eilonwyhan

It is amazing to read this novel, plus ten stories, and realize just how much Matheson wrote for Hollywood.

This is the first time I've read I am Legend, and I really understood why Charlton Heston was cast as Neville in The Omega Man. He really captured Neville's tortured psyche and sense of survivor's guilt. Neville tended toward histrionics in his inner monologues, perfect for Heston's scenery chewing. The vampires are different from those portrayed in the Heston movie, mainly in appearance. Also, it seems that no film (I haven't seen the Vincent Price version) has addressed the idea that there were two types of vampires. The Will Smith version made the vampires into creatures that do not even come close to resembling human beings.

Matheson has a fluid style that really set me into the story. I felt the claustrophobia Neville experienced when he felt trapped inside his home for too long. I understood his desperation for companionship, even from a dog he was pretty sure had been infected. Sometimes I got a little lost in the flashbacks, but maybe Neville did, too.

The short stories were a delight, and it was fun to recognize them. One paragraph into Prey, I said to myself, "This is like the killer doll segment of Trilogy of Terror." Three paragraphs in I said, "This is the killer doll segment of Trilogy of Terror!" I recognized Dance of the Dead from the Tobe Hooper episode of Masters of Horror, which I watched on Netflix within the last year. The basic idea of briefly reanimating the dead for entertainment was there, but in my recollection, much of the story line was altered.

I think this collection of stories illustrates why Richard Matheson is such a mainstay for Hollywood film and tv writing. Excellent stories that are well-told and offer a different way to view the world. I can also see why many writers cite him as an influence.