Book Review: I Am Legend

Okay, here is one of the books I've had for a long time, read part of, and stopped for one reason or another.   Don't ask me why because it was really a good book. 

P.S. If you saw the movie I am Legend, that makes no difference here.  The movie was VERY loosely base on the novel.  When I say loosely, I mean like only slightly similar.  This is how much,  there is a guy in a boarded up house that has to protect himself from human like creatures that come in the night.  Note, the "Human like creatures" are not the same from book to movie either.

The novel is about a man named Robert Neville who just so happens to be the last man on earth.  That's if you don't count all the vampire like humans that come to his house every night just trying to get lucky and drink his blood.  He doesn't really ever become used to being alone.  In an effort to not just give on the run outside at night, he sound proofs his already boarded up house, to keep from hearing them taunt him.  But he's still lonely.  Then there is the dog.  The only other "normal" living creature out there.  He makes it his mission to befriend the dog.  It takes a very long time and within a week of the dog trusting him  Sorry Spoiler Alert!  The dog dies.  He then makes it his mission to discover what it is that's plaguing the people who come in the night.   That becomes his whole life for another long stretch, until he sees a woman walking in a field in the middle of the day.  It's been about three years that he's had to live alone with no other human contact.  In his excitement he runs across the field towards her yelling.  She panics and runs away from him.  What happens after he catches her..? 

You'll just have to read it!  :P 

I liked the book.  It puts a new spin on vampires.  It tries to explain why they fear what they fear, and why they can't come out in sunlight, all that stuff.  And come on, you have to feel for the guy!  He's all by himself, trying to hold on, even though it would be quite easy to just end it all.  The title always confused me too.  I always thought it was supposed to be his name.  It's not.  You really have to read the book to understand, then it makes complete sense. 

Also, this book has a bunch of other short stories by the author.  It was fun to read those too.  Some were kinda dumb, but for the most part they were all quite scary.  Especially one called Prey.  I was literally freaking out while reading it.  If you don't like the thought of killer dolls, stay away from that one.  Oh man, my mind was imagining everything that was happening.  Richard Matheson is VERY good at scaring you with only a few subtly descriptive words.

Worth a read, for sure!  I will definitely be looking for others books by him.