# Favorite Dean Koontz Novel? Least Favorite? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 14, 2003, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053 "2003-08-14T01:30:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/1 "2003-08-14T01:30:41Z")
I’m a huge fan of DK. Strangely enough, I didn’t even start reading his books until only about a year ago. I first picked up the book _Winter Moon_. It was the first one I happened to find by him. After reading it I was immediatly hooked. I then Read _Watchers_ Over the months I read almost all of his books. Only about 3 or 4 remain that I have not had the privlege of reading thus far. Currently I am reading his newest, _The Face_, and it is one of the best so far. I also really enjoyed and would include on my list of best DK novels: _From the Corner of His Eye By the Light of the Moon Intensity Servants of Twilight Strangers_ and my most favorite one to date, _One Door Away From Heaven_ But, with favorite authors there always has to be a couple that really disappoint you. Especially if you know how they write and what they are capable of. I didn’t like _Midnight_ for some reason. Seemed more Sci Fi-ish then his usual suspence. I also found _The Funhouse_ to be extremely bland. Anyone other Dean Koontz fans out there? I’d love to hear other opinions. For the record, I have not yet read: _Lightning The Eyes of Darkness The House of Thunder Coldfire Darkfall_ ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/2 "2003-08-14T03:08:04Z")
My favorite DK novel is undoubtedly Phantoms, although I also very much enjoyed Coldfire, Twlight Eyes and Strangers. Least favorite has to be that travesty of an attempt at comedy, Tick Tock. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/3 "2003-08-14T03:31:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Idle Thoughts \* > \*\*I also really enjoyed and would include on my list of best DK novels: > > \*Intensity > \* > > \*\* You’re kidding, right? _Intensity_ was the book that drove me away from DK. “Oh, I’m being chased by a serial killer, I know, I’ll hide in his RV!” There isn’t a rolleyes smiley big enough for that improbable “coincidence” upon which the whole plot hangs. I never finished that book, which is very rare for me. Although I have enjoyed his earlier books, _Strangers, Watchers,Lightning_ and several others, _Intensity_, with it’s extrodinarily stupid plot contrivances coupled with the realization that DK basically writes the same book over and over means that I haven’t read one of his books in years. ---
**Author:** ![Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/4 "2003-08-14T04:20:21Z")
Best: Nearly an exact tie between Watchers and Lightning with maybe Lightning a tiny bit ahead. Also enjoyable: Strangers, Phantoms, Twilight Eyes and Fun House (also loved this movie) Worst: Lately, nearly everything he’s written has been sentimental dreck, I really hate the overly cutesy kids, precious puppies and bizaare near canonization of the handicapped. I hated: Midnight (first Dean Koontz book I really disliked), Fear Nothing (surf’s up, dude!), Intensity… ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/5 "2003-08-14T04:57:46Z")
\*Watchers \* is the only Koontz book I have ever liked. Man, I loved that super-intelligent dog. ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/6 "2003-08-14T05:39:55Z")
I sort of liked False Memories. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/7 "2003-08-14T06:32:12Z")
I haven’t read a lot, but I really like his earlier books from the late 70’s and early 80’s. His worst (that I’ve read so far) was **Midnight** The best (so far) is **Night Chills** or **Lightning** ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/8 "2003-08-14T06:34:12Z")
Ooohhh! **Darkfall**! I forgot about that one, put that up there with the best. ---
**Author:** ![Fibber\_McGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a6a055/32.png) [@Fibber\_McGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fibber_McGee)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/9 "2003-08-14T06:40:26Z")
My favortie Koontz novel is **Cold Fire** with **Lightning** coming in a lose second. My least favorite (also the most recent Koontz novel I’ve read and the first one in years) is **Tick Tock**. The fact that it was _supposed_ to be stupid doesn’t excuse how mind-numbingly awful it was. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Bongo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a9adbd/32.png) [@Winston\_Bongo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Bongo)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/10 "2003-08-14T06:43:57Z")
Someone gave me a 3-novels-in-1 Koontz book recently, and so far I’ve only read the first one, _Shattered_. Based on that I may not even read the others, because it is without a doubt the single crappiest novel I have ever read in my life. Seriously, I defy anyone over the age of 12 to find anything remotely professional in this piece of dreck. The plot involves a guy and his girlfriend’s son getting chased across the country by a nut-job in a van; this could have been a cool story, ala the movie _Duel_, but Koontz blows it on every level. Every character is a stereotype, the hero behaves like a complete idiot because if he acted like a rational human being there would be no “story,” and there are two supporting characters and an entire subplot that literally _vanish_ three-fourths of the way through. It’s like Koontz either forgot these two people were there or he was in such a hurry to get the steaming pile of excrement finished that he just didn’t care. Frankly, I’m astounded that this book ever got published. As an aspiring writer, I find it quite depressing. Please tell me the others are better. Please. Otherwise I will be forced to conclude that the world isn’t fair, and we wouldn’t want that! :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/11 "2003-08-14T07:13:52Z")
Yes, the others are better. Before you read any other Koontz books, read **Watchers** and **Lightning**. Thos are his two best books. No one has mentioned **The Bad Place** , which is also pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/12 "2003-08-14T08:04:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Winston Bongo \* > \*\* > Frankly, I’m astounded that this book ever got published. As an aspiring writer, I find it quite depressing. Please tell me the others are better. Please. Otherwise I will be forced to conclude that the world isn’t fair, and we wouldn’t want that! :rolleyes: \*\* As an aspiring writer, that should give you hope! If that drek can be published, no matter how bad you may be, you’re a shoo in! 😉 😛 ---
**Author:** ![dead0man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/edb3f5/32.png) [@dead0man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dead0man)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/13 "2003-08-14T08:07:44Z")
I read a lot of DK books in high school, but strangely I can’t remember very many of them. I remember really likeing Watchers and Phantoms. I _think_ I read Coldfire, The Bad Place, and Funhouse. But I also know I read more than 5 of his books. So apperently the rest really sucked. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/14 "2003-08-14T08:24:13Z")
I liked **Shattered**. Dean Koontz originally poblished it under a pseudonym, so I guess he didn’t like it much either. ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/15 "2003-08-14T08:25:17Z")
I read a lot of his books in the space of a few years and then grew tired of him. Watchers, Strangers and Whispers are probably my favorites. My problem with his writings are… 1. The story always seems to end about 50 pages before the book. Almost every one I read I’m ready for it to end but still have to keep reading. 2. He reuses the same types of characters. Frustrated artists, shut ins and writers seem to be his favorite types of characters. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/16 "2003-08-14T12:14:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sam Stone \* > \*\*Yes, the others are better. > > Before you read any other Koontz books, read **Watchers** and **Lightning**. Thos are his two best books. > > No one has mentioned **The Bad Place** , which is also pretty good. \*\* I’d agree with that list. _Lightning_ is a great book. And _Strangers_ was pretty good, too. Most of the rest of his books were just average. Some are absolute dreck. And ditto to **Odinoneeye’s** comment about him re-using characters. The main character is always a misunderstood artistic type, well-versed in some type of self-defense, withdrawn from society on some level, but he’s always got a huge pile of money and always has bougainvillea trailing across his front porch. Then he hooks up with the woman who’s threatened by the evil government henchmen, a cute kid and a smart dog. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/17 "2003-08-14T12:18:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BiblioCat \* > \*\*I’d agree with that list. _Lightning_ is a great book. And _Strangers_ was pretty good, too. Most of the rest of his books were just average. Some are absolute dreck. > > And ditto to **Odinoneeye’s** comment about him re-using characters. The main character is always a misunderstood artistic type, well-versed in some type of self-defense, withdrawn from society on some level, but he’s always got a huge pile of money and always has bougainvillea trailing across his front porch. > Then he hooks up with the woman who’s threatened by the evil government henchmen, a cute kid and a smart dog. \*\* The woman is threatened by a cute kid and a smart dog too? 😃 You’re right though, he did fall into a trap of reusing characters AND plots. He’s begun to pull out of it with his recent books, but they are still far inferior to his earlier works. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/18 "2003-08-14T12:22:28Z")
I’ve read some of his books, but for some reason I can’t remember the titles. I liked the one with the smart dog, and the one with the hermaphrodite who impregnated herself and had four children, only one of which was “normal” mentally. That one was delightfully icky and creepy. I tried to read Other Side of Heaven (?) but I found it incredibly boring and gave up. That’s the one with a girl who said her stepfather killed her brother. When her next door neighbor tried to report the abuse and the social worker started questioning her character, I knew I wasn’t going to finish it. Oh, and there was one about a man who was a twin, but because he was illegitimate, his mother convinced him and his twin that they were one person. Then when his twin died…that one was okay. And the villian who could stop time…I wish I could do that sometimes. I like how his villians have a practical reason for turning out they way they do. It may be because their mother was raped by her brother, or that the mother experimented with exotic drugs, but there’s always some “logical” explanation for the evil. ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/19 "2003-08-14T13:06:27Z")
The only Koontz book I’ve read is **Hideaway** – where would you guys rank that on the best/worst scale? ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/20 "2003-08-14T13:25:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gallows fodder \* > \*\*The only Koontz book I’ve read is **Hideaway** – where would you guys rank that on the best/worst scale? \*\* Me, I would rank it closer to the best than the worst, but not on the same level as his very best stuff like Watchers, Strangers, Lightning and Phantoms. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053.md?page=2)