1. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson
I am Legend is of a slightly different ilk to the rest of these books. Most people will have heard of the film starring Will Smith, but the book is an entirely different kettle of fish (and is really short, so doesn't take long to read). Set in a time where a deadly plague has swept the earth, the disease turns humans into what we would recognise as vampires, but act more like zombies. Zombie worlds - or zombie-like creature worlds - are arguably a different genre (or sub-genre) completely to the generic dystopia. However I am Legend treats the world that protagonist Robert Neville has found himself in very differently than most. I am Legend focuses on the futility of Robert's efforts for survival, his loneliness, and subsequent alcoholism, rather than following him fighting against the creatures like most depictions of a time plagued with monsters. The book is very psychologically frightening, as well as deeply touching. Robert's cyclical realisation and then denial of the worthlessness of his life is potentially more painful to read than the horrifying descriptions of the vampires. Written in 1954, I am Legend has helped popularise the trend of modern zombie apocalypses, and successfully created a tiny insular world that is both fascinating and suffocating.