II: And what's next on the reading list?
Me: For July, we are reading Richard Matheson's 'I Am Legend'.
II: And what can you tell us about him?
Me: Without looking him up, very little, actually. Let's see... [opens Wikipedia] ...it seems that he was very successful at writing things that would be easily adapted for TV and the movies. The man wrote for The Twilight Zone (natch) and had 11 different stories go on to become motion pictures. The story that we're reading, 'I Am Legend' has three different adaptations alone.
II: Three?
Me: Yes. The most recent is a 2004 movie by Will Smith but earlier there was 'The Last Man on Earth' and Charlton Heston's 'Omega Man'. I've only seen the most recent, but they all sound similar to each other. The basic premise is something like 'what if all of society disappeared except for one man who was facing a threat'.
II: Is that how you'd describe 'I Am Legend'?
Me: At its most basic, yes. The man, named Robert Neville, is all alone during the day. At night he is besieged by vampires. It's a horrible situation, of course, but it really is interesting how he spends his days. He has provisions and has to keep his small fortress safe. So his days must be productive or he risks his life.
II: Sounds lonely.
Me: Oh, terribly lonely. I think that the 2004 movie represents the main themes of the book pretty well. It moves the action from California to New York City but that's a rather small detail.
II: Had you read this before?
Me: No. I knew of the movie but had no idea it was based on a book. I'd never heard of Matheson before this. Now that I've read it, I can highly recommend it. A very good read!
