Koontzland - Dean Koontz discussion
This topic is about
Going Home in the Dark
Stand Alone Novels 2021 & Beyond
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Going Home in the Dark (Group Read - Summer 2025)
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I haven't preordered a copy yet, so I'll probably get myself on the waitlist at the library.
get in line quick as you can 😁
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Well, I just checked and my library is ordering 12 copies in, so that's good news. Might read the book in June.
Might be interesting.
Looks like the book is now out.
I started it at 9pm last night. So far I am enjoying.. It's very different from the first chapter. I don't know how to describe it yet. I'll give it a try further in.
I loved this book!!! It’s funny!! Also it reminded me somewhat of Phantoms, Strangers and a little bit of Stephen King’s IT….which is weird!! As always….if Dean writes it I’m reading it🤗🥰😁
Hope it gets better after he’s introduced the players with his witty repartee. Have it on my Kindle for my pool read. While my current HC is a library book of King’s newest. So I’ve the K’s covered.
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Just got my copy today off of Amazon. Love me some Dean Koontz. I’ll update ;)
We're about 25% in on the book.
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What do you think so far? I need some motivation.
In the meantime, I've re-read Life Expectancy and By the Light of the Moon instead of reading Going Home in the Dark.
This was a very different Koontz book but one that gradually brought me in and by the end, I was losing sleep in order to finish it. The author is in the narrative, explaining why he is writing this history and throughout the book, explaining different topics outside of the narrative. In the end, that worked although I admit that at times I was irritated. The story keeps moving between a crisis that four friends are dealing with and then moving to the back story explaining why they are reacting the way they do. The reason for this without giving away anything is that they gradually recall their memories from early in their history together. You will have to read the book to find out why they recover their memories and learn about the evil they are encountering. I suspect this is a one-off since I can't imagine the story continuing unless. . .
David: very well said. The narration was unique to me, but earlier I could not describe it. Thank you. And thank you Dean Koontz.
Mr. Koontz's asides can be funny. Momma and I are contemplating the source of the evil.
We finished the book today. Who all wants to hang Britta?
Mod
It does speed up a little. Remember the crew doesn't really remember anything at first.
I'm debating on whether to read this or not myself. I haven't really been getting into Koontz's last several books since Quicksilver so I'm trying to decide if I should continue to try this 1 or not
message 21:
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Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado
(last edited Jul 21, 2025 02:24PM)
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rated it 2 stars
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I liked Quiksilver. Going Home in the Dark, not so much. This is similar to how I felt with The Other Emily, although I'm thinking I liked Going Home in the Dark even less than The Other Emily.
Honestly, Nathan, this might be one to skip. I love Koontz's older books, particularly 1990's - 2009 and I still hold out hope that I might like the next the book he publishes. People change over time and I think Koontz's writing voice has shifted.
I'm getting close to finishing the book.
Ohhhhhhh ok. It's free on Kindle with an Audible version for free as well. I don't know if I should try it or not. Dean was my favorite author but it seems like he's not putting the same energy as before in his books so I may skip this 1. I didn't like quicksilver and I liked the other Emily but I don't remember the ending so yeah I may try it out. I dunno yet. Thanks for the reply
Especially if you like Quicksilver and I didn't and you said Going Home you didn't really like so I have to think about if I even want to try it lol 😁 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂
message 24:
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Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado
(last edited Jul 21, 2025 05:29PM)
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rated it 2 stars
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Well, it's just my personal opinion. I enjoyed Quicksilver much more than Going Home in the Dark.
I'm going back to the classics. I recently re-read Life Expectancy and By the Light of the Moon. Hideaway, Cold Fire, False Memory, Lightning are a few on my list to re-read.
Had my Kindle for my flight and wait time prior. Gave Going Home another try…Can’t. Just can’t. Tried enough.
Switched to EERIE by reliable Blake Crouch. Made me forget about the nerve pain in my hand.
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Can’t. Just can’t. Tried enough.
Switched to EERIE by reliable Blake Crouch. Made me forget about the nerve pain in my hand."
I love Blake Crouch. I still haven't read Eerie, although I've considered it.
So you are rereading the old good ones Dustin? That's cool. I did that a few years ago myself. I hope you have been doing well?
Mod
Yes. I've been re-reading my favorite Dean Koontz. Life Expectancy and By the Light of the Moon most recently, but hope to re-read more this year.
I've finished Going Home in the Dark. I need to write my review so I can return it to the library.
I'm interested to see what you think about it
Going Home in the Dark wasn't one of my favorite Koontz books, though I appreciate his willingness to experiment with new narrative styles. Maybe I was a little harsh in my four-star review, as he's still head and shoulders above most thriller writers. And it won't deter me from being first in line for his next book.
Koontzland - Dean Koontz
Books mentioned in this topic
Quicksilver (other topics)Going Home in the Dark (other topics)
The Other Emily (other topics)
Going Home in the Dark (other topics)
Dear Readers,
Okay, let’s get right to the hard sell. In the past I have always avoided the hard sell because I find it demeaning to both you and me. You know what you want, and you don’t need me telling you what you should want. Who am I to think I know better than you do what book you want to read? If you want to read that thing you bought last week, go right ahead and rot your brain with its insipid storytelling. Hats are another matter. Almost everyone has terrible taste in hats and could use my advice. When it comes to books, however, you have every right to read whatever trash or tedious fluff you wish. The fact that I have a WONDERFUL and HIGHLY ENTERTAINING novel coming on May 20th, Going Home in the Dark, is yours to pre-order or not, as you see fit and depending on how smart you are. There’s no shame in buying and reading some other novel than Going Home in the Dark, no shame at all, only the tragedy of missing out on the higher income and happier personal relationships and greater sense of belonging in society that Koontz readers experience.
I despise hard sell of the kind we see in some ads for these new whole-body deodorants. Suddenly we’re supposed to believe that we reek of vomit-inducing odors not just from our armpits but also from every hollow and fold of our bodies? Are we really to believe we need to swab out our ears with an anti-perspirant, our nostrils, our navels? I had difficulty getting my nose deep into my navel to smell its most discreet folds, but with the help of a yoga master working in conjunction with an extremely strong former Mr. Universe, I was able to stretch my neck and violently collapse my upper body to be able to undertake the task. I discovered that my navel smelled faintly of baking bread, a most pleasant aroma that attracts rather than repels people. If you pre-order Going Home in the Dark, you will save many thousands of dollars because you will have no need of a whole-body deodorant or such products as colognes and perfumes. Why? Because this WONDERFUL and HIGHLY ENTERTAINING novel triggers the production of smell-good hormones that destroy odor-producing bacteria. As a bonus, your hair will be thicker and more lustrous. May 20th. That’s when your life could change for the better. May 20th. Smarter people will pre-order now.
I was recently talking with someone who read an advance copy of my forthcoming novel, Going Home in the Dark (available May 20th, pre-order now), and he raved about how compelling it was and about how often he laughed out loud with enormous pleasure. If you are a cynic, you will say this person was a friend or relative of mine, but you are wrong. This person is someone I loathe and who despises me to the extent that he has made two attempts on my life and on three occasions has toilet-papered my property. When he phoned me, I expected the usual venomous insults and name-calling, but he began by declaring that, as much as he hated to say it, he found Going Home in the Dark to be WONDERFUL and HIGHLY ENTERTAINING. He said that as he read this UNFORGETTABLE book in advance of its May 20th release (but available now for pre-order) he noticed that he smelled better, his hair became thicker and more lustrous, and his wife told him she loved him for the first time in ten years. Then he wept.
I’m no good at hard sell. I’m just too humble to aggressively push my work at you. It will have to succeed or fail on its merits, and I must trust in your taste, intelligence, and desire to have fun reading a novel as you have never had so much fun before.
Warmest regards from everyone here in Koontzland.
Dean Koontz