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Original poster

Good reads from Dean Koontz

16 replies

CaptainTripps · 30/10/2013 22:22

He's gone a bit downhill lately but I love his earlier stuff.

Have just finished House of Thunder - one of his earliest.

I loved Strangers and Whispers. I just couldn't get into his Frankenstein ones or Odd books.

Anyone a fan?

OP posts:
Sparklysilversequins · 30/10/2013 22:24

The Watcher, was always the best I thought. The dog descriptions were just wonderful. I liked Twilight Eyes as well.

His books though, start out wonderfully and without fail fizzle out a few chapters before the end.

sonlypuppyfat · 30/10/2013 22:29

I'm reading 77 shadow street which is a bit strange all the people in an apartment block are transported to the future Hmm but I love the Odd Thomas ones and the Frankensteins. I've nearly read them all I find them a nice non too taxing relaxing read.

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 30/10/2013 22:31

I don't rate him much at all, tbh - but I did quite like, 'One Door Away From Heaven.'

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 30/10/2013 22:33

He is v schmaltzy though, and the Christianity stuff gets very wearing imho. He's not a patch on Stephen King, imvho.

Original poster
CaptainTripps · 30/10/2013 22:48

I agree. SK is better.

I read 77 Shadow Street. It was weird. I just couldn't get into it but I persevered to the end. Unusually for him, the characters were wooden and unrelate-able-to.

Ahh yes - the dogs! I love his stories which include a dog. Apparently DK had a dog called Trixie who was the world to him. All dogs are based loosely on Trixie. It does come through.

OP posts:
NuggetofPurestGreen · 30/10/2013 22:51

Lightning is brilliant. So good. And there was one about subliminal messaging that is years old...Night Chills? I was only young when I read that though whereas I've read Lightning many times.

Sparklysilversequins · 30/10/2013 22:55

Oh yes, I forgot lightening that was good too.

SarahAndFuck · 02/11/2013 23:00

Dragon Tears was very good. Two police officers battle someone with paranormal abilities.

Intensity is one of his best I think. A woman witnesses a murder and follows the murderer to save his next victim. It's very ordinary and all the better for it.

Strangers is one of my favourites and Lightning was good as well.

The Bad Place was a good one, about two private investigators and a client who has amnesia and strange abilities.

And Shadowfires was good, about a woman whose ex-husband was involved in DNA science before his death, and she believes he has come back from the grave for revenge.

SarahAndFuck · 02/11/2013 23:02

His more recent books have gotten very strange though.

I went off him after reading the one where everyone was saved by a magic dog. Can't remember the title, but I'm disappointed. I used to buy his books as soon as I could get them but now I don't even look at the new ones when they come out.

TapirbackFucker · 02/11/2013 23:18

I liked his earlier stuff, the Moonlight Bay books rank in my favourites along with Watchers, Lightening, and Dark Rivers of the Heart.

His later stuff is just not worth reading IMO, and it appears that he's rehashing old stuff and writing to a formula.

Tigerbomb · 02/11/2013 23:33

I loved his books. Watchers, Darkness Comes (aka Dark Fall) and lightening are my favourites

I also used to read read Leigh Nicholls - Door to December, House of Thunder as I felt they had a similar style, so wasn't too surprised when I discovered hey were the same person

Not to keen on him lately. His writing style changed when he got the new rug Grin

Tigerbomb · 02/11/2013 23:34

and my typing in the above post is absolutely awful - sorry

eatwotsits · 03/11/2013 07:24

he reminds me a lot of Stephen King. His earlier stuff was great too, but recently...meh. I hated Under the Dome, it went on and on and on...I liked Twilight Eyes by Dean Koontz though, and one he wrote about a funhouse and a killer was disturbing but fun at the time (think I read it when I was about 15 lol!)

pointyfangs · 05/11/2013 21:13

I like early Koontz, but he has gone all Tea Party mad Christianity and conspiracy theory recently and I've given up. I cannot believe I actually wasted several hours of my life reading 77 Shadow Street and actually finishing it, I really should have flung it across the room. (Gently, as it was a library book - I don't buy his stuff anymore).

pointyfangs · 05/11/2013 21:14

wotsits the difference is that SK does still turn out some really good books, whereas DK's stuff is all shite and has been for some time. I couldn't stand the Odd Thomas books either, though I read the first three (again, what was I thinking???).

TapirbackFucker · 05/11/2013 21:26

Pointy

You had more patience than I did. I've not finished 77 shite street, and it's currently languishing in a bag of books for my local charity shop. Hell I went as far as to tell my dh/dcs that if they ever see me attempting to purchase another of his books, to drag me away!

All the 'good overcoming evil' stuff has replaced decent writing IMO, and made his books the worse for it.

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