'Writing is a spiritual process': the novels—and ideas—of Dean Koontz

BNET (from National Review) ^ | June 2, 2008 | John J. Miller

[EveningStar]

ABOUT 80 pages into Intensity, a 1995 novel by Dean Koontz, the heroine reflects upon her unlikely predicament. She's trapped in the motor home of a homicidal maniac who has just slaughtered a family. Chyna Shepherd has to decide what to do. "For a long time," writes Koontz of his 26-year-old character, "she'd known that being a victim was often a choice people made." It was an alluring choice, too. "Victimhood was seductive, a release from responsibility and caring: Fear would be transmuted into weary resignation; failure would no longer generate guilt but, instead, would spawn a comforting self-pity."

Chyna rejects victimhood. Her choice drives the plot forward as she engages in a battle of wits with a clever and resourceful killer...

[Drumbo]

* Dean Ping *

[EveningStar]

TaЯd ping!

"Tard" refers to the ping list members and not to the subject of the thread!

List of Ping Lists

[rockrr]

My job requires a lot of technical reading. I love Dean Koontz novels as pure escapist scare ya spitless!

Besides he can spook circles around Stephen King ;’}

[Drumbo]

Dean has matured as a writer and has some really fine stories. After “The Stand”, King began a long spiral that has landed him in my discard pile and despite an occasional good plot line, for the last decade he’s managed to ruin almost every story with intrusive political hackdom.

Koontz on-the-other-hand has soared and his mind candy is a delight to read. “From The Corner of His Eye” and “One Door Away From Heaven” (both with strong spiritual themes) remain my read’em again favs, but I’m anxiously awaiting for MrsDrumbo to finish “Odd Hours” and I just completed “The Good Guy” which was excellent and a tribute to a hero (and yes, the “Always Faithful” dog tag on the cover is a spoiler - but one I can forgive with pride). I email Dean regularly, nagging him for the next “Frankenstein” book.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

After “The Stand”, King began a long spiral that has landed him in my discard pile and despite an occasional good plot line, for the last decade he’s managed to ruin almost every story with intrusive political hackdom.

For me King's post-Stand novel "It" still stands as his best work, along with "The Stand" and "The Shining". But, yeah - he jumped the shark long ago.

[perfect_rovian_storm]

Intensity was the most incredibly put together novel I’ve ever read. It was so intense that I literally read the entire book in one sitting. Everyone says things like ‘I couldn’t put it down’, but I literally could NOT put that book down.

I’ve read some Koontz stuff that I liked and some that was formulaic and boring. He’s kind of hit or miss IMHO. But Intensity was incredible.

[Grammy]

I had to quit reading him years ago, even though I loved his work. It scared me too badly.

[DesScorp]

Thanks for posting... my wife is a huge Koontz fan. I’ve passed this on to her.

[KEmom]

Me, too. He is way too scary to read. Ever since I had kids I can not read this kind of stuff.

[rockrr]

LOL!

Like Bill Cosby used to say, “Go ahead, I dare ya - scare me to death!”

[Eaker]

Book ping.

[Eaker]

Intensity was a very good book!

[windsorknot]

Dean Koontz is great. One of my favorite Koontz novels is The Bad Place.

[RepoGirl]

I'm going to have to take another look at The Darkest Evening of the Year. I've never read Koontz, but picked up the book because of my interest in therapy animals. Also adoring Golden Retrievers as I do, I couldn't resist.

I read about two pages of the opening scene and had to put it down. It disturbed me in ways that no goofball Stephen King story ever had.

Stephen King writes wonderful crap -- he's the literary equivalent of Funyons (tasty the first few handfuls, but then you start to feel really sick and are asking yourself, what the hell IS this stuff I'm eating) but Koontz thoroughly unnerved me.

[EggsAckley]

Oh my. “One door Away from Heaven” was earth-shattering to me. I love Koontz. I wish I had the nerve to email him. I’m sure I’d say something stupid.

[psjones]

One of my favourite Koontz books is “Cold Fire” I stayed up all night reading it, just couldn’t put it down. It’s been a while I have picked up any of his books, probably because the last one I read was not that good. I will have to check if I have “Intensity” so I can read it.

[Drumbo]

There's nothing stupid about "earth-shattering" Eggs, just tell him that. He's very human, appreciative and funny. He treats fans like people.
dean@deankoontz.com

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

“The Voice of the Night” nearly brought me to tears at the end. That the boy Colin could have such sympathy for the kid that was trying to kill him was amazing. Sorry ‘bou the spoiler.

“Shattered” was good, too. All I’m gonna say about that one is, some people just need killing. Not the author, of course.

I’ve read a number of his other books as well, most of which left an impression of some sort on me.