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Dean Koontz Tropes

June 7, 2018

Did you know that the TV Tropes site has a page for Dean?

Dean Ray Koontz (born July 9, 1945) is an American author known for writing suspense thrillers, many of which also contain elements of horror, action, science fiction, romance and satire.

One notable aspect of Koontz writing is that almost anytime there is a supernatural occurrence, its explanation, as outlandish as it might sometimes be, is usually physically possible, at least in theory. Very rarely does his work tread into outright fantasy.

On the Sliding Scale of Idealism vs. Cynicism, his works fall pretty far on the Idealistic side despite the disturbing content found within the stories and the fact that the villain has usually no redeeming qualities. The heroes, on the other hand are always brave, highly intelligent, compassionate and admirable human beings whose virtues vastly outweigh whatever flaws they might possess. Common themes and messages in his books usually revolve around overcoming adversity rather than feeling sorry for oneself, and living life to its absolute fullest. This sense of idealism is contrasted by having one or more characters reflect on the decline of modern society over the past twenty or thirty years due to sex, free drugs, or liberalism in general. However, despite such musings, the worlds created by Dean Koontz seem to be populated with genuinely good people who are always willing to help a friend in need. If his protagonists have any flaws, it is a specific insecurity that is holding them back. These insecurities can often be traced back to events from the character’s childhood, and through the course of the story the character must work through these insecurities in order to achieve their dream or to otherwise live full and happy lives.