I Am Legend

By: Richard Matheson

Narrated by: Robertson Dean

Length: 5 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

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)

started slow but picked up

the story started slow and the narrator didn't give a good first impression.
but I kept listening and it all improved as it went by
there are parts that make you wanna cry Gasp or shout! pretty good overall

books and movies

Really good book, much different from the movie but I honestly like what the movie did with the story!

gripping story.

I couldn't stop listening once I had started. before this I had only seen the movie. The book is quite different, an as usual quite better. The narration is good. The excitement and fear portrayed is believable. My only critique is the narrator's "female" voice of Viginia annoyed me, but that's probably my problem. All in all well worth a listen to.

Slow journey through one man's brain

Would you try another book from Richard Matheson and/or Robertson Dean?

Richard Matheson was an interesting writer - very creative with unusual ideas and a very unusual way of expressing them. I felt like the pace of this book was slow - but that's true of Hell House, the other Matheson book I've read. I would read more by Matheson but not "binge" on him because it requires patience to get the sense of the novels.

Robertson Dean is a very good narrator for these books; sonorous and slow, just like the books - but not in a bad way. He has GOT to work on women's voices, however - brought the whole book up short when he tried to voice a woman; sounded like a middle school boy making fun of the girls.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Well, there's only one character about whom we learn anything; possibly two if you count Ruth. By default, I'll say Neville - although his "science" is rather flawed, even for the 1950s.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Very well, yes.

Any additional comments?

Matheson may be an acquired taste. Most important: other than the title and the presence of vampires, this book has nothing whatsoever in common with the movie. The movie is brisk and exciting, this book is neither. You have been warned.

Do not expect this to be like the movie

This book was fantastic. The only problem is you can't expect it to be like the movie at all. They share very little in common.

Better Than The Movie

Yeah imagine that better than at least two of the movie adaptations.

I can't believe this book was written when it was. I bet it was controversial.

Interesting Science

Well, that was interesting. Whether it is accurate or not I don’t know, but I enjoyed the scientific exploration into vampires and the differences between them and people who weren’t vampires. I figure this as good as any portrayal of a lone survivor in this situation.

Great book

Had me in my seat. I am a little disappointed on the ending but it fits with the title. Must listen book. Worth the credit, worth the money!

Not the movie but so much better.

Thought it was going to follow the movie by the same title. Boy was I wrong. So much better.

First time for everything

This is the 1st time that I liked the movie more than the book. Don't get me wrong, the book was realy good. Too short though. I wanted more. I liked the movie and was hoping that the book would sort of follow the same story line but it didn't and that was ok when I finished.

A fresh new look into the world of the walking dead!