Get a free audiobook
-
I Am Legend
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 5 hrs and 20 mins
- Categories: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Science Fiction
People who bought this also bought...
-
The Andromeda Strain
- Written by: Michael Crichton
- Narrated by: David Morse
- Length: 8 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The United States government is given a warning by the preeminent biophysicists in the country: current sterilization procedures applied to returning space probes may be inadequate to guarantee uncontaminated re-entry to the atmosphere.
-
-
Realistic and poignant science fiction story
- By Andrew Korsovetski on 2018-11-07
-
The Dragons of Eden
- Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence
- Written by: Carl Sagan
- Narrated by: JD Jackson, Ann Druyan
- Length: 6 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dr. Carl Sagan takes us on a great adventure, offering his vivid and startling insight into the brain of man and beast, the origin of human intelligence, the function of our most haunting legends - and their amazing links to recent discoveries.
-
-
Loved it!
- By HKH on 2019-07-11
-
A Monster Calls
- Inspired by an Idea from Siobhan Dowd
- Written by: Patrick Ness
- Narrated by: Jason Isaacs
- Length: 3 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At seven minutes past midnight, thirteen-year-old Conor wakes to find a monster outside his bedroom window. But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting - he’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments. The monster in his backyard is different. It’s ancient. And wild. And it wants something from Conor. Something terrible and dangerous. It wants the truth.
-
-
Wonderful narration of a moving story!
- By Amazon Customer on 2018-09-14
-
The Men Who Stare at Goats
- Written by: Jon Ronson
- Narrated by: Jon Ronson
- Length: 6 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1979, a secret unit was established by the most gifted minds within the US Army. Defying all known accepted military practice - and indeed, the laws of physics - they believed that a soldier could adopt the cloak of invisibility, pass cleanly through walls and, perhaps most chillingly, kill goats just by staring at them. Entrusted with defending America from all known adversaries, they were the First Earth Battalion. And they really weren't joking. What's more, they're back and fighting the War on Terror.
-
-
Weird all around
- By Blythe on 2020-01-08
-
Starship Pandora
- A Star Force Drama
- Written by: B. V. Larson
- Narrated by: Scott Aiello, Jamie Jackson, Tim Gerard Reynolds, and others
- Length: 4 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The alien race known as the Ancients vanished before Earth's last ice age - but not before building interconnected rings that form a highway system across the galaxy. Humanity has used these rings for years but has never figured out how to build its own, or even how to alter the connection pattern. Now, the Imperial starship Pandora is on a mission to discover and explore new interstellar connection points. While on Venus, an unexpected guest arrives - Marvin, a rogue robot who puts his strange mind to work on reconnecting the rings into a new pattern. Everything goes haywire.
-
-
Wanted to like it
- By mossler on 2019-10-29
-
Predator: If It Bleeds
- Written by: Bryan Thomas Schmidt - editor, Jonathan Maberry, Kevin J. Anderson
- Narrated by: full cast
- Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An anthology celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Predator franchise, If It Bleeds includes 17 brand new, never-before-seen or heard stories featuring the Predators throughout space and time. Based entirely on the original films, novels, and comics, Predator: If It Bleeds reveals the Predators stalking prey in 12th-century Japan, ninth-century Viking Norway, World War I, Vietnam, the Civil War, Hurricane Katrina, and the modern day, as well as across the far reaches of future space.
-
-
Great book for fans of Predator
- By Bargainhunter on 2019-08-23
-
The Andromeda Strain
- Written by: Michael Crichton
- Narrated by: David Morse
- Length: 8 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The United States government is given a warning by the preeminent biophysicists in the country: current sterilization procedures applied to returning space probes may be inadequate to guarantee uncontaminated re-entry to the atmosphere.
-
-
Realistic and poignant science fiction story
- By Andrew Korsovetski on 2018-11-07
-
The Dragons of Eden
- Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence
- Written by: Carl Sagan
- Narrated by: JD Jackson, Ann Druyan
- Length: 6 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dr. Carl Sagan takes us on a great adventure, offering his vivid and startling insight into the brain of man and beast, the origin of human intelligence, the function of our most haunting legends - and their amazing links to recent discoveries.
-
-
Loved it!
- By HKH on 2019-07-11
-
A Monster Calls
- Inspired by an Idea from Siobhan Dowd
- Written by: Patrick Ness
- Narrated by: Jason Isaacs
- Length: 3 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At seven minutes past midnight, thirteen-year-old Conor wakes to find a monster outside his bedroom window. But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting - he’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments. The monster in his backyard is different. It’s ancient. And wild. And it wants something from Conor. Something terrible and dangerous. It wants the truth.
-
-
Wonderful narration of a moving story!
- By Amazon Customer on 2018-09-14
-
The Men Who Stare at Goats
- Written by: Jon Ronson
- Narrated by: Jon Ronson
- Length: 6 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1979, a secret unit was established by the most gifted minds within the US Army. Defying all known accepted military practice - and indeed, the laws of physics - they believed that a soldier could adopt the cloak of invisibility, pass cleanly through walls and, perhaps most chillingly, kill goats just by staring at them. Entrusted with defending America from all known adversaries, they were the First Earth Battalion. And they really weren't joking. What's more, they're back and fighting the War on Terror.
-
-
Weird all around
- By Blythe on 2020-01-08
-
Starship Pandora
- A Star Force Drama
- Written by: B. V. Larson
- Narrated by: Scott Aiello, Jamie Jackson, Tim Gerard Reynolds, and others
- Length: 4 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The alien race known as the Ancients vanished before Earth's last ice age - but not before building interconnected rings that form a highway system across the galaxy. Humanity has used these rings for years but has never figured out how to build its own, or even how to alter the connection pattern. Now, the Imperial starship Pandora is on a mission to discover and explore new interstellar connection points. While on Venus, an unexpected guest arrives - Marvin, a rogue robot who puts his strange mind to work on reconnecting the rings into a new pattern. Everything goes haywire.
-
-
Wanted to like it
- By mossler on 2019-10-29
-
Predator: If It Bleeds
- Written by: Bryan Thomas Schmidt - editor, Jonathan Maberry, Kevin J. Anderson
- Narrated by: full cast
- Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An anthology celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Predator franchise, If It Bleeds includes 17 brand new, never-before-seen or heard stories featuring the Predators throughout space and time. Based entirely on the original films, novels, and comics, Predator: If It Bleeds reveals the Predators stalking prey in 12th-century Japan, ninth-century Viking Norway, World War I, Vietnam, the Civil War, Hurricane Katrina, and the modern day, as well as across the far reaches of future space.
-
-
Great book for fans of Predator
- By Bargainhunter on 2019-08-23
-
Treasure Island (AmazonClassics Edition)
- Written by: Robert Louis Stevenson
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Peg-legged pirates, colorful parrots, and plundered riches - they're all here in Robert Louis Stevenson's original seafaring adventure.
When young Jim Hawkins decides to follow a map to buried treasure, he must befriend or outsmart memorable characters such as pirate Long John Silver, captain Billy Bones, and island man Ben Gunn. Mutinous plans, mysterious deaths, and a tangle of double crosses keep Jim guessing all the way to the prize.
-
-
I was curious, being a classic and all.
- By Kim on 2020-01-30
-
Calculating God
- Written by: Robert J. Sawyer
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis, Robert J. Sawyer
- Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this Hugo-nominated novel, an alien walks into a museum and asks if he can see a paleontologist. But the arachnid ET hasn't come aboard a rowboat with the Pope and Stephen Hawking (although His Holiness does request an audience later). Landing at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, the spacefarer, Hollus, asks to compare notes on mass extinctions with resident dino-scientist Thomas Jericho.
-
-
Enjoyable but...
- By Kathy Fraser on 2020-07-19
-
This Book Is Full of Spiders
- Seriously, Dude, Don't Touch It
- Written by: David Wong
- Narrated by: Nick Podehl
- Length: 14 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Warning: You may have a huge, invisible spider living in your skull. This is not a metaphor. You will dismiss this as ridiculous fearmongering. Dismissing things as ridiculous fearmongering is, in fact, the first symptom of parasitic spider infection - the creature secretes a chemical into the brain to stimulate skepticism, in order to prevent you from seeking a cure. That’s just as well, since the “cure” involves learning what a chain saw tastes like. You can’t feel the spider, because it controls your nerve endings.
-
-
Dread, Doom, and Dumb-asses
- By Tony on 2018-09-10
-
The Butchering Art
- Joseph Lister's Quest to Transform the Grisly World of Victorian Medicine
- Written by: Lindsey Fitzharris
- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
- Length: 7 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Butchering Art, the historian Lindsey Fitzharris reveals the shocking world of 19th-century surgery on the eve of profound transformation. She conjures up early operating theaters - no place for the squeamish - and surgeons, working before anesthesia, who were lauded for their speed and brute strength. They were baffled by the persistent infections that kept mortality rates stubbornly high. A young, melancholy Quaker surgeon named Joseph Lister would solve the deadly riddle and change the course of history.
-
-
Great storytelling
- By Anonymous User on 2019-06-23
-
The Sirens of Titan
- Written by: Kurt Vonnegut
- Narrated by: Jay Snyder
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The richest, most depraved man on Earth, Malachi Constant, is offered a chance to take a space journey to distant worlds with a beautiful woman at his side. Of course, there's a catch to the invitation....
-
-
Great book. Fantastic narration.
- By Lucas Jalonen on 2018-03-06
-
Ungifted
- Written by: Gordon Korman
- Narrated by: Jonathan Todd Ross, Richard Poe, Erin Moon, and others
- Length: 6 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Teens and pre-teens flock to any new offering from New York Times best-selling author Gordon Korman. Told through multiple viewpoints, Ungifted follows Donovan Curtis through his year at a magnet school for gifted and talented kids. Thanks to an administrative foul-up, the decidedly mediocre student Donovan finds himself enrolled in the Academy of Scholastic Distinction. Out of place and out of luck, Donovan joins the robotics team. And while he learns a few lessons from his gifted classmates, he also teaches a few of his own.
-
-
Great narration and story
- By Amazon Customer on 2019-07-14
-
Empire of Silence
- Written by: Christopher Ruocchio
- Narrated by: Samuel Roukin
- Length: 26 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The galaxy remembers Hadrian Marlowe as a hero: the man who burned every last alien Cielcin from the sky. They remember him as a monster: the devil who destroyed a sun, casually annihilating four billion human lives - even the emperor himself - against Imperial orders. But Hadrian was not a hero. He was not a monster. He was not even a soldier. Fleeing his father and a future as a torturer, Hadrian finds himself stranded on a strange, backwater world.
-
-
good but quality changes
- By Anonymous User on 2020-07-26
-
H.G. Wells: The Science Fiction Collection
- Written by: H. G. Wells
- Narrated by: Hugh Bonneville, Jason Isaacs, Sophie Okonedo, and others
- Length: 27 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Known as ‘The Father of Science Fiction’, Herbert George Wells’ writing career spanned over 60 years. He was a writer of novels, short stories, nonfiction books and articles. As a young man, Wells won a scholarship to the Normal School of Science in London, sparking his infamous vocation as a science fiction writer. Introduced by film director and H. G. Wells fanboy Eli Roth, this collection features unabridged recordings of the novels performed by Hugh Bonneville, Jason Isaacs, Sophie Okonedo, David Tennant and Alexander Vlahos.
-
-
The genius of H.G. Wells
- By Anonymous User on 2020-01-27
-
Dead Moon
- Written by: Peter Clines
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the year 2243, the Moon belongs to the dead. The largest graveyard in the solar system, it was the perfect solution to the overcrowding and environmental problems that had plagued mankind for centuries. And the perfect place for Cali Washington to run away from her past. But when a mysterious meteor crashes into one of the Moon’s cemeteries, Cali and her fellow Caretakers find themselves surrounded by a terrifying enemy force that outnumbers them more than a thousand to one. An enemy not hindered by the lack of air or warmth or sustenance. An enemy that is already dead.
-
-
Pretty good once you get past...
- By MIKACHU on 2019-03-27
-
The Fall
- Written by: Albert Camus
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 3 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Elegantly styled, Camus' profoundly disturbing novel of a Parisian lawyer's confessions is a searing study of modern amorality.
-
Breakfast at Tiffany's
- Written by: Truman Capote
- Narrated by: Michael C. Hall
- Length: 2 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Golden Globe-winning actor Michael C. Hall (Six Feet Under) performs Truman Capote's masterstroke about a young writer's charmed fascination with his unorthodox neighbor, the "American geisha" Holly Golightly. Holly - a World War II-era society girl in her late teens - survives via socialization, attending parties and restaurants with men from the wealthy upper class who also provide her with money and expensive gifts. Over the course of the novella, the seemingly shallow Holly slowly opens up to the curious protagonist.
-
-
Perfect for a drive
- By Maddy on 2018-08-23
-
Hunt Them Down
- Pierce Hunt, Book 1
- Written by: Simon Gervais
- Narrated by: Bon Shaw
- Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Former Army Ranger Pierce Hunt is no stranger to violence. Fresh off a six-month suspension, he’s itching to hit a notorious Mexican drug cartel where it hurts, even if that means protecting crime boss Vicente Garcia, a witness in the case against sadistic cartel leader Valentina Mieles. But things spiral out of control when the cartel murders Garcia and kidnaps his granddaughter and an innocent bystander, Hunt’s own teenage daughter.
-
-
had to stop
- By Scott on 2019-11-08
Publisher's Summary
What the critics say
"The most clever and riveting vampire novel since Dracula." (Dean Koontz)
"I think the author who influenced me most as a writer was Richard Matheson. Books like I Am Legend were an inspiration to me." (Stephen King)
More from the same
What listeners say about I Am Legend
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jen Anderson
- 2019-02-25
Excellent
If you saw the movie based (loosely) on this story, cool. Now forget that, because the story is way better. And way more sobering.
Robert Neville's journey is a long, lonely one, and also not a very hopeful one. The ending is unexpected, at least for me, but not unpleasant. It suits the feel of the story. I felt reminded of Stephen King as I listened.
The narration is excellent as well, and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Robertson Dean's performance. There isn't a lot of conversational dialogue, so it stands out when there is, and is performed superbly.
Highly recommended for a quicker listen, and I will look for other titles by this narrator as well!
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Donald Forbes
- 2021-02-09
great listen
A perfect blend of old and new, it's a mash up of the horrors of myths and the struggles of science. well done
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Heather
- 2020-01-16
😵
This book is definitely not like the movie and yet it was just as good. Great read for any post-apocalyptic reader! Why haven't I read this sooner?
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Langer
- 2019-11-09
Intriguing Premise. Disappointing Execution.
This is a neat twist on the Zombie Apocalypse genre. The undead are vampires, rather than shambling corpses. The movie wasn't fantastic, neither is this novel. Lots of promise...*sigh*
Bought this book as a Daily Deal... good thing. Not worth a credit. Richard Matheson writes melodramatically. Most of the book is Neville peevishly arguing with himself while trying to discover a rational explanation for vampirism.
Hey, buddy...got some news for you: VAMPIRES AREN'T REAL!! Just enjoy it! You're really going to write some factory worker becoming an epidemiologist and hypothesizing sporulation? Some Schmo is making antibiotics in his bedroom?
The flawed (TOO flawed) protagonist is perpetually frustrated and embittered. For some reason Neville has 'blue-balls' all the time. Angrily resisting the urge to have sex with the vampires.
Huh? A borderline necrophiliac, Matheson? Really!?!
Robertson Dean has a great reading voice. But he makes the overly-dramatic dialogue even worse with his over-the-top performance. The William Shatner of narrators.
This book is worth 1.5 stars. A courageous ending saves it from 1 star. I've read worse, I guess.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Zenarcher
- 2019-11-06
Wanted to like it more!
I was disappointed with this story. The performance was great and I am a fan of the genre. Yes I made the mistake of watching the movie years ago but only vaguely remembered how it ended. I enjoyed the journey of the story and the performance but when I reached the end it was so unsatisfying. It is a dark and lonely story, You have to take a lot for granted; his ability to fix the cars, maintain a generator to run a freezer etc. Anyone who has run a generator during a long power outage would recognize that as a monumental feat., Why had stuff not expired?, How was he able to consistently find and access stabilized gas. I did not understand his limited stockpile and use of available firearms. His choice to stay where he was for so long. Despite all that, I was drawn into Neville's world and felt for his loss. He should have been dead many times over but he was a survivor deliberately or not. The ending was (for me anyway) not consistent with the story. Perhaps it was inevitable but so unsatisfying. That said I want to go through it again to see what I may have missed and perhaps that will change how I feel about the story. Great performance.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 2019-11-04
Not at all what I expected!
Neither in a good or bad way. I was expecting more "action", and so I was surprised the direction the story took. Some parts dragged on a bit.
I have never seen the movie with Will Smith but as I understand, the movie was very loosely based on the book. So I am interested to see where the movie takes this story line and will have to make the effort to try and watch it.
The narration was brilliant! He really brought the story to life! I will check out his other books he has narrated.
The biggest surprise for me was the ending!! I was like "That's the end!?!?!? It was such a short book, I thought the book was just getting into the guts of the story when it ended. I didn't realize it was under 6 hours. I liked it wasn't a typical happy happy joy joy ending. Some comments the author makes really made me think and allowed me to see a different point of view. I particularly liked the comment on normalcy! (About 3 minutes remaining on chapter 21, the final chapter)
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kyle
- 2019-10-29
Really good - way different than the movie
It was great and I enjoyed how different it was from the movie. Honestly I wouldn’t k ow the two were related if it wasn’t for the name.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Dyno Saur
- 2019-10-22
Not as good as the movie
Admittedly it's not the same story as the movie. Other reviews had argued its better than the movie, so I gave it a shot. The story just wasn't that great. It's based when it was written, around the 50s, so there's some obvious differences but the ending just wasn't that interesting. Decent way to burn 5 hours, but still nothing to write home about.
-
Overall
- Steven Casper
- 2008-01-24
Superb!
Like a lot of reviewers, I saw the movie before I ever heard of the book. In fact, I decided to read the book because I was hoping for some clarification about some concepts and ideas that the movie hinted at but didn't explain.
Rather than reading it, I bought it on Audible and let somebody else read it to me. From the start I knew this book was not going to be the movie. Neville was definitely not the same man in the book that Will Smith portrayed in the movie. A lot of the questions raised by the movie were not answered, though many others were.
I liked that Neville wasn't some super-hero action star in the book. He was a normal guy just trying to survive in a world that didn't want or need him anymore. He was intelligent and given to learning, but he was also very dark, depressed and lonely. I pictured a Steve Buscemi in the book far more than a Will Smith.
Rather than saying if you liked the movie you won't like the book, I'd rather say that if you liked the movie, you may also like the book, just don't expect it to be the same story. The movie is only very loosely based on the book.
One more thing, when I saw the movie I thought "wow, the infected people are kind of vampiric", but they never used the word vampire, rather calling them "dark-seekers". The book was very prolific in the use of the word vampire, and I loved the history of vampirism as explained in the book much much more than the reasons given (well, sort of given) in the movie.
Summary: Great fiction, great character development. Sometimes melodramatic narration (to be expected in an audio-only reading). Got a little long-winded and obscure during some of the exposition around the disease, and yet still intriguing to the curious mind. Over all, I enjoyed it and would recommend it to anybody who can handle the darkness of a post-apocalyptic world where the protagonist is not an action-hero superstar!
184 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jim "The Impatient"
- 2016-04-25
ROBERT NEVILLE, THE LAST OF THE OLD RACE
THE HABIT OF LIVING
Written in 1954, this book stands the test of time. Course if written today, the vampires would be Zombies. At least two movies have been made of this, but neither followed the book totally. The movies are good and the book is good. While this is a Horror, it is also Science Fiction. The book is entertaining and thought provoking. I highly recommend it. The narrator is excellent.
116 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jeffrey veals
- 2018-08-06
Richard Matheson is Ahead of his Time
HEADER: It seems that when I like a book, I get "helpful" votes and when I don't like a book, I get "not helpful" votes. I don't understand this and I never will, but just know that I'm not going to like every book you're going to like. Also, if you happen to love the book and I dislike it, that doesn't mean my review didn't help you. Did it not give you an alternate perspective? Thanks---J. Veals
Unfortunately, I saw the Will Smith version of this movie before I was able to listen to and read this book; however, I was able to separate the two and make it so this book was something completely different, despite enjoying the Will Smith version.
The story follows Richard Neville who barricades himself in his house each night when the blood-thirst, plagued group around his house, taunting Richard to let his guard down. During the day, he makes his way to infecteds' lairs and kills them in order to lower the population of the sick.
I'm not going to compare the movie to the book, but I am going to say that the title of the book and movie makes A LOT more sense in the novel. When I was watching the film, the 'I Am Legend' thing just was like an... "eh..." thing for me, but when I heard the last bit of the book, it was like "OHHHHH!!!!" Mr. Matheson is seriously one of my favorite sci-fi/horror authors of the time and currently, because his novels can stand up with today's scary books in so many ways. 'Hell House' is the other book by Mr. Matheson that makes me think of him as one of the GREATS!
So, I give the book a B+ in my grading scale and Robertson Dean, the narrator, was pretty good so I'll give him a solid B. It's definitely NOT THE MOVIE! So, even if you've watched 'I am Legend' with Will Smith, I'd suggest you listen or read this book. You can totally see how different the two really are!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Michael G Kurilla
- 2017-12-21
Sci-fi horror classic
Richard Matherson's I Am Legend is a classic from the 1950's that reads almost as well today as it did when originally released. Only one man appears to have survived a plague that turns humans into vampire-like creatures, only coming out at night, seeking him out. Without any superhuman abilities, he manages to organize himself for survival as well as some rudimentary investigation into the cause.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the sci-fi elements is that in the 1950's, the widespread introduction of antibiotics into medical practice hinted at the possibility of conquering all bacterial infections. And so Materson postulated a bacterial infection that was incurable with a spore phase for efficient spread. His suggestion of Darwinian evolution driving humanity's extinction, only to be replaced by something else is somewhat unique for the time. Although contemporary writings would insert zombies instead of vampires, the various scientific explanations for vampiric behaviors is noteworthy.
The narration is quite well done and expertly shifts in sync with the nearly bipolar attitude displayed throughout. Pacing is on target, making for a quick listen.
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- finhead
- 2007-10-15
five star book!
This is really a fantastic book. None of the movies based on it really do it justice. This is a very intimate telling of one man's experience with the end of civilization as he knows it. Movie adaptations always have to add more action or add new elements. What makes this novel so remarkable and memorable, however, is just how intimate the story telling is and how much I find myself caring about Robert Neville's character.
It's particularly remarkable to me how well this story holds up considering it was written in 1954. It is written in such a way as to have very, very few aspects that date the story. It is just as easy to visualize the story as happening today as I believe it would have been 50 or 60 years ago.
It is, in my opinion, a very intelligent and smartly written book and I'd recommend it wholeheartedly. The narrator is a perfect match for the material as well! I'd give it more stars if I could!
74 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Reno
- 2017-12-09
u r kiddding me!!! way better than the film...lol
Cliche' I know but its just an COMPLETELY DIFFERENT story all together so wen i say, "the book was better" Im referring to the actual story(plot, characters, ending etc) being a better one. Recommendation affirmative!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Judy
- 2017-11-07
Classic
An intense, thought-provoking look at one man's struggle to survive in a world where all the rules have been irrevocably changed.
Like Gulliver's Travels, this story can be read on more than one level. As Robert Neville plans his existence around the physical requirements of his new reality, we are absorbed by the bleakness of his outlook, caught up in his carefully planned accommodations of a new world order.
On another level, we feel the loneliness of Everyman as he makes his way through life, surrounded by people, buffeted by circumstance, struggling always to be true to his core principles, whatever they might be.
Robertson Dean's narration is superb,
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- shawnsplace
- 2007-12-08
Keeps your attention
This book had me not wanting to put it down. The emotional rollercoaster Neville experiences is incredible. A great story about survival and the indominable human spirit in the face of overwhelming odds.
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mel
- 2013-05-09
'HE is Legend'
I enjoyed every aspect of this brief, well produced audible version of I Am Legend, (and especially recommend if you can pick it up when Audible has one of its special offers). Dean's narration made the listen as animated as a Columbia Broadcasting System radio presentation ala Orson Wells doing H.G. Well's War of the Worlds.
Bless Matheson for bringing us the concept of a vampire apocalypse! Because of his imagination and talent, so many of Matheson's books and stories were translated to movies and TV. Loved, loved, reading the reviews and opinions about the book vs. the multiple movie versions of I Am Legend. Either I am not so opinionated, or just easily entertained, because I thought all the book to movie interpretations were great fun ... from the Vincent Price version (which embarrassed author/screenwriter Matheson resulting in him using a pseudo-name in the end credits aka *Logan Swanson*); especially the very campy Omega Man, the vampires replaced with the *Family* of albino mutants [so bad it was good]; and finally to Will Smith's intellectualized NY version with the *Darkseekers*. As fun or as creepy, none of those versions equal the book and it's emphasis on the psychological impact of being alone.
Why read this book when we know the story almost ad nauseam - in hundreds of incarnations? Because 'MATHESON is legend'. Give a quick look at his Wiki profile.... The Legend of Hell House, What Dreams May Come, Somewhere in Time, A Stir of Echoes, I Am Legend, Steel, Duel (yes directed by Spielberg), The Night Stalker, Twilight Zone episodes (including intro and closing every show), Star Trek episodes. If you are still unconvinced of his genius - remember the Zuni fetish doll that chased Karen Black around her NY apartment with a carving knife?....Matheson's creation! And the piece de resistance....Nightmare at 20,000 Feet -- William Shatner looking out the window from his airline seat at a gremlin tearing the steel and wire cables from a rear jet engine. I think I'd rather see vampires at my door.
It's not so much an issue of *holding up to time* as to how many times it has been done; but read with the knowledge that this was the first...wow. What a legacy--what a legend!
47 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Brad
- 2008-10-19
Dark. Awesome.
A quick listen, I got through the whole thing on a short road-trip. The narration suits the mood very well, the readers gruff voice bringing Neville to life and building the suspense of the story. I've never seen the movie (as some others have mentioned) but I've heard this original story has a much more interesting philosophical twist at the end and makes for a much darker and more interesting conclusion.
15 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 2020-07-30
Matheson masterpiece
A great story about the last man alive. You can feel the loneliness of the character. Moments in this book will make you cry while others will scare you to death.
Highly recommend