Im Legend Biography
Im Legend Biography
Im Legend Biography: I Am Legend is a 1954 post-apocalyptic horror novel by American author Richard Matheson. It played a significant role in shaping modern zombie and vampire literature and popularized the idea of a global apocalypse caused by disease. The novel’s success led to several film adaptations, including The Last Man on Earth (1964), The Omega Man (1971), and I Am Legend (2007). It also served as a key inspiration for George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead (1968).
Novel
The story is set in 1976 on Cimarron Street in Gardena, California, following a devastating war that leaves the land plagued by frequent dust storms. The narrative focuses on Robert Neville, who endures life after a pandemic wipes out humanity and transforms the infected into “vampires.” These creatures align closely with traditional vampire folklore, being pale-skinned, nocturnal, and bloodthirsty, but otherwise resemble ordinary humans. As perhaps the last uninfected person, Neville spends his nights barricaded in his home while vampires swarm outside, relying on garlic, mirrors, and crucifixes for protection. During the day, he hunts down vampires, dispatching them with wooden stakes since they are impervious to bullets, and scavenges for survival. Flashbacks reveal the traumatic loss of his wife and daughter to the disease.
Film
The 2007 film adaptation, an American action-thriller, stars Will Smith as Robert Neville, a virologist in the U.S. Army who is immune to the virus. Directed by Francis Lawrence, the film is set in New York City.
Other Adaptations
- I Am Legend has inspired various adaptations across media, such as:
- The Last Man on Earth, a film adaptation.
- The Omega Man (1971), another film version.”
- I Am Legend,” a song by White Zombie from their 1992 album La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Volume One.
- I Am Legend, a 2010 South Korean drama starring Kim Jung-eun and Lee Joon-hyuk.
