# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/21 "2003-08-14T13:27:43Z")
Actually, I thought Koontz’s characters were like this: Male Protagonist: Darkly handsome cop/ex-special ops guy/martial artist who is pining for true love _and_ who is a gentleman to boot. Odds are pretty good that Wonderful Wife #1 has passed away and Male Protagonist hasn’t touched another woman since. Female Protagonist: Brilliant, talented artist type who had such a traumatic childhood that: 1. She left home at the age of 14, _or_, she ended up a meek (but beautiful!) 28 year old woman who is still living at home. 2. She has a problem with opening up to others, especially men Anyway, Ms. Strong Female Protagonist has handled everything life has thrown at her with aplomb… until the Bad Guy enters her life, causing her to forget her self-sufficiency and sending her straight into the arms of Male Protagonist. Bad Guy: Crazy nut who got that way because of abusive parents. Actually… Abusive Parents: Another stock Koontz character, though Abusive Parents usually don’t make it in the novel except for flashbacks, especially when Bad Guy goes freakin’ bonkers at the end of the novel and starts hallucinating their presence. Anyway, I stopped reading Koontz a book or two after the smart dog novel. My fave was _Strangers_. And _Shattered_ was a very early effort (I’m thinking it was originally published in 1971/72) - he _has_ gotten better since. ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/22 "2003-08-14T14:13:01Z")
I’ve read (and own) literally every book he’s published under his real name. _Watchers_ and _Lightning_ are my hands-down favorites. I’ve been reading his books since I was about 13, and I’m probably one of his biggest fans. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/23 "2003-08-14T14:28:43Z")
It’s a tie between _Phantoms_ and _Dark Rivers of the Heart_. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/24 "2003-08-14T15:22:39Z")
I’ve only read two or three DK books, but I recently finished _The Face_, and it was delightful. Kind of creepy and suspenseful, but also genuinely funny. I really enjoyed it. Reading over **JohnT** ’s list, though, made me realize that all his characters do fit those profiles, except for the lead female protagonist, because there isn’t one. However, the story centers on a little boy who is quite self-sufficient due to almost totally absent parents, so he sort of fits that profile, too. ---
**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, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/25 "2003-08-14T15:24:47Z")
> [@](#): > > The only Koontz book I’ve read is Hideaway – where would you guys rank that on the best/worst scale? Hideway is just kinda “so-so” until the end. There’s a cool little moment that gave me the shivers the first time I read it. ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/26 "2003-08-14T15:36:37Z")
My top three, in order… **Watchers** **False Memory** **Dark Rivers of the Heart** I don’t remember **Lightning** , but I must have it on my bookshelf. I’ll have to re-read it. My votes for worst are the ones about the guy who can’t be out in the sunlight. (Apparently I’ve purged the memory of the titles out of my head). ---
**Author:** ![Lilacs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Lilacs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lilacs)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/27 "2003-08-14T16:30:00Z")
I agree, **Lightning** and **Watchers** are my two favorite. I haven’t read them all because he reused the themes from those so much (as others have noted) I just had to stop reading his books. I do have to add that I liked **The Mask** (I think that’s the title0 and **The Servants of Twilight**. As an aside: Whoever did the movie version of Twilight needs to be slapped. It was the **worst** screen adaptation of a book I have ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![FairyDust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ccd318/32.png) [@FairyDust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyDust)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/28 "2003-08-14T16:51:50Z")
It’s been years since I read those, but I do remember I enjoyed **Watchers, Dark Rivers of the Heart, The Servants of Twilight, and Intensity.** I’ve read others, but I can’t remember the plots because it was so long ago. BTW, the made-for-tv movie version of **Intensity** was pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/29 "2003-08-14T17:36:58Z")
First book of his I read was _Phantoms_. I really liked it, so I read _Watchers_ which is hands down the best book he’s done, IMHO. There was a book of short stories he did which I also really liked, but can’t remember the name right now. Honorable mention also goes to _Whispers_ and _The Bad Place_. Tried to read _The Mask_ and I absolutely hated it. ---
**Author:** ![Iteki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eada6e/32.png) [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/30 "2003-08-14T20:01:45Z")
**JohnT** nailed it, add in male protaganist crying at the beauty of their lovemaking in their remote mountaintop cabin hide-out and you have 90% of DKs books. I have read almost all of them at some stage, I may have missed one or two but it is hard to tell because they are all the damned same. Lightning and Watchers are as everyone has said head and shoulders above the rest of his work, but that really isn’t saying much. I probably sound like I dislike him more than I do, I have whiled away manys an hour with a DK in my hand :eek: but it is the book equivelant of potatochips. ---
**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, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/31 "2003-08-14T20:40:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lilacs \* > \*\*As an aside: Whoever did the movie version of Twilight needs to be slapped. It was the **worst** screen adaptation of a book I have ever seen. \*\* You’ve obviously never seen the screen adaptation of _Watchers_. Whoever is responsible for that piece of crap needs to be taken out back and slapped very hard. Many times. And then slapped some more. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![FairyDust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ccd318/32.png) [@FairyDust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyDust)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/32 "2003-08-14T21:36:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BiblioCat \* > \*\*You’ve obviously never seen the screen adaptation of _Watchers_. Whoever is responsible for that piece of crap needs to be taken out back and slapped very hard. Many times. And then slapped some more. :rolleyes: \*\* I just checked over at [imdb.com](http://imdb.com) and was surprised to see there were three screen adaptations of Watchers. I’ve only seen the 1990 one starring Marc Singer. [The 1988 version](http://www.imdb.com/Title?0096425) [The 1990 version](http://www.imdb.com/Title?0100904) [The 1994 version](http://www.imdb.com/Title?0111672) Apparently none of them were good. ---
**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, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/33 "2003-08-14T22:33:54Z")
Wow, I didn’t know there were three versions. I only saw the 1988 version, where they turned Travis into a 12-year-old kid. Just awful. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/34 "2003-08-14T22:50:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JohnT \* > \*\*Actually, I thought Koontz’s characters were like this: > > Male Protagonist: Darkly handsome cop/ex-special ops guy/martial artist who is pining for true love _and_ who is a gentleman to boot. Odds are pretty good that Wonderful Wife #1 has passed away and Male Protagonist hasn’t touched another woman since. \*\* No no no, you forgot the subset Koontz Male Lead: he’s a criminal/PI to support his wife or sister who is in a coma/catatonic and is going to die by the end of the book, but he finds true love by the end:D My favorites are: Strangers, Dragon Tears & Fear Nothing Least favorites: The Funhouse, Intensity It’s not a favorite or least favorite, but the strangest: From the Corner of His Eye ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2003, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/35 "2003-08-15T01:53:38Z")
I remember reading **Sole Survivor** and thinking that this is just a really bad book. Same with **Intensity**. ---
**Author:** ![MusicJunkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@MusicJunkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MusicJunkie)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2003, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/36 "2003-08-15T02:49:25Z")
I read one that was called From The Corner of His Eyes and it was by far one of the worst books I’ve ever read. On the same level as Cook’s “aliens live inside the earth and homophobia is the sole cause of everything, and I mean every single thing, that is wrong in the world” book AND Hubbard’s Mission: Earth 10 volume book. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2003, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/37 "2003-08-15T04:54:02Z")
**From the Corner of His Eyes** was an okay book, if you forget that it’s a Dean Koontz book. ---
**Author:** ![minega](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@minega](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minega)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2003, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/38 "2003-08-15T09:56:13Z")
TWILIGHT EYES and THE BAD PLACE just might be his best. STRANGERS was also pretty good as was MR MUDER. COLD FIRE was mediocre at best, but occasionaly readable. However his worst is definetly SERVANTS OF THE TWILIGHT…or is that what it is called? About a cult trying to kill a young boy calling him the anti-Christ. That was horrible. ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2003, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/39 "2003-08-15T16:53:42Z")
Favorites: Lightning, The Bad Place Least: Intensity, Darkfall ---
**Author:** ![Eman\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Eman\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eman_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2003, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053/40 "2003-08-15T17:12:48Z")
I read a LOT of DK growing up. **Watchers** was the first “grown-up” novel that I read, and it remains to this day my favorite. **Lightning** comes a close second, though I desparately need to re-read it. Old School Koontz…good stuff. Least favorite? Hard to say. Probably **Dark Rivers of the Heart** , only because I can’t remember a single thing from that book. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-dean-koontz-novel-least-favorite/195053.md?page=3)