▁Writ ers ▁Association ▁gave ▁I ▁Am ▁Leg end ▁the ▁special ▁V amp ire ▁Nov el ▁of ▁the ▁Century ▁Award . ▁ ▁In flu ence ▁Although ▁Math es on ▁calls ▁the ▁ass ail ants ▁in ▁his ▁novel ▁" v amp ires " ▁and ▁though ▁their ▁condition ▁is ▁transm itted ▁through ▁b acter ia ▁in ▁the ▁blood ▁and ▁gar lic ▁is ▁a ▁rep ell ant ▁to ▁this ▁stra in ▁of ▁b acter ia , ▁there ▁is ▁little ▁similarity ▁between ▁them ▁and ▁v amp ires ▁as ▁developed ▁by ▁John ▁William ▁Pol id ori ▁and ▁his ▁success ors , ▁who ▁come ▁straight ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁g oth ic ▁fiction ▁tradition . ▁In ▁I ▁Am ▁Leg end , ▁the ▁" v amp ires " ▁share ▁more ▁similar ities ▁with ▁z omb ies , ▁and ▁the ▁novel ▁influenced ▁the ▁z omb ie ▁genre ▁and ▁popular ized ▁the ▁concept ▁of ▁a ▁world wide ▁z omb ie ▁ap ocal yp se . ▁Although ▁the ▁idea ▁has ▁now ▁become ▁common place , ▁a ▁scientific ▁origin ▁for ▁v amp ir ism ▁or ▁z omb ies ▁was ▁fairly ▁original ▁when ▁written . ▁According ▁to ▁Cl as en , ▁ ▁Though ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁" the ▁first ▁modern ▁v amp ire ▁novel ", ▁it ▁is ▁as ▁a ▁novel ▁of ▁social ▁theme ▁that ▁I ▁Am ▁Leg end ▁made ▁a ▁last ing ▁impression ▁on ▁the ▁cin ematic ▁z omb ie ▁genre , ▁by ▁way ▁of ▁director ▁George ▁A . ▁Rom ero , ▁who ▁acknowled ged ▁its ▁influence ▁and ▁that ▁of ▁its ▁ 1 9 6 4 ▁adaptation