end ▁( 2 0 0 7 ). ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁an ▁insp iration ▁behind ▁Night ▁of ▁the ▁Living ▁Dead ▁( 1 9 6 8 ). ▁ ▁Plot ▁summary ▁Robert ▁Ne ville ▁appears ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁sole ▁surv iv or ▁of ▁a ▁pan demic ▁that ▁has ▁killed ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁human ▁population ▁and ▁turned ▁the ▁remainder ▁into ▁" v amp ires " ▁that ▁largely ▁conform ▁to ▁their ▁s tere ot ypes ▁in ▁fiction ▁and ▁fol kl ore : ▁they ▁are ▁blood - su ck ing , ▁pale - sk inned , ▁and ▁no ct urn al , ▁though ▁otherwise ▁ind ist ingu ish able ▁from ▁normal ▁humans . ▁Imp licit ly ▁set ▁in ▁Los ▁Angeles , ▁the ▁novel ▁details ▁Ne ville ' s ▁life ▁in ▁the ▁months ▁and ▁eventually ▁years ▁after ▁the ▁out break ▁as ▁he ▁attempts ▁to ▁compreh end , ▁research , ▁and ▁possibly ▁c ure ▁the ▁disease . ▁Sw ar ms ▁of ▁v amp ires ▁surr ound ▁his ▁house ▁night ly ▁and ▁try ▁to ▁find ▁ways ▁to ▁get ▁inside , ▁which ▁includes ▁the ▁females ▁expos ing ▁themselves ▁and ▁his ▁v amp ire ▁neighbor ▁rel ent lessly ▁shout ing ▁for ▁him ▁to ▁come ▁out . ▁Ne ville ▁surv ives ▁by ▁bar ric ading ▁himself ▁inside ▁his ▁house ▁every ▁night ; ▁he ▁is ▁further ▁protected ▁by ▁the ▁traditional ▁v amp ire ▁rep ell ents ▁of ▁gar lic , ▁mirror s , ▁and ▁cru c if ix es . ▁Week ly ▁dust ▁storm s ▁rav age ▁the ▁city , ▁and ▁during ▁the ▁day , ▁when