I Am Legend (novel)

This article is about Richard Matheson's novel. For the 2007 film adaptation, see I Am Legend (film).

I Am Legend

File:Iamlegend.jpg
Author	Richard Matheson
Language	English
Genre	Horror / Science fiction novel
Publisher	Orb Books (1995 edition)
Publication date	1954
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print (hardcover & paperback)
Pages	317 pp (1995 edition)
ISBN	ISBN 031286504X (1995 edition)

I Am Legend is a 1954 science fiction novel by Richard Matheson about the last man alive in Los Angeles, California.

Plot

The book takes place in the then-future of the years 1976-1979, and opens with the monotony and horror of the daily life of the protagonist, Robert Neville. Neville is apparently the only survivor of an apocalypse caused by a pandemic of a bacterium, the symptoms of which are very similar to vampirism. Every day he makes repairs to his house, boarding up windows, stringing and hanging garlic, disposing of vampires' corpses on his lawn and either going out to gather any additional supplies needed or hunting and killing other vampires.

Neville's psychological disposition is a significant element in the novel, and his struggles with despair imbue the character with intensity and gravitas. The author emphasizes that he is an ordinary, flawed man trying to deal with an extraordinary catastrophe. It also explores the loneliness of being by himself, hope of finding others, excitement and disappointment over still finding himself alone.

Much of the story is devoted to Neville's struggles to understand the plague that has transformed everyone he meets except for himself, and the novel details the progress of his discoveries. In this regard, the novel is almost unique in vampire fiction in that instead of asking the reader to accept a supernatural explanation for vampire phenomena, the author strives to offer scientific basis for such symptoms as aversion to garlic, craving of fresh blood, and resistance to bullets but vulnerability to stakes and sunlight. The aversion to mirrors and crosses is classified as psychological.

Others who have been infected have discovered a means to hold the disease at bay. However, during the night hours, they appear to be fully evolved vampires. Thus, along with the vampires, he has been killing these still living persons. He becomes a source of terror to the still living, since he can go around in daylight (which they can only do for a short length of time) and leaves their dead behind. These still living send a girl named Ruth to spy on Neville and help figure out if and how to capture him. She starts to develop an interest in him emotionally, and potentially starts to fall in love with him. Neville performs a blood test on her, revealing her nature to him before she knocks him out. Ruth leaves a note telling him about the group of people like her, explaining that she was sent to spy and how monstrous he appears to them. Months later, the people mentioned attack, shooting Neville but taking him alive so that he can be executed in front of everyone in the new society. However, before he can be executed, Ruth provides him with a means of suicide. Neville chooses to take his own life, as he finally realizes why the new vampire society regards him as a monster. Just as vampires were regarded as legendary monsters that preyed on the vulnerable humans in their beds, Neville has become the last of a dead breed: a mythical figure that kills both vampires and the infected living while they are sleeping. He becomes a legend as the vampires once were, hence the title.

Other adaptations

I Am Legend has so far twice been adapted onto film, and a third adaptation, now set for release on December 14, 2007, has gone through several iterations. Will Smith plays as Robert Neville. It has also been adapted into a graphic novel titled Richard Matheson's I Am Legend by Steve Niles and Elman Brown

The Last Man on Earth

Main article: The Last Man on Earth (1964 film)

In 1964, Vincent Price starred as Dr. Robert Morgan (rather than "Neville") in The Last Man on Earth. (An Italian production, the original title was L'Ultimo Uomo Della Terra). Matheson wrote the screenplay for this adaptation, but later rewrites were so changed that he did not wish his name to appear in the credits. As a result, Matheson is credited under the pseudonym "Logan Swanson".

The Omega Man

Main article: The Omega Man

In 1971 a far different version appeared as The Omega Man, starring Charlton Heston and Anthony Zerbe. Matheson had no influence on the screenplay for this film; it deviates from the novel's story in several ways, removing the vampirical elements, except for the creatures' extreme photosensitivity.

I Am Legend

Main article: I Am Legend (film)

A Ridley Scott adaptation was scheduled for production in the late 1990s, but fell through due to an inflating budget. The film was to star Arnold Schwarzenegger. Will Smith will now star in the film directed by Francis Lawrence (Constantine). Filming took place in New York City, and the film is scheduled to be released on December 14, 2007 in the USA and 4 January 2008 in the UK.

Gallery

• Book Covers
• Cover for the First Book Club Hardcover Edition of I Am Legend.
  Cover for the First Book Club Hardcover Edition of I Am Legend.
• Cover for the special edition of I Am Legend.
  Cover for the special edition of I Am Legend.

See also

• Post-apocalyptic fiction
• Vampire literature
• Zombies in popular culture

External links

• The I Am Legend Book Archive
• Watch or download "The Last Man on Earth" (public domain)
• I am Legend / Awakening, Graphic Novel Animated Trailer (story by Dawn Thomas, illustrated by Jason Chan).
• "I Am Legend", publisher's information regarding upcoming special edition.