Comments on: I AM LEGEND: THE DARKEST POST-APOCALYPTIC BOOK EVER WRITTEN?

By: Rachael Adams

Rachael Adams — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 00:08:16 +0000

I am about to start writing my Final year Dissertation on these two books and my thesis statement is along the lines of:

When an order in society is demolished what is left when nothing is left at all.
The story of hope and the battle of the rising social groups in Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and Richard Matheson’s I am legend.

It’s only really a basic idea, and I definitely need to define it ever so slightly – I just seem to be hitting a brick wall, can anybody suggest an ever so slightly more specific title which formulates around both the theme of hope and how society is ever changing causing a conflict of opposing groups which can be seen in both of these titles.

By: Matthew Bradley

Matthew Bradley — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 02:19:40 +0000

Many thanks. It’s now tentatively set to be published in early October. Of course, you can always pre-order it.

http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-4216-4

By: Terry DeHart

Terry DeHart — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 21:48:30 +0000

Thanks, Matthew. Gotta love that “Mr. Paranoia” handle.

I’ll keep an eye out for your book.

By: Terry DeHart

Terry DeHart — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 21:46:24 +0000

I’d love to see Hollywood remake I AM LEGEND without a hint of bling.

Yes, Mithril, for more of that unsettled post-apoc feeling, read THE ROAD!

By: Terry DeHart

Terry DeHart — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 21:16:23 +0000

Thanks, John!

I’m torn. THE ROAD is a journey through the valley of the shadow, etc., but the ending of I AM LEGEND goes fully dark.

By: Terry DeHart

Terry DeHart — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 19:28:58 +0000

Wow. I didn’t know that about George Romero. Nice post-apoc trivia mastery, there.

The more people in extreme danger, the better (in fiction!).

By: Matthew Bradley

Matthew Bradley — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:06:25 +0000

An excellent write-up, demonstrating that I AM LEGEND was perhaps the ultimate creation of the man whose family affectionately nicknamed him “Mr. Paranoia.” And while Mithril Wisdom is correct that no official feature-film version has done true justice to it, the first one, THE LAST MAN ON EARTH, is pretty faithful (albeit low-budget) and, in the person of Vincent Price, much closer to Matheson’s vision than the macho Heston/Smith interpretations. Interested parties can learn more about all three adaptations in my forthcoming book RICHARD MATHESON ON SCREEN.

By: Mithril Wisdom

Mithril Wisdom — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 18:44:47 +0000

I loved reading I Am Legend. The desolation in the daytime coupled with the constant barrage of attacks from the mutated at night was quite unsettling. No movie adaptation could do proper justice to it (as we’ve seen). A classic novel.

I haven’t read much other post-apocalyptic fiction other than Legend, however. I’ve heard good things about The Road so maybe I’ll give that a shot. I Am Legend will still be my basis for comparison.

By: John Walsh

John Walsh — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 15:22:16 +0000

The first time I read I AM LEGEND I was spooked for days. I agree with AL that the ROAD was darker, but I AM LEGEND is maybe number 2?

GREAT post!

By: AL

AL — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 15:02:47 +0000

George Romero also acknowledged that Night of The Living Dead was inspired by I Am Legend – so it also gave us zombies! But I think for darkness you need more people. THE ROAD was shattering because of the father and son. The last-man-on-earth approach somehow doesn’t have the same impact for me.