I read it when I was 19 and didn't do it for me even as a kid

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	• I Am Legend Richard Matheson Tor Books, 2007 - 320 pages average customer review:based on 499 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

amazing short horror stories [no spoilers]

"I Am Legend" contains mostly short stories, where the book's first half is one story titled by the novel's namesake. The remaining creepy stories cover various characters, whether a younger or older female or a younger or older male, and places each person in a disturbing situation. The finely crafted plots capture the morbid struggles against a range of supernatural forces.

Since the story "I Am Legend" composes the largest amount of the book, it receives the greatest attention. It is about the supposedly last member of the human race, 36 year old Robert Neville. Daily he fights vampires and his own depression while trying to survive the deadly nights. The author brilliantly explains vampirism from a scientific perspective and additionally provides a shocking conclusion. The other stories while shorter are just as effectively engaging.

As with about every film-based novel, I would suggest at least not watching the movie prior to reading the book if not forgoing the movie thereby leaving the story entirely to the imagination.

I highly recommend this novel to any fan of the horror genre.

Thank you.

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A story of it's own

I had seen the recent movie adaption to this book and I must say, I love both just the way they are. The book made the movie a lot clearer in ways for me, actually trying to put science behind exactly what the monsters were. This book is extremely well written for the time it came from, and the imagination is boundless. I love monster stories and this one is not one to pass up!
This book, however, comes with more than just I Am Legend. It also comes with assorted stories from Richard Matheson. Although his other stories aren't quite as long as I Am Legend, they follow a similar style and are definitely worth reading once you're done with the book itself. All in all this is an extremely great buy. I love it.

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I read it when I was 19 and didn't do it for me even as a kid

Ok, so this is one of books that originated survival thriller/horror genre, but for me it wasn't so big. I guess it was writing style that I disliked.

Lord knows I read every novel or story by real writers who wrote horror (Edgar Allan Poe , Ambrose Bierce) and writer-entertainers like Clive Barker, Stephen King, Howard Phillips Lovecraft. I loved everything when I was 18-19 , fiction, science fiction, epic fiction, horror and read even the worst books to the end, including James Herbert's 'Survivor' . OMG, was THAT one bad!

Fantastic Short Story Book

Let me begin by stating that this is a short story compilation, something that was never mentioned to me at any point in time. True, the title story is by far the longest in the book, and would qualify as a novella, but it is in length similar to "The Mist" being the largest short story in "Skeleton Crew."

The Title story of "I Am Legend" is a brilliant story following Neville as the sole survivor of the vicious plague which has claimed the lives of most of the world, and then brought them back as terrible vampire like creatures. Neville is not a scientist, he is not a genius, and in fact he is far closer to an alcoholic slowly losing his mind. "I am Legend" is not an action packed thrill ride, it is instead a drawn out study on madness, the breakdown of civilization and what it does to the human psyche. We follow Neville as he tries to not only stay alive, but also retain his sanity after all that he has been through. He is alone and sees no hope for the future. True his behavior may not mimic what our choices would have been, but then again none of us know how we would behave.

If you bought this book because of the Will Smith movie, you will probably be disappointed, the story is very different, far less scientific, and doesn't take place in NYC, not to mention there is no action, the dog isn't a main character (though it is a very touching part of the book) and the ending is completely different. Do I think one is better than the other? I don't know, I enjoyed them both but find them to be completely different stories. If you can keep from comparing the two I think you can really enjoy both.

As for the other stories in the book, much like all short story books, they are hit and miss. You have everything from psycho dolls with warrior spirits inside terrorizing apartments, to houses that have gone mad from the negative energy. Some of the shortest were the most entertaining. Most have been turned into movies (many in those Creepshow/ Twilight Zone/ Amazing Stories type movies) so when you read through, a lot of them will seem familiar. I highly recommend this book to those looking for a quality set of short stories complimented by a wonderful 160 page or so novella.

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Way Better than the movie in so many aspects!!!

This was a great book!! It is so much better than the movie. Also the movie had changed the story way too much. If you saw the movie and then read the book, you will be disappointed in the movie. Also its interesting to note that this book was written in 1954 and takes place in 1976. Also the ending was interesting. Included in this book is not only the story "I am Legend," but also contains other short stories created by Richard Matheson. But I would definently recommend this to anyone who was interested by the movie and want to read the actual book which is way better.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Robert Neville may well be the last living man on Earth . . . but he is not alone.
An incurable plague has mutated every other man, woman, and child into bloodthirsty, nocturnal creatures who are determined to destroy him. By day, he is a hunter, stalking the infected monstrosities through the abandoned ruins of civilization. By night, he barricades himself in his home and prays for dawn.... Richard Matheson?s classic novel has now been transformed by Warner Bros. into a major motion picture starring Academy Award nominee Will Smith. Directed by Francis Lawrence (?Constantine?), the film opens nationwide in December 2007.

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