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21st out of 63 books
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513 voters
Prodigal Son (Dean Koontz's Frankenstein #1)
The Barnes Noble Review
Dean Koontz's Frankenstein -- the author's first literary series -- is a nightmare-inspiring, modern-day retelling of Mary Shelley's 1818 horror classic. Coauthored with Kevin J. Anderson, the first installment in this four-volume saga pits a reanimated giant and two tenacious police detectives against the demented scientist who created him.
Dean Koontz's Frankenstein -- the author's first literary series -- is a nightmare-inspiring, modern-day retelling of Mary Shelley's 1818 horror classic. Coauthored with Kevin J. Anderson, the first installment in this four-volume saga pits a reanimated giant and two tenacious police detectives against the demented scientist who created him.
It's no
Paperback, 469 pages
Published
January 28th 2005
by Books on Tape
(first published 2005)
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Out of the last of the twilight came Deucalion with a suitcase, in clothes too heavy for the sultry night.
Koontz does a pretty good job of extrapolating the Frankenstein mythos. He doesn’t do much to alter the original history, but instead focuses on a “what if” scenario. What if Mary Shelley’s novel was an account of actual events? What if Victor and his creation were still around today? How could that have come about? What would they be doing? Etcetera. This kind of thing has a multitude of po...more
Koontz does a pretty good job of extrapolating the Frankenstein mythos. He doesn’t do much to alter the original history, but instead focuses on a “what if” scenario. What if Mary Shelley’s novel was an account of actual events? What if Victor and his creation were still around today? How could that have come about? What would they be doing? Etcetera. This kind of thing has a multitude of po...more
I occasionally get the urge to read a Koontz novel. Some of his earlier works like Watchers are quite exciting. I keep hoping his current novels will return to his earlier high standards. However his later books, Relentless being a prime example, simply do not work well and hints of a writer who may now be writing to a formula and for the money. I hope that's not true but it is my suspicion.
Dean's Koontz Frankenstein pastiche of which this is the first part does not reduce that fear. In fact, th...more
Dean's Koontz Frankenstein pastiche of which this is the first part does not reduce that fear. In fact, th...more
I really liked this story on Frankenstein yet I haven’t read the original so I can’t compare. I probably would have like a regular appearance from Deucalion (the first Frankenstein Monster) but he seems to be observing events from distance (or in the theatre). But he does come out more often towards the end and I’m hoping he will have a bigger part to play in next book.
I didn’t find the crime an ‘edge of you seat’ type drama but it was fascinating because it was a mixture of supernatural and se...more
I didn’t find the crime an ‘edge of you seat’ type drama but it was fascinating because it was a mixture of supernatural and se...more
May 31, 2008
Amanda
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Koontz fans/Frankenstein fans/horror lovers
Recommended to Amanda by:
My mom
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Mar 16, 2011
Gavin
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
sci-fi,
horror-thriller
I have heard many times from fans of Dean Koontz that they were upset because Koontz used "no-name" writers to co-author his retelling of Mary Shelly's classic story, FRANKENSTEIN. Let me put some of this nay-saying to rest. Kevin Anderson is not a no-name author. He has written numerous novels for the Star Wars universe (the bounty hunter trilogy is a lot of fun), and he has also written for X-Files. I'd say that's two pretty solid foundations to stand upon.
As for the story itself, I really en...more
As for the story itself, I really en...more
The first pages in my copy are written as an explanation as to how the idea of this series were born.
Dean Koontz here explain that he was contacted to write this as a TV-serie at first, but withdrew due to creative differences with the network.
This is exactly what the book is like when you read it. Like a manuscript supposed to be played out by a mediocre Hollywood-cast. The dialogues are great, the characters are innovative, the basic story has the potential to be something great, but fails t...more
Dean Koontz here explain that he was contacted to write this as a TV-serie at first, but withdrew due to creative differences with the network.
This is exactly what the book is like when you read it. Like a manuscript supposed to be played out by a mediocre Hollywood-cast. The dialogues are great, the characters are innovative, the basic story has the potential to be something great, but fails t...more
Frankenstein is back and living in New Orleans under the name of Victor Helios. “It’s just a National Enquirer wet dream”, one skeptical homicide detective says, because people are being murdered all over the city with specific body parts missing.
Helios has constructed his own wife, Erica 4. The first three did not work out. Divorce was not necessary. At night Victor is back to his old bad habits working on an entire race of perfect beings in the basement. Home alone at night; Erica 4 notices s...more
While there's no doubt a Koontz yarn guarantees quality, there are plenty of his books that can be best described as plodding in parts, given extra padding probably because the editor suggested the book is otherwise too fast-paced. With Frankenstein, it is no holds barred, breakneck-speed action.
Not fast paced in a Matthew Reilly sense, but it moves briskly and manages to keep you engaged from scene to scene and from start to finish. There's no padding. No gratuitous development. Every page adv...more
Not fast paced in a Matthew Reilly sense, but it moves briskly and manages to keep you engaged from scene to scene and from start to finish. There's no padding. No gratuitous development. Every page adv...more
Audio book read by Scott Brick, one of my faves. Dean Koontz envisions a new-age Frankenstein and a "monster" who has lived on the outskirts of humanity for two centuries. The concept was originally drafted as a USA Network television series, which makes the format and varying story lines a bit more understandable. The book opens with Frankenstein's monster, using the name Deucalion in a nod to the son of the Greek god Prometheus and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein: or the modern day Promethus,layin...more
From the celebrated imagination of Dean Koontz comes a powerful reworking of one of the classic stories of all time. If you think you know the legend, you know only half the truth. Here is the mystery, the myth, the terror, and the magic of . . .
Every city has its secrets. But none as terrible as this. He is Deucalion, a tattooed man of mysterious origin, a sleight-of-reality artist who has traveled the centuries with a secret worse than death. He arrives in New Orleans as a serial killer sta
A bit strange, a lot twisted, and more than a little macabre, but an interesting read and a creative take on the stereotypical “Frankenstein” story. It was a bit more of a “horror” film on paper than I had anticipated, however, and I could have done without some of the more graphic details. Multiple super-duper bad guys who liked to play with knives, lots of innocent people finding themselves unfortunately dead, and a gaggle of moral, ethical, and religious undertones, were all enough to cast th...more
Prodigal Son (Dean Koontz's Frankenstein #1) is the first book of a three book story arc, though the series is much longer than that. I read it as part of a four-book omnibus edition.
I'm a bit confused as to who the author is, as the book is called "Dean Koontz's Frankenstein: Prodigal Son", but has Dean Koontz and Kevin J. Anderson listed as authors. And then there is apparently another version that is a graphic novel that doesn't mention Kevin J. Anderson anywhere. And as someone who has read...more
I'm a bit confused as to who the author is, as the book is called "Dean Koontz's Frankenstein: Prodigal Son", but has Dean Koontz and Kevin J. Anderson listed as authors. And then there is apparently another version that is a graphic novel that doesn't mention Kevin J. Anderson anywhere. And as someone who has read...more
I’ve gotten so that I think anything Dean Koontz writes has to be good, and this one has all the requirements: a doing good couple falling in love, combined with unimaginable horror--and in this case, the horror is compounded beyond belief. Suppose Frankenstein’s monster did not die out on the Alaskan ice floes, but had managed to survive, even unto today’s world? More, suppose Dr. Frankenstein, who was the real monster, had also found a way to survive--and to continue his ungodly experiments? W...more
Dean Koontz's Frankenstein .....eh what do you say?
It begins with a good premise...Dr. Victor Frankenstein and his famous monster were real after all, and have survived two hundred years only to wind up in New Orleans. Deucalion (the Monster) has grown a soul while Dr. Frankenstein has become more of a monster.
Added to all of this are the tales of a serial killer, two police detectives, and a couple of other of Dr. Frankenstein's creations and you have the first in a series of books.
There is...more
It begins with a good premise...Dr. Victor Frankenstein and his famous monster were real after all, and have survived two hundred years only to wind up in New Orleans. Deucalion (the Monster) has grown a soul while Dr. Frankenstein has become more of a monster.
Added to all of this are the tales of a serial killer, two police detectives, and a couple of other of Dr. Frankenstein's creations and you have the first in a series of books.
There is...more
Jan 18, 2012
Ken Consaul
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
hard core Koontz fans
Recommended to Ken by:
daughter, a hard core Koontz fan
I'd actually meant three and a half stars but no option.
Let me preface this by saying I'm not a big Koontz fan. To me, his bad guys are boring and one dimensional. The Surgeon in Prodigal Son was just another in a long line of blah bad guys.
However, the other characters are fleshed out nicely with the exception of Helios/Frankenstein, another cookie cutter villain (I'm so smart, I can do as I want because I'm special). The segments from his point of view I just skimmed because I know what's com...more
Let me preface this by saying I'm not a big Koontz fan. To me, his bad guys are boring and one dimensional. The Surgeon in Prodigal Son was just another in a long line of blah bad guys.
However, the other characters are fleshed out nicely with the exception of Helios/Frankenstein, another cookie cutter villain (I'm so smart, I can do as I want because I'm special). The segments from his point of view I just skimmed because I know what's com...more
I remember awhile back the TV commercials for Dean Koontz’s Frankenstein TV movie. I had thought that I had missed the airing, but Mr. Koontz gives and explanation of what happened in the beginning of this book. I am glad he had the courage to stand up for what he believed in.
Frankenstein, Book One: Prodigal Son is the first in a series of books about a modern Frankenstein’s monster. I appreciate how Mr. Koontz didn’t try to reinvent the Frankenstein story, instead he build upon and brought the...more
Frankenstein, Book One: Prodigal Son is the first in a series of books about a modern Frankenstein’s monster. I appreciate how Mr. Koontz didn’t try to reinvent the Frankenstein story, instead he build upon and brought the...more
Dean Koontz builds on Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" by bringing the Monster, now named Deucalion, and Victor Frankenstein, known as Victor Helios, to today's time. Victory has created a new race of men and women who will eventually over take the human race. Helios has become evil in his search for immortality, perfection, and creations who will worship and serve him.
Deucalion had attempted to murder his creator two hundred years earlier but failed. He has discoverd what Frankenstein is up to and...more
Deucalion had attempted to murder his creator two hundred years earlier but failed. He has discoverd what Frankenstein is up to and...more
You guys want to know who my favorite Koontz character is? Is it Odd Thomas? No. Laura Shane? No. Deucalion from this book? No.
"He was a child of Mercy. Mercy born and Mercy raised. His name was Randall Six."
Koontz is known for making his characters one of two ways. The good guys are saintly good. They give change to the telephone companies. They never use bad language. They never engage in pre-martial sex especially after what happened to Koontz in the 90s that made him start to write this way....more
"He was a child of Mercy. Mercy born and Mercy raised. His name was Randall Six."
Koontz is known for making his characters one of two ways. The good guys are saintly good. They give change to the telephone companies. They never use bad language. They never engage in pre-martial sex especially after what happened to Koontz in the 90s that made him start to write this way....more
Book Review: 2 Treasure Boxes
Frankenstein, the monster, now called Deucalion, is hiding in a monastery and after more than 200 years of life and has found a sort of peace, until he learns that his creator is still alive. Dr. Victor Frankenstein has remade himself and is now Victor Helios and he is creating pod people who are genetically modified to be his slaves. Throw into the mix a crazy man who is carving up pieces of women and keeping what he considers the perfect female attribute from each...more
Frankenstein, the monster, now called Deucalion, is hiding in a monastery and after more than 200 years of life and has found a sort of peace, until he learns that his creator is still alive. Dr. Victor Frankenstein has remade himself and is now Victor Helios and he is creating pod people who are genetically modified to be his slaves. Throw into the mix a crazy man who is carving up pieces of women and keeping what he considers the perfect female attribute from each...more
I enjoyed this book a great deal. I've never read Koontz before but Shelley's Frankenstein is one of my all-time favorites so I was curious to see where the story went. Overall, it was imaginative and fun and kept me turning pages (I've already purchased the second book in the series). Deucalion, who is the 'monster' in modern day was well-characterized, likeable, mysterious and sadly human. Victor on the other hand was a bit over-the-top in his villainy. I could tell that this story was origina...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I found this book to be really creepy and unsettling, yet imaginative and exciting. I had no idea it was book one of a series so I was let down by the ending of the book that had no real closure. I felt like after all the drama and horrific scenes that I had to endure to find out who was responsible for the murders I deserved a better conclusion.
The book in rich with intriguing characters and I loved the banter between Carson and Michael, the main detectives. The humor was a relief after so muc...more
The book in rich with intriguing characters and I loved the banter between Carson and Michael, the main detectives. The humor was a relief after so muc...more
I love Dean Koontz. While he is a big name, I find he doesn’t write to a template like James Patterson. He’s a little more like Stephen King…you never know what is going to come next.
I was wary of this series at first. I was thinking it was a rewrite of the original book—which I have never read because it has a hokie, pre-modern science, B movie feel to it. To my delight, this is a modern day continuation of the story of Frankenstein. Far removed from the sewn up, life-bringing lightening beginn...more
I was wary of this series at first. I was thinking it was a rewrite of the original book—which I have never read because it has a hokie, pre-modern science, B movie feel to it. To my delight, this is a modern day continuation of the story of Frankenstein. Far removed from the sewn up, life-bringing lightening beginn...more
I'm writing one review for all four (so far) of Dean Koontz's Frankenstein books.
In the Koontz take on the Frankestein story, the old Mary Shelley novel was based on true events. And old Dr. Victor Frankenstein (now called Victor Helios) and his monster (who now goes by the name Deucalion) have survived to the present day. Deucalion is no longer a monster in thought and deed, but has learned a lot about the universe and his place in it, some of that knowledge coming from Tibetian monks with whom...more
In the Koontz take on the Frankestein story, the old Mary Shelley novel was based on true events. And old Dr. Victor Frankenstein (now called Victor Helios) and his monster (who now goes by the name Deucalion) have survived to the present day. Deucalion is no longer a monster in thought and deed, but has learned a lot about the universe and his place in it, some of that knowledge coming from Tibetian monks with whom...more
Oct 28, 2010
Cornerofmadness
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
urban-fantasy
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Thank you Cindy for recommending this to me!!
This was way different than I thought it was going to be. I guess I was expecting a straight horror story about modernized Frankenstein Monsters. However, instead it was a very scary murder mystery and I thought it was genius!
I couldn't put it down and practically read the whole book in one sitting. The plot is spellbinding and the characters are fully developed and interesting. I liked Deucalion, but I have to admit that I loved Carson and Michael. M...more
This was way different than I thought it was going to be. I guess I was expecting a straight horror story about modernized Frankenstein Monsters. However, instead it was a very scary murder mystery and I thought it was genius!
I couldn't put it down and practically read the whole book in one sitting. The plot is spellbinding and the characters are fully developed and interesting. I liked Deucalion, but I have to admit that I loved Carson and Michael. M...more
INCREDIBLE! Once I started reading, I wondered how an author's mind could wrap around a story and tell it like Dean Koontz did with his first installment of his trilogy, "Frankenstein." Once finished, you HAD to know what happened next! Let me tell you the about the hold this book held over me.
My national chain bookstore stays open here in Richmond VA till 11pm, right? Its now 10:45 p.m., I'm calling to see if they have in stock Book 2, they do, I'm gone!!! I make it back home around 11:30pm, d...more
My national chain bookstore stays open here in Richmond VA till 11pm, right? Its now 10:45 p.m., I'm calling to see if they have in stock Book 2, they do, I'm gone!!! I make it back home around 11:30pm, d...more
As the author of paranormal thrillers like Dark Halo, I am a huge fan of Dean Koontz. The Frankenstein series is one of my favorite of all time as it incorporates both thrilling action, unforgettable characters, supernatural or paranormal elements along with Koontz's stellar writing.
I have found very few authors who write as well as Koontz. He is also a great storyteller. Unlike some of his other books, this one (and the entire series) has a great ending.
If you just discovered the series, get...more
I have found very few authors who write as well as Koontz. He is also a great storyteller. Unlike some of his other books, this one (and the entire series) has a great ending.
If you just discovered the series, get...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Messrs. Kontz and Anderson have re-worked Shelley’s original creation and updated him for modern times. No longer merely a creature of vicious impulses and unfathomable rages, Frankenstein’s monster now has a name and a quiet place in the world. His maker, on the other hand, has become the most abhorred of beings: a soulless mad scientist who lives only for creating a New Race, one that will replace flawed and feeble mankind.
Koontz’s works have been violent but somehow without the splatter of Cl...more
Koontz’s works have been violent but somehow without the splatter of Cl...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Did you catch it at the end? | 6 | 134 | Dec 13, 2012 09:17am | |
| Desperate BookJun...: Dean Koontz's Frankenstein Series (Spoilers) | 1 | 1 | Nov 16, 2012 11:18am | |
| Horror Aficionados : Koontz's Frankenstein | 12 | 31 | Oct 12, 2012 01:14pm | |
| Man made humans | 1 | 17 | Mar 15, 2008 08:03am |
Acknowledged as "America's most popular suspense novelist" (Rolling Stone) and as one of today's most celebrated and successful writers, Dean Ray Koontz has earned the devotion of millions of readers around the world and the praise of critics everywhere for tales of character, mystery, and adventure that strike to the core of what it means to be human.
Dean R. Koontz has also published under the na...more
More about Dean Koontz...
Dean R. Koontz has also published under the na...more
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“The concept of a weary severed hand, exhausted from relentless creeping, made no sense.”
—
4 people liked it
“When Mary Shelley took a local legend based on truth and crafted fiction from it, she'd made Victor a tragic figure and killed him off. He understood her dramatic purpose for giving him a death scene, but he loathed her for portraying him as tragic and a failure.
Her judgement of his work was arrogant. What else of consequence did she ever write? And of the two, who was dead - and who was not?”
—
1 person liked it
More quotes…
Her judgement of his work was arrogant. What else of consequence did she ever write? And of the two, who was dead - and who was not?”
Jul 30, 2012 02:15pm