Phantoms or The Bad Place.
Definitely this.
I’ve read a number of his books and I tend to think his earlier books (late 80’s early 90’s) are better than his later books. I still like Phantoms, but I think the big reveal was disappointing. I liked lightening and the Bad Place, but I think Watchers is his best.
No one recommends Intensity? That book gets its hooks in you and keeps pulling.
For classic Koontz, either Cold Fire (which was the first book of his that I read) or Watchers.
His best recent stuff is the Odd Thomas series (the first one is called simply Odd Thomas), or the Frankenstein series (the first one is called Dean Koontz’s Frankenstein: Prodigal Son; some of the books in this series are co-written).
I second Odd Thomas, I really dislike Koontz but found that book to be spectacular. However I could never make it through Forever Odd so I can’t comment on any of the other sequels.
Watchers, Strangers, Phantoms, Cold Fire, Lightning, The Hideaway or Twilight Eyes.
Watchers is good. My favorite is Lightning, which happens to be the first one I read. The Odd Thomas ones are also a very good read.
Hmmm… Out of the Corner of His Eye.
I had forgotten that one.
It was really good.
I agree with this. In addition, my all time favorites of the Dean Koontz books are the ‘Odd Thomas’ series.
Yeah, Watchers is definately my favorite of his.
nitpick:
Einstien isn’t telepathic. he’s just intelligent. He has a link with the Outsider, but that’s all. He can’t read minds.
Seconding Twilight Eyes. And another vote for Strangers.
My votes:
Lightning, Watchers, Strangers, Phantoms, Twilight Eyes.
I don’t have a problem with a formula, but endless rehashings of formula that make later books seem like repetitions.
But what turned me really off was his increas in libertarian author rants about the collapse of society in his later phase.
So I’d advise the earlier ones, let’s say pre-1990s. And stop after four or five.
I disliked Lighting. Two big problems: (Spoilers)
For the first part, the reader is led to believe that the traveler arrives via teleportation and is from the Sovietunion, helped by the Slavic name. Then we learn it’s about time travel from Nazi Germany … during the war years. But the behaviour we see between the main character and the guards is completly unbelievable for the 1940s and Nazi. People were on rations, they wouldn’t simply bake a cake and bring to work. Guards weren’t that friendly with high-ranking officers of SS.
Similar, when the SS squad is sent to California, they are surprised about the colour of the curb indicating a no-parking zone. The surprise would be that a coloured curb signifies anything - no-parking zones are done with signs in Germany.
At the final showdown, they all take antidote pills against the nerve gas which last a few hours. No problem for the woman and her son - but the main guy, Kokoschka I think, spends several hours of his personal time in the past in the Institute. When he returns, after the woman has opened the canister, he should keel over dead because his antidote pills had long worn off.
Well, given popular demand, I suppose I’ll have to start with Watchers. I’ll get started on it when I’m more awake. I’ll keep you guys filled in on how I’m liking it. If, when I’ve finished, I’d like to give the Koontz another shot I guess we can find out what it is I liked about Watchers and go from there as to find which book shall be my second read.
The Hideaway
Sieze the Night
Odd Thomas
Affleck was the BOMB in Phantoms, yo!
Watchers was enjoyable. Strangers was as well, though I had trouble keeping track of all the different characters for awhile. I liked the Moonlight Bay Trilogy (the Christopher Snow books). I particularly liked the first and third Odd Thomas books as well, though the second left something to be desired, IMO. His *Frankenstein *series had it’s moments. Twilight Eyes was a fun read as a teenager.
From the Corner of His Eye was interesting to me, as it featured a killer who suffered psychosomatic illnesses every time he killed someone.
Thanks for this thread. I didn’t know there was a fourth book in the Frankenstein series, or a fourth book in the Odd Thomas series until I looked up the Dean Koontz bibliography to refresh my memory. Something to keep me busy for a little while and help me forget about the next Dresden Files book I’m jonesing for!
ok first off im going to suggest one of my favorite books by DK that no one has mentioned that i am aware of and that is: “The Good Guy”. I also suggest the Frankenstein series.
I’m most of the way through “Fear Nothing” now, and I have to say - Dean Koontz is not a good writer. He’s quite fond of the purple prose.
The Book of Counted Sorrows. 