Actually, I meant to include a similar sentiment in my original response and I agree with you. Matheson wrote this in the early 50's. 54? I think. I have to tell myself when reading SciFi from this era that obviously the audience wasn't as savvy as we are regarding actual scientific processes. They didn't have so much as Discovery Science channel, you know? Easier to slip things by them. But the actual storytelling in novels from those days is in such a different league. Even questionable "facts" can be taken in in the spirit of the story, for me.

As I mentioned, the whole vampire bat thing was just too incredible for me to swallow, but it was the explanation given by Matheson so I was forced to accept it and go on. (I have wondered, idly, if that would mean there were large numbers of real survivors in Central America, since vampire bat bites are somewhat common there - but Neville obviously isn't going to make it there so it's moot.)