Lightning by Dean Koontz

Laura Shane was born on a night of a freakish lightning storm. Her life since then has been filled with both despair and mystery. Despite losing her mother and later her father at an early age, Laura grew up to be a strong and positive woman. Through most of the trying times of her life, from her birth then an incident with a store robber and more, Laura feels like she's being watched over by someone. This guardian appears during some of her life-threatening encounters and what's more puzzling is that he does not seem to age even as years pass. Ever since his last appearance however, Laura begins to doubt the existence of this blond, blue-eyed, gun-toting guardian.

Lightning's pace is consistent from start to finish even when the timeline jumps from days to years sometimes. Laura's fantastic experiences may be a bit exaggerated but they are consistent with the idea in which the story revolves. The technical details explaining the guardian's appearances is explained well but the book will not drown the reader in unnecessary information. It is partly historical fiction and sci-fi, both of which were handled just enough not to make me cringe with embarrassment. The last part seems protracted though.

The book has some excellent lines. This passage in particular is my favorite:

"... there are two things that different kinds of people believe that are the worst... some people believe the best way to solve a problem is with violence... 

Pacifism... pacifists believe you should never lift a hand against another human being no matter what he has done or what you know he's going to do.

You try to avoid violence. You never start it. But if someone else starts it, you defend yourself, friends, family, anyone who's in trouble."

Like most of the author's books in the 1980s, Lightning has vivid action scenes, the skillful choice of words to get his points across, witty humor, and unforgettable characters. The book has all the familiar Koontz trademark that fans of his earlier books love.

Rating: 8 out of 10

77 Shadow Street by Dean Koontz

The Pendleton has a dark history of murders, suicides, and mysterious disappearances but for its current residents it was a beautiful home and a refuge from their past. A series of bizarre events however turned this sanctuary into a trap. 

2011 marks the 38th year since the last gruesome event at Pendleton. The original owner Andrew North Pendleton was not its first victim. The mysterious events go back in time even before the construction of the mansion in 1880s, according to Witness, a lingering presence whose motives are still yet unknown. 

The current residents of the apartments at Pendleton experience strange events like elevators going down 30 floors below, TV screens announcing extermination of the residents, and people wearing clothes from another era walking the hallways and then disappearing. The story is told from individual points of view of the characters including Witness and an omnipotent entity who calls itself the One. Things worsen as some residents see shadows moving and then one of the occupants goes off killing people.

Whatever happened to people who lived in the Pendleton in the past must be happening again. Maybe they will experience for themselves the forces that drove people to commit murder and suicide, but with a price. What they were about to discover was something beyond their human power to stop and all they could do is survive through it alive and sane.

If the Pendleton's history didn't creep you out, the things that its current residents have discovered and are about to experience will. The idea of an awful, unstoppable force is terrifying. What's more, the residents cannot do anything about it but ride through all the changes and try to survive. The background and buildup of tension is consistent throughout the book. There is a sense of helplessness despite the wealth, power and prestige of the residents; both the kindhearted and corrupt people were not spared. From start to finish I was always afraid I might discover something more frightening than the last. I did not even have any idea how the residents might survive all the events especially when some things started hunting them down. And when I thought I read all the horrifying details, Koontz adds more as the residents discover what awaits them below the Pendleton near the end of the book.

The ending was unexpected and almost anticlimactic however. It was completely different  from what I was expecting and yet that must be the only way to end it;  for what choice do the residents have against such forces? After all, the antagonist here isn't something they can send to jail or stab to death like those from other Koontz books. I wanted more confrontations and casualties as well, but some small twists and the appearance of unlikely allies made up for the lack in action.

The book definitely had more than a little influence of Lovecraft in it, but Koontz showed that he is still good at what he does. It has been a while since he last wrote a horror novel and 77 Shadow Street* was not a disappointment.

Rating: 9 out of 10

*This edition contains the short story Moonlit Mind about events from across Pendleton which provides a sinister backdrop to events at the apartments.

What the Night Knows by Dean Koontz

Police officer John Calvino noticed eerily familiar details when he questioned Billy Lucas, a young man who murdered his family. Twenty years ago, John's family was murdered by Alton Turner Blackwood and John suspects that Alton played a part in the recent murder because both families were murdered almost the same way. He thinks that Alton is possessing people; how does it he hasn't found out yet. His investigations also revealed that there are other victims as well of Alton's spirit and that the murders are just a prelude of what Alton is planning to do to John's family. Meanwhile, unaware of the impending danger, John's wife Nicole and their three children have supernatural encounters at home.

Like most recent Koontz books, the story is family-centered and the lead character has a traumatic past that still haunts him. The introduction seemed promising, even creepy, but when you have read so many books from the same author, you begin to see familiar a pattern to the story. There are some instances when I get excited by some new revelation then several pages later I'd feel like it was no big deal after all. The ending could have been better but nonetheless, I was satisfied when it was revealed why Alton's spirit lingered.

It's not one of Koontz's best books but certainly not the worst.

Rating: 7 out of 10

False Memory by Dean Koontz

Martie and Dusty Rhodes may not have perfect lives and friends but that did not stop them from helping Martie's friend Susan Jagger and Dusty's brother Skeet. Susan has extreme agoraphobia while Skeet has had drug rehab several times without any positive result. Susan relies on Martie as her only connection to the rest of the world. Susan takers her to psychologist Dr. Ahriman to get better yet she seems to get worse everyday. However, Susan is a different person when with Dr. Ahriman. Meanwhile Skeet tried to commit suicide while at work when he was introduced in the book. 

Things took a turn for the worse when Martie herself experienced frightening episodes of autophobia. After a visit to Dr. Ahriman she went home feeling that she is a danger to herself and her husband. Whenever she sees sharp objects she gets a crazy notion that she might use one on Dusty.

Dusty also felt odd things happening when he was with his brother Skeet after the attempted suicide. When Skeet fell into a strange sleep after Dusty mentioned a certain name, Dusty suspected that something more than drugs was involved. He also noticed that he could not recall what he did some hours in a day.

What the couple were about to discover involved more than just a paranoid woman and a drug addict. Not only are Susan's and Skeet's lives in danger but Martie's and Dusty's sanity will also be tested.

The title is already a giveaway of what Martie and Dusty will discover about themselves. Although brainwashing and hypnotism are obvious explanations, the reasons for such methods are worth discovering. There are some likely candidates as to who the perpetrator is but some names could give clues (hint: mythology).

Koontz has made several kinds of antagonists with their own twisted ways of tormenting the lead characters, but not like the one in this book. Physical abuse or torture is terrible but it seems so conventional when compared to the violation of both the body and the mind.

As for the characters, Koontz has a gift for creating characters readers can easily empathize with. Martie and Dusty are no different. To make them more interesting however, their backgrounds slightly differ from normal readers. Their personal histories also play a role later in the book. 

Sometimes the book has a tendency to be long-winded and the ending was drawn out as well, but overall, readers familiar with Koontz's writing will find elements common in most of his books. There is nothing new about brainwashing (the theme is overused) but for those who place a lot of value on personal space and privacy, the prospect of a stranger violating and tampering with your mind is still a chilling thought.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Hell's Gate by Dean Koontz

He was a murderer. Beyond that, he can't remember anything about his past. He is even unsure of his name. Victor Salsbury was supposed to be dead, but he thinks he is that same man. A man with a mission, Victor acts out orders from someone, or something. Where these orders come from he doesn't know. He does not even know why he has to do them, only that he has to and because he might find some answers. The few clues to his identity only add to the mystery; a machine he knows instinctively is called 810-40.04 and some items he needs for his mission were prepared for him.

He was alone until a dog came to him. Intrepid became a constant companion since. Then he meets a woman named Lynda while fulfilling his mission. All the while he still can't make sense of everything. Not until he found they were threatened by some strange creatures he has seen on the wall in his house.

One of Dean Koontz's earlier novels, Hell's Gate has the distinct Koontz elements found in his recent books: a complex lead character with an unknown past and a dark mission; a cute dog and lovely woman for company; ruthless antagonists; and a revelation on a cosmic scale. The pace is slower in the first when Victor is still looking for clues while performing the preliminaries of his mission. It will pick up when he meets Lynda and discovers that a dead man has his identity. I think fans will enjoy this short novel as much as I did.

Rating: 8 out of 10

The Long Sleep by Dean Koontz

He wakes up without a name and a past. Trapped in a labyrinth of mysterious rooms he does not recognize, his only clue to his identity is the name Joel. Then a faceless man, whom he identified as Sandman, goes after him. The next thing he knew he wakes up in a different room but this time with a beautiful woman he cannot not remember. He was sure however that the woman is harmless and trustworthy unlike the white-haired man he knew instinctively had another agenda. Pleasant though the woman's company is he feels something is wrong. When he starts asking he wakes up again in another place. One nightmare after another, he keeps seeing the same faces in different places each time he wakes up. Sometimes their demeanor would be different. He also figured they will put him to sleep every time he starts asking or he acts strangely. All these only serve to confuse him more, but one thing is certain --- they're trying to keep something from him by playing out different scenes. Joel now knows they are trapped in a huge facility probably used for research. He needs to get out of the building to find out the answers.

Koontz fans like me will enjoy this well-written book because of its interesting premise and the signature Koontz suspense. The nightmarish quality of the images and Joel's predicament got me hooked right away. The piecemeal information handed out to Joel (and the readers in the process) urged me to keep reading. The best part is trying to piece together the information Joel acquired in each setting as well as trying to figure out the parts played by the other characters, particularly the faceless guy. The cliffhanger ending was a welcome surprise as well. I had some idea about what might have happened to the world outside the building but I had no idea how it was related to Joel's story.


Rating: 9 out of 10
Note: Published under the name John Hill; expanded from the short story "Grayworld"

Dark of the Woods by Dean Koontz

In a universe ruled mostly by humans, man rules supreme. This guiding principle honors the sacrifices of the Alliance of mankind. Subjugated alien peoples ranked lower than humans and therefore treating them as equals, much more friends, is taboo. Among those conquered are the Demosians, winged creatures whose population is reduced to a few females.

Writer Stauffer Davis meets one of them when he goes to Demos to do research. In the course of his dealings with a Demosian named Leah he began to question the system imposed by the Alliance in his relations with non-human creatures. According to the Alliance, each man as part of the system has to keep in mind its laws, the taboos, and the will of the council. Man was only a part of it and to question it is to challenge the very foundations on which it was built.

Predictably Davis and Leah became more than just acquaintances and soon the Alliance was on their trail. The characters were trapped in an impossible situation where the only escape possible was a grandiose solution. Admittedly I was disappointed with the ending, but the way Koontz handled the characters up to that point was excellent. He was also able to come up with a formidable antagonist in the form of one of the Alliance agents. Too formidable in fact that Davis and Leah had to come up with an even more fantastical solution. The book has plenty of good points and Koontz fans will still enjoy this. I enjoyed reading David's musings in particular because it's similar to his current novels.

Rating: 6 out of 10

The Face by Dean Koontz

Ethan Truman thought all along that he was tracking down a perverted hater of his employer Channing Manheim, a blockbuster film actor. As far as he knows, the six black boxes that were sent were as puzzling as the actor's charisma. Not only does he have to make sense of the gruesome collection but while looking for clues he becomes involved in some extraordinary events which involved his supposedly dead best friend Duncan Whistler. Unknown forces were at work and even the dead are trying to send messages to Ethan. Meanwhile, Corky Laputa's plans to kidnap Channing's son, Aelfric, seem to come together and it seems like even Ethan and some supernatural help could not stop it.

Koontz is good at creating characters with depth although readers who have read a number of his books might see similarities in the main characters. At the start of the book the main character Ethan seemed to be confronted with two situations, one of which are events involving Ethan's wife and his best friend that help the reader to get an intimate look at his past and his inner thoughts. Although not as epic as Koontz's other more well-known novels, The Face has everything Koontz fans love about his books. Koontz is a master at mixing the supernatural and suspense and this book does not fail to inspire and terrify the reader about the salvation and the damnation of the soul.

Rating: 7 out of 10

The Crimson Witch by Dean Koontz

Jake Turnet is stuck in a world destroyed by nuclear holocaust after an overdose of PBT, a psychic chemical that opened the doorway. This world, unlike his own is populated by warlocks and witches and all manner of mythical creatures. He has to find a way to get back to his worldline but he would have to get past an ambitious ruler and his minions with the help of witches, Kell and Cheryn, and a vegetarian dragon, Kaliglia.

This book, published in 1972 (now out of print), is a mix of fantasy, sci-fi, and romance.

It wasn't stated how Cheryn, the Crimson Witch of Eye Mountain, met Jake. How their relationship developed wasn't explained either but Cheryn finds herself madly in love with Jake and ended up helping him.

The battle scenes using magic weren't bad but repetitive. The best part of this book for me was when Jake, Cheryn, and Kaliglia passed through the gate to get to Jake's worldline.

The ending seemed like it was rushed. Cheryn suddenly gained so much power near the end of the story that she was able to solve all the problems for Jake right away.

The story could have been improved especially if Koontz cut down on the sexual references to Cheryn and if they didn't manage to defeat King Lelar so easily by suddenly turning Cheryn into a very powerful witch.

Rating: 6 out of 10

Dean Koontz's Frankenstein Series

Dean Koontz's take on the aftermath of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus novel takes the reader into the darkest corners of one man's insane and grand design to rid the world of humanity. Two hundred years after Victor Frankenstein's death, his first creation who now calls himself Deucalion, sensed that Victor was still alive somewhere and that he must stop him. His worst fears were confirmed when he finds out that Victor has been working secretly for many years refining his techniques and perhaps had achieved immortality.

Prodigal Son introduces Deucalion who has changed profoundly through the years. Calmer and wiser now he nevertheless feels that he is still the monster Victor created him to be. But he learned that he has gifts which made him question the purpose of his existence. His discovery of Victor's whereabouts strengthened his conviction that he survived because his mission is unfinished.

He is not alone in this quest. Carson O'Connor and Michael Maddison have discovered events which they thought were the work of a psychopath. They were right, but some of the more bizarre murders were someone else's work.

In City of Night, Deucalion, with the help of the two detectives, were unlocking more information on the New Race that Victor has been sending out to replace key positions in the government, law enforcement, and others. Victor believes his plans are working perfectly but something has gone wrong in several of his creations. It seems like the empire he has been building is starting to fall apart. 

At this point, most of Victor's creations have started to show signs of defects. They're out of control. The trio however will discover unlikely allies. Erika 5 and Jocko, also Victor's creations (the latter a former tumor), decided they wanted to oppose their creator. Some of the New Race also had a change of heart, claiming that they felt Dead and Alive. Victor would never have imagined what was waiting for him when they finally got him cornered. But Victor had a plan in case this happens...

Victor is still alive. They saw him die at the landfill and thought everything was over. But he's back, stronger and more persistent than ever. This time he's determined to seed out the inhabitants of a seemingly peaceful town and unlike the New Race, his Communitarians and Builders are faster and more efficient. A few people noticed the peculiar actions of some of the residents and must now fight to survive the onslaught. But first they have to alert the rest of the town and find Victor.

Lost Souls introduces new characters who will play key roles in stopping Victor's scheme. 

In The Dead Town, Victor seems to be progressing well in his plans. By now they know that Victor created a clone in the event that he dies. They know too that although not nearly as strong as the New Race, the Communitarians and Builders are proving to be deadly opponents. 

Lyss and Nummy have been trying to escape from what they thought were aliens after they saw what the Builders did. Bryce and Travis have already escaped from the hospital and its weird employees and went to find Bryce's friend Sully for help and all three are now looking for Travis' mother. A few residents have set up resistance as well. They were still no match for the Builders however. As these characters discover the horrors left by the Builders, they find that they must rely on each other's strengths and hope their friendship and trust will keep them sane and alive. 

***

This is one of the few series that you won't stop reading until you get to the last page of the last book. This is a nice mix of old school (mad scientist plus his creation) and contemporary horror/suspense (new technology/science gone bad, conspiracies).

I like the balance of power among Victor, Deucalion, and the other characters. Although faster and stronger than his creator, Deucalion still had vulnerabilities. And Victor despite his creations and cunning mind was not immortal after all. Deucalion's abilities are equal to or greater than the New Race and Communitarians so the humans involved are not really that helpless in the fight.

Koontz wrapped up the series really well. The last book had flashbacks of the previous books and Shelley's book. The final confrontation between Deucalion and Victor was significant too. I agree with what Deucalion said about Victor's 'suffering' in reference to the events in Shelley's book. They both suffered, yes, but Victor's was exaggerated and insincere.

Unlike the original Victor, the clone lacked qualities that enabled the latter to survive for so long. He refused to acknowledge that he can make mistakes, unlike the human Victor who had contingency plans in case everything goes wrong. Nonetheless, they were both arrogant; confident of their intelligence and invulnerability. 

Despite his success for so many years Victor's work was insignificant compared to what other real people have done in history. His creations were known to only a few people. Still, part of what Victor said about humanity was true. Even if we're part of the same species, we hurt and kill each other. We don't need monsters and mad scientists to see evil in this world. Some people have done worse than Victor.

Rating: 10 out of 10.

Invasion by Dean Koontz

Don and his son Toby were out exploring the woods surrounding Timberlake farm. On their way back home, Toby found strange tracks on the snow. His father Don felt that the tracks were strange, but he dismissed them as footprints of some unknown animal. When he consulted his books and contacted his friend who said that the tracks aren't from any known animal in the vicinity, he became more suspicious. Toby had also sighted a strange creature with amber eyes peering at him at the windows. When they found one of their horses dead, Don knew his family, Toby, his son and Connie, his wife, is in danger.

This book, published by Dean Koontz under the pseudonym Aaron Wolfe is a recollection of the strange events at Timberlake farm from the point of view of Don. He found himself battling for his sanity against an unknown force. The unfolding of the events leading to a shocking revelation was expertly done, creating more tension and anticipation towards the ending. Although the book is short compared to Koontz's later works, he was able to introduce Don's past and weave it flawlessly with the events at the farm.

This book was reprinted and renamed as Winter Moon.* This is well-written and is as good as his later, more popular novels like Midnight and Phantoms.

I'm giving this book a 9 out of 10 rating.

*Thanks to K. Allen Wood for the info about the book!

Soft Come the Dragons by Dean Koontz

This is a collection of eight of Dean Koontz's early science fiction short stories. Although this was compiled without a theme in mind, readers will notice that most of the stories focus on the emotional and psychological effects of new worlds and new discoveries on man. If the reader is looking for detailed descriptions of a new planet, species or breakthrough technology, this is not a book that I will recommend. The stories here are more than just that.

The ff. are the stories included in this volume:
Soft Come the Dragons - a man who was forced by circumstances to solve the mystery of the dragons' ability to kill people through eye contact has unravelled an equally mysterious answer.
A Third Hand - a mutant and reject tries to help his murdered friend and finds himself face to face with a formidable foe.
A Darkness in My Soul - a successful product of an experiment was asked to unlock the secrets of the mind of a super genius (I wrote a review on this. If you're interested, look for the title in the Archives).
The Twelfth Bed - a sad tale about elder citizens locked up in a nursing facility and a young man mistakenly brought in.
A Season For Freedom - a man and his team tried to stop killerbots from hurting people. He finds out that the killerbots are humans.
The Psychedelic Children - hallucino-children are hunted and persecuted. A couple tries to escape. The mutant, while trying to escape the authorities, unlocks the secrets to manipulating time.
Dragon in the Land - China was devasted by a plague and has asked for help from other countries. A team of researchers investigate the laboratory where it all started. The "virus" has no symptoms. They need to find a solution fast before they're all infected.
To Behold the Sun - an ambitious trek to the sun becomes dangerous when the crew is attacked by an unseen creature.

The stories can be improved but they're not bad at all. At the outset, Koontz already had the talent for writing. Fans might want to compare these stories to his later works. Reading the introduction to each story was fun too. It was like meeting the young and proud Koontz.

The Twelfth Bed for me is the best story in this volume. I like how it was written from the first person point of view. Everything in it was sad. The story, the setting, and the characters all made me feel miserable. I felt like I was trapped with them in that nursing home. The ending was sad too but it was also full of hope. I guess this is why some people insist that Koontz is a horror writer because he's good at writing dark and depressing stories (gothic would probably be a more suitable word than horror).

I'm giving this book a 10 out of 10 rating.

The Haunted Earth by Dean Koontz

This was yet another attempt by Dean Koontz to mix supernatural with sci-fi and suspense. The result: supernaturals from our world conspiring with supernaturals from an alien world to cover up a huge mess that wreaked havoc in the home planet of the maseni.

Jessie Blake, a human detective, and his partner Brutus, a hellhound, were getting bored with their usual clients. Jessie was surprised one day when a maseni contacted him to find a lost brood brother. Galiotor Fils said that the maseni embassy were hiding the details of his brother Tesserax's death.

The maseni, whose first contact with humans was explained later in the book, have been co-existing with the humans for ten years. They awakened the humans' ability to perceive the supernatural realm, therefore giving the humans no choice but to live with creatures they think exist only in myths and books. The chaos it created forced everyone to make laws to ensure that everyone gets along.  vampires for example, can't suck a human's blood and convert just about anyone without the consent of the victim. Laws dictate that they recite first the laws protecting other creatures or form a contract.

As the duo pursued the case, the discovered a bigger conspiracy behind it. It seems like the supernatural creatures are also involved. The book is divided into two parts: The Alien Graveyard and The Beast at Midnight. The book will let the reader experience what it's like to live with aliens and supernatural beings on earth and later on, experience the maseni world and its concept of mythology.

The twists in the story will surprise the reader. Although I don't think it's as good as most of Koontz's novels, he handled the story very well. Some of the concepts seemed ridiculous but he pulled it off nicely.

I didn't like the sexual references to the character named Helena but she was portrayed as a sexually-liberated woman so I guess it suits her image. On the other hand, I enjoyed reading the events that happened in the maseni home planet leading to the discovery of the supernaturals' secret. And I also liked the funny scenes involving the maseni gods and Hogar.

I'm giving this book a 7 out of 10 rating.

This book was published in 1973 by lancer Books and is now out of print.
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Time Thieves by Dean Koontz

Peter Mullion woke up in his garage not knowing what had happened to him in the past few weeks. His wife and the doctor think he has amnesia. Yet he feels it's more than amnesia and so he began to search for clues. When he and his wife went out to eat, he saw a man he thought he recognized but he doesn't have a clue where he had seen him. And as he and his wife Della made their way to their resthouse, he began to feel that his mysterious disappearance was somehow connected to his trip there. He began to feel too that he was being watched. He saw the man again at the restaurant watching him from outside his home.

Things went from bad to worse as he had an episode of time-space distortion. He could not count and recognize numbers and he did not know where he was supposed to go. The trip to his office became a challenge. He passed out, then when he came to his senses, his wife told him he disappeared again for 3 days.

Was the man who had been watching him had something to do with his inability to remember the events in the past few weeks? Not only did he have to find an answer to that but he was also starting to 'hear' other people's thoughts.

This Dean Koontz novel takes the reader to the mysteries and power of the human mind as Peter sought to understand and control his newfound powers. It's fast-paced and Koontz's descriptive skills is impressive as usual. It reads like most of his suspense/sci-i novels but is much shorter.

Spoiler Alert! Skip to the next paragraph.


The ending however was something I did not expect. I can't be certain if Koontz's justification of Peter's choice to retain his telepathic ability was something he really believed was a good choice. It might also be an attempt to show that something as noble a motivation as love can be corrupted. Peter appears to be a contented man who does not wish to have something beyond his grasp. And yet he did not show any remorse for killing the beings who had given him back his life. It seems ironic that he kept saying that he did it for his love of Della and yet he seems to have forgotten that he would not be with her anymore if the Politins did not save him in the first place. He knew too that the Politins did not mean him harm and his death was an accident. But maybe Koontz did write it up that way so the reader can decide about it for himself.

I recommend this to any Koontz fan who wants to read his early novels. I'm giving this book a 7 out of 10 rating.

This book was published as an Ace Double in 1977.

List of Dean Koontz Books

I made a list of Dean Koontz books including those that are out of print, children's books, books with Trixie, short stories collections and a novella. More helpful information is indicated beside the year the book was published. I did not include the individual short stories, the graphic novels and screenplays.

I separated the list of the series at the bottom. Winter Moon and Icebound, and Invasion and Prison of Ice are all counted separately.

This will be updated everytime Koontz has a new book. If I forgot a title, please inform me by posting a comment.

I recommend that you visit deankoontz.com for more info about the author and his works.

 Total no. of books: 112

1.Star Quest (1968)
2.Fear That Man (1969)
3.The Fall of the Dream Machine (1969)
4.The Dark Symphony (1969)
5.Hung (1970) - wrote as Leonard Chris
6.Hell's Gate (1970)
7.Dark of the Woods (1970)
8.Beastchild (1970)
9.Anti-Man (1970)
10.Soft Come the Dragons (1970) - a short story collection
11.Demon Child (1971) - wrote as Deanna Dwyer
12.The Crimson Witch (1971)
13.Legacy of Terror (1971) - wrote as Deanna Dwyer
14.Warlock! (1972)
15.Time Thieves (1972)
16.Starblood (1972)
17.The Flesh in the Furnace (1972)
18.A Darkness in My Soul (1972)
19.Chase (1972) - wrote as K. R. Dwyer
20.Children of the Storm (1972) - wrote as Deanna Dwyer
21.Dance with the Devil (1972) - wrote as Deanna Dwyer
22.The Dark of Summer (1972) - wrote as Deanna Dwyer
23.The Haunted Earth (1973)
24.Demon Seed (1973)
25.A Werewolf Among Us (1973)
26.Shattered (1973) - wrote as K. R. Dwyer
27.Hanging On (1973)
28.Strike Deep (1974)
29.After the Last Race (1974)
30.Nightmare Journey (1975)
31.The Long Sleep (1975) - wrote as John Hill
32.Dragonfly (1975) - wrote as K. R. Dwyer
33.Invasion (1975) - wrote as Aaron Wolfe (see Wintermoon)
34.Prison of Ice (1976) - wrote as David Axton (see Icebound)
35.Night Chills (1976)
36.The Face of Fear (1977) - wrote as Brian Coffey
37.The Vision (1977)
38.The Key to Midnight (1979) - wrote as Leigh Nichols
39.The Funhouse (1980) - wrote as Owen West
40.Whispers (1980)
41.The Voice of the Night (1980) - wrote as Brian Coffey
42.The Eyes of Darkness (1981) - wrote as Leigh Nichols
43.The Mask (1981) - wrote as Owen West
44.The House of Thunder (1982) - wrote as Leigh Nichols
45.Phantoms (1983)
46.Darkfall (1984)
47.The Servants of Twilight (1984) - wrote as Leigh Nichols
48.Twilight Eyes (1985)
49.The Door to December (1985) - wrote as Richard Paige
50.Strangers (1986)
51.Watchers (1987)
52.Shadow Fires (1987) - wrote as Leigh Nichols
53.Lightning (1988)
54.Oddkins: A Fable for All Ages (1988) - children's book
55.Midnight (1989)
56.The Bad Place (1990)
57.Cold Fire (1991)
58.Hideaway (1992)
59.Dragon Tears (1993)
60.Mr. Murder (1993)
61.Winter Moon (1994) - see Invasion
62.Dark Rivers of the Heart (1994)
63.Icebound (1995) - see Prison of Ice
64.Strange Highways (1995) - collection of short stories
65.Intensity (1995)
66.Ticktock (1996)
67.Sole Survivor (1997)
68.False Memory (1999)
69.From the Corner of His Eye (2000)
70.One Door Away from Heaven (2001)
71.The Paper Doorway: Funny Verse and Nothing Worse (2001) - children's book
72.By the Light of the Moon (2002)
73.The Face (2003)
74.Every Day's a Holiday : Amusing Rhymes for Happy Times (2003)- children's book
75.The Book Of Counted Sorrows (2003) - collection of poetry
76.The Taking (2004)
77.Life Expectancy (2004)
78.Robot Santa: The Further Adventures of Santa's Twin (2004) - children's book
79.Life is Good! Lessons in Joyful Living (2004) - with Trixie Koontz
80.Velocity (2005)
81.Christmas Is Good!: Trixie Treats And Holiday Wisdom (2005) - with Trixie Koontz
82.The Husband (2006)
83.The Good Guy (2007)
84.The Darkest Evening of the Year (2007)
85.Your Heart Belongs to Me (2008)
86.Bliss to You: Trixie's Guide to a Happy Life (2008) - with Trixie Koontz
87.Relentless (2009)
88.Breathless (2009)
89.A Big Little Life: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog (2009)
90.I, Trixie, Who is Dog (2009)
91.Breathless (2009)
92.Darkness Under the Sun: A Tale of Suspense (2010) - novella
93.Trixie and Jinx (2010)
94.What the Night Knows (2010)
95.The Moonlit Mind (novella) (2011)
96.77 Shadow Street (2011)
97.Nevermore (2011)
98.Oddkins (2012)
99.Innocence (2013)

  Black Cat Mysteries or Mike Tucker Series
1.Blood Risk - wrote as Brian Coffey
2.Surrounded (1974) - wrote as Brian Coffey
3.The Wall of Masks (1975) - wrote as Brian Coffey

  Moonlight Bay Series
1.Fear Nothing (1998)
2.Seize the Night (1999)

  Odd Thomas Series
1.Odd Thomas (2003)
2.Forever Odd (2005)
3.Brother Odd (2006)
4.Odd Hours (2008)
5.Odd Apocalypse (2012)
6.Odd Interlude (2012)
7.Deeply Odd (2013)

  Frankenstein Series
1.Prodigal Son (2005) - with Kevin J. Anderson
2.City of Night (2005) - with Ed Gorman
3.Dead and Alive (2009)
4.Lost Souls (2010)
5.The Dead Town (2011)

Warlock by Dean Koontz

Modern man and his inventions survive only as relics of a forgotten past. What seems ordinary to us now are mere legends for the characters in this book. That period in the history is referred to as the Blank where it said that the earth's crust has shifted.

Shaker Sandow wanted to find out what happened during the Blank and if it was connected to his ability as a "master of the mind".

He was expecting the Banibaleers to arrive at Perdune. This small contingent of General Dark's forces were to investigate the ruins beyond Cloud Range and to gather information about the enemy, the Oragonians, who are rumored to have used the lost technology.

More than half of the book deals with the journey of Sandow and his two adopted sons with Commander Richter and his army. Little did they know that the Darklands was about to be conquered by Jerry Matabain and that they were the only ones who can save their people.

This book is interesting because of its combination of fantasy, sci-fi and suspense. It seemed quite ambitious but Koontz was able to pull it off. It became less interesting however when they met Berlarak's group. From then, every campaign was a success and they even managed to eliminate Jerry Matabian in an instant. I wish Koontz has stretched the story and offered more obstacles for the protagonists.

But even with such a short book, Koontz was still able to devlier an important message: that even if General Dark's forces were successful, the acquisition of the new technology will still lead men to more wars and possibly to another Blank.

This is a must-read for Koontz fans. I'm giving this book a 9 out of 10 rating.

***
This book was published in 1972 by Lancer and is out of print.

Latest novel from Dean Koontz

Dean Koontz's latest novel 77 Shadow Street is now available.

To learn more about it, go to http://www.deankoontz.com/77-shadow-street/

Star Quest by Dean Koontz

Dean Koontz's first novel debuted as one of the two novels in one volume from Ace Double andpublished in 1968.

This short sci-fi and adventure mix tells the story of Tohm, who has just realized that he lost his body. Then known as Jumbo Ten, he deserted the Romaghin army to find his beloved whom he believed was also kidnapped. His search led him to something bigger and grander than anything he had ever imagined.

Koontz was able to develop the character well in such a short novel. He was able to spare some paragraphs for the character to analyze the situation and therefore allow the reader to sympathize with Tohm.

It felt lacking and Koontz could have stretched and improved it, but it was already obvious from this novel that he would become an exceptional writer that he is today. His skill in description is incomparable. Even his action scenes are well-written. I can see the events play out in my head as he describes them.

I recommend that Dean Koontz fans like myself read this book. They wouldn't find his writing style so alien. It has the the Koontz elements that we so dearly love.

I'm giving this book an 8 out of 10 rating.

Dark Rivers of the Heart by Dean Koontz

This is another tale of the possibilites that one's heart is willing to take.

Spencer Grant is haunted by his past. He despises it yet he stubbornly clings to it, waiting for an opportunity to understand a part of himself that he's afraid to explore. When he met valerie Keene, everything changed for him. He could not explain why he was drawn to that woman but he just knew that if he could just talk to her, he'll know the answers. But Valerie's gone and now he's being pursued by an unknown group of people. People with power and influence. And they won't stop.

Dark Rivers of the Heart is divided into two parts: On a Strange Sea and To the Source of the Flow. Like most of Dean Koontz's books, the characters have dark pasts that they somehow had to accept and overcome. But unlike the usual Koontz protagonists, Roy Miro isn't well-educated, smart and wealthy. But he's overly confident and merciless. Although he himself was not blessed with good looks or a high I.Q., he believes he's entitled to the the privileges he's getting. Coupled with Eve Jammer, they make an annoying and formidable opposition.

For the first time, I hated one of Koontz's protagonists. Waiting for Miro's punishment kept me going. I didn't like what he did to Harris Descoteaux.

The ending was a bit disappointing to me. I was expecting Miro to die a painful death, but I guess bringing down the secret government agency in which he belongs is just too complex. Besides, the ending showed that Grant and the others were willing to fight and to save victims like themselves.

I liked the tension between Spencer and his father near the end of the book. I also did not anticipate Spencer's father, Steven Ackblom, to turn things around. Readers will also get to compare which character is crazier: Miro or Ackblom?

I recommend this to any Koontz fan who wants to see some slight changes in the type of characters. Miro is an effective nemesis. You'd love to hate him.

A Darkness In My Soul by Dean Koontz

This 1972 science-fiction novel was one of Dean Koontz's earliest works. This book explores the facets of the human mind, its desires, hopes and and its quest for meaning and purpose. The book is divided into four parts: Divinity Destroyed, Humanity Restored, The Incomplete Creation and Man As God.

The protagonist Simeon Kelly is one of the two successful products of Artificial Creation. He has the ability to probe the minds of other people. One day he was asked by AC to explore Child's mind, another creation of AC, to unlock the missing information needed to create the shields that will be used for the pending world crisis. Child, the first supergenius ever created, has been withholding important information from Morsfagen and the rest of AC.

Simeon's tour of Child's mind takes him into strange worlds and forced him to think and reshape his view of things. Different though they were, he realized that they were both looking for meaning and purpose in their lives beyond that of their use to AC. Child however, has created an elaborate system based on myths and religions and trapped Simeon in that strange world. Unlike Child too, Simeon had a chance to get in contact with a lot of people including Harry Kelly, who treated him like a son.

He managed to get out of Child's elaborately-built world, taking with him the supergenius' psychic energy, but he failed to do what Morsfagen has asked of him. Confronted and trapped by Morsfagen, he was forced to devise another plan that would ultimately change the world.

This book explores the human psyche - the ego, superego and id, and later on, the concept of God. This is not as detailed as Koontz's later books but I still enjoyed it. He did not choose to focus on the world crisis but instead on the development of Simeon Kelly and how the events taking place around him helped shaped the conclusion of the story. As a fan who was not exposed to his earlier works, I find this really weird and refreshing. It still has the distinguishable characteristics that identifies it as a Koontz book, including a surprising ending. Readers who are not familiar with the concept of the human psyche and Greek mythology might find this a bit confusing but Koontz will explain the former in the later part of the book.