My selections for the blog, as will become evident over time, are not going to come at you in chronological order, or even in order of personal importance (you tell me which of your kids is your favorite). I'm planning to mix things up a bit, to showcase the variety of artifacts in my collection. Rest assured, favorites will be represented, and I will sing their praises, but be prepared for plenty of surprises...
Having said that, there's nowhere else to start my I Am Legend posts than with this. It all begins with Gold Medal #417 — the first science-fiction novel to be published by the line known for crime, mystery and western novels, in August of 1954.
While this is not the first copy of I Am Legend that I owned, it is the first copy of the Gold Medal first edition that I owned (we have 8 in the I Am Legend Archive, as of this posting), and it remains significant for a couple of reasons.
I had Richard Matheson sign this copy for me the first time I met him at the Horror Writers of America conference in Redondo Beach on Friday, June 21st, 1991. Matheson was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award that year, and I was carrying my copy of the book around with me just in case I ran into him. When I saw him in the audience following a panel we attended, I went up to him and asked him if he would sign my copy. I think I was able to get out enough words to communicate that it was my favorite book, but I also have the distinct memory of being completely star-struck. This surprised even me, as by 1991 I was fortunate enough to have met and communicated with a number of famous authors who I greatly admired (Clive Barker, Ray Bradbury, Joe Lansdale, Robert McCammon, David J. Schow, Dan Simmons, Peter Straub, F. Paul Wilson), and none had a similar effect on me. Matheson was a towering figure, both literally and figuratively, and he graciously inscribed my copy. I think I was far more relaxed when I congratulated him on his lifetime achievement recognition after the award ceremony.
This copy was also present when Vonna and I got married on November 2nd, 1997 (safely tucked away in my tuxedo jacket). Vonna and I are both sure there's a picture of it, but we couldn't find it in our wedding albums. And no, I didn't do a reading from the book as part of our ceremony (it's a great book, but even the greatest books have their limitations). I did, however, do a reading from Matheson's Bid Time Return (basis for the film Somewhere in Time) in the ceremony, which was much more fitting for the occasion.
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