I Am Legend

By: Richard Matheson

Narrated by: Robertson Dean

The basis for the film starring Academy Award nominee Will Smith, I Am Legend is a classic of horror and suspense.

In I Am Legend, a terrible plague has decimated the world, and those who were unfortunate enough to survive are transformed into bloodthirsty creatures of the night. Robert Neville is the last living man on earth. Every other man, woman, and child has become a vampire, and they are all hungry for Neville’s blood. By day, he is the hunter, stalking the sleeping undead through the abandoned ruins of civilization. By night, he barricades himself in his home and prays for the dawn. How long can one man survive in a world of vampires?

Richard Matheson’s chilling tale is a white-knuckle ride into a world of darkness and terror.

©1954, 1982 by Richard Matheson (P)2007 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

"One of the ten all-time best novels of vampirism." ( Fangoria)
"The most clever and riveting vampire novel since Dracula." (Dean Koontz)
"I think the author who influenced me most as a writer was Richard Matheson. Books like I Am Legend were an inspiration to me." (Stephen King)

Interesting, Zombi-pocalyptic/Vampire Robinsonade

Not your mamma's vampire story. Actually, if your mamma was reading in the mid-fifties, this actually might have actually been your mamma's vampire story. Matheson was writing Stephen King novels when Stephen King was a just a wee Maine boy dreaming of them. This is annteresting, zombi-pocalyptic/vampire robinsonade. Not brilliant, flawed in parts, but still a very very good first novel.

Sci-fi horror classic

Richard Matherson's I Am Legend is a classic from the 1950's that reads almost as well today as it did when originally released. Only one man appears to have survived a plague that turns humans into vampire-like creatures, only coming out at night, seeking him out. Without any superhuman abilities, he manages to organize himself for survival as well as some rudimentary investigation into the cause.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the sci-fi elements is that in the 1950's, the widespread introduction of antibiotics into medical practice hinted at the possibility of conquering all bacterial infections. And so Materson postulated a bacterial infection that was incurable with a spore phase for efficient spread. His suggestion of Darwinian evolution driving humanity's extinction, only to be replaced by something else is somewhat unique for the time. Although contemporary writings would insert zombies instead of vampires, the various scientific explanations for vampiric behaviors is noteworthy.

The narration is quite well done and expertly shifts in sync with the nearly bipolar attitude displayed throughout. Pacing is on target, making for a quick listen.

One of the very best vampire stories

A SF/horror classic that has aged surprisingly well. I really enjoyed Matheson's prose: it has a rich, vibrant, grimly humorous and vivid style that is almost pulp fiction and almost literary. The story itself is nothing new to fans of the genre, but remember that Matheson did it first. There is action and suspense and, of course, vampires, but there is also a lot of introspection. The main character, Robert Neville, is sometimes clever and inventive, sometimes a hard-boiled survivor, sometimes a brilliant researcher, and sometimes a half-mad a-hole. The ending is bitter and ironic, but perfect. This is a quick read/listen, so if you're a fan of the genre, you really owe it to yourself to see what inspired all the imitators that have come along since.

u r kiddding me!!! way better than the film...lol

Cliche' I know but its just an COMPLETELY DIFFERENT story all together so wen i say, "the book was better" Im referring to the actual story(plot, characters, ending etc) being a better one. Recommendation affirmative!

Short and VERY SWEET!

Of course this is not at all like the latest movie rendition...its MUCH BETTER! This is a true 1950's vampire novel, not a story about boring zombie like creatures. Full of drama, scientific information, suspense and intrigue make this worth a listen!

One of the best Vampire novels

My 13 yo son and I have been enthralled by the story. What would you do if you were the last person on the planet? How would you react? How long would the alcohol last? The style is gripping, the pictures painted in your mind are vivid. It brings back memories of listening to the old radio shows with my dad (via CD and tape). This was so much better than the current movie.

Totally different take on a Vampire Story

This book was not at all what I expected. It isn't anything like the movie, though I enjoyed both the stories of the book and the movie. I love vampire lore (huge Buffy fan here), but this was a totally new (new to me, I know the book was written in the 50s) and equally enjoyable take on the genre. This book went deeply into the scientific and psychological implications of a vampire apocalypse, which is a refreshing break from the more popular story line of humans falling in love with vampires and vice versa. I thought the reader was very good, though his woman voice was completely crazy. All in all, I was surprised and pleased!

A classic, but dated.

For quite a while while listening to this book, I was taken in by the caliber of story, particularly considering the fact that it was written in 1954. Not that there weren't plenty of wonderful books written in the 1950s, of course, but in the horror genre, books tended to be somewhat more lurid and less literary.

Creative storytelling notwithstanding, in the latter 2/3 of rhis book the overt misogyny of the era made a bold appearance. As soon as the main character meets a woman, the internal narrative of the male character becomes a laundry list of misogynistic attitudes about women in general and the female character specifically. This included the offhand observation that under other circumstances he probably would have raped her, because, you know...MAN NEEDS.

The taint of sexism made me sad, because I'd enjoyed the story up until that point. I don't expect a 1950s book to be written with the sensibilities of the 21st century, but it sure took the shine off an otherwise great yarn.

Have to say, too, that the narrator was oftentimes over-the-top. He has a great voice, but there was so much that he chose to narrate as rage-filled shouting, and his attempt at a adult female voice was cartoonish , distracting, and laughable.

This isn't the story portrayed in the Will Smith movie. Reader beware.

classic story

I have listened to many audios of silent intrigue. This reading was very informative for books of its time (1954).
Having been written before computers and televisions could have an effect on writers of contemporary tales of sci-fi and horror, I can appreciate the slow pace of the story to reach a meaningful end.
After listening to this reading, I went to see the movie "I Am Legend" and I can also appreciate the changes that were made to fit the year (2007) and how we view action in our entertainment. This audio was so easy to listen to that my 14 year old son took time to listen also and now questions the life and depth of stories made for the big sceen.

Masterful reading

This was a masterful reading of the story. The narrator really brought out the main character's despair at his situation. I haven't seen any of the movie versions, but I'm familiar with the basic story. I'm glad I heard it in this version first!