I am Legend

By Richard Matheson

I admit that I didn’t know this was a novel until I found a copy at my local library sale. But it shouldn’t have been much of a surprise. Richard Matheson is a gifted writer with a unique vision of terror, and it’s evident in his 1954 novel I am Legend.

For those unfamiliar with this tale, this novel follows the simple scenario of the last man on Earth after an apocalyptic virus transforms the rest of the world into vampires. Robert Neville is holed up in his home—the last of his kind—trying to maintain sanity in an insane world. Acting against him are the vampires, hoping to infect him. The setup, at its core, is both simple and terrifying with Matheson showing us what it means to have companionship.

It’s a short read, but it packs a powerful punch just for that. Although, it offers plenty of unfortunate issues with its narrative to learn from. The characters, while interesting, are depicted more like caricatures with Neville being the most fleshed out. The setting is conservatively described and the action miniscule, lessening the tension in areas where it’s needed most (such as the climax). The effect is that, although it might have been terrifying in 1954, it’s not terrifying by today’s standards.

But where this novel might be flawed, there is also hope. Because what makes Matheson memorable as a writer is for the point he makes and the ending he writes. Tying everything together in such a dismal outlook that the reader is forced to look at what it means to have those around us. And what truly crazy things fear drives us to do. I would say it’s important for any writer to read I am Legend just for that, as emotional power is something every writer should strive to create.