I Am Legend

This is the story that influenced the zombie genre and popularized the concept of a worldwide zombie apocalypse. Robert Neville is the last human on the earth. He is immune to a virus that either killed people or turned them into blood sucking creatures. The main character has witnessed a human extinction event and struggles to deal with life afterward. The real story of this book is how he deals with the reality of losing his family, the loneliness of being the last man on a desolate planet. Is life alone a life worth living? Why it's on the list I am Legend is possibly the best short horror story ever written, and its impact on all horror books written since has been profound. Richard Matheson conceived a wholly new kind of vampire fiction. Surpassing the traditional vampiric narrative, he adds elements of science fiction and modern day culture that yields a refreshingly original version of the Bram Stoker legend. Many of today's masters of horror, Stephen King included, rank this book amongst their personal top ten lists of favorites. Read if you like Vampires. Zombies.