Pick me a Dean Koontz book

Tornadoboy

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I recently pillaged my local thrift store and cleared them out of a collection of hardcover Dean Koontz novels, and I was wondering if my fellow Koontz fans could recommend the best one out of the bunch for me to start with? Here's what I've got:

The Eyes of Darkness
The Mask
Cold Fire
Darkfall
The Bad Place
Dark Rivers of the Heart
Intensity
Sole Survivor
Shadowfires

I also picked up Whispers, Phantoms and The Funhouse but I'm going to save those for last since I've seen the movies based upon them.
 

aadams73

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I'm a big fan of Dark Rivers. I've read it several times now.
 

kristie911

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Of those, Intensity was my favorite. I've read it several times. But The Bad Place was pretty good too.
 

kristie911

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If you had picked up, From the Corner of his Eye, I would have recommended that above all.

Seriously? I thought that was the worst Koontz book I've ever read. In fact, it was so bad I haven't read a Koontz book since! :roll:
 

Ziljon

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WOw, Kristie, I'm surprised. From the Corner of his Eye was actually the first Koontz book I ever read. I was so excited by it that I read three more in succession, (Sole Survivor was one of them).

I was amazed by the scope of FTCOHE, from Koontz's adept handling of so many characters and plot lines, and I loved the way little Barty Crouch could "walk where it wasn't raining."

But at least we're in agreement about Ali™, the weight loss drug!:)
 

Siddow

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I just wanted to say I'm envious that you have all those in hardcover.

And I vote Intensity. But again, I've never read a Koontz book I didn't like.
 

Carrie in PA

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Seriously? I thought that was the worst Koontz book I've ever read. In fact, it was so bad I haven't read a Koontz book since! :roll:


The Husband is the Worst. Koontz. Book. Ever. He's one of my favorite authors and I despised that book. Meh.

Of the choices above, I liked Intensity best. My all-time favorite Koontz book is Watchers. (The movie is in no way, shape or form even vaguely related to the book.)
 

Foinah

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From your collection I say go with The Bad Place first. Go out and find Twilight Eyes (awesome!!!!) and Watchers is also one of my favorites.
Carrie, is it wrong that a stupid little Mickey Mouse doll makes me tear up?? Poor beastie.

For a while I think Koontz had a ghost writer -- his stuff was absolute shite the last ten years. Too predictable and simple plot rehash of his other books. What was the one a couple of years ago where hell came to earth? Satan attacked the astronauts in space and the world went dark and foggy (dead people coming back to pay a visit)...my Goddess that book sucked the life out of me. Ugh.

Odd Thomas was good.
 

kristie911

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I was amazed by the scope of FTCOHE, from Koontz's adept handling of so many characters and plot lines, and I loved the way little Barty Crouch could "walk where it wasn't raining."

I'll admit he had decent characters in the book but it was like the book that wouldn't end. It never went anywhere, it wasn't exciting. It just dragged on and on and on and on. I almost didn't bother to finish it. I only kept going because it was Koontz and I'd never read anything of his that I didn't like and it had to get better, right? Nope, I was wrong. I didn't get better.

Everything before that I loved. I'm not sure what happened but his recent writing isn't anything like his older stuff.
 

My-Immortal

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Intensity

(and the movie-or at least the 4 hour TV movie made from it back in 1997 with John C. McGinley, the actor that plays Dr. Cox on Scrubs as the villain....was pretty good too - in looking up his name, I see he was also in the movie version of Sole Survivor)
 
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Intensity was round about the time I stopped jumping on Koontz books as soon as they appeared in the libraries or shops. He seems a bit..."Let me describe this in excruciating detail with really big, obscure words," these days.
 

Tornadoboy

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Intensity was round about the time I stopped jumping on Koontz books as soon as they appeared in the libraries or shops. He seems a bit..."Let me describe this in excruciating detail with really big, obscure words," these days.

Yeah I know what you mean, sometimes he gets a little long-winded, or as my uncle puts it about such things "Stop describing the damn bridge, and just cross it!"

I think Intensity is going to be it since it seems to have gotten the most votes, followed by The Bad Place.
 

Dawno

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I actually enjoyed the Odd Thomas books - Odd Thomas, Forever Odd, Brother Odd. My best friend at work usually hands off his Koontz books to me when he's done with them but those are the only ones I bought for myself.
 

RumpleTumbler

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Odd Thomas was pretty good. If you are currently living in one of the places where there is a heat wave I'd hold off till the winter. If you think it's hot where you are just wait till you get to Pico Mundo.