I Am Legend

Title: I Am Legend
Author: Richard Matheson
Pub Date: 1954 (but there are a handful of other stories and the pub date varies)
Pages: 312
Genre: Horror; Short Stories
Rating: Like it

First off, no. I never did see the movie that Will Smith was in. I never had any desire to. I don't know, I've lost interest in Smith ever since he's done those over-the-top alien/world is ending/natural disaster movies. So, I tend to just skip him.

I picked up I Am Legend because I thought it was about ZOMBIES. Er, was I totally wrong. On the plus side, by the time I realized the novella was about vampires, I was already intrigued.

You see, I Am Legend is very much a dystopian. A virus comes to be that turns those infected into these blood thirsty fiends who have an affinity for the night time. Hell, who am I kidding, they seem to go into this hibernated state during daylight hours. Robert Neville is the only man left alive, or at least the only man alive that he is aware of. The majority of the novella is spent watching his daily routines, listening to his inner thoughts, seeking a cure for the virus. Whether meaning to or not, the story is even a bit existential. What causes a man to continue living when there is little life to be lived?

The end was a great twist; well worth the read.

The other short stories were a hit or miss for me. Prey made me immediately question if it inspired Chucky (aka Child's Play) or Cat's Eye (the short by Stephen King). There's something terribly creepy about a doll-like creature that can attack and kill. Mad House was also a favorite of mine, but unfortunately I lost my post-it note and right now for the life of me I can't figure out what I loved about it. Heh.