I Am Legend...or Robert Neville?

Will Smith Isn't in this One

I just finished reading I Am Legend (don't click that link if you're looking to avoid spoilers) by Richard Matheson. It's sort of a novelette - not quite short story, not quite novel (which is basically the definition of novelette...moving on). And it's good. Not great, but very good.

I haven't seen the movie yet, but thought that I'd write a short post about the prose side of the house. First off, the story provides a great example of what time does to works of art. I didn't know much about it before picking it up. Matheson wrote it in 1954. He staged it in 1976. That's good context to have. Why? Well, without giving too much away, we've seen this same story about a billion times since.

At the time, in 1954, this was ground breaking. The world hadn't seen anything like this yet (similar things, sure, but not quite the same). I'm sure this hit pretty hard. Since that time, though, we've seen a lot of what I Am Legend puts on the page. With that in mind, let me write up a quick assessment:

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Hard core science fiction fans will love the story, because Matheson takes his time to back it up with scientific elements. I won't go into detail, but science does weave itself into the plot, and Matheson does it with excellence.

The tone and setting are great. Eerie, lonely, dramatic, and at times psychotic. As a reader you're engaged at the right level. It's cool.

The ending is brilliant. You have to read the last sentence to understand. It's interesting, and it fits perfectly with the rest of the storyline.

Cons:

Will Smith isn't the hero. I know, how fair is that. Will Smith wasn't even born when the story came out, but I saw the previews before I read the story... I was expecting Will Smith (in fact, he's on the cover). The hero's name is Robert Neville. It actually fits the character, but it doesn't fit Will Smith. I was expecting Will Smith. I can't fault the writer, I'm just saying.

I think it could have used a bit more action. We hear a lot of what the main character is thinking, we see him interact with his house a lot, and sometimes he does get out and the conflict rises, but I could have used a bit more action.

Some of the "science" to me is a little far-fetched. Some of it (I don't want to give anything away) is great, but other things (I'm just going to say the word "crosses" for those who have read the story) are a little implausible.

I Am Will Smith

Should you read the story? Absolutely. It's a short read at 158 pages (small type), but it's pretty good. Should you see the movie? I don't know, but I'm anxious to compare the two. I'm guessing that I'll like the movie better, but that's because I'm an action-adventure writer, so I like things to move very quickly. We'll see, though, you never know...

Have you seen the movie or read the story? Let me know!