“On those cloudy days, Robert Neville was never sure when sunset came, and sometimes they were in the streets before he could get back.”
'I am Legend' follows Robert Neville, the last man on Earth - he's the sole survivor of a global disease which has turned all other humans into monsters. This may sound like a cliched premise, because the zombie genre is now widely represented, but in 1954 this was groundbreaking writing. It popularised the concept of an apocalyptic pandemic, and was hugely influential in the development of dystopian fiction. It has rightly been included in Orion's list of Science Fiction Masterworks, and fuses sci-fi with horror to devastating effect.
In many ways, 'I am Legend' remains superior to the majority of its successors in the field. Most writers in this genre have used zombies as their premise, but Matheson's disease turns its victims into vampires instead. These monsters display many of the same symptoms as vampires in folklore: they're scared of crosses, shy away from mirrors, and can only be killed by a stake through the heart. Initially, a disease like this seems a little far-fetched... but Matheson excels in rationalising these phenomena. Through careful investigation, Robert Neville applies scientific logic to each and every one of these symptoms, and soon develops a chillingly persuasive hypothesis. A stake kills the bacteria by introducing oxygen into the body; any sharp tool will suffice. The vampires hate crosses because they feel subconsciously betrayed by their God; a Jewish vampire shuns the Star of David for the same reason, whilst an atheist has no such issues. Meanwhile, they stay away from mirrors because they are abhorred by their own form; they fear themselves, as opposed to their reflections. These rational explanations make the events feel real, and it's intriguing to see folklore through a scientific lens. Matheson creates a vision of the future which is not only horrifying in an abstract sense, but also feels like it could actually happen. This is the art of science fiction: creating a world that your readers believe in.
The realism is also helped by Matheson's willingness to explore the less glamorous aspects of solitude. Robert Neville is a depressed alcoholic, who contemplates suicide every evening, and constantly yearns for the touch of a woman. He is driven mad by the physical form of the female vampires, who taunt him with their bodies. His thoughts become increasingly dark and disturbing, especially whilst drunk, and there is no real hope in this world. Robert Neville lives on because he can, but not because he wants to. This is a poignant depiction of the human condition, and Matheson never shuns the darker sides of our strained existence.
At the end of the book, there's also a powerful conceptual twist. After years of hunting vampires by day, of experimenting on their bodies, of surviving their attacks, Robert Neville is finally captured by the monsters. He discovers that they're actually an advanced society, and are beginning to rebuild the city... but he is seen as a threat to this progress. In fact, he's viewed as the outlier, the monster who kills their friends and family, the boogeyman who hunts whilst they sleep. The vampires have become the dominant race, and the final human is a horrifying legend. Our hero is the monster of these vampires' world.
Will Smith's 2007 film adaptation was meant to include this final twist, but test audiences were confused by the premise. Instead, Richard Neville discovers an antidote and joins a colony of other survivors. But a happy ending isn't always the best ending. Matheson knew this: and that is what made him such an enduring and powerful writer.
In many ways, 'I am Legend' remains superior to the majority of its successors in the field. Most writers in this genre have used zombies as their premise, but Matheson's disease turns its victims into vampires instead. These monsters display many of the same symptoms as vampires in folklore: they're scared of crosses, shy away from mirrors, and can only be killed by a stake through the heart. Initially, a disease like this seems a little far-fetched... but Matheson excels in rationalising these phenomena. Through careful investigation, Robert Neville applies scientific logic to each and every one of these symptoms, and soon develops a chillingly persuasive hypothesis. A stake kills the bacteria by introducing oxygen into the body; any sharp tool will suffice. The vampires hate crosses because they feel subconsciously betrayed by their God; a Jewish vampire shuns the Star of David for the same reason, whilst an atheist has no such issues. Meanwhile, they stay away from mirrors because they are abhorred by their own form; they fear themselves, as opposed to their reflections. These rational explanations make the events feel real, and it's intriguing to see folklore through a scientific lens. Matheson creates a vision of the future which is not only horrifying in an abstract sense, but also feels like it could actually happen. This is the art of science fiction: creating a world that your readers believe in.
The realism is also helped by Matheson's willingness to explore the less glamorous aspects of solitude. Robert Neville is a depressed alcoholic, who contemplates suicide every evening, and constantly yearns for the touch of a woman. He is driven mad by the physical form of the female vampires, who taunt him with their bodies. His thoughts become increasingly dark and disturbing, especially whilst drunk, and there is no real hope in this world. Robert Neville lives on because he can, but not because he wants to. This is a poignant depiction of the human condition, and Matheson never shuns the darker sides of our strained existence.
At the end of the book, there's also a powerful conceptual twist. After years of hunting vampires by day, of experimenting on their bodies, of surviving their attacks, Robert Neville is finally captured by the monsters. He discovers that they're actually an advanced society, and are beginning to rebuild the city... but he is seen as a threat to this progress. In fact, he's viewed as the outlier, the monster who kills their friends and family, the boogeyman who hunts whilst they sleep. The vampires have become the dominant race, and the final human is a horrifying legend. Our hero is the monster of these vampires' world.
Will Smith's 2007 film adaptation was meant to include this final twist, but test audiences were confused by the premise. Instead, Richard Neville discovers an antidote and joins a colony of other survivors. But a happy ending isn't always the best ending. Matheson knew this: and that is what made him such an enduring and powerful writer.
Hey fantastic review! And very eloquently written. I'm convinrd. It would certainly be remiss of me to miss this great read!
ReplyDelete