into a fortress. In the day he ventures out in search of the vampires to kill them while they sleep. He also fills his time with trying to solve the mystery of what the virus is and where it came from. Very intriguing. Could not put the book down.

If you enjoyed Wellington's "13 Bullets" and "99 Coffins" you will definately like this one. I have not seen the movie yet and from what I hear, the movie does not follow the story line of the book. Book was fantastic!

This book was a complete make over from the original movie the Omega Man. Please do not waste your time reading it.

It's funny that out hero is blond and blue eyed while the movie has a black man. Really good story though. I hesitated to read it because I'm not into vampires but this was surprisingly good and not what I expected. A good story of survival.

Following my usual preference for reading before viewing, I looked up Richard Matheson's book after one of my Amazon friends reviewed it. Though not a big vampire fan, I was completely absorbed in this classic story.

Robert Neville is apparently the only survivor of a plague that turned the rest of mankind into vampires. Barricaded in his house by night, he roams during the day when the creatures hide from the light. Anger, alcohol and the horrors he's seen threaten to push him into madness but he channels his energy into searching for the science behind the phenomenon. The story--a short novel--keeps its relentless pace and tension right through to the jarring conclusion.

There's always a challenge in keeping the "voice" all the way through a story with essentially one character and not much dialog. Matheson meets that challenge. Neville goes through the fire of his solitary horror-ridden years and comes out rusty-voiced but not without hope. At the end, a tipping point, a synthesis--too late for Neville to ponder it, but it will stay with the reader for a long time.

Linda Bulger, 2008

This story is almost completely different from the movie. The basic idea is the same, but the actual movie interpretation is a departure from the original story. Which is fine with me, I think the book and the movie are both great. The book was written a long time ago, and is more of a short story than anything at only about 160 pages. The movie was great, too. As usual, when Hollywood takes a book and turns it into a movie they use a lot of poetic license. If you want to kill a couple of hours, read this. You won't be disappointed.

Well, I picked this book up after the movie came out and everyone was already talking it up. The book is billed as "one of the greatest vampire stories" and while I thought it was good, it wasn't as suspenseful or scary as I had hoped. The novel is very short and ends rather abruptly, and the majority of it is rather tedious. It talks an awful lot about Neville's day to day activities, and the pacing seemed slow, especially for such a short novel. I was irritated by how much liquor and glassware he wasted in the novel, it seemed he was constantly smashing his glass on the floor or the wall. The part with the dog was the best part, really the first time I got in touch with the character. The novel was decent overall, at least for the fact that it seemed much more realistic than the majority of modern vampire stories. If I had read this before all the hype was out, I probably would have liked it more. I just was expecting something else.
I actually enjoyed the other short stories in the book better. They were strange and often very confusing, with all the same outcome: is this person crazy, or is this stuff really going on? Matheson does a good job at making the implausible seem real. The book was worth it just to read a few of those short stories.

I Am Legend is Richard Matheson's short novel about the only survivor of a plague that has made everyone else on earth into something like zombie vampires. It is a foundational novel in the post-apocalyptic genre of science fiction and horror, and has been made into a movie three times: The Last Man on Earth (1964), with Vincent Price, The Omega Man (1971), with Charlton Heston, and I Am Legend (2007), with Will Smith. Of these, The Last Man on Earth follows the novel most closely.

Matheson's style often seizes on the mundane details of the situation, at times without apparent value to the story, but the overall effect is suspenseful, in large part because Matheson takes the reader inside the main character Neville's mental imbalance. Throughout the book, Neville is not only in danger from the vampires, but also from himself.

This edition contains ten Matheson short stories, ranging in genre from horror to suspense. None of them are as good as I Am Legend, but a few of them are genuinely creepy and others show Matheson's knack for exploring the disturbed minds of his characters. The reader will also notice a few of Matheson's writing preferences (he loves to use the word "funereal", and he frequently describes characters' mouths as "gashes").

Like or not, books like I Am Legend are responsible for the now over-played zombie genre. Here, at least, it's done originally, and done well.

RECOMMENDED

Including by me. I did not think the genre has a right to exist. I thought Stoker said all that needs to be said.
Then came this book, some 50 years ago, and combined the vampire theme with the 'end of the world' genre and created a strong story in its own right. In its simplicity and clarity it has a chance to be a long-term survivor. Well, typical vampire.
I had watched the recent movie and liked it, and this way I learned about the book, which an AF recommended to me. I picked it up for a long distance flight and started reading early in the flight. Then I noticed it was on offer in the video system (one of Lufthansa Business Class strong features), both in the new version with Smith, which I knew already, and in the older one with Charlton Heston. Since the man just died, I was tempted to try the movie, but found it not worth the effort. It is a wooden pointless aged product without merits. (While the Will Smith version is likeable.)
So back to the book. Its hero Neville is a soulmate of mine, a hermit. He also calls himself a Robinson (this for my critic who blamed me for that comparison im my film review.)
Neville is not a scientist, but tries to understand what happened, why mankind has been seemingly eradicated by a plague and why the dead have become vampires unless burned. His fight against despair, lonelyness, alcohol, suicide, vampires, cluelessness makes it a very strong piece of storytelling.

Its a dull, plodding, work centered on a main character that is so pathetic that you can't connect with him. Just when things might have gotten interesting and exciting the book kills him off. His death occurs on page 220, yet the story drags on for another 100 pages. No joke.

I thought that Will Smith being in this movie and these monsters or vampires or whatever they were would mean some comedy along with some good action. Well there was no good action in it. The action areas were short and they weren't that many to begin with. The movie was focused too much on presenting the setting and the story about the main character. It would've been much better if they counter balanced that with some more action. Overall I give this movie 3 stars.

The story that started it all. 'I Am Legend' is the classic story that inspired countless zombie movies and stories, despite being technically about vampires. This is not just about monsters, but human nature, the environment, and our future in an evolving scientific world. This book also contains several short stories by Matheson that are exceptional. A must read.

I saw "I Am Legend" the movie with my fiancee at the theater in January. We both liked the movie, and after watching it, we went across the street to the video store to rent a couple of movies for the night. The clerk there was very informative and told us that the movie was "Somewhat" based on the book of the same name. Being the curious type, I bought the book, and read it.

The differences are very obvious, and I won't point them out for those of you that want to read the book if you've seen the movie or see the movie if you've read the book.

I will say that I think the book is superior (Aren't they always?) to the movie. There were some times in the movie that gave me the creeps, but the book gave me the creeps all the way through. It's a very psychological thriller of a book.

The book is short as well. In my copy, the story "I Am Legend" only runs 159 pages, and is an easy read. My copy also has several short stories by Matheson after "I Am Legend", and these stories are entertaining too.

When I ordered the book, I expected to get the orignal, not the new version! And as long as we are reviewing, let us review your processing of orders ... your system and your service SUCKS! You have seen the last of my business.

Jerry Dowdy

I made the mistake of seeing the movie first. I was warned that the book was different, and as far as I am concerned, they could have been completely unrelated. As a Stephen King lover, it's fair to say that horror is probably my favorite genre where fiction is concerned. Having said that, short horror stories don't usually do it for me. I like details, and in that respect, I felt this book was lacking. Neville started projects and left them unfinished, how the "infected" evolved or what it meant to be living or undead was never really explained, and there were several other things that left me thinking. I don't mind a book that makes me think, but answer SOME questions, for crying out loud. All in all, not a complete disappointment. It was good for 2 nights' reading, and I think had I not seen the movie first, it might have ranked 4 stars. Bottom line: For me, the movie was FAR better... Or maybe I just missed something.

This book delves into the mind, daily toil, and the immense loneliness a person might experience: his house is messy, disorganized, and only those tasks essential to survival take precidence, as laundry and routine dusting are dismissed.
Robert Neville fights to supress hi
s sexual urges, becomes his own greatest threat as, sheltered from the vampires in his fort, he drinks himself into stupor, and contemplates the futility of existence and entertains offering himself to the vampires to allow them to end the life he ceases to value.
Neville regards the vampire, as any human might, as an abomination, an evil creature that threatens life. The irony is that Neville is the rarity as a non-vampire, and the role of incarnate evil is reversed. His routine of hunting and killing the vampires during the day is justified by his need to feel safe, to protect himself. But to the vampire he is the bogey-man, the creature that takes lives while society slumbers. His realization of this dynamic between hiself and the vampiric society is what drives this book to the top of my favorites. It's seems a metaphore for the need to change with the world around you, to recognize your place and to be possessed of the ability to reevaluate your relationships, your position, and recognize the truth of your interaction with those around you. (Might have something to do with being written after WWII)

Enjoy the read.

I can't explain exactly why I enjoyed a horror novel about zombies so much. But I did. Beware that I Am Legend, 160 pages in length, is followed by ten short stories.

The tale begins in January of 1976 with a tall, thirty-three year old blue-eyed blond man named Robert Neville fighting for his life in Compton, California. It covers his experiences for the three years that follow. He has survived a plague that, in its earlier stages, causes persons to become weak, sick and affectless. In later stages, victims transform into vampire-like creatures that shy away from the usual: daylight, garlic, and crosses. Magyver-like at times, Neville, drinker, smoker and classical music aficionado, has been able to sustain himself through his ingenuity, living in a boarded up house adjacent vacant lots (having burned down the neighboring homes) complete with an adequate supply of food, a generator, and means of transportation. By day, he patrols the area in a search of the plague afflicted. Those he finds are killed for good and disposed of. He also spends time at the library, researching blood and diseases in hopes of finding a cure. With a lot of idle time on his hands, he thinks back on his family, the circumstances surrounding their infection and fate. Additionally, he reflects on his former relationship to a persistent nemesis as well as the likely reason for his survival. Especially good are his encounters with other possible survivors, the vocabulary, and the plot. Although I loved the story I Am Legend, it ended too soon, since I thought the book contained just one story and plodded on to the second short story that followed before I realized it had ended. "I Am Legend and Other Stories" may have been a better choice for a title.

The short stories ranged from okay to good. Prey, on which one of the three stories from one of the scariest movies I've ever seen (as an eleven-year-old), Trilogy of Terror with Karen Black, was based, was non-stop action packed horrifying. Some of the others: seven teen witches use their powers to help fight a war, a man meets with a mortician to get "the best" for his wife, futuristic kids visit a bar where they see a plague riddled "woman" dance, an intelligent anthropologist takes on the role of witch doctor to save a person possessed, and a man experiences the incessant sound of a phone (or something) ringing in his ears. Similarly great choices: The Lottery and Other Stories by Shirley Jackson, The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe, and The Road by Cormac McCarthy.

I currently read the book I Am Legend by Richard Matheson. In this book there are about nine other stories, but I Am Legend is the main attraction. Robert Neville is a brilliant scientist and a virus has broken out incurable and manmade that has mutated every other man, woman, and child into bloodthirsty, nocturnal creatures who are determined to destroy him. Somehow immune, Robert is now the last human survivor in what is left of New York City, and maybe the world. As day comes he scavenges for food and supplies, desperate to find any other survivors who might be out there. Although the infected lurk in the shadows watching his every move waiting for him to make a deathly mistake. Maybe mankinds last, best hope, Robert is motivated to find to reverse the effects of the virus using his own immune blood is also what the infected want. Robert knows he is outnumbered and is quickly running out of time.... I would recommend this book to people who are opened minded and think of the possibilities that can happen.

My twelve year old came home from school two weeks ago and informed me that his friend had read "I Am Legend" and that it was entirely different than the movie. Well, I loved the movie but I was curious about the book. I bought it and took it to work to read. Whenever I am reading a good book at work and my phone rings; I jump so badly that my heart pounds for several minutes after the scare. This happened to me many times during the book. I became one hundred percent engrossed with the isolation feeling that the main character was experiencing. Then suddenly...BANG, the story abruptly ends mid-way through the book. I sat there scratching my head feeling very perplexed. This is something that anyone who is considering buying this book MUST KNOW. The book actually contains numerous short stories. I still highly recommend purchasing it though. It was different from the movie and I personally feel that it was just as good as the movie.

For many, this will be the only taste of Matheson.... this story is a good example of his style. He is very descriptive of scene - If you were around in the 50s/60s you can immediately picture the den, the mural on the wall, the bar!!! Even the colors come through... In addition to his ability to draw us into his environment, the flow of the story and the thoughtfulness of his science... getting from point A to B is just awesome!! There is very little need to extrapolate. He puts the framework right there - and in as spare a style as possible. The shock of realization and the wave of understanding at the end of the story are indescribable.

Obviously, the main story is why most folks buy the book, but I highly recommend that you give the other shorter stories a try also. I guarantee that they will stick with you. The fetish doll story is a classic and my personal favorite was 'Witch War', a three page story that still haunts me! Oh yes, 'I am Legend' is a great story, but don't forget the rest of the book - you will not regret it.

All the best,

Jay

I had seen the movie and liked it so much that I could not wait to read the book! Unfortunatly, the book was a slight disappoinment. It is very different from the movie so do not expect the same "cancer drug" issue or the same ending.