I Am Legend As American Myth ― Race and Masculinity in the Novel and Its Film Adaptations

Richard Matheson’s 1954 novel I Am Legend has spawned a series of iconic horror and science fiction films, including The Last Man on Earth (1964), The Omega Man (1971) and I Am Legend (2007). The compelling narrative of the last man on earth, struggling to survive a pandemic that has transformed the rest of humanity into monsters, has become an American myth. While the core story remains intact, filmmakers have transformed the details over time, reflecting changing attitudes about race and masculinity. This reexamination of Matheson’s novel situates the tale of one man’s conflicted attitude about killing racialized “others” within its orginal post–World War II context, engaging the question of post-traumatic stress disorder. The author analyzes the several film adaptations, with a focus on the casting and interpretations protagonist Robert Neville.

Amy J. Ransom is professor of French at Central Michigan University. She earned the Science Fiction Research Association’s Pioneer Award in 2007 for her work on French-language Canadian science fiction. Her previous publications include a book about classic French fantastic stories, as well as essays on Quebec’s fantastic and horror literature and film, alternate history, and eighteenth- and nineteenth-century French literature.