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I Am Legend is a sci-fi novel by Richard Matheson that follows the life of Robert Neville, the last surviving human after a mysterious disease transforms nearly the entire population into vampires. While the novel is best known through its film adaptation starring Will Smith, the book is far darker and complex than the movie.

Before the outbreak, Neville was a devoted family man. He was happily married and expecting a child when a deadly disease spread across the world, forcing cities to build enormous cremation centers just to keep up with the death toll. The disease initially caused symptoms such as cold skin, pale faces, and extreme sensitivity to light.

As the epidemic worsens, the disease begins to mutate, giving its victims vampire-like characteristics. Those infected appear trapped between life and death, existing in a strange, trance-like state. Neville suffers devastating losses during this period. His infant daughter dies shortly after birth, and his grieving wife also contracts the disease. Matheson spends considerable time exploring this stage of Neville’s life, as it marks the beginning of his complete isolation and the emotional collapse that leads him to alcoholism and heavy smoking.

After his wife’s death, the story jumps forward several years. Neville is now the last known human, seemingly the only person immune to the disease. He has become a broken man who spends his nights barricaded inside his fortified home to keep the bloodthirsty vampires out, while passing the days drinking, searching for supplies, and trying to understand the creatures that surround him.

His curiosity about the vampires grows, particularly after noticing their apparent fear of garlic. Although he had observed this pattern before, he only begins investigating it seriously after narrowly surviving an encounter with vampires he had foolishly allowed into his house while heavily intoxicated.

Neville follows a strict daily routine. During daylight hours, he ventures out to gather food, fuel, and scientific information about the disease while killing every vampire he encounters. He disposes of their bodies in a massive pit already filled with hundreds of corpses, believing he is protecting what remains of humanity.

The novel takes a dramatic turn when Neville spots what appears to be a normal woman walking across a field in broad daylight—something no vampire should be able to do. Driven by desperation, he chases after her with almost predatory intensity. When he finally catches her, he discovers she is exhausted and weak, so he brings her back to his home. Curiously, she reacts negatively to the smell of garlic, though Neville admits he also finds the odor overwhelming.

Over the next few days, the two grow close. For the first time in years, Neville opens up about his loneliness, grief, and despair. Their growing bond is interrupted when the woman confesses that she is unsure whether she is one of the infected because of the strange symptoms she has been experiencing. The night ends with Neville in tears as they promise to face whatever lies ahead together.

Everything changes when Neville wakes up in a dimly lit room, unable to move. Tied to a bed, he hears the voices of a crowd before the woman appears. She reveals that she is, in fact, one of the infected. More importantly, she explains that the vampires are not mindless monsters but members of a new society that has developed its own consciousness and civilization. To them, Neville is a ruthless killer who has been systematically hunting and slaughtering their people. They have finally captured him and intend to execute him.

This revelation completely overturns the reader's expectations. At the beginning of the novel, the vampires are viewed as a diseased minority that must be eliminated. But once they become the dominant population, Neville becomes the outsider, who is responsible for countless deaths. From the perspective of the new society, he is the legend: a terrifying figure who appears by day to kill without mercy, remorse, or understanding, even if he believed his actions were justified.

Matheson uses this reversal to explore far more than a simple story about vampires and humans. I Am Legend examines prejudice, fear of the unknown, and how society often labels those who are different as monsters. It challenges readers to question who truly deserves that label and whether morality changes when the balance of power shifts.

Although a few sections of the novel can feel slow or stray from the central plot, I Am Legend remains one of the most thought-provoking books I have read. I would especially recommend it to readers who enjoy stories that challenge conventional ideas about humanity, morality, and what it truly means to be a "monster."

The 2026 FIFA World Cup final is just a few days away. Nepal, despite not being able to go even close to the world stage, has a great football fan following. The World Cup is a culture to celebrate together for Nepalis. But have you ever wondered what the World Cup fever was like 20 or 30 years back in Nepal? Well, Arvin Ghimire of ApEx has asked people who are in their 40s or above to identify individual experiences and memories they have experienced or created. Excerpts:

Arun Joshi, 52

My first world cup experience was in 1986 when Diego Maradona debuted his best performance, captivating me in his ability to dribble and score goals. Back then I did not have a television, leading me to visit my friends home when possible, while otherwise we’d have conversations about their match in school. But to be honest, I have not been able to watch some of the current world cup matches due to hectic schedules and timing.

Sahishnu Poudyal, 42

While back then I did not pay much attention to the specific matches in the World Cup, it has become a catalyst for me in reviving so sweet memories. As a ritual,we used to eat popcorn and roasted chicken wherever an important match was ongoing. What's funny is despite us being completely full before the match started, all the food used to disappear just minutes into the game. The world cup also reminds me of when my 3-year old nephew could not stop cheering for a team with the fiercest energy I’ve ever seen.

Niranjan Thapa, 45

Having a television at home was a great advantage as I’ve watched the world cup since childhood. I used to watch all the games played by Argentina, with special focus going towards my favorite player Messi. Back then I enjoyed watching such events with my family members and community, however as everyone started to have access to personal devices, I’ve observed increased isolation than before. Which has reduced my excitement, with further difficulty introduced by my busy schedule.

Hikmat Maharjan, 68

Maradona’s excellent ball control which led to an incredible assist is something I’ll never forget. The world cup has a special place for me as it has even managed to make me cry when Argentina lost the 1990 world cup. Furthermore, I have to add how the older games used to feel more competitive and skilled then the current matches, which seems to lack some skills in ball control, though I can understand this as players being more careful to avoid any injuries.

Ganga Ghimire, 42

The world cup always brings a breeze of freshness and relief in our daily environment, posing as a barrier for stress and tension, I have in my daily life. But, it’s not the matches that do it for me, it’s the lively environment and nostalgic memories that comes with it. I can never forget the moment when Neymar injured his back live on TV.

Tara Mani Rai, 45

To give a bit of background information, I only saw my first vehicle in Grade 8, I came from a really remote village and only started to watch the world cup after moving into a city area, on my neighbours black and white television. The event is like a reminder for me of how an unimaginable development my village has gone through from without having access to roads, to televisions in each household, with the ability to watch the world cup.

Shyam Maharjan, 63

How can I forget the “Hand of God” moment that happened live as I was watching the match in a public gathering. As I’m an avid sports viewer, I’m always impressed by the world cup for facing off some of the greatest players in the same championship, never failing to create excitement within me. I’m also really impressed by the improvements other counties are going through right now, which sadly did not happen back in the days.

Kamala Koirala, 64

The world cup reminds me of my son who is always excited about the event, and avidly collects different jerseys as multiple years goes by. The world cup is the time when I observe a lively environment where everyone gets excited about small moments along with a flood of laughter and cheering, which is always heartwarming.

Gopal Gurung, 55

I’ve watched the world cup since the victory of Argentina in 1986, with a lasting memory of members from our community, surrounding our television never disappearing. I am an avid world cup enthusiast, and have been watching games played by Japan for a long time, as it is only my favorite team. Sadly, I have observed that the sportsmanship that was present during the 80s slowly disappears as individual players are growingly influenced by monetary incentives rather than creating a competitive and enjoyable environment, which is what sports is all about.

Suniti Adhikari, 42

I first watched the World Cup with my brothers  and have since associated it with an opportunity to spend plenty of family time enjoying the sport as it is, filled with the excitement of ups and downs as the matches escalate with tension. However, I have created a disliking for the practice of demeaning the losing team and their fans which creates an unhealthy atmosphere, for a sport made to spread the opposite.

Dhurba Poudyal, 74 

One of my first memories of the world cup starts off with me and my family surrounding our radio, waiting for the commentator to announce a goal. The event is one of the most interesting periods, where my multiple favorite players and teams face off against each other in a brilliant competitive manner. Seeing the consistency of teams such as Spain, Argentina, France and Germany who are capable of dominating the competition through multiple generations is just fascinating to me.

Ram Chandra Tandukar, 60

I only watched a few world cups before, supporting Argentina and Germany. The vibes were similar to the one that is present now, where people had frequent conversations about the ongoing matches. Whereas for match rituals, I did not have much where, we'd watch matches pretty stoically.

Have you ever felt a surge of satisfaction after losing a competition? It might feel odd,  however it occurs when you feel happiness obtained from pushing your limits, without any considerations for failure. When you read this book you might also feel the same, where despite the protagonist suffering throughout the entire story, you can’t help yourself questioning why you are unable to feel the sadness the author in the surface level tried to portray.

Spring Snow is a novel by Yukio Mishima (1925-1970), which is the first piece in the Sea of Fertility tetralogy. The story follows a young man, Kiyoyaki Matsugae who is firstly deeply disturbed by the flow of rebellion Satako Aayakura brings into his life  while slowly falling in love with her.

The story develops  when Kiyoyaki, through his stubbornness or as I like to put it instinctive approach sends a deeply violating letter to Satoko aiming to end all the relationship he had built with her. However, after the letter was sent on its way, Kiyoaki suddenly realized her love for her, leading to desperate attempts from him trying to stop it from reaching Satoko’s hands. The chapters in this novel continues by escalation of tension as their relationship continues amidst Satoko’s betrothed  with a higher ranking prince.Which is  followed by her pregnancy just days before the marriage.

The interpretation of fulfillment starts with the comparison between Kiyoyaki and Honda, his best friend. These two characters are represented as quite the polar opposite, while Honda’s hyper-rational personality leads him to avoid any journeys for emotional development, , Kiyo is a spoiled and instinctive teenager who acts according to his wishes, not leaving any room for emptiness or revision of actions.

Immanuel Kant once quoted on obtaining happiness where, ‘nature would have been better off just giving us instinct instead of reason’, which perfectly describes kiyo. Despite him suffering through questioning his own feelings validity, Satoko’s convictions towards him and his inability to meet her as it grows more difficult. His persistence is what’s directly connected with the satisfaction achieved from losing a competition as mentioned above. Kiyoyaki’s effort despite not succeeding removes any room for regret and remuneration about one’s action, which when realized upon creates satisfaction.

During his final days, he never gave up trying to meet Satako who had converted into a monk during the process of a secret abortion conducted by her family. Which obliged her to never meet kiyoaki ever again. Which made kiyoaki face denial every day despite constant pleas, until he lost his life both due to grief and sickness. There is a specific moment which shows how Kiyoaki felt where even Honda was confused for wether kiyoaki displayed a burst of happiness close to his death, though it was mentioned to be a dream, we cannot rule out emotion of satisfaction, where he did not display any concerns for meeting Satako after his illness finally took over, as he was certain he tried his best.

The novel is successful in inciting complex emotions among the readers leaving room for different kinds of interpretation and perspective, which is further fueled by the lack of context given by Yukio Mishima himself. Beyond the thematic reading, the story takes place during the Meiji period, which introduced westernized culture among the aristocrats of Japan. As Yukio was a radical nationalist, he uses the period to display the change of Japanese culture, however shockingly lacking any concrete criticisms about it,which goes unnoticed while reading the novel. 

Yukio’s technique of writing is also phenomenal due to his ability to portray ambitious landscapes and beauty, just within a couple of words, creating vivid images through our imagination.  Making the book a great experience on its whole, though it can get regressive or lengthy in some chapters, the book is completely worth it for viewers who are interested in expiring a range of emotions and interpretation as you follow the desirate Kiyoaki trying to obtain his wants.