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Dean Koontz

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TWT
Post subject: Dean Koontz
Posted: Fri 24 Mar , 2006 4:27 am
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Well I was discussing Koontz in another forum which had nothing to do with him so I decided a thread was in order here. :D

Personally I love how Koontz develops characters and makes their backgrounds very interesting. I appreciate books that have deep characters. Tolkien managed to do it in less words than most authors can because he had that talent but many authors today seem to think the plot is more interesting than the characters. For me, if the character doesn't intrigue me than neither will the plot.

Comments.

Rebecca? :D


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Rebecca
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Posted: Fri 24 Mar , 2006 11:36 pm
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:P

Despite loving Dean Koontz's books, the backgrounds are quite formulaic. Really, I love them, but come on! All the couples are so in love and life would be unfathomable if something happened to one of them. Most take place in California. Pennsylvania is a horrible place to be and only bad things happen there. Most characters have managed to overcome a horrible childhood.

He was actually born in PA (near where I grew up, actually ;) ) and had a rough childhood, himself. Then moved to southern CA. So I guess that's where he gets those ideas. :P

That said, his plots are quite good, and despite all being similar, his characters are still interesting. He's one of the only authors that I would buy a book from without having read it first (the only other one being Harry Potter :P ).

Some of his really early books are AWFUL. Really, really bad stuff. :P They've gotten better- the only recent one I did not like was The Taking. Blech. But I really like (just off the top of my head) Watchers, Lightning, Twilight Eyes, Strangers, Phantoms, Intensity, and probaby a bunch more.


Phew, no more whispering! :blackeye:

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TWT
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Posted: Sat 25 Mar , 2006 3:14 pm
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Have you read "From the corner of his eye"? I've been told that it wasn't that great, that it had a plot that ended with nothing.

I'm going to read "Forever Odd" soon because I really liked "Odd Thomas". Nice light book with a great plot.

I also read "The Taken" or is it "The Taking" last summer and enjoyed it a lot. I'm reading By the Light of the Moon right now.

Have you read "Fear Nothing"?


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Rebecca
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Posted: Sat 25 Mar , 2006 3:56 pm
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I've read From the Corner of His Eye....I liked it a bit, but it wasn't that great.

I really liked Odd Thomas and want to read the next one, but my library doesn't have it yet.

Bleh on The Taking. I think it was my least favorite book by him. Theduffster bought it before either of us read it, and refused to comment on it until after I had read it. The whole time I was reading I was trying to make myself like it, but I just couldn't! When I was done reading we both suitably bashed the book. :P

I've also read Fear Nothing and the sequel Seize the Night....but I hardly even remember what happened. I didn't dislike it, but was never left with a desire to reread either of them. And I reread A LOT. The only other Dean Koontz books I haven't reread was The Taking and most of his early ones.

By the Light of the Moon was good. I bought it to read as we were taking a bus from England to Germany and unfortunately finished it waaay too fast. So I just read it again. :D

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TWT
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Posted: Sun 26 Mar , 2006 11:44 pm
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Well I wouldn't read the The Taking again but I liked it the first time. I didn't find it scary but I liked that it was really dark and had some pretty interesting concepts.

I loved Fear Nothing and haven't read Sieze the night yet but was told that as far as sequels go it was really good and lived up to Fear Nothing.

I don't go to libraries anymore, they're too expensive. I find that buying the books pretty costs me as much as the late fees I have to pay at the library. :D


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Berhael
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Posted: Mon 27 Mar , 2006 4:16 pm
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I've only read Phantoms but I quite liked it. It was an interesting idea and some of the things he described really, really creeped me out.

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TWT
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Posted: Mon 27 Mar , 2006 4:20 pm
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He has an uncanny abilty to really explain things to the last detail but uxplain them in a way that is very interesting, not in the Tom Clancy way.

I have a friend who's read every Stephen King and Dean Koonts book out there. They're his favorite author. So when I want to read another Koontz I just go and ask him which one I should pick up... :D


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Rebecca
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Posted: Mon 27 Mar , 2006 9:47 pm
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I love Phantoms. It was creepy, but in an interesting way. Quite believable, the way he presented it, IMO.

There are a few Stephen King books that I like, but his way of babbling for pages about nothing gets on my nerves. :P

Twilight Eyes, Phantoms, & Dark Rivers of the Heart are probably my favorite. But then again, my favorites change a lot.

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TWT
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Posted: Tue 28 Mar , 2006 5:16 am
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In my books (pun fully intended) Stephen King is the best writer. He's not necessarily my favorite but I acknowledge him as the best author out there right now. His writing amazes me. He does choose odd subjects to write about but nonetheless he makes every story incredible and moving.

And Shawshank is one of my all time favorite movies.

Have there ever been any Koontz movies, other than the Frankenstien one?


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Rebecca
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Posted: Tue 28 Mar , 2006 11:30 pm
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Bleh, yeah, there's been a lot of Koontz movies made. I say bleh because they are almost all bad. I believe Dean Koontz hates them as well? I've seen Mr. Murder which wasn't too bad, but it was a lot different from the book. It wasn't good, either. Phantoms was apparently horrible. I can't remember which other ones were done.

Intensity was made into a made-for-tv movie, and I rather liked it, though. It was too long, but still good. The doctor from Scrubs (the one who is always picking on Zach Braff's character) was the bad guy.

I haven't read that many Stephen King books, to be honest. I find myself losing interest when he blathers on about basically nothing. But then again, The Stand is one of my favorite books ever.

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TWT
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Posted: Wed 29 Mar , 2006 5:15 pm
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Well the Frankenstein movie got the same review. I don't want to watch it yet because the third part of the book trilogy doesn't come out for another couple months and I want to read it first.


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Rebecca
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Posted: Wed 29 Mar , 2006 11:28 pm
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Didn't he "disown"/detach himself from the movie? I haven't read past the first chapter yet, but I thought that's what I read in the forward.

Either way, movies based on his books are usually crap anyways.

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Shadowjack
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Posted: Fri 31 Mar , 2006 5:44 am
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I think my fave book was...

"The Bad Place" with a close second of... "Twilight eyes".

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TWT
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Posted: Fri 31 Mar , 2006 6:07 am
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SJ, I see you've found us once again. :D

I have so much reading to do! :neutral:

Rebecca, I think Koontz originally wrote Frankenstien as a mini-series/movie (I don't remember which) but when the producers got their hands on it they re-wrote some of it and taylored the plot and whatnot and Koontz called it right off. He even had Scorsese lined up to direct. Why a movie was made after all I don't know, but I don't think Koontz was involved with it.


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Rebecca
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Posted: Fri 31 Mar , 2006 12:23 pm
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Right, I knew it was something like that.

Hmmm, The Bad Place. I know I read it, but I can't remember what it was about.

I love Twilight Eyes! One of my favorites, most certainly. You should make sure to read that one, twt.

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TWT
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Posted: Fri 31 Mar , 2006 3:56 pm
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I will. As soon as I'm done my re-reading of LOTR and as soon as I finish By the Light of the Moon.

I also want to pick up the new Stephen King book, Cell.


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Lord_Morningstar
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Posted: Thu 13 Apr , 2006 8:56 am
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I usually read his books when they come out. He is a formulaic writer, sometimes really badly (two of his books revolve around a hidden research facility where a psychic child is being tortured in the name of science or the national interest or whatever). Still, he can write suspense like few others I’ve read, and I like the way his plots usually take only a matter of days. After finishing his books, I’m usually walking around the house pressed against the wall and looking carefully around corners. From the Corner of his Eye is probably my favourite of his efforts.

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TheMary
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Posted: Thu 01 Jun , 2006 1:16 am
I took the stars from my eyes, and then I made a map, And knew that somehow I could find my way back; Then I heard your heart beating, you were in the darkness too - So I stayed in the darkness with you
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I read most of the Watchers and really really enjoyed it and I've read Intensity which was okay other than that I heard that Koontz can get a bit weird.

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Soon you will see
All of your fears will pass away
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TWT
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Posted: Tue 14 Aug , 2007 12:44 pm
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*Resurect the thread!*

:D

Just finished Sieze the Night. The Moonlight Bay trilogy has become one of my favorite book series even though its been almost a decade since book two came out and the final instalment has yet to appear. I loves Fear Nothing and Sieze the night is one of those rare occurences where the sequel is better than the first.

Still waiting on the new Frankensien book, it seems to be taking a while for some reason.

Hope to pick up a couple new books before I head up north for a week, I'm sure at least one of them will be a Koontz.


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TheMary
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Posted: Wed 19 Sep , 2007 9:13 pm
I took the stars from my eyes, and then I made a map, And knew that somehow I could find my way back; Then I heard your heart beating, you were in the darkness too - So I stayed in the darkness with you
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You know I was gonna post in this thread but saw that what I was going to post I already had in almost the same exact words. Yay me for being consistent!

Haven't read any new Koontz as there are so many books to read and never enough time. I'm glad you are enjoying yourself TWT and perhaps one day I'll pick up a Koontz book and contribute to this thread in the manner you intended.

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Lay down
Your sweet and weary head
Night is falling
You’ve come to journey's end
Sleep now
And dream of the ones who came before
They are calling
From across the distant shore

Why do you weep?
What are these tears upon your face?
Soon you will see
All of your fears will pass away
Safe in my arms
You're only sleeping


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