I am legend. Those words, spoken by Will Smith in the 2007 film of the same name, have become iconic. The film is based on the 1954 novel of the same name by Richard Matheson, and tells the story of an apparent lone survivor of a global pandemic who must battle not only against the remnants of the human race turned into vampire-like creatures, but also his own isolation, depression, and paranoia.
The novel has been credited as being one of the primary influences on the horror genre, and the film is considered to be one of the best adaptations of the novel. The dog from “I am Legend” is now 15 years old
I am Legend is a science fiction novel by American author Richard Matheson, published in 1954. It was influential in the development of the zombie genre, and in popularizing the idea of a worldwide apocalypse due to disease. The novel was a success and was adapted into the 1971 film of the same name, starring Charlton Heston. A second film adaptation, I Am Legend, was released in 2007, starring Will Smith.
The novel is told from the point of view of Robert Neville, a man who believes himself to be the only human left alive after a pandemic of a disease that turns people into vampires. The novel charts Neville’s battle against the vampires, as well as his battle against loneliness and despair, as he desperately searches for other survivors.
Matheson’s novel has been praised by many authors, including Stephen King, who called it “one of the best vampire novels of the twentieth century.”
