Amadan na Briona

A SF/horror classic that has aged surprisingly well. I really enjoyed Matheson's prose: it has a rich, vibrant, grimly humorous and vivid style that is almost pulp fiction and almost literary. The story itself is nothing new to fans of the genre, but remember that Matheson did it first. There is action and suspense and, of course, vampires, but there is also a lot of introspection. The main character, Robert Neville, is sometimes clever and inventive, sometimes a hard-boiled survivor, sometimes a brilliant researcher, and sometimes a half-mad asshole. The ending is bitter and ironic, but perfect. This is a quick read/listen, so if you're a fan of the genre, you really owe it to yourself to see what inspired all the imitators that have come along since.