Working my way through Robert R McCammon's books at the moment. In the past few months I've devoured Swan Song, The Wolf's Hour, Stinger, Boy's Life, Gone South, Night Boat, and currently reading The Five. Tremendous stuff. Night Boat, one of his early ones, I thought was a bit patchy and cliched, but Boy's Life, though not strictly horror, is one of the best things I've read in a long time.
Working my way through Robert R McCammon's books at the moment. .
I think Koontz is one of the few writers out there who's much better than King. But Koontz really doesn't write horror, he writes suspense, and hardcore horror readers are often disappointed because they're expecting horror, even though he makes it clear that he doesn't.
If you're a true horror fan, Koontz is probably not the writer for you. If you're a true suspense fan, he's the best out there.
Tinman, I haven't read a really great horror novel in quite awhile. If you read The Stand you might enjoy Doctor Sleep to find out what is going on in the life of the original characters.
Thanks, JD. I wasn't a big fan of The Shining, but Dr Sleep was much better. I haven't read a really great horror novel in years. Guess someone on here needs to write one, don't they?
I just finished an ebook by Z Rider, called Suckers. I wasn't expecting much, but it was a pleasant surprise (though it's slow to develop and in parts there's too much detail). I'll give it a solid 3-3 1/2 stars. The ebook is still available on Amazon for free, so you might want to download it and give it a try.
Thanks for the recommendation Tinman.