I Am Legend

Richard Matheson

Average Rating 7/10 (1 Review)

Millennium SF Masterworks

Robert Neville is the last living man on earth... but he is not alone. Every other man, woman and child on the planet has become a vampire, and they are all hungry for Neville's blood. By day he is the hunter, stalking the sleeping undead through the abandoned ruins of civilization. By night, he barricades himself in his home and prays for the dawn. How long can one man survive like this?

I Am Legend, first published in 1954, was Richard Matheson's first SF novel, and established his reputation as a pre-eminent figure in SF

Review by Craig Washington (160706) Rating (7/10)

Review by Craig Washington
Rating 7/10
In my opinion, trying to put a new spin on an old tale is a difficult thing to do and none more difficult an old tale is the Vampire novel! However, the book I Am Legend manages just that.

Taking the main character, Robert Neville, we find him left alone in a small American town as the only man immune to a vampire bacteria. As the book progresses we find him taking a solitary journey through both his nightly attacks from his former neighbours and his own internal fight to stay sane in turn.

Although the book is not necessarily a real frightener it does have some good spine tingling moments and what it lacks in true scary stuff makes up for in atmosphere. I think for the Vampire aficionado it is a worthwhile read, it kept me page turning anyway!

P.S. Watch out for the twist at the end, interesting!
Craig Washington (16th July 2006)