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50th out of 148 books
—
15 voters
Darkness Under the Sun
by
Dean Koontz
The chilling account of a pivotal encounter between innocence and ultimate malice, 'Darkness Under the Sun' is the perfect read for Halloween — or for any haunted night — and reveals a secret, fateful turning point in the career of Alton Turner Blackwood, the killer at the dark heart of 'What the Night Knows', the forthcoming novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author D...more
ebook, 60 pages
Published
October 25th 2010
by Bantam
(first published October 13th 2010)
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this kid meets this older man on the rooftop of a building. the man, mr. blackwood, is reminiscent of a character in twilight eyes, also by koontz, in that he is disfigured, a misfit, as is the boy, howie. they become friends.
the story has a certain flavor for the first...pages?...naw, i read this on an amazon kindle that my wife gave me for christmas, the first i've read on this kindle...but for the first 10-20 pages, the story has a flavor...say vanilla and it goes down smooth...anyone who ha...more
the story has a certain flavor for the first...pages?...naw, i read this on an amazon kindle that my wife gave me for christmas, the first i've read on this kindle...but for the first 10-20 pages, the story has a flavor...say vanilla and it goes down smooth...anyone who ha...more
I was looking for something different to read last night, and found this novella. It's a prequel to Dean Koontz's What the Night Knows which I've read earlier this year, and didn't think much of. So, I approached this novella with little expectations, and maybe it was a good thing.
Darkness Under The Sun is about an eleven year old boy named Howie, who sees a strange man as he's eyeing an empty estate. Despite being scared, he talks to the man and the two form a friendship. And then the bad stuff...more
Darkness Under The Sun is about an eleven year old boy named Howie, who sees a strange man as he's eyeing an empty estate. Despite being scared, he talks to the man and the two form a friendship. And then the bad stuff...more
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I thoroughly enjoyed this novella. I usually enjoy Koontz' novels, so I was interested to see how satisfying this novella would be.
The story is told almost entirely from the perspective of a ten year old boy named Howie Dugley. Early on in the story, Howie meets a strange man on the rooftop of a building. Howie immediately feels a kinship to this man because he, like Howie, has physical deformities. I don't want to give too much away, so I'll just say the rest of the story unfolds with the read...more
The story is told almost entirely from the perspective of a ten year old boy named Howie Dugley. Early on in the story, Howie meets a strange man on the rooftop of a building. Howie immediately feels a kinship to this man because he, like Howie, has physical deformities. I don't want to give too much away, so I'll just say the rest of the story unfolds with the read...more
This novella nestles nicely into the overall story of the novel "What the Night Knows" and I think enhances the story---giving it an even more emotional punch. I am aware that it was written to be a preface to the novel, but I felt it was more of an epilogue. Having read the novel first, I was able to appreciate this story of the genesis of the killer since I know where his madness eventually took him. Also, as the action in the novella both precedes and follows the action in the novel, it would...more
This was a good Dean Koontz short read - perfect for bedtime reading!
Howie Dugley has been through a lot in his short life. Suffering from the loss of two fingers and disfiguring scarring after being in a fire, he feels like an outcast and is tired of being picked on by other kids or stared at by adults. He has a secret place he can go, though, to watch people while not being a part of their world - an abandoned 3-story department building. Up on the roof he can watch the "parade," as he thinks...more
Howie Dugley has been through a lot in his short life. Suffering from the loss of two fingers and disfiguring scarring after being in a fire, he feels like an outcast and is tired of being picked on by other kids or stared at by adults. He has a secret place he can go, though, to watch people while not being a part of their world - an abandoned 3-story department building. Up on the roof he can watch the "parade," as he thinks...more
Book Description:
There once was a killer who knew the night, its secrets and rhythms. How to hide within its shadows. When to hunt.
He roamed from town to town, city to city, choosing his prey for their beauty and innocence. His cruelties were infinite, his humanity long since forfeit. But still . . . he had not yet discovered how to make his special mark among monsters, how to come fully alive as Death.
This is the story of how he learned those things, and of what we might do to ensure that he...more
There once was a killer who knew the night, its secrets and rhythms. How to hide within its shadows. When to hunt.
He roamed from town to town, city to city, choosing his prey for their beauty and innocence. His cruelties were infinite, his humanity long since forfeit. But still . . . he had not yet discovered how to make his special mark among monsters, how to come fully alive as Death.
This is the story of how he learned those things, and of what we might do to ensure that he...more
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Read by Steven Weber, I listened to this story on my iPod. This one is creepy scarry and made more so because the situation is entirely possible. It is set in 1989, and is about an 11yr old boy who goes to a secluded place by himself to watch people. The boy is scarred by burns and the other kids tease and bully him, so he preferrs to be alone. He meets a deformed and scarred homeless man in an abandoned building and decides this man is his friend. The rest is left to your imagination unless you...more
I haven't read any of Koontz's work for a very long time, so when I noticed this short story available as an e-book exclusive it seemed like a good way to reacquaint myself. Apparently this novella recounts a pivotal moment in the life of a character in recent release What the Night Knows, an interesting tie up.
The story starts with 11 year old Howie hiding on a rooftop, watching people going about their daily business. He clearly feels he doesn't belong and immediately with hints about his phys...more
The story starts with 11 year old Howie hiding on a rooftop, watching people going about their daily business. He clearly feels he doesn't belong and immediately with hints about his phys...more
A chilling story, a short thriller that certainly does its job. Koontz builds the suspense, the anticipation. It is indeed the purpose of that novella since, as I understand, it is the source on an evil that is also featured in a separate novel. Konntz gives you just enough to wet your lips with this short story, just enough to have you wanting for more. And he delivers this beautifully. Then he includes the first three chapters of the said novel and, as a reader, now that your appetite is wet,...more
Jan 26, 2012
Ryan Zimmerman Carstairs
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audio
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I was honestly a little bored and disapponted as Koontz stories go with this one. I know that it is a novella and not a full-on book like I'm used to of his but even his writing seemed rushed and lacking in this one. The actual storyline did not completely dissapoint, however, despite its briefness and seeming incompleteness. It is still as dark and twisted as we have become to expect of Koontz. My own personal "game" with his books is to refrain from reading the dustjacket or a synopsis ahead o...more
This Summer 2010 novella by Dean Koontz is actually a prequel to his novel that came out the following winter (What the Night Knows). The latter novel refers to the past events of a notorious serial killer. This novella introduces the reader to the same serial killer who, at the beginning, is only held back by timidity, then unleashes his inner monster. On its own, it might work well, but it really works well if you're prepared to follow it with What the Night Knows, which I consider to be Koont...more
After not reading for a while, I chose this novella that I had purchased for my Kindle some time ago because I love Koontz and figured the length would be perfect for getting back into reading every night. It only took me two nights because once I would start reading I didn't put it down until I truly needed sleep.
Koontz does a great job of moving the story along with vivid description and a major creep factor. His dialogue between the two main characters in this novella is beyond perfect. He ea...more
Koontz does a great job of moving the story along with vivid description and a major creep factor. His dialogue between the two main characters in this novella is beyond perfect. He ea...more
I liked this, good lead off for his next book, What the Night Knows, which I will be reading for sure after this tidbit!
This novella's beginning and middle has excellent suspense and makes me crave roast beef & swiss cheese sandwiches. Pure Evil! Koontz writes this adult/devil -child chase that has echoes of 'Night of the Hunter' (one of my favorite horror movies of ALL time). However, after the big ramp up and get away, the story slows and goes on forever, and ever, and ever. And finally, at long last NOTHING HAPPENS. But we all know, there is Darkness Under The Sun. (DUH) The novella is a sort of teaser for...more
After bagging Dean Koontz in my last review, I now go ahead and give him 4 stars! This was an excellent novella, essentially a prequel (though also a stand-alone story) to What the Night Knows.
It's a wonderfully creepy little book, detailing Alton Blackwood (the villian in the WTNK)'s encounter with a young boy, which led to his decision to move from killing single individuals to entire families. I don't think Koontz was entirely successful in conveying how exactly this encounter led to Blackwo...more
It's a wonderfully creepy little book, detailing Alton Blackwood (the villian in the WTNK)'s encounter with a young boy, which led to his decision to move from killing single individuals to entire families. I don't think Koontz was entirely successful in conveying how exactly this encounter led to Blackwo...more
This novella is dark and quite twisted. It flirts with some interesting ideas around good and evil, guilt and innocence but flirt is really all it does. The novella lacks substance and at the juncture of superficial and substance, it chooses wrongly. It was an easy read and starts off strong with bold characters and promising plot and sub plot lines and then somewhere around the middle it just fizzles out and ends up going nowhere. It's short though, so you could easily read it on your commute h...more
4 stars
It's been a long time since I read anything by Koontz. He's one of those authors that I definitely have to be in a certain mood for. Despite the mixed reviews for this, I am really glad I picked this novella up. For such a short story it packed quite a punch. Upon finishing this, I had to dive right into the follow up novel What the Night Knows.
It's been a long time since I read anything by Koontz. He's one of those authors that I definitely have to be in a certain mood for. Despite the mixed reviews for this, I am really glad I picked this novella up. For such a short story it packed quite a punch. Upon finishing this, I had to dive right into the follow up novel What the Night Knows.
I enjoyed this little book, being a big fan of Dean's, and this is very much his usual style. I especially loved the early chapter where the boy meets the man on the roof as I was wondering what the man's story was and what his real intention was. The end was a bit rushed maybe, but left me wanting to know more. I guess when you know that it's a prequel to What the Night Knows then that makes sense, and I look forward to learning more about Mr Blackwood in that book.
This is darker than most of what I read of Koontz (suspense with humor). Basically, a young boy meets a man who wants to be known as a proficient mass murderer. He determines he can achieve this goal by not murdering random victims but by murdering entire families. There seems to be a strange connection between the boy and the man which makes you wonder how things will play out. This is a comfortable short read if one wants to kill an hour or two.
This is a novella available only in electronic format. It is a stand alone, but ties into the newly released "What the Night Knows." From what I hear, it's basically an extension of WTNK told from another perspective. It's very short (I read it in an evening), and pretty good given that I'm usually not a fan of short stories. It will leave you feeling creeped out, and wanting to know more... which I think we should be able to find out in WTNK.
Dean Koontz at his short-story best. It's a quick, creepy, gratifying read although the ending is a little less than satisfying. Honestly, it was enough material for a whole book, but as it stands it was nifty enough. I've read a lot of Koontz though, so you could say I'm a fan - after the third or fourth Odd Thomas I lost a bit of general interest, so it was nice to read this little piece as a refresher of what I appreciated before.
Short story that relates to one of Dean Koontz' series. It did a nice job in such a limited space in telling a story, in a way that sparked interest in hearing more. This wasn't the scariest story but was suspenseful and showed with one of the characters how there is horror in people we don't normally expect. Reading the story between the father and son was jarring and while it didn't involve both main characters it was chilling.
Really fast read, I finished it inbetween my phone calls at work within like 2 hours. However, it was a great quick short read. I know it's not that close to Halloween yet, but Halloween is my favorite holiday, this book put me in more of an excited mood for Halloween. It really is a perfect fall/Halloween quick read. Normally, I'd write a review. But there are so many other reviews that explain it...lol. I just wanted to give my input that it was a great read.
I am a fan of Koontz but didn't know that he did short story/novella type stories. I just happend upon this cd set while browsing the library shelves.
Enough people have given summary so I won't add it here. I just want to say that I enjoyed the first part. But the end was a bit too much. I think it would have been fine ending after the part where part where he is in his twenties.
That's all I have to say.
Enough people have given summary so I won't add it here. I just want to say that I enjoyed the first part. But the end was a bit too much. I think it would have been fine ending after the part where part where he is in his twenties.
That's all I have to say.
I needed a very short book to read on the train, this was perfect. And it was a very interesting read, even if I really don't "get" what happened. Like, I understood the first half of the book, but the last half...?
Though reading the preview for What the Night Knows, I guess that this is a prequel, so I might have to read the other book to fully understand.
Though reading the preview for What the Night Knows, I guess that this is a prequel, so I might have to read the other book to fully understand.
This short book (labeled a 'novella') is the prequel to "What the Night Knows", giving background on serial killer Alton Turner Blackwood's turn from murdering individuals to slaughtering entire families; his chance encounter with a young boy who tries to befriend him. I'm a big fan of Koontz, and this was spooky and creepy in his finest tradition!
A very quick read indeed. Finished this in less than an hour. This novella is related to an upcoming Koontz novel, "What The Night Knows". (The first chapter is included in this novella).
The story is pretty creepy and the tension built up steadily. The ending is nicely done and I am interested in reading the yet unreleased novel.
The story is pretty creepy and the tension built up steadily. The ending is nicely done and I am interested in reading the yet unreleased novel.
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| Koontzland - Dean...: Darkness Under the Sun | 41 | 45 | Feb 25, 2012 07:28am |
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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“There's always a parade, Howie. When it's something you can't ever join but only watch, then it's a parade”
—
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