Dean Koontz

[antiloquax]

Not read much of his stuff. In fact, only one: "False Memory", which I enjoyed. I am thinking of reading another. I have heard good things about "Watchers" - just wondered what anyone thought were his best books?

 

[zaltys13]

Hi,

I've read a few of his over the years, unfortunately the all seem to blur into each other. One that does spring to mind is "Lightening", a time travel thriller that I thouroughly enjoyed. "Watchers" was good to, but I did read that when I was about 12 and my tastes have changed considerably since then

 

[Aun Doorback]

Lightning was a great read and so was Dark rivers of the heart? (Regarding the dark arts of government agents) - recently I read 'The Taking' Which was compelling but gruesome.

 

[BookStop]

Watchers is one of my favorite books, there is just a certain charm to the story mixed with good thriller suspense. I really want to believe such a thing is pooible, although the consequences might be as horrific as int he book. Eek.

zaltys13 is right, in that a younger crowd will also be drawn into this book. I shared it with my kids once they got to be about 13/15 or so, and we had some fantastic discussions as a result.

For something completely different, but also by Dean Koontz, you may want to give Odd Thomas a try. It's got a charm all its own as well.

 

[biodroid]

You should read all his books produced in the 80's and up until the mid 90's. I have read most of his books but stopped as he changed his style.

Phantoms - One of the scariest books ever written.

The Servants of Twilight - About a cult trying to kill a little boy who they believe is the anti-christ and gets help from a cop.

Lightning - One of the best stories I have read.

The voice of the night - What would you do if your teenage friend wants you to murder and you refuse? Hmmm...

Night Chills - Very good book about subliminal messaging (I think)

Midnight - can't remember this one but it was pretty good.

Strangers - Very good too but can't remember, need to re-read

Winter Moon - This was a freaky book about aliens in the back of the woods behind your house

Dragon Tears - Excellent book about a guy who can stop time with his mind except for two cops chasing after him.

Hideaway - Very good too.

The Bad Place - Excellent story about 2 brothers one trying to kill the other one and both have teleporting powers, one can control it the other can't.

Shadowfires - Not a bad book but generic to what DK has done before.

I am missing a few but these were the really good ones.

 

[antiloquax]

Thanks biodroid. That's very helpful!

 

[Christopher Lee]

Ah, after reading so much Stephen King I was looking for someone else's novels to dive into. I purchased Watchers a couple of months ago as a deal that the local Books-a-Million had going on. Thanks for the recommendations biodroid.

 

[dlsevern]

You should read all his books produced in the 80's and up until the mid 90's. I have read most of his books but stopped as he changed his style.

Phantoms - One of the scariest books ever written.

The Servants of Twilight - About a cult trying to kill a little boy who they believe is the anti-christ and gets help from a cop.

Lightning - One of the best stories I have read.

The voice of the night - What would you do if your teenage friend wants you to murder and you refuse? Hmmm...

Night Chills - Very good book about subliminal messaging (I think)

Midnight - can't remember this one but it was pretty good.

Strangers - Very good too but can't remember, need to re-read

Winter Moon - This was a freaky book about aliens in the back of the woods behind your house

Dragon Tears - Excellent book about a guy who can stop time with his mind except for two cops chasing after him.

Hideaway - Very good too.

The Bad Place - Excellent story about 2 brothers one trying to kill the other one and both have teleporting powers, one can control it the other can't.

Shadowfires - Not a bad book but generic to what DK has done before.

I am missing a few but these were the really good ones.

I must agree about Phantoms, it is in my top ten favorite horror novels. I also like Watchers, Door to December, Midnight, Darkfall, and Voice of the Night.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

He's done a couple of others which are little oddities; sometimes one you've read one Koontz you've kind of seen them all.

intensity is good; the road trip from hell.

Sole survivor is a one that's a little different, too.

I liked Night chills, too, although its a little dated now.

I think whichever one you'll read first, you'll probably enjoy the most..

 

[Rodders]

Dean Koontz is someone who i haven't read in a long time desp[ite being a very enjoyable writer. Lightning is my favourite with Twilight Eyes, Phantoms and Midnight coming close.

What's his new stuff like?

 

[Wish]

I think he peaked between 1995, and 2005 - after that, he just turned into right wing propaganda. (I don't have a problem with that, I just wish he'd be more subtle.) Anyway, my favorites:

Ticktock
The Face
The Odd books
Velocity (My number one favorite.)
The ones with the guy who can't go out in the daytime. (There's two of them)
Intensity
The one with the real smart little girl

He was my favorite writer for quite a while. I still love Velocity to death.

 

[biodroid]

Dean Koontz is someone who i haven't read in a long time desp[ite being a very enjoyable writer. Lightning is my favourite with Twilight Eyes, Phantoms and Midnight coming close.

What's his new stuff like?

His new books are a bit on the whimsically preachy side I would say. He seems to push the whole christianity thing onto you and is trying to also incorporate a more comical style of writing. Seems as though he has a lot more misses than hits. And almost all the time there is a clever labrador in the story. I liked The Taking but it wasn't resolved so the ending was poorly handled. I just haven't bothered reading him anymore as he is now becoming more contemporary than what he used to be.

Try Coldfire for his older books and then go into Odd Thomas to see the style differences.

 

[TedKeller]

I love his sci-fi type of horror: Strangers, Watchers, Midnight, Lightning, The Bad Place, Winter Moon.
And also his very early Ace paperback sci-fi from the late 60's - early 70's. Star Quest (1968) was super cute. Hell's Gate (1970) and The Haunted Earth (1973), were also damn fine mid-level snappy sci-fi adventures. From before he got all morbid and bible thumping

 

[Cayal]

Big fan of Koontz, though lately his books seem to follow the same formula and they can be predictable.

The last one I read was Cold Fire which was pretty good. Though I read Watcher late last year and that might be my favourite one of his. I almost melted when the dog wrote 'I would die of lonely'

 

[ChrisMorey]

I've thought about diving into the Odd Thomas books. Any thoughts on those?

 

[Pedro Del Mar]

Twilight Eyes......... my favourite hands down. Always wished he'd written a follow to this.

 

[doctordarts]

I had to stop reading Koontz once I got sick of him ruining his stories with characters' constant 'funny' banter with each other. I remember one book where he said something like 'their relationship was based on humour' after yet another 'funny' exchange.

It's not funny, it's painfully unrealistic and humour free. It grated so much that I stopped reading his stuff.

 

[Rhovanion]

I've read Intensity, The Taking and Odd Thomas and enjoyed all three immensely. I haven't had the time as of late to keep reading his stuff, but definitely plan on doing so in the future. I especially want to read the other Odd books.

 

[Lilmizflashythang]

I'll admit I haven't read much of his work, but I enjoy his attitude. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how dark it gets. And for those who say he's gotten a bit preachy with the Christianity, remember that he's been a Catholic for years. As far as I can tell it's been there through it all.

The books I've read: Watchers, Coldfire, Phantoms, Dragon's Tears (a bit over the top for me), The Key to Midnight, Strangers (real good), Breathless, 77 Shadow Street, What the Dark Knows, Darkfall, and I'm sure there's more but I just can't think of them so far.

He is a great author. I find his work almost as good as Tolkien's.

 

[tylenol4000]

The only Koontz novel i've ever read was By The Light of The Moon, a few years ago. There was nothing really wrong with it, it was a very mediocre mainstream sf thriller. I remember not liking his writing style; it just sounded so....formal, you know? And the newer books I see in stores of his don't sound particularly exciting.

BUT, recently I picked up Winter Moon, which looks really cool actually. His older stuff looks a lot more interesting. Some of the sci-fi/horror he did back then looks quite interesting. Winter Moon should be good. And The Strangers I bought because it sounds very interesting, very S. King-ish.