Latest Posts
Dean Koontz on the 50th Anniversary of His First Novel, Star Quest
January 22, 2018
50 years! Wow! And to get Dean speaking on the record about his early SF work, that’s a rarity these days. But SyFy Wire has done it.
How did Star Quest come about and what was the inspiration for the story?
Dean Koontz: As a kid, all I read was science fiction. I started out with probably the Heinlein juvenile, young adult novels and then just read, read, read constantly in the field. So by the time I was graduating college it was very natural for me that that would be the genre I wanted to write it. And I had sold a number of short stories first, but I can’t remember where that idea came from for that novel. All I know is that I wrote it over a summer between teaching jobs. I had no agent, you just sent things over the transom in those days. I sent it to Ace Books and they made me an offer for it.
One thing I vividly remember is that at that time, Ace paid $1,500 for one half of an Ace Double. They came back to me and said, “We can’t pay you $1,500 because your novel is short, so we’re gonna have to pay the guy on the other side of the double, $1,750, so we can only pay you $1,250.” It was the first time I had ever sold anything in book length so I jumped at that and said, alright, I’ll take the $1,250! Some years went by and I was still writing only in the science fiction genre and was somewhere where I ran into the author who was on the other side of that double. I said to him jokingly, that because of you I had to take $1,250 instead of $1,500. And he said, “What do you mean? They told me mine was shorter. I’d have to take $1,250!” I discovered we’d each been chiseled out of $250. Which explained to me why, when I looked at the book, it didn’t seem to me that his was a lot longer than mine. And it was a little warning that there were certain publishers in the world that would save the $500 at the risk of annoying the hell out of the writer down the road. That’s my biggest memory of that. I do sometimes say if I’d just thought of calling it Star Trek instead of Star Quest, maybe I would have been famous long before. (Laughs)
Read the full interview @ SyFy.com
Ricochet Joe out today
January 18, 2018
Can an ordinary guy make extraordinary choices in a battle between humanity and unearthly evil?
Joe Mandel is a perfectly ordinary guy from a perfectly ordinary town—a college student and community volunteer who dreams of one day publishing a novel. When a series of strange intuitions leads him to a crime in progress, Joe jumps headlong into danger without hesitation. In the aftermath, he wonders about the uncanny impulse that suddenly swept over him.
Until new friend Portia Montclair, the strangely wise daughter of the local police chief, explains to him what sent him ricocheting around town like a crazy pinball. Portia tells of another reality, a reality more thrilling—and terrifying—than Joe ever imagined. Timeless, elemental forces of good and evil have come to the quiet town of Little City: a cosmic entity capable of infecting human beings, and the seeker who has chosen Joe to find it.
To stop the malevolent invader, this average Joe must be braver than he ever thought possible…and face the hardest decisions of his life.
Kindle eBook out now.
Audible audiobook out now.
MP3-CD audiobook out on 3/27/18
The National, November/December 2017
December 26, 2017
Got one!
Anti-Man in Italian circa 1970
December 24, 2017
Cose belle che compro qua e là #Urania #libri #fantascienza #robertheinlein #robertsilverberg #deankoontz #edmondhamilton pic.twitter.com/LR8FoZTjxu
— Futuro3º (@futuro3o) December 24, 2017
Dean's art collection
December 23, 2017
I know that Dean owns a lot of art. Looks like this one piece in his collection…
https://twitter.com/OliviaMagdelene/status/617155868149334016
https://twitter.com/OliviaMagdelene/status/835937265222356993
Ricochet Joe
December 22, 2017
Can an ordinary guy make extraordinary choices in a battle between humanity and unearthly evil?
Joe Mandel is a perfectly ordinary guy from a perfectly ordinary town—a college student and community volunteer who dreams of one day publishing a novel. When a series of strange intuitions leads him to a crime in progress, Joe jumps headlong into danger without hesitation. In the aftermath, he wonders about the uncanny impulse that suddenly swept over him.
Until new friend Portia Montclair, the strangely wise daughter of the local police chief, explains to him what sent him ricocheting around town like a crazy pinball. Portia tells of another reality, a reality more thrilling—and terrifying—than Joe ever imagined. Timeless, elemental forces of good and evil have come to the quiet town of Little City: a cosmic entity capable of infecting human beings, and the seeker who has chosen Joe to find it.
To stop the malevolent invader, this average Joe must be braver than he ever thought possible…and face the hardest decisions of his life.
Pre-order now for a 28 December 2017 release.
Kindle In Motion
This book can be read on any device, including Kindle E-readers. Kindle in Motion books include art, animation, or video features that can be viewed on certain Fire tablets and the free Kindle app for iOS and Android. You can switch features on or off at any time. Learn more
Travis McBee: My Dean Koontz Collection
December 22, 2017
Step right into a world of books. I need more.
Originally published on Dec 18, 2017
NoOne Reviews Odd Thomas
December 22, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4X98evc9sgk
“The dead don’t talk, I don’t know why.” But they do try to communicate, with a short-order cook in a small desert town serving as their reluctant confidant. Meet Odd Thomas, the unassuming young hero of Dean Koontz’s dazzling New York Times bestseller, a gallant sentinel at the crossroads of life and death who offers up his heart in these pages and will forever capture yours.
Sometimes the silent souls who seek out Odd want justice. Occasionally their otherworldly tips help him prevent a crime. but his time it’s different. A stranger comes to Pico Mundo, accompanied by a horde of hyena-like shades who herald an imminent catastrophe. Aided by his soul mate, Stormy Llewellyn, and an unlikely community of allies that includes the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Odd will race against time to thwart the gathering evil his account of these shattering hours, in which past and present, fate and destiny, converge, is a testament by which in live – an unforgettable fable for our time destined to rank among Dean Koontz’s’ most enduring works.
Originally published on Dec 13, 2017
The Crooked Staircase cover art released
December 19, 2017
Buster's book reviews volume 2 (Odd Thomas)
December 16, 2017
Because.
Interview: Dean Koontz Takes Readers On A ‘Techno-Thriller’ Ride In His New ‘Jane Hawk’ Series
December 10, 2017
Master of suspense Dean Koontz has done it again. Written a new series, that is, a techno-thriller from the darker corners of his imagination.
Meet his latest character, Jane Hawk, introduced in “The Silent Corner” in June and continuing now in “The Whispering Room” and in next year’s “The Crooked Staircase” (May).
Jane, 27, is a resourceful, street-savvy FBI agent who takes a leave of absence to investigate the apparent suicide of her husband. What she discovers is a conspiracy at the highest levels of government and the tech industry—an insidious scheme involving nano brain implants that rob people of their will, turning them into virtual slaves or maneuvering them to kill themselves in the most horrific ways.
The action is fast, emotions and tension run high, and there are casualties. Soon the resolute Jane is declared a rogue FBI agent, then becomes the nation’s most wanted fugitive. Readers are right there with her as she ingeniously survives a series of close encounters in her quest to unveil the truth one piece at a time.
At this stage in his 50-year career, Koontz, 72, is writing at his most expressive and compelling as he follows Jane on her calculated yet obsessive journey. As Koontz once told me, “I give my characters free will and see where things will go.” Clearly, there is no stopping Jane Hawk.
Koontz, a former high school English teacher, is the New York Times best-selling author of more than 100 novels (16 made into movies) with 450 million copies in print in 38 languages.
That’s superstar status, yet he chooses to live under the radar (he no longer tours, for instance) in Newport Beach with his wife of 50 years, high-school sweetheart Gerda Ann Cerra, their golden retriever, Anna, and “the enduring spirit” of their late golden, Trixie.
I asked Koontz about the new series via email. Visit him at www.deankoontz.com and follow him on Twitter: @deankoontz.
Read the full interview @ capradio.org
The various ISBNs of The Whispering Room
December 10, 2017
Full story below.
TL;DR:
There are four different ISBNs for the trade hardcover of The Whispering Room. They are:
Version 1:
Bantam Trade Hardcover, ISBN: 9780345546807
Version 2:
Target Signed Hardcover, ISBN: 9780525486428
Version 3:
Barnes & Noble / Books-A-Million Online Signed Hardcover, ISBN: 9780525486411
Version 4:
Barnes & Noble In-store Signed Hardcover, ISBN: 9780525486244
The fun part is that they all share the same copyright page with the same ISBN that matches the one on the dust jacket of the un-signed trade hardcover…
The long version:
As with other recent titles like The City, Innocence, and The Sielent Corner, there have been pre-signed copies made available through Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and Target. In previous cases, the B&N/BAM copies and the Target copies have each had their own custom ISBN on the dust jackets. This time (and hopefully not previously) there was seemingly another factor: in-store vs. online and Barnes & Noble (and maybe BAM too…?)
Here’s how I cam to discover this:
I pre-ordered everything online. I managed to mistakenly order two copies of the B&N/BAM edition from B&N so when they both arrived I figured that I’d just return one of them for a refund. But, I also noticed that neither of my online-ordered copies had “signed copy” stickers on them and, for maybe the first time ever, I was disappointed in their not being a sticker on the book.
But, I had seen signed copies in my local B&N with stickers so now I wanted to return both of my un-stickered copies and get one w/ a sticker. One return, one exchange. Not wanting to try to explain all of this to my friendly neighborhood bookseller, I figured I’d make two trips, the first for an exchange, the second for a return.
But first I called one of the local stores to make sure they stll had signed copies on hand. I was told they did not, and that no other stored in town did either. Well, I guess I’d return on on this trip, then the other on another trip. So off to B&N I went…
When I arrived, I took a chance and looked on the front-of-store octagon and found five signed copies! (Bookseller fail.) So, I’m back to my original exchange plan. Signed & sitickered copy in one hand, signed un-stickered copy & receipt in the other, I headed for the cashwrap. A simple exchange the I and the bookseller assumed. But wait! The ISBNs don’t match! (Ok, now my collector’s Spidey-sense is tingling but I’m not going to try to explain this to the bookseller. It’s already too complicated.)
Manager called & more confusion ensues. In the end I get my in-store, signed, and stickered copy and I still have a signed, un-stickered, online copy. Two different ISBNs on the dust jackets. All because I accidentally ordered to copies online in the first place.
(As a follow-up I did find a signed copy in a Target and its ISBN matched the one I ordered online.)
However, I can’t confirm that all online copies weren’t stickered, nor can I confirm that all in-store copies were, nor whether Books-A-Million stores had yet another ISBN. (Thinking no but I no longer have one within a reasonable driving distance to check.)
In the end, here’s hoping that the previous titles didn’t have a unique B&N in-store ISBN as I really don’t want to have to go hunting for copies.
If you know something I don’t about all this, please, as always, leave a comment.
Dean Koontz's Frankenstein at the Art Gallery of Ontario
December 10, 2017
[tweet https://twitter.com/joeypurple/status/939161153686695937]
Dean Koontz and the Russian on the Train
December 6, 2017
The December 2017 / January 2018 issue of Amtrak’s magazine The National contains a new essay by Dean titled “Dean Koontz and the Russian on the Train” about the inspiration behind House of Thunder.
Here’s just a sample:
On one occasion, making the journey alone, I found myself seated beside a personable Russian dressed in a sharp blue suit. I wore bellbottom jeans with decorative buttons, a psychedelic shirt and a suede jacket with fringe. The spirit of the late ’60s still inebriated the nation. A few others on the train looked as foolish as I did, and my Russian seatmate wasn’t put off by my outfit.
Leonid spoke fluent, accented English and was an excellent conversationalist. When riding a train, I usually enjoyed the scenery or read a magazine. Leonid wasn’t the first interesting traveler I’d met, but certainly the most engaging. When he learned I was a writer, he declared, “I have a wonderful story idea for you.”
Luckily, you can read the whole thing online at AmtrakTheNational.com.
Tobe Hooper on "The Funhouse"
December 4, 2017
Published on Feb 10, 2017
The Funhouse (Extra footage from the TV version)
December 4, 2017
Published on Jul 21, 2012
The Silent Corner video review
December 4, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f1JQYJnhDw
Published on Jun 21, 2017
The City review
December 4, 2017
Published on Nov 27, 2017
Silence Kills
December 4, 2017
Just found some online ads & a review for the Italian edition of The Silent Corner. Sharing just for fun.
Source: @Time_Crime
The Silent Corner and The Whispering Room Charnel House Updates
December 4, 2017
The Silent Corner by Dean Koontz is at the bindery and should ship at the end of December. I am sorry for the long delay on this title. Greg Campbell has bound the Charnel House editions by hand for the past couple of decades and I felt it a prudent decision to wait for him to set up shop in his new location.That said, these books don’t like to adhere to the schedules I set for them. This title fought me tooth and nail and I would like to thank my customers who have had great patience with me as well as the want of a fine hand made book. A pre-order E-blast will go out later this month for The Whispering Room by Dean Koontz which is already in production.
Source: Charnel House