Tentatively trying to be back here. How the hell do you navigate this place? dididave elsewhere
Tentatively trying to be back here. How the hell do you navigate this place? dididave elsewhere
Member since:08.03.2005
Reviews:124
Members who trust:43
Robert Neville can hear them outside once again. Night after night they torment and tease him. "Come out Robert we have something to show you", the women say. "Scared", mocks his old friend Ben Cortman. Both he knows and they know he is probably the last human alive. Isolated and alone in a world of vampires he continues his nightly routine of Beethoven and alcohol until daylight comes when he can search the town in safety and purge it of a just a few of his tormentors.
"I am Legend" by Richard Matheson is an accomplished post-apocalyptic novel made all the more impressive by the fact it was first published back in 1954. Matheson is an author who established horror writers as King, Koontz and Herbert all claim to have gained inspiration from and from this novel it is easy to see why. Indeed readers of such authors will see King's "The Stand",
Koontz's "Phantoms" and Herbert's "48" clearly stem from this particular novel. This is part of the science fiction masterworks series and it is easy to see why as it is a truly marvellous example of its genre.
This novel has a real claustrophobic feel about it as we come to know and empathise with the isolation of the stories protagonist Robert Neville. It has a real "Night of the Living Dead" feel that considering it predates it may well be the source of the films inspiration as the vampires relentlessly try to gain entry to Neville's house. Of course Matheson tells the tale from Neville's perspective but refreshingly he does not paint a picture of the All-American hero. Neville is flawed, his isolation has made him lacking in emotion and Matheson skilfully questions humanity's own morality by Neville's often seemingly callous actions.
This would all be formulaic even for its time but Matheson advances the genre in one groundbreaking moment by allowing Neville to question the mythology and science of vampirism. In suggesting that vampires may well be a human creation Matheson provides a new and deeper realm of exploration in a novel that could have relied on action set pieces. This does at times make for heavy reading as bacteria and the chemical components of garlic are explored but it does however make it seem all so much more real. As such the fear factor increases rapidly as the supernatural starts to be explained as the scientifically possible.
This novel is no one trick pony either. Matheson creates some real extremes of emotion as we pity and loathe Neville in equal measure. By instilling some essence of humanity into the vampires Matheson leaves us with some doubt as to were our loyalties lie and this makes it an all the more satisfying read. Do we side with the tormented or the tormentors? The answer may seem simple but trust me its not as we are torn between the old and the new we need to discover if there is any difference.
If there was anything to criticise of this novel I would say that although Matheson is an accomplished author who writes descriptively and vividly the lesser characters are never really fully realised. We learn little of friend turned vampire Ben Cortman's past and motives for tormenting Neville and even less about other characters. However, this is but a minor trifle in what is an otherwise exemplary novel. Fans of the horror genre should read it and so should those with any interest whatsoever in tight plot, challenging themes and history.
At 176 pages I was amazed at how much detail there was to this book. Buy it, I read it on recommendation by a member of this very site and I am urging you to take my recommendation. This book is that good two movies have been made based on it, "The Last Man on Earth" and "The Omega Man". However, we all no the book is always better than the films so go on read it, you will not be disappointed.
ISBN: 1857988094 Publisher: Orion Publishing Co (as part of the SF masterworks collection) Price: £5.49 delivered in paperback at Play.com
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One of my favourite books - what a fantastically downbeat ending (almost had me in tears) - and you've done it real justice with your op. Great stuff! Alboy
torr 06.09.2005 09:19
I've never even heard of him, but you make it sound most intriguing. Good review as usual. Duncan
Gildor_Inglorion 03.09.2005 21:50
So very Nearly bought this a while back, on the basis of your good op, i might see what i can do about aquiring a copy ... Gil
It seems strange to find a 1954 vampire novel in Millennium's "SF Masterworks" classic ... more
reprints series. I Am Legend, though, was a trailblazing and later much imitated story that reinvented the vampire myth as SF. Without losing the horror, it presen...
Postage & Packaging: refer to website Availability: Check Site.
It seems strange to find a 1954 vampire novel in Millennium's "SF Masterworks" classic ... more
reprints series.I Am Legend, though, was a trailblazing and later much imitated story that reinvented the vampire myth as SF. Without losing the horror, it present...
Postage & Packaging: £2.75 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Advantages: Classic vampire fiction, that opened our perspective to creatures outside Victorian melodrama. Disadvantages: There are none. If you read horror, read this.
Advantages: Will leave you knowing more about vampires than you truely desired Disadvantages: The novel is too short, i would have liked to see it drawn out more
Advantages: Great descriptions of 'cyberpunk' post-apocalyptic future, excellent ideas Disadvantages: Some concepts are hard to understand, and the science is often a little unbelievable
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