I Am Legend (Horror and Fantasy Challenge, Vampire Challenge)

This book covers tons of challenges!

One of the most influential vampire novels of the 20th century, I Am Legend regularly appears on the "10 Best" lists of numerous critical studies of the horror genre. As Richard Matheson's third novel, it was first marketed as science fiction (for although written in 1954, the story takes place in a future 1976). A terrible plague has decimated the world, and those who were unfortunate enough to survive have been transformed into blood-thirsty creatures of the night. Except, that is, for Robert Neville. He alone appears to be immune to this disease, but the grim irony is that now he is the outsider. He is the legendary monster who must be destroyed because he is different from everyone else. Employing a stark, almost documentary style, Richard Matheson was one of the first writers to convince us that the undead can lurk in a local supermarket freezer as well as a remote Gothic castle. His influence on a generation of bestselling authors--including Stephen King and Dean Koontz--who first read him in their youth is, well, legendary. (Goodreads)

This book can qualify for both challenges. I listened to it on audio and loved it.

 What I Liked:
Everything. The dystopian flavor of this tale had me at the very beginning. It is almost zombie like in the way the vampires try to rush his house. Frankly, it left a tear in my eye.

What I Didn't:
The stories that followed were not as good as expected. Especially the carnival tale with the ping pong balls. Thumbs down on that one.

Overall:
This is a classic vampire story that actually didn't resemble the movie at all. I was shocked! (Not really.) It is ripe for the trend of dystopian works that are popular now, and I think it will surge in popularity.