Search - I Am Legend

This book contains serval of Richard Matheson's horror stories, and the best one in my opinion is "I am Legend". This story is reason enough to get this book; the vampire legend is turned on its head and the protagonist is someone to feel for and root for, all the way to the bitter end. WOW!

The basis for the 1971 movie The Omega Man (which I haven't seen, but from plot summaries, doesn't seem to follow the book very closely), and also the basis for a 2007 release starring Will Smith (!?). This wasn't my pick; it was my book club selection for the month. I was unaware that Matheson was such a prolifically commercial writer, as well... He's the pen behind The Incredible Shrinking Man, The Legend of Hell House, the Twilight Zone episode "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" (and many others) and one of the worst Star Trek episodes ever: The Enemy Within (good vs. evil Kirk!). The list goes on...
"I Am Legend," although ostensibly a sci-fi/vampire story, is pretty much every zombie movie you have ever seen. I feel it was worth reading just because I never knew that the basic plot (collapse of society due to people 'turning', man holed up & attempting to survive through ingenuity vs. legions of ravening, slavering undead) had been invented so early - 1954. ('Night of the Living Dead' didn't come out till 1968.)
However, innovative and influential as the story may have been,it's not really a particularly good novel. The writing style felt very dated, to me, and, short as it was, it was rather boring. Much of the book has our last-man-on-earth (?) holed up in his apartment, feeling alternately self-pitying or self-congratulating, constantly whining about being horny, and acting macho. The story's a great idea - but it's subsequently been done better.

I picked this up at the book store out of curosity and let me tell you it is timeless. It was written in the 1950's but stands the test of time, not outdated at all.
It is a wonderful story, although to short.
If your a Stephen King fan or like any type of horror story this is a great book.....Makes me curious how the movie will turn out, hopefully half as good as the book.

Several short stories by science fiction writer Matheson, the title story being the one that the movies "The Omega Man" and the more recent "I am Legend" with Will Smith were LOOSELY based on. While the Will Smith movie was enjoyable, it couldn't touch the original story, about a virus that turns the majority of humanity into vampires, leaving one man alone to defend himself in an eerie, creepy, empty landscape, and of course to ponder the loneliness of being the last man on the face of the earth.

Another great story in this book, "Prey", will ring a bell with those of us who grew up in the 70's and remember the tv show "Trilogy of Terror"....the best episode being the one about the woman who buys her boyfriend a little native warrior doll with BIG SHARP TEETH and the name "He Who Kills". He Who Kills wears a thin gold chain around his waist, and the deal is, if the chain falls off, the spirit in the doll comes to life and ....well, good things DO NOT happen. The heroine goes off to take a bath, leaving the doll on the coffee table. The chain falls off and...yikes! May sound a little silly, but this is a terrifying story.

The above are the two best stories in the book, IMO, but there are several other good ones as well. Matheson was/is a great writer, and this book is highly recommended!

I’m old enough where I remember reading this book around 50 years ago. It scared me then but now I appreciate the craftsmanship that Matheson used to form the psychological terror that these stories contain.

The book contains the novella "I Am Legend" as well as 10 other short stories. I remember one of the stories, "Prey", being made into a teleplay (possibly on "The Twilight Zone"). I Am Legend was made into three different movies (The Last Man on Earth (1964), The Omega Man (1971), and I Am Legend (2007)). I can't really comment on the films - I never saw the first or the third and the second was viewed so long ago, I can't compare it to the novella.

Yes, the stories are somewhat dated and contain stereotypes but they were groundbreaking in their day. I highly recommend this book to any true fans of horror.

The first part of the book was entertaining, but I couldn't seem to get Will Smith out of my head, and unfortunately, the movie is based so loosely on the books its almost unfair to have the same title.

I was also confused when "I Am Legend" ended and a series of short stories followed, which seemed to have no connection to anything. I couldn't finish at this point.