Latest Posts
Loads Of Women Running From Houses: The Gothic Romance Paperback
June 28, 2014
I was hoping at least one Deanna Dwyer cover would have made an appearance but alas not.
THE Gothic horror tradition can be traced back to any number of sources. Mathew Lewis’ Monk is probably the best starting point: it has every Gothic convention you can imagine: darkened tombs, black misty forests, haunted hallways, satanic clergy. It would make one helluva movie, but it’s so nonlinear that I honestly don’t see how you could translate it to a screenplay.
It was Ann Radcliff’s The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794) that really serves as the impetus for the “women running from houses” genre. What exactly is the “women running from houses” genre? I’m glad you asked. It refers to Gothic romance novels (generally paperback) which WITHOUT EXCEPTION pictured a woman running from a house on the cover. It’s really a bit insane when you think about it: for several decades an entire genre (a quite popular one at that) featured the exact same cover with very little variation. It’s mental.
Read the full article @ Anorak.co.uk.
‘Odd Thomas’ did a lot to prove that ‘odd’ can still be a lot of fun
June 28, 2014
Here’s a late-comer to the Odd Thomas film reviews.
With this film, ‘Odd Thomas,’ it was more because of a legal issue that it wasn’t able to succeed on the big screen.That mainly has to do with the fact that it was never given a chance to.Overall, though, it is a shame because I would have liked to see how the public would have received a film like this.
Read the full review @ Maryville Daily Forum.
Another The City giveaway
June 28, 2014
Random House has copies to give away. Head over to Random House Reader’s Circle to enter.
'Odd Thomas’ And The Historical Roots Of Bodachs
June 28, 2014
Being a monster nut, I was particularly intrigued by the bodachs. I knew the name “bodach” sounded familiar, so after I watched the film I went to my little library of monster books and started flipping through them. As it turns out, “bodach” is an old Scottish term for a “bogeyman” – and of course, “bogeyman” is in itself just a variant of “boggard” or “boggart” – a type of goblin or household spirit. However, the bodach isn’t just any goblin. Even in Scottish folklore, they can appear as omens of death.
Read the full article @ Suvudu.com.
Charnel House editions of The City now available for ordering
June 25, 2014
Interesting marketing for Saint Odd
June 25, 2014
From the recent “Random Revelations” newsletter/advertisement from Random House aimed at librarians: Saint Odd marketed as an “adult book for teens.” Discuss…
Lots of Intensity
June 20, 2014
I think the one title that I have the most number of editions of is Intensity. Here’s a slideshow of all of the editions in my collection and some related material. (In no particular order.)
Dean Welcomes You to The City
June 14, 2014
Horror in Vancouver: Jeff Goldblum and that Aerosmith chick in Britannia Mine
June 14, 2014
Vancouver has not been kind to Dean Koontz.
First you had his awesome 1987 suspense novel, Watchers, being turned into a godawful Corey Haim vehicle up here in 1988.
Then seven years later you had his fine 1982 supernatural thriller, Hideaway, becoming the type of B.C.-shot trainwreck he tried to sue to get his name off of.
As the Vancouver correspondent for Fangoria when they shot Hideaway back in 1994, I had no idea it was going to wind up being crap. I just wanted to go on the local set and hang out with Jeff Goldblum for a while.
Not to mention that young lady from those hugely popular Aerosmith videos, Alicia Silverstone.
So here’s a shortened version of the set-visit piece I wrote for Fango 20 years ago. Please don’t feel like you have to actually watch Hideaway after reading it.
Read the full article @ Straight.com.
Trio of quality books explore facets of faith
June 14, 2014
Best-selling novelist Dean Koontz frequently includes spiritual struggles in his novels, and Innocence (Bantam Books, 2014, 338 pages, $28) is no exception. Here we meet Addison Goodheart, a young man driven to live beneath the streets of a great city because his face repels his fellow human beings. Raised by an alcoholic mother who could barely stand the sight of him, and then adopted by a man with a similar likeness, Addison survives by emerging from his shelter only at night, hiding his face and avoiding contact with people.
Until he meets Gwyneth. She is a young girl, an heiress, who is being pursued by a maniac who wants what remains of her fortune. Together she and Addison fight back against this man and his thugs. While we follow them in their flight through the city, Addison sees what he calls the Clears and the Fogs, which seem to be angels and demons.
To reveal more of the plot of Innocence would give away the ending. Suffice it to say that Koontz, like Evans, is not for everyone, but again he clearly appeals to tens of thousands of readers.
Read the full article @ Smoky Mountain News.
Demon Seed trade paperback out in 2015
June 14, 2014
Amazon.com has listed a Berkley trade paperback edition of Demon Seed with a release date of 6 January 2015. ISBN: 978-0425253816, cover price $15.00. No cover art yet.
A few more Cemetery Dance eBay auctions
June 11, 2014
Don’t worry, I already own these items so you won’t be bidding against me. 😉
- Seize The Night by Dean Koontz (Signed Limited Edition)
- Dark Rivers of The Heart by Dean Koontz (Signed Limited Edition)
- October Dreams edited by Richard Chizmar and Robert Morrish (Signed Limited Edition)
Two more MacDonald intros out today
June 10, 2014
Today sees the release of John D. MacDonald’s All These Condemned and Dead Low Tide with introductions by Dean. As previously, all of these books contain the same essay by Dean so there’s no need to buy for “new” material by Dean.
Signed copies of Saint Odd available
June 7, 2014
Barnes & Noble now has signed copies of Saint Odd available for pre-order on their Web site.
The City's Reading Group Guide
June 6, 2014
Did you notice the recently posted “Reading Group Guide” for The City that’s been posted over at DeanKoontz.com? Here’s one of the included questions:
10. Consider the role of race and identity throughout the narrative, and what it means to different characters. Think about Jonah’s narration as an African American boy coming of age during a time of national unrest, when race riots were the norm. What special insights into the era did you gain from Jonah’s unique perspective? Did anything about his attitude or his family’s attitude about race surprise you? What did you make of Mr. Yoshioka’s Manzanar “posse” and the relationships among them? How did the core values of the various characters inform their approach to this element of their lives?
A Designer Fights the Small Screen
June 6, 2014
Mr. Kalomirakis, 58, known as a pioneer of the modern home theater, has created hundreds of such projects across the globe through his 24-year-old company, TK Theaters. His clients include Eddie Murphy, Seth MacFarlane, Dean Koontz and Judd Apatow, among others. The creations cost $200,000 to $10 million, including a design fee of up to $100 a square foot.
Read the full article @ The Wall Street Journal.
If you’re interested in seeing photos of, and reading more about the theater he built for Dean, check out the book Great Escapes: New Designs for Home Theaters.
Social Justice
June 6, 2014
Would you like an advance copy of The City?
June 3, 2014
If you’re a LibraryThing member their June 2014 batch of early reviewer copies includes The City. No guarantees you’ll get one if you request, and chances are it won’t arrive until after the book is officially released, but it would be a nice addition to your collection, wouldn’t it?
The Neighbor is available
June 3, 2014
Don’t forget the eBook The Neighbor is out today and available from most major eBook sources.
More on the Dynamite Comics news
May 31, 2014
Well, not too much more as most of the articles are repeating the same information, but I post them here for the record anyway.
- Dynamite Does A Deal For Shaft And Koontz – Bleeding Cool
- Dynamite Signs Big Dean With Well Known Author Dean Koontz – The Outhousers
- Dean Koontz Extends Deal With Dynamite – Bloody Disgusting