Dean Koontz
There's nothing I like better than sitting down with a book that I know is going to scare the socks right off my big ol' feet. I tell most people this and their first reaction is predictable: "What's your favorite King?"
And then I have to make a statement that has gotten me in trouble more than once. I do not like Stephen King. I've only read a couple of his books, but I found them both to be boring and depressing.
Then I have to make another statement that gets me in trouble with many a book snob.
When I want a good horror novel, I turn to the one and only master: Dean Koontz.
Those who aren't fans roll their eyes and snicker, then ask me if I like the dog or the cop or the kid. I happen to like all three.
I can joke about Koontz. I know he has some predictability problems (the aforementioned dogs, kids and cops) and a few of his books (Demon Seed, Funhouse, and Coldfire for a start) are down right awful, but there's just something about his writing that makes me run out and buy his latest offering 20 seconds after the book store doors open. Sure, it might turn out to be a clunker, but that's a gamble I'm willing to take. Usually his stories are fast paced, imaginative, frightening and lovable. Where else can you get a package deal like that?
Personally, I think the man can turn a phrase like no one's business, all while keeping large amounts of irony just under the surface. I get a nice tingly feeling inside when I read "Tuesday was a fine California day, full of sunshine and promise, until Harry Lyon had to shoot someone at lunch." (first line of Dragon Tears). He's straightforward and wry, yet his belief in the goodness of humans shines through in most of his books.
I've tried to read other horror authors. They are generally too horrible for me. John Saul? His characters have no redeeming qualities. Anne Rice? Not my style at all. I'm not into the whole vampire thing. Jeffery Deaver? Ok, I love him, but wouldn't really call what he does horror. Dean Koontz is the only one who knows how to deliver absolutely impossible supernatural horror without making me lose faith in humanity. Despite the evil that populates his books, you can always count on the main characters to be good, decent people who you'd be privileged to call "friend." You can count on good winning over evil. It may be cheesy, but it's exactly what I need in a book.
Since Koontz is so prolific and his books vary in quality (the newer ones seem to be missing a spark and the really old ones are just plain bad), I'll give you the low down on my personal favorites.
Watchers is often cited as a Dean Koontz favorite. There's a reason for this. It has all the elements of a great story: romance, suspense, genetic manipulation and my favorite fictional dog.
The premise is pretty simple. A man is walking through a park and finds a dog that acts smarter than any dog has a right to act. Then the horror starts. The dog's being tracked by a monstrous beast and the guy has just found a woman he might be able to love. If you only read one Dean Koontz book, this should be it.
Lightening is another favorite of mine (and many others). In fact, Lightening was my very first Koontz and my very first "adult" book in general. Koontz uses his famous genre-bending skills to create a sci-fi horror novel that will be ruined if I say a single word more. That's the problem with reviewing a Koontz book. His stories are so full of surprises that more than a sentence would ruin the whole premise.
If you are looking for pure and simple horror, I'd recommend Phantoms or Strangers. Like all of Koontz's books they had me on the edge of my seat, but they also had a more brutal feel to them. Frankly, after reading Phantoms I had nightmares for months; always a good sign in a horror novel.