King and Koontz

I've read both and like reading both. In terms of the ideas, there's some similarity, but in terms of writing style, they're very different.

I don't think they write much alike. King is a great writer, but I actually enjoy reading Koontz's work more. I guess he could have been influenced by King, but I really don't think their styles are all that similar.

Actually, Koontz was published a lot earlier than the late '80s. His _Demon Seed_ was published by Bantam in June, 1973. Part of the confusion may stem from the fact that he wrote under a lot of pen names before settling into the success of the Koontz name.

His first published novel was science fiction, in 1968. He also wrote romance under another name.

I really prefer his Brian Coffey books (_The Face of Fear_) etc., to the later Koontz.

Mo

King for me, he's brilliant. His stories are brilliant. His style is brilliant. He's simply brilliant.

Koontz has nice stories. I've only read two books by him though. Both were awesome stories. With both I disliked the writing. That's why I stuck with King.

I've read way too muck of the Koontz stuff, and if you read a bunch of his books they start to seem very similar or to utilize many of the same themes. If you haven't already bought one, I highly reccommend 'The Taking' to anyone who reads this. It's one of his best.

King/koontz

madderblue said:

First, I have to admit I've yet to read any Koontz. But the other day I watched Sole Survivor, his little mini series thingymabob. And I couldn't help thinking over and over 'this reeks of King!'

Is it just my imagination or does anyone else think the same thing?

I just did a very brief googling and found that Koontz's first book came out in the late 80's as opposed to Carrie which was published in what? '74? So maybe he was just heavily influenced by King.

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You need to read Koontz. You can't judge anything from a mini-seies, or a movie. Directors and screenwriters do whatever they like. King and Koontz have radically different styles, and darned few of their novels are anything alike. I wouldn't even call Sole Survivor horror fiction. I wouldn't call a great deal of Koontz's fiction "horror."

Koontz

My favorite Koontz novels are the Christopher Snow novels, beginning with "Fear Nothing." His earlier novels are mostly horror, and I think "Phantoms" is the best. I also love the way Dragon Tears is written.

His more recent novels have moved away from horror somewhat, and more into what might be called "weird suspense." I like them even better.

As Mo says, Koontz has published under many pseudonyms. They include:

Leigh Nichols
Anthony North
Owen West
David Axton
Aaron Wolfe
Brian Coffey
Richard Paige
John Hill
K.R. Dwyer
Deanna Dwyer
Bill Munster
Joe Lansdale

You may recognize several of these. I'm told there's at least one other pseudonym that Koontz still writes under, but that hasn't yet been discovered. As prolific as he is, generally putting in sixty or more hours per wekk, there may still be several pseudonyms out there waiting to be discovered.

At any rate, I love his writing, and some of the stuff he's doing right now is incredible, and truly different.

Oh my, the guy has too many names! Why so many?

I mean I can understand failing and having to restart with a new name, publishing in different genres and using different names. But 20 pen names?

names

Forbidden Snowflake said:

Oh my, the guy has too many names! Why so many?

I mean I can understand failing and having to restart with a new name, publishing in different genres and using different names. But 20 pen names?

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When you write sixty hours per week, and you write fairly fast, pseudonyms are a must. And when you enjoy writing in more than one genre, pseudonyms are also often a must. Koontz has always written in multiple genres.

I think Harlan Ellison has more than two dozen pseudonyms.

Some writers talk about Butt-in-Chair, and some practice it religiously.

Ok, so those are actually different genres?

And no, if you write so many hours/books pseudonyms aren't a must. Koontz sells, so if the books are all horror, I'd figure it'd be great to use Koontz, no?

But of course, as I said above, if in different genres it makes sense to use different names. I'd be horrified to pick up a Koontz and find myself reading a spaceship adventure.

King and Koontz are responsible for me wanting to write. I'm a big fan of both those fellows. I wonder if they're fans of each other?

I started reading both of them in high school, and I agree with what jbal said, about Koontz' themes, books all blending together when you read too much. I put him down in the mid 90's and only in the last year have I returned to his novels and it's like falling in love all over again. He's a master storyteller. And the details that they both choose fill me with awe.

I'll tell you what brought me back to Koontz. I was reading "Plot and Structure" by James Scott Bell, and he kept referring to "Midnight" by Dean Koontz. Like, over and over and over again. So I finally thought, okay, Mr. Bell, I'll frickin read it. Off to the library, read it one sitting, went back to the library and got another, went to the basement and pulled out the hardcovers, hit Amazon...I got re-hooked. He's one of the few writers I can read and just immerse myself in the story. I never think "Oh, that's an odd word, or cut it with the dialog tags, or do ya have another adverb in ya?" I can just read, and I love him for that experience.

Forbidden Snowflake said:

Ok, so those are actually different genres?

And no, if you write so many hours/books pseudonyms aren't a must. Koontz sells, so if the books are all horror, I'd figure it'd be great to use Koontz, no?

But of course, as I said above, if in different genres it makes sense to use different names. I'd be horrified to pick up a Koontz and find myself reading a spaceship adventure.

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Koontz does use a different pseudonym for each genre, but if you're too prolific you may need a pseudonym, even for a single genre. In most genres, it's bad business to have too many new books out with your name on them. You do not want your own books competing with each other.

Just because the Koontz name sells a horror novel does not mean it can sell six horror novels at the same time. Sales drop way down when a writer gets too many new books out at the same time. At most, a given writer can come out with four books per year, and this is really pushing the limit. Any more than this, and you'll probably have to use a pseudonym. And sometimes, with some publishers, two books per year is the limit they want to release under the same name.

Many a prolific writer has faced this problem. Soem writers use a pseudonym and write in another genre, but some also use a pseudonym within the same genre.

This can also happen with short stories. Some years ago, one of the SF magazines published an issue wherein every story was written by the same writer, but a different pseudonym was used on each.

The funny thing is that many wrote letters to the editor saying they liked this new writer, hated that one, and found another just all right, even though all the stories were by the same writer.

See, now I learned something, thank you

I like both King and Koontz, but as I get older, I tend to favor Koontz. King is definitely more graphic than Koontz, and is, in my view, the epitomy of a horror writer. Koontz is a little softer, and some of his work borders on scifi (i.e consider the concepts in "The Corner of His Eye"). In fact, I read somewhere that Koontz does not like to be considered a horror writer. Both have a fabulous knack for turning characters into genuine people. I know some will scoff at either King or Koontz, saying they are not "literary" enough, or are too formulatic (hmm...is that word?) But I have great respect for both gentlemen, and am in awe over the sheer number of books they publish.

I love both of these writers, but have an affinity for King. To me they are like apples and oranges. King's characterization and dialogue keep me turning page after page. I can 'see' Kings descriptions of the guys hanging out in front of the general store in outback Maine, as opposed to 'reading' how the palm fronds look in Orange County.
Its a definite each to their own.

I have to say that the first 'real' laugh I got from Koontz was in Velocity (which many people didn't enjoy)regarding the garden gnomes and the roof top incident.. That was pure 'funny' lol

I had no idea that Koontz wrote under so many pseudonyms!

Glad I popped in here.

And I think the Koontz book about a dog is The Watchers, which I thought was pretty decent.

madderblue said:

One reason I had never read Koontz before is because a friend of mine said she read 'something' by him about a 'dog' and it was so absolutely disgusting she couldn't even finish it. Then she went on to tell me he was just a real graphic horror writer. And I believed her and clucked my tongue as I passed over his name on the bookshelves.

Could she have possibly been thinking of King's Kujo?

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I find King to be far more graphic than Koontz. Maybe I've missed it, but nothing in Koontz has struck me as over the top graphic. His books are usually pretty mild.