I Am Legend

For the first time in Penguin Classics, the classic post-apocalyptic tale of survival by one of the most influential twentieth-century American writers of horror to celebrate his birth centennial

By day, Robert Neville drives through the deserted roads of Los Angeles, hunting dormant vampires and searching for answers to the plague that wiped out humanity and stranded him as the lone survivor. At night, when the vampires stalk the streets, Robert shelters in his home, using alcohol to drown his mind haunted by memories of the past. Vampires, plagues, the apocalypse: At one point in Robert’s life these were mere legends. But now they are his reality, the backdrop of a personal hell … and he may not be alone.

Cited as an influence by Stephen King, George A. Romero, and countless other writers and auteurs, Matheson’s 1954 tale of a post-apocalyptic Los Angeles inhabited by vampires forever changed the landscape of horror and speculative fiction. Matheson’s renowned ability to ground suspense and horror in the darkness of the streets and homes all too familiar to us is showcased in this classic tale of survival. The Penguin Classics Speculative Edition of I Am Legend will reintroduce readers to a touchstone of the genre and the legend of Richard Matheson.Richard Matheson (1926-2013) was the author of many classic novels and short stories, including I Am Legend, Hell House, The Shrinking Man, and Somewhere in Time. He also wrote feature film screenplays and teleplays, including many Twilight Zone episodes.  Matheson was named Grand Master of Horror by the World Horror Society, and received the Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement, the Hugo Award, the Edgar Award, and the Spur Award for Best Western Novel.  In 2010 he was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame.

Joe R. Lansdale (foreword) is the author of fifty novels and four hundred shorter works, including stories, essays, reviews, film and TV scripts, stage plays, introductions and magazine articles, as well as a book of poetry. His work has been made into films, animation, comics, and he has won numerous awards including the Edgar, Raymond Chandler lifetime award, numerous Bram Stoker Awards, Lifetime Horror Award, and the Spur Award. He lives in Nacogdoches, Texas with his wife, Karen, and pit bull, Rudy.