The Blog

Latest Posts

Twilight Eyes Uncorrected Proof found

December 11, 2013

Twilight Eyes Revised - ProofIt isn’t often that I found an old Koontz item that I was previously unaware of. Recently, that has actually happened. I now have in my possession of a 1987 uncorrected proof of Twilight Eyes. Here’s why I’m considering this a significant find and how I’ve missed it previously:
First, publishers generally don’t print ARCs or proofs for mass market paperbacks. With the exception of the previously limited hard cover of the first half of the novel by Land of Enchantment and a hardcover of the full novel in the UK, this was a “original” mass market paperback in the US. The only other Koontz mass market ARC I can recall off the top of my head was The Funhouse by Owen West. This just wasn’t, and still isn’t, done very much.

Second, unlike the ARC of West’s The Funhouse, this proof isn’t printed in the mass market size. This one’s printed in the smaller (8.25″x5.25″) trade paperback size yet with the same pagination (or at least page numbers: 451) as the first mass market printing. Honestly, I’ve never seen this before. (I’m not saying it’s never happened before but in all my time book selling and collecting, I’ve never seen a size miss-match like this.)
Third, and lastly, I’ve never seen one of these for sale before this one. I’ve been haunting the Dean Koontz marker for more than 25 years, and this is the first one I’ve ever seen for sale. It’s not like I’ve been out-bid previously, or knew of one that was outside of my budget. This is the only copy that I’ve ever know of.
So, welcome to my life. Just when I think I’ve seen them all, something magically appears. Ah, the joy of collecting Dean Koontz!