Last week I saw the trailer for the new Will Smith movie, I Am Legend. I thought it looked pretty cool, so I did some digging and discovered that it was based on a book by Richard Matheson. The concept sounded pretty interesting, so I ordered it via Amazon. Let me just say - there is no way in heck that Will Smith will be able to pull off this movie anywhere near as cool as the book was. The basic premise involves a man who is the sole survivor of a plague that has turned the world into vampires. What makes this story so darn interesting (and frankly blows away Ann Rice's yawnfest) is how deeply you get into the mind of the main character.

Here is a guy who - as far as he knows - is the last person left alive. Every night his house is surrounded by the undead who try to convince him to come outside. The desperation, loneliness, and anger is completely believable. Unlike many of the books I've read lately, this one is short (170 pages or so) and incredibly intense. There is no "bloat" at all to this book. There are scenes in this book that I will never forget (and I'd bet won't even come close to making it on screen). If you are looking for a "different" vampire tale (and a truly different "End of the World" type book as well), then I'd heartedly recommend "I M Legend."