I Am Legend [Paperback]

Richard Matheson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1997

Stories include... I Am Legend ? Buried Talents ? The Near Departed ? Prey ? Witch War ? Dance of the Dead ? Dress of White Silk ? Mad House ? The Funeral ? From Shadowed Places ? Person to Person *** Robert Neville is the last surviving human on earth, but he is not alone. An apocalyptic plague has infected every man, woman and child, changing them into blood-crazed, rampaging vampires-and they're all out for his blood. A hunter by day, he hides away in his house at night, determined to survive their attacks. But a new strain of vampire is evolving, committed to creating a new world, and to them, Neville is every bit as frightening as they are to him. Inspired by Dracula, Matheson turned the traditional vampire legend on its head, attempting to explain undead phenomena by scientific means, and making I Am Legend a moving treatise on loneliness and conformity. *** Physicist Lionel Barrett and Edith, his loyal but repressed wife. Beautiful Spiritualist Florence Tanner. Cynical psychic Ben Fischer. Hired by a dying magnate to determine if life survives death, they must spend one week in the notorious Hell House. Boarded up for thirty years, the old Belasco mansion witnessed scenes of almost unimaginable horror and depravity. Two previous attempts to exorcise the house ended in disaster. Battling inner demons of their own, Barrett and his companions each have secret reasons for daring the house, and each refuses to leave until its mystery is solved. But can any soul survive the torments and temptations within the most haunted house on Earth? Also contains 10 short stories, including "Prey," basis of the film short, Amelia, in the TV movie Trilogy of Terror. Softcover. (301 pp.) 1951-1989.

Product Details

• Paperback: 301 pages
• Publisher: Orb: Tom Doherty Associates; Later Printing edition (1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582882339
• ISBN-13: 978-1582882338
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #251,473 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Vampire Novel that Spawned the Zombie Epidemic, January 2, 2009

By 

T.B. - See all my reviews

I am Legend is a compelling, suspenseful story that draws the reader into the nightmarish world of Robert Neville, the last man on earth, as he battles vampires and struggles to understand the cause of the vampire epidemic through research and experimentation. The unpredictable ending provides a shocking twist. Screenwriter and novelist Richard Matheson reinvented the vampire story in I am Legend, but his apocalyptic vision of legions of the undead also inspired dozens (if not hundreds) of zombie novels, comics, and movies (including three based on the novel itself).

This particular edition includes a bonus: ten short stories.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars amazing, September 30, 2008

By 

Torch "Torch" (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Am Legend (Paperback)

i am legend is horrifying and brilliant a must read but it will haunt you for weeks.
This is no will smith save the world story!!!!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, April 18, 2010

By 

Robert W. Grobe III - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

If you are interrested in this book, and you liked the film, buy it!!! The movie adaption totally slaughtered this book. From the Zombies to the Dog even his location in the U.S. It's deep and enlightened. My only issue is that the main story is only half of the book and the rest are short stories that don't even pale in comparison.