I Am Legend, Earth Hour

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Forgot to mention that I finished I Am Legend a while back. The book that is, which is made up of 11 short stories, written from 1951 to as recent as 1987. I hate to sound like a broken record but this collection of Richard Matheson's writings was excellent stuff. I especially like the tales that get well into the head of the protagonist, who is often so human, so fallible, so full of doubt. They speak loudly to me.

I'm not really a big fan of horror, written or in film. As a kid I was easily spooked by the prospect of spirits and the unexplainable. Now that I'm older there is little place for spooks and monsters. I have enough tangible problems to haunt me, thanks. What I like about I Am Legend and the other stories like it is that the horror aspect (the undead or whatever) is actually secondary to the conflict in the hero's mind, their inner dialogue as they attempt to deal with the problem thrust before them.

It's actually difficult to categorize the I Am Legend short story. Apocalyptic, yes. A sad ending to the last man on earth? Yes. But horror? No, hardly.

So Earth Hour's come and gone. It kind of crept up on me, catching me unaware. I live most of my daily life with a fairly small footprint in any case, and turning off my lights seemed well silly. Being environmentally-minded is a great excuse for not having to buy stuff for one's apartment. I must be careful not to let things drive me out of my mind, like worrying over every scrap of paper I see on the ground or whether the process involved in making this packaged food could've been less wasteful. Aye, it's not easy being green.

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