From the first time I saw The Omega Man as a child of about 11 or 12 my imagination has been gripped by the idea of being in the shoes of Robert Neville, alone in a deserted world and fighting off the night dwellers.
Not, I emphasise, that I have ever realistically wanted to be in that predicament. In reality I recognise such circumstances would obviously be horrific. But purely in the context of fantasy scenarios it is something that has held my fascination ever since.
And I suspect I am not alone (pun unintentional, though I'll keep it in), because Matheson's book I Am Legend has remained popular and the scenario is also echoed in the storylines of many other books and movies since that book first appeared, especially more recently. In the past few years I've noticed more and more occurrences of this basic idea in new books and movies, albeit with differing angles and twists.
So what is it about the scenario that so appeals to the imagination?
Well, in answer to that question, there are a number of elements I have been able to identify for myself; maybe some of it strikes a chord for you too.
Firstly, perhaps there is the appeal of the idea of being in a situation where you wake-up free to roam and investigate without constraint, without responsibilities or obligations, taking your own sweet time as you wish, checking out anything anywhere without restriction.
Imagine being able to look through things in any building at whim just to satisfy your curiosity; imagine getting as many books as you want without a thought for the cost; imagine being able to drive whatever car you can find, as fast as you can drive it; imagine having your pick of all the goods in all the shops of the high street.
Secondly, I think there is the feeling of being free of the constant niggling bugbears of modern life. Imagine a life free from the taxman, from traffic wardens, bosses who are useless at their jobs, supermarket queues, traffic jams and endless bureaucracy; no dragging yourself out of bed just to spend long tedious hours at some boring job to keep the bank balance looking a little healthier.
Perhaps that's part of it too.
Then thirdly, and definitely related to the above points about a sense of freedom, I wonder if there is the excitement of the thought of a return to a daily existence of adventure, living on one's wits in a world where peripheral and frustrating complications have been removed, leaving the very basics of survival crystal clear.
In reality this could soon wear pretty thin, because in truth, of course, life is about so very much more than mere survival, but as a fantasy scenario I guess it has its appeal sometimes.
And fourthly, I suspect there is something about the battle for survival against those creepy night-dwelling psychopaths that appeals both to a child-like relish of playing with fear as well as to the aforementioned sense of adventure; that hair-raising tingle down the spine at the thought of the monsters getting you, and the excitement of a clear-cut enemy to outwit, evade and confront.
Well, there you go, these are a few of the elements I have been able to pinpoint that may go some way to explaining the fascination this fantasy scenario has held for my imagination all these years.
What about for you? Any thoughts?
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