No Cliche's allowed

[tmwriter70]

Richard Matheson’s approach to and addition to Vampire fiction is a very welcome instance. I know this story has been around for a long time and has been very influential to many writers but it doesn’t suffer from the common tropes of “I’ve read this before” that usually come with readings of influential works. For example, viewers experiencing

Comments

Dave J

[anonymous]

So true about the movie/book versions of this story. The book is almost always better, but in this case the book is a completely different (much better) story. I own The Omega Man, it is good in it's own unique and cheesy way. I separate it out from I am Legend completely. The latest movie version just wasn't up to sharing the title. If they had called it anything else I could have appreciated it for the merits it had, but because they called it I am Legend it paled in comparison to the original text. Some good explosions though.

Films

[ext_242841]

I actually loved both the modern film and the story, accepting that they are dramatically different. I saw the movie as a different telling of a similar story with the same feeling. For instance, the death of the dog is quite different, and yet the tragic power and sense of utter loneliness are still there.

Yes, they changed the ending and the overall message completely. :) But I think a lot of the emotional impact of the story remains.

Have you seen The Last Man on Earth? It's a Vincent Price version of the story, and the screenplay is by Matheson. I didn't much enjoy that film, though I'm a fan of both Matheson and Price. There was a lot of VO narrative that took me out of the story (though obviously it worked on the page). It's interesting how some things transfer well to the screen, while others need some adjusting!

I am legend: response

[anonymous]

"The part that really intrigued me was Neville’s past. We didn’t really get a strong sense of where he came from or how he got into the story. I think that served a great purpose because the story wasn’t about the past, it was surviving the now. What happened years ago didn’t really matter."

- I really like that we didn't know anything about Neville's past; it made the subtle hints that Matheson left that much more interesting to me. Like I spent a great amount of time in the beginning trying to figure out his relationship to Ben Cortman and Virgina....and then the more you read, the more you learn....slowly. I think that is what I like about Matheson's style....you get your information eventually, but it is in pieces so he always keeps you wondering.

--Stephanie Wytovich

The Past

[alexagrave]

I also liked it that we didn't know all about Neville's past up front. It was a great way to build suspense and keep me wondering what exactly happened to get him to this point. All the questions popped in my head, but the way Matheson slowly releases the information, he didn't leave me feeling like he was holding back too much. Only one part I thought could have used a paragraph or two - what exactly happened to his daughter. It would have made some things more poignant, in my opinion.

-Lori

[ext_267317]

I feel that if it delved too much into the character's backstory, that it would detract from Matheson's tempo. Matheson gives us just enough background about his wife and daughter to establish Neville's mindset at the present action of the story. And the novel(la) is fast paced, so I'm not sure where else to work it in. In a way, the less distinguishing background you give to the character, the more it will seem like they are an Everyman.