Vampires: Robert Matheson, I am Legend

Vampires: Robert Matheson, I am Legend

            So with the events of September 11^th 2001, the Zombie craze began and the end of the Vampires reign as top monster in media ended. With Vampires “jumping the shark” with the Twilight series, Zombies became the next big monster to dominate the book shelves and box office. Fittingly, this week I read a book that manages to mesh the best parts of both genres together for a fantastic story. While the novel, I am Legend has other short and equally good stories in it I will only be discussing the titular story. In it Robert Neville is one of the few individuals immune to a disease bred from mysterious causes. The effects of the disease are long fangs, an aversion to sunlight and pasty, jelly like skin that allows the infected to be immune to small puncture wounds. Robert Neville survives as he can and tries to cure the disease. He kills “Vampires” during the day while he raids for supplies and answers. Suddenly, he discovers another woman claiming to be a survivor and moving during the day. After a series of tests Neville comes to trust the woman. Just as he discovers the truth about her (that she is a new form of vampire), she knocks him unconscious and steals his research. A good time later, these new vampires create a new society and come to capture Neville as he has been murdering so many during the day. He is captured and is to be executed for being a murderous monster. He realizes that as the last human and as such a formidable hunter and killer, he has become an infamous legend to this new society. To them, HE is the Dracula of the Day.

For the ending alone the book is worth reading. It really stuck with me; the idea that what we might consider monsters in our society is the norm in another society. It’s also a solid survivor/apocalypse story. It does start slow and takes a while to get anywhere. To be honest all the scientific jargon in the middle of the book kinda kills the pacing though the way the Vampires skin works is cool. Essentially the skin in like rubber or jelly in that it just seals over small holes or wounds. Bigger wounds however cant be sealed and the bacteria inside turn into parasites upon tasting oxygen and so the host pops. This is why a stake would work where as bullets wont. A great idea I have already stolen several times.

I am Legend has a great ending with a cool build up and interesting take on the Vampire, but it’s a little slow and gets muddled in its own lore and scientific explaination. In the end, if you like survivor stories or apocalyptic scenarios, read I am Legend. If that isn’t for you, you can give it a pass.