They have similarities in point of view and author's craft. The differences are the dominant trait of the main character, the type of conflict, and the genre. Cell is recommended over I Am Legend because Cell offers a more contained atmosphere, as it really puts the reader in the story of what it would like to really be there when the world basically shuts down.
Cell and I Am Legend both have similarities in point of view and author's craft. The point of view in both books is in third person, and both have a limited knowledge. In I Am Legend, the reader is following around Robert Neville who only knows what he learned about the plague that turned people into zombies. In Cell, the storyline follows around a man named Clay who really only knows what his group and passerby know, which may all be rumors, so the third person is also limited in that case. They also share author's craft, like how they both also have symbols within them, for example, in Cell, the reader continuously reads about Clay seeing KASHWAK=NOFO everywhere. Robert Neville also becomes good friends with the dog he meets, and this somewhat represents how he was so desperate for humanity to return and not to be lonely. Both authors also use ellipses in their work. Here is one from Cell pg.81:
“'I think if we are going to get through whatever's ahead, we'd better find a way to put our finer sensibilities on hold. I think that people who can't do that…' He stopped, then started again. "I think that people who can"t do that…' He stopped a second time. The third time he was able to finish. "I think that people who can"t do that may die.'”
An example from I Am Legend is on page 74:
“'Could you…let me bring my…mother too?' the man said stiffly
'I…I…I… "
Neville"s brain wouldn't function. He thought he was going to cry again, but he caught himself and stiffened his back.
'I'm not going…there,' he said”
Both book show a use of ellipses
Both of the two books may have similarities, but that also mean they must have differences. One difference is the trait of the main character. In I Am Legend, Robert Neville has resilience, by being able to cope with the fact that a lot of people he knows are gone, but he doesn't give in, and he keeps up hope. On the contrary, Clay, in Cell, shows leadership because he is always commanding the group and decides where they should go and what decisions they make. They also differ in genres. I Am Legend is mainly a science-fiction, because it is about a deadly virus that turns people to zombies, as opposed to Cell, which is more of an adventure, because of the eminency of the situation and how it tells of his dangerous travel to find his son, and what he encounters along the way. Both books contain different conflicts, where Cell's conflict is main character versus technology because the whole book's plot starts off with a phone signal that goes off across the country, on the other hand, I Am Legend is a main character versus society, because everyone around Robert Neville has turned into a zombie and will almost do anything to kill him or just get to him.
Cell is preferredover I Am Legend because it had length. I Am Legend was somewhat short, and the Richard Matheson could have done more with the plot, while Stephen King explained in a fantastic form what had happened. Cell's plot was more developed than I Am Legend. The whole thing with the phones being incorporated into our everyday lives really gets you thinking. In Cell, the suspense is enjoyable in different parts, like with them blowing up the soccer field, and when they are getting nearer to the city of Kashwak, and Clay starts having dreams about it. It was better put together than I Am Legend and that is why I prefer Cell.
