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Post by dem bones on Oct 20, 2008 14:03:46 GMT
Richard Matheson - I Am Legend (Corgi 1971: Originally Fawcett, 1954) 1976. Robert Neville is the last man alive, a bacterial plague having wiped out the human race and turned the over-whelming majority into vampires who hunt down their predecessors and destroy them. By night, they besiege his house. By day he repairs the damage to his defences then sets about driving stakes through as many of the undead as his resources allow or else, in his frustration and hopelessness, drinks himself into oblivion, the only temporary escape from his brutal existence. Neville stoically perseveres until he captures a woman, Ruth, who is, on the surface, 'normal' if mildly infected, being able to walk abroad during the day although she shares the vampires' hatred of garlic. Ruth is one of the new breed, a mutation of the two species', sent to worm information from Neville. The new breed are only hostile toward him on the grounds that he has staked several of their kind along with the vampires. At last, dying and awaiting execution, he realises that it is he who is now the monster and that the vampires are as terrified of him as once the human race were of them. Without exception, the reviews and criticisms I've read of this short novel have all been favourable, and I'm not going to disagree. It's certainly among the finest vampire novels I've ever read.
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Post by benedictjjones on Oct 20, 2008 14:56:31 GMT
bought my copy of this from the 'masterworks' series. read it in a day (lunchbreak, train ride, bath)and thought it was brilliant. i thought the film didn't catch the true essence of the book and stephen king 'borrowed' sizebly from it for some parts of 'Cell'
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Post by David A. Riley on Oct 20, 2008 15:01:28 GMT
This very slim book has an impact much greater than its size. Though I read it far too many years ago (I should really take another look at it), I have never forgotten it, unlike many much longer novels.
One of the few truly great masterpieces.
David
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Post by dem bones on Oct 20, 2008 23:29:44 GMT
This very slim book has an impact much greater than its size. Though I read it far too many years ago (I should really take another look at it), I have never forgotten it, unlike many much longer novels. Yeah. 160 pages in the Masterworks edition Ben refers to. Theodore Sturgeon's Some Of Your Blood: 110 pages. Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 and Something Wicked This Way Comes, 150 and a scandalous 220 pages respectively. Shirley Jackson's The Haunting Of Hill House, another 220. Jack Finney's Invasion Of The Body Snatchers, 170 pages in a Sphere edition, roughly the same for Kingsly Amis's The Green Man. Your average New English Library pulp classic of the 'seventies .... For all I know Anne Rice's The Witching Hour really does warrant every one of its 1200 plus pages - 300 more than The Collected Writings of Ambrose Bierce and exactly the same as Peake's Gormenghast Trilogy - but I can't see myself ever being arsed to find out. Anyway, here's the striking cover of Gollancz 2001 edition of I Am Legend to ponder. Jim Thiesen Blurb: An SF novel about vampires ....
Robert Neville is the last living man on earth ... but he is not alone. Every other man, woman and child on the planet has become a vampire, and they are hungry for Neville's blood.
By day he is the hunter, stalking the undead through the ruins of civilisation. By night, he barricades himself in his home and prays for the dawn.
How long can one man survive like that?
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Post by killercrab on Oct 21, 2008 14:09:42 GMT
Anyway, here's the striking cover of Gollancz 2001 edition of I Am Legend to ponder. >>
That's the one I bought earlier this year! I thought the book was utterly brilliant. Best novel I've read this year I reckon - though THE DEATH OF GRASS comes probably as close. I was pretty familiar with the I AM LEGEND story - but how the title tied in came as a complete surprise.
ade
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Post by benedictjjones on Oct 21, 2008 15:22:56 GMT
^oooooooooooooooohhhhhhhh!
-how much did you pay for your 'death of grass' KC? been on the hunt for that ever since i saw it mentioned on docu about british catastrophy fiction (but the cheapest i found was about £40)
and yes short novels are great there is WAY too much overindulgence these days (ahem*king*ahem*rice*ahem)
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Post by killercrab on Oct 21, 2008 16:00:40 GMT
Annoying I'm sure - but for about a quid I think. I honestly can't remember where I found it - in a secondhand shop most likely - but I knew John Christopher is always worth a punt. I saw it mentioned on the docu you mention which is why I decided to actual read it at last. I must read more of his stuff but I'm into Conan right now! LOL
ade
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Post by benedictjjones on Oct 21, 2008 16:04:32 GMT
^at least that gives me hope that it's out there at a decent price
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Post by killercrab on Oct 21, 2008 16:11:28 GMT
I see that it's being reissued in 2009 according to Amazon for 9 quid . I'm honestly a bit surprised at it's vintage worth. My Sphere 1988 copy is going for 45 quid?! Surely it's not that rare? Anyway I hope you run across one soon as it's absolutely worth reading.
ade
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Post by benedictjjones on Oct 21, 2008 16:25:09 GMT
ta, if i don't manage to hunt it i'll have the reissue!
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Post by Craig Herbertson on Oct 21, 2008 16:36:07 GMT
Part of the reason for these appalling prices for the Death of Grass is that it was a penguin book with a number on it and unfortunately those collectors like the numbers and have to have them all....and of course they will likely never read the book...
Worst still I think I threw out a copy of it years ago
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Post by benedictjjones on Oct 21, 2008 17:33:12 GMT
So basically i need to find a penguin collector and give them a good coshing? anything for a good read ;D
the stalls i go most weeks under waterloo bridge are pretty good on their selection of penguins so i'll keep my eyes peeled, also my sisters a bit of a penguin head so i'll ask her.
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Post by Craig Herbertson on Oct 21, 2008 18:08:08 GMT
Yes, beat them up. Only thing you can do. I confess I have a numbers thing. If I get three of anything I have to get the rest but I do read what I buy. Lots of these penguin collectors just want them to look at the row of numbers
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Post by benedictjjones on Nov 10, 2008 13:05:26 GMT
^one of them pipped me to a penguin! however it went for about £15 which gives me hope i can get one cheaper that £45!! trying to get a sphere one at the minute. have also seen a first edition penguin copy but i somehow dont think i'll win that one...
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Post by wolfkiller on Mar 19, 2011 18:13:22 GMT
Can I mention that the graphic novel without being lynched?
It's a very faithful adaptation,I think the people behind the it have great respect for the novella.
It has great interior art, let down only by being b/w not in colour, the IDW hardcover is a great copy. A very handsome book in my opinion.
I love the Novel and have equal time for this version too.
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