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Koontz donation to Hoag Hospital

September 25, 2019

Dean and Gerda Koontz pledged $9 million to pay for a ViewRay MRIdian, an MRI-guided radiation-therapy system that allows for streaming real-time imaging of the radiation target and surrounding areas while a patient is being treated, which has not been available to doctors previously.

Dean Koontz is a best-selling author who writes science fiction, horror, and suspense books, some of which have been turned into films or television shows. Hong’s [sic] radiation and oncology center will be named for Koontz, who has been a patient at the hospital, and his wife.

Source: The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Image: Hoag.org

Regarding the inclusion of certain pornographic titles and fanzine content on this site

September 2, 2019

Skin Summer

When it comes to certain pornographic novel and fanzine content, mostly from the 1970s, Dean denies most of this material as being either published without his knowledge, significantly edited without his input as to make it fundamentally not his work, or written by others and attaching his name without his permission. I mark these items as “denied” in the author field of those entries, and have quoted from DeanKoontz.com when he’s said something about these items specifically or as a category. In some cases I’ll be including quotes from others (Ted White and Piers Anthony for just two examples) that seem to counter what Dean has to say about that item. I am not definitively saying that Dean wrote this material, nor am I saying he didn’t. I am including it because people collect this material as part of their Dean Koontz collection. You’ll need to make your own decision.

I have also blurred certain parts of some book covers to reduce the adult nature of the content.

Moonlight Bay 3 and Jane Hawk 6 & 7

August 26, 2019

I’ve been looking for this article for a while. It’s from December 2017 so things could have (ok very probably) changed since then but here’s what Dean had to say about more Moonlight Bay and Jane Hawk books back then…

Q: There is much confusion over your “Moonlight Bay” trilogy. Is it finished or not? Where does Ride the Storm fit in? Please clarify.

A: My publisher at that time so disliked the second “Moonlight Bay” novel, Seize the Night (1998) that I stopped part way through Ride the Storm. I had been with Bantam for only two books and did not want to get into an argument that would require moving to another publishing house. I thought that if I wrote two or three other novels before finishing the “Moonlight Bay” trilogy, the publisher would receive the third book with more enthusiasm.

Numerous books—plus ups and downs in business relationships—ensued, new publishers came and went, and I never got back to Ride the Storm. It is my intention to finish the book for Bantam after I complete the 7th book in the Jane Hawk series.

Source: Dean Koontz Takes Readers On A ‘Techno-Thriller’ Ride In His New ‘Jane Hawk’ Series

Charnel House The Night Window Update

August 26, 2019

According to CharnelHouse.com:
” THE NIGHT WINDOW by Dean Koontz is now at the bindery. “

“The Ballad of Jane Hawk” by David Benoit

August 21, 2019

“Any Dean Koontz fans? This is his new heroine and surprise; the fictitious rogue FBI agent is a David Benoit fan!”

Read more and hear the track @ Jazziz & pre-order @ Amazon.com

What’s New & Updated August 5, 2019

August 5, 2019

I’m back from my vacation, but of course, I found some new items during the trip along with one item that arrived in the mail. That’s what I’ve got for you this week plus a few other tidbits I snuck in at the last minute.

  • Bookery’s Guide to Pulps & Related Magazines to Ephemera
  • The Funhouse (revised) “lower price” CD audiobook
  • “The Horrors of Science: The Creations of Dean R. Koontz” by Cosette Kies to Appendix B along with the beginnings of a clean-up of this page.
  • Odd Apocalypse Library Edition CD audiobook
  • Oddkins “lower price” CD audiobook
  • Saga of Seven Suns Book 3: Horizon Storms by Kevin J. Anderson image to Ephemera

The Book Riot Podcast Episode 323: Canary of Disruption

August 5, 2019

The second story they discuss is Dean’s recent deal with Amazon. It’s not the best discussion as they don’t seem to be all that familiar with Dean or his work, but it does cover the issues rather well in general.

What’s New & Updated July 28, 2019

July 28, 2019

This update’s a day early since starting tomorrow I’m going completely off-line all week for a much needed break. As a result of the prep for that there’s not much this time around and please don’t expect much in the way of an update next time either.

What’s New & Updated July 22, 2019

July 22, 2019

Well, what I wasn’t expecting to include in this week’s update was pages for two forthcoming books with Amazon as the publisher. But hey, some surprises are wonderful ones.

Dean Koontz Signs New Five-Book Deal with Amazon Publishing

July 22, 2019

SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Amazon Publishing (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced it has signed international best-selling author Dean Koontz for a five-book deal and a collection of six short thrillers. Thomas & Mercer will publish the first book, Devoted, next spring, and Nameless, the short thriller collection, will be available from Amazon Original Stories for free to Prime and Kindle Unlimited customers on November 12th.

“For many years, I have enjoyed a wonderful relationship with Brilliance Audio, an Amazon company, and later with Amazon Original Stories,” says Dean Koontz. “Although there were numerous options for the future, it was most natural to sign with the team at Amazon Publishing, which presented a marketing and publicity plan smarter and more ambitious than anything I’d ever seen before. This new arrangement is so exciting, I’ve been creatively rejuvenated. The times are changing, and it’s invigorating to be where change is understood and embraced.”

“We are honored Dean has chosen Amazon Publishing to bring his newest work to readers,” says Mikyla Bruder, Publisher of Amazon Publishing. “Building on the success of Dean’s Amazon Charts best-selling short story, Ricochet Joe, our first publication together, we’re excited to expand our relationship with five new books from Thomas & Mercer and an episodic collection of short thrillers from Amazon Original Stories, delivering the kind of exhilarating and deeply resonant suspense his millions of fans expect and we know new readers will love.”

Source: BusinessWire.com

Also covered by… (I’ll add to this list as articles appear)

Happy 74th birthday Dean!

July 9, 2019

Image: FriskyDingo

What’s New & Updated July 8, 2019

July 8, 2019

I’ve yet to force myself to sit down and get those Frankenstein comics done. I’ll just have to start chipping away at those each morning this week with a hope to get them all in for next week’s update.

In the meantime, check out the first link below for more details on that John W. Campbell letter I blogged last week.

Dean wrote a Python book?

June 28, 2019

Normally a new entry doesn’t get it’s own blog post too, but this one’s just too fun…

Recently the online article “What Occurs After Amazon’s Domination Is Entire? Its Book shop Presents Clues” by Viraj Shah (June 24, 2019) discussed the number of bootleg book being sold on Amazon.com. He says:

‘One ebook, moreover known as “Python Rupture Route,” is an thoroughly doubtful effort. On its front quilt is a distorted label appropriated from the respected publisher McGraw Hill but subtly modified to “RcGraw Hill.” The ebook sides a biography of Alexis Jordan, its purported author, on the assist quilt that became stolen from the in style suspense author Dean Koontz. (“His novels are broadly described as suspense thrillers,” and many others.) Internal, there would possibly per chance be a completely a quantity of biography plagiarized from Jürgen Scheible, a German media artist.’

The book in question is titled Python Crash Course by Alexis Jordan. I was able to purchase a print copy of this book which was removed from Amazon by the time my copy arrived just two days later.

Yep, check out the author bio on the back:

Dean Koontz to only sign new releases by Jon Torres

June 24, 2019

My trips to Book Carnival in Tustin, California are usually exciting. Known as a mystery and suspense bookstore, it has always had a special relationship with Dean Koontz. Part of that special relationship has included the ability for fans to drop off a limited number of books for Dean to sign while he signs his latest release.

That has now changed.

On May 29th, 2019, while picking up The Night Window and some additional books, I was told by Anne Saller, owner of Book Carnival, that Dean would no longer sign additional books. While his health “is good”, it is getting difficult for him to sign so many books. This was evident by the signature in my copy of Detours. (Above) While the news of only new releases being signed was sobering, it was tempered with better news. According to Anne, Dean has already finished three more books.

[I’d been wondering about this myself since there was not a pre-signed edition of The Night Window released as had been with all previous Jane Hawk novels. –Michael]

7,000 Books And Magazines Are Banned In Kansas Prisons. (Including Dean’s) by Nomin Ujiyediin

June 20, 2019

“A Clockwork Orange.” “Invisible Man.” “Twelve Years a Slave.”

Issues of Bloomberg Businessweek, Us Weekly, Elle.

“Excel 2016 for Dummies.” “Tarot Fundamentals.” “Electrical Theory.”

Over the past 15 years, the Kansas Department of Corrections banned those titles, and about 7,000 others, from its prisons across the state.

The department says it censors books and magazines that could threaten security. But others argue that the size of the list and the broad topics covered under censorship guidelines limit inmates’ education, make their time in prison that much less bearable and further cut them off from an outside world to which they’ll eventually return.

Interim corrections secretary Chuck Simmons said the department prioritizes safety over giving inmates an unlimited selection of books and magazines.

“We censor based on the impact, or potential impact, on the security and operations of the correctional facility,” he said. “There are other publications that the inmate has access to that can accomplish the same purpose in their education or rehabilitation goals.”

…

“Ultimately, it comes down to control of the population, which I think is especially reflected in the breathtaking array of books that Kansas has made a decision to ban,” she said in a phone interview. “Most of them, I think that the general population would agree are very nonsensical.”

The list includes biographies of musicians such as Kurt Cobain and Tupac, memoirs by raunchy comedians Richard Pryor and Lenny Bruce and novels by bestselling authors like Nora Roberts and Dean Koontz.

Also banned are issues of comics like “Deadpool” and “The Walking Dead,” Japanese manga, and books and magazines about LGBTQ topics.

Listen to & read the full artice @ KCUR.org

Here’s the full list:

Darkle

June 10, 2019

In the past few weeks I’ve seen several tweets about this new word Dean coined in The Night Window: darkle. For the record, according to Merriam-Webster this word has been in the English language since 1800 and does not mean “to sparkle darkly.”

Stopping time

June 4, 2019

Cheryl sent me the following question but her email address bounced my answer. So, in case they see it here…

Q: Please tell me the name of the book where the villain can stop time? I can’t remember it or find. Thank you!

A: I believe you’re thinking of Dragon Tears.

The Cooper Color Codes

May 30, 2019

Early on in The Night Window the “Cooper Color Codes” are mentiond. What are they?

The most important means of surviving a lethal confrontation, according to Cooper, is neither the weapon nor the martial skills. The primary tool is the combat mindset, set forth in his book, Principles of Personal Defense.

The color code, as originally introduced by Jeff Cooper, had nothing to do with tactical situations or alertness levels, but rather with one’s state of mind. As taught by Cooper, it relates to the degree of peril you are willing to do something about and which allows you to move from one level of mindset to another to enable you to properly handle a given situation. Cooper did not claim to have invented anything in particular with the color code, but he was apparently the first to use it as an indication of mental state.

The following is from The Carry Book: Minnesota Edition, 2011:

White: Unaware and unprepared. If attacked in Condition White, the only thing that may save you is the inadequacy or ineptitude of your attacker. When confronted by something nasty, your reaction will probably be “Oh my God! This can’t be happening to me.”

Yellow: Relaxed alert. No specific threat situation. Your mindset is that “today could be the day I may have to defend myself”. You are simply aware that the world is a potentially unfriendly place and that you are prepared to defend yourself, if necessary. You use your eyes and ears, and realize that “I may have to shoot today”. You don’t have to be armed in this state, but if you are armed you should be in Condition Yellow. You should always be in Yellow whenever you are in unfamiliar surroundings or among people you don’t know. You can remain in Yellow for long periods, as long as you are able to “Watch your six.” (In aviation 12 o’clock refers to the direction in front of the aircraft’s nose. Six o’clock is the blind spot behind the pilot.) In Yellow, you are “taking in” surrounding information in a relaxed but alert manner, like a continuous 360 degree radar sweep. As Cooper put it, “I might have to shoot.”

Orange: Specific alert. Something is not quite right and has your attention. Your radar has picked up a specific alert. You shift your primary focus to determine if there is a threat (but you do not drop your six). Your mindset shifts to “I may have to shoot that person today”, focusing on the specific target which has caused the escalation in alert status. In Condition Orange, you set a mental trigger: “If that person does “X”, I will need to stop them”. Your pistol usually remains holstered in this state. Staying in Orange can be a bit of a mental strain, but you can stay in it for as long as you need to. If the threat proves to be nothing, you shift back to Condition Yellow.

Red: Condition Red is fight. Your mental trigger (established back in Condition Orange) has been tripped. “If ‘X’ happens I will shoot that person” — ‘X’ has happened, the fight is on.

The USMC uses “Condition Black,” although it was not originally part of Cooper’s color code.[7] According to Massad Ayoob, “Condition Black,” in Cooper’s youth, meant “combat in progress.”

In short, the color code helps one “think” in a fight. As the level of danger increases, one’s willingness to take certain actions increases. If one ever does go to Condition Red, the decision to use lethal force has already been made — the “mental trigger” has been tripped.[citation needed]

The following are some of Cooper’s additional comments on the subject.

Considering the principles of personal defense, we have long since come up with the color code. This has met with surprising success in debriefings throughout the world. The color code, as we preach it, runs white, yellow, orange, and red, and is a means of setting one’s mind into the proper condition when exercising lethal violence, and is not as easy as I had thought at first.

There is a problem in that some students insist upon confusing the appropriate color with the amount of danger evident in the situation. As I have long taught, you are not in any color state because of the specific amount of danger you may be in, but rather in a mental state which enables you to take a difficult psychological step. Now, however, the government has gone into this and is handing out color codes nationwide based upon the apparent nature of a peril. It has always been difficult to teach the Gunsite color code, and now it is more so.

We cannot say that the government’s ideas about colors are wrong, but that they are different from what we have long taught here. The problem is this: your combat mind-set is not dictated by the amount of danger to which you are exposed at the time. Your combat mind-set is properly dictated by the state of mind you think appropriate to the situation. You may be in deadly danger at all times, regardless of what the Defense Department tells you. The color code which influences you does depend upon the willingness you have to jump a psychological barrier against taking irrevocable action. That decision is less hard to make since the jihadis have already made it.

He further simplified things in 2005:

In White you are unprepared and unready to take lethal action. If you are attacked in White you will probably die unless your adversary is totally inept.

In Yellow you bring yourself to the understanding that your life may be in danger and that you may have to do something about it.

In Orange you have determined upon a specific adversary and are prepared to take action which may result in his death, but you are not in a lethal mode.

In Red you are in a lethal mode and will shoot if circumstances warrant.

Wikipedia contributors. (2019, March 8). Jeff Cooper. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 01:15, May 30, 2019, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jeff_Cooper&oldid=886739823

Hideaway on Blu-Ray

May 9, 2019

Hideaway has finally received a Blu-ray release from Cinema Cult. Sadly, for me at least, it’s Region 2, so it’s not going to play in the US without some jiggering of your hardware/software. (Amazon.co.uk) Of course, I’ll probably buy a copy anyway and it’ll be going into the site this week.

Cinematic Randomness has a review of the release.

Looks like I’m still on the mailing list.

May 6, 2019