Science fiction · Horror
I Am Legend
Robert Neville seems to be the last man alive in Los Angeles after a plague has turned everyone else into nocturnal vampire-like creatures. He spends his days fortifying his house and hunting them, and his nights trying to endure.
Facts last checked 2026-10-16
- First published
- 1954
- Pace
- Medium
- Length
- Short
- Format
- Standalone
Read this if you like short, bleak survival stories that treat loneliness as the real horror.
Skip this if you want the action of the films, since the book is slower, more reflective and quite downbeat.
The feel
Content warnings
Quick answers about I Am Legend
- What is I Am Legend about?
- Robert Neville seems to be the last man alive in Los Angeles after a plague has turned everyone else into nocturnal vampire-like creatures. He spends his days fortifying his house and hunting them, and his nights trying to endure.
- Who should read I Am Legend?
- Read it if you like short, bleak survival stories that treat loneliness as the real horror. Skip it if you want the action of the films, since the book is slower, more reflective and quite downbeat.
- How long and how fast is I Am Legend?
- It is a medium-paced, short read, first published in 1954.
- Does I Am Legend have content warnings?
- Content we flag: Violence, Death, Addiction, Animal death.
- Can I borrow I Am Legend for free?
- Often, yes. Check Libby (OverDrive) to see whether your library lends I Am Legend; the borrow button above searches it for you.
- What should I read after I Am Legend?
- Readers who liked it often move on to The Road, 'Salem's Lot, World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War.
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Where to get it
| Store | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Borrow free | ||
| Libby / OverDrive | Free with a library card | Borrow free with Libby from Libby / OverDrive |
| Print, new | ||
| Amazon | Check price | Buy new from Amazon |
| Ebook | ||
| Kobo | Check price | Buy ebook from Kobo |
| Google Play Books | Check price | Buy ebook from Google Play Books |
| Audiobook | ||
| Audible | Check price | Buy audiobook from Audible |
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Because you might love it
If you loved I Am Legend
-
The Road
A spare story of survival in a ruined world, with the same bleakness and a very personal focus.
-
'Salem's Lot A more traditional vampire novel with a small town at its centre.
-
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War
A wider, global view of a plague that overturns civilisation, told as interviews.
Science fiction
