I Am Legend

3.48/5.00
Published: 1954
Genre: Horror
Goodreads

If you’re expecting a resemblance to the movie, you will be disappointed.
Is it particularly horrifying? Not really.
Is it interesting? Yes.
First off, this book is told in these small, unrelated installments. The part with Robert Neville, the I Am Legend part familiar to most is just one section, albeit the longest. As with any anthology, some stories are more enjoyable than others. From one about a man who hears a ringing in his head and a voice at the end of a mental telephone to a killer spirit possessing a doll to witch-like girls using their powers to tear apart an army.
The main tale tells of survivor Robert Neville navigating a world plagued by a vampirism disease. People put it in the sci-fi genre, and though it incorporates some physiology here and there, this story is as sci-fi as Supernatural. I didn’t find it particularly science-y, though it is possible being a biochem undergrad influenced that.
Hollywood seems to like the story of a lone hero facing the apocalypse, whether by zombies, plague, vampires, what-have-you. The horror aspect relies on a subtler disturbing quality than jump scares or gross outs and heavy action.
This wouldn’t be the first book I would recommend to anyone, but for avid horror fans, it would probably be a nice addition to the collection.


Richard Matheson was an American author and screenwriter, passing in 2013. Though best known for I Am Legend, he has written other screenplays and stories adapting to film.

Comments

Popular Posts