Tony's Review of I am Legend

Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend stands as one of the most influential works of modern horror and science fiction. First published in 1954, the story follows Robert Neville, the last known human survivor after a plague has transformed the rest of humanity into vampiric creatures. The novel is claustrophobic and haunting, focused not only on Neville’s desperate attempts at survival but also on his loneliness, grief, and his drive to understand the nature of the infection that has consumed the world.

What makes the book so powerful is its blend of horror and science. Matheson grounds his vampires in biological explanations, turning folklore into something clinical and terrifyingly real. Neville experiments with cures and studies their weaknesses, showing a logical man struggling to hold on to reason in a world stripped of hope. It is both a survival story and a meditation on what it means to be human when humanity itself is gone.

The ending of the novel is unforgettable. Without spoiling it, the title I Am Legend takes on a new and devastating meaning, flipping the reader’s perspective and showing how Neville has become a mythic figure in the eyes of the new world. It is a tragic yet brilliant twist that cements the book’s place as a cornerstone of modern horror.

There have been several film adaptations, each differing greatly from Matheson’s original work. The Last Man on Earth (1964) with Vincent Price stays closest to the novel’s spirit. The Omega Man (1971) turns the infected into nocturnal mutants with more of an action focus.

The 2007 I Am Legend film starring Will Smith is the most famous, but it changes the story heavily, turning the vampires into CGI monsters and shifting the meaning of the ending. The movie makes Neville more of a heroic savior, while the book shows him as something far more complicated and tragic.

Matheson’s work influenced countless creators, from Stephen King to George Romero, whose Night of the Living Dead owes much to this story. I Am Legend is not only a tale of survival but also one of isolation, despair, and the changing nature of monsters. It remains one of the most important horror novels ever written. I am giving it only four stars due to some pacing issues. While some science is shoehorned. Some readers may find that an issue,