Koontzland - Dean Koontz discussion
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How did you get to know Dean Koontz ?
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Yes, you never know what is around the Korner!
I'm going to guess about 10 years ago, a friend lent me Tick Tock. Since I was a huge fan of Stephen King, they thought I would enjoy Koontz. I liked it so much I went crazy buying as many books of his that I could find at thrift stores and garage sales. And 45 books later, I'm still looking...lol.
Kathy wrote: "I'm going to guess about 10 years ago, a friend lent me Tick Tock. Since I was a huge fan of Stephen King, they thought I would enjoy Koontz. I liked it so much I went crazy buying as many books ..."If you enjoyed it that much, then I'm surprised you haven't read a lot more of his books. I know I became obsessed with him after my first time.
I mentioned this in the intro thread. My late wife was a fan and I was introduced to Koontz through her. I wanted to find authors we could share, and liked Koontz. I think the first novel I read was Watchers, I think.
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My wife is also the person that finally got me addicted to Koontz's books (although she doesn't read much fiction these days :-) Watchers was also the first Dean Koontz book I read.
Still among my favorites....Koontz come up with some of the most original villains out there. he can transmit the insanity from the inside...
I would never even touch one of his books, but my little sister read them avidly back in the 80's. I was a stephen king reader. I needed something to read last year and in desperation a friend gave me Odd Thomas. HOOKED!!! I am up to about 14 or more of Koontz and loving it. I haven't read much else but Koontz for months. I am on Dark Rivers of the Heart now. This is my first time on here but when a thread says introduce yourself, shouldn't it stick to that? The other bullshit should go on another line. Like who wants to listen to some asshole who doesn't like koontz, join another group! or start a thread of your own. OH snap, I fell into his evil trap. Back to intro, I am a housewife, 48, live in rural area, love to read and glad to find this site on the facebook Koontz page. Looking forward to disscussion.
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Welcome to the group Driftwood :-) Some of our discussions do get a little off topic - I think that happens in every group though. Hope you'll stick around :-)
Dustin wrote: "Driftwood wrote: "This is my first time on here but when a thread says introduce yourself, shouldn't it stick to that? The other bullshit should go on another line. Like who wants to listen to some..."I feel that occasional off-topic discussions within a thread only serve to color it and foster a sense of community between the members. That said, it shouldn't be allowed to get out of control, which I don't think it does in this group, because we always manage to get back on topic. :-)
I wouldn't worry about it either....after all, "this is an off topic discussion." The whole point in coming here is to get to know one another, if someone isn't interested in a discussion, just ignore it.I got to know Koontz some years ago (as I've said) through my wife. Mr. Koontz has gone through a lot of development over the years so many of us may have come in contact with his writing differently and stayed for different reasons.
Hi Driftwood, I'm not trying to be ugly here, and our fine mods Dustin & Jason do a really good job, but I don't think you should call anyone an asshole. This topic is "How did you get to know Dean Koontz" not "Introduce Yourself". Which isn't really the point, but since you brought it up, I thought i'd correct you. We're like a family around here, and with all families sometimes some one wanders around, and others follow, but they always come back. This isn't the only family that does this. And we don't take to name calling! You, me or anyone may not always agree, but calling them "asshole" is just wrong! I don't know who you were talking about, and I don't care, but please be polite. Sorry Dustin, Jason, Matt R., and Martin I know you all are the mods, but that just hit me in a bad way. There is no excuse for name calling, we're all grown ups now, and not on a school yard. Even the people here that I joke with, and cut up with, we don't call each other derogatory names. Again sorry for over stepping. :)
message 64:
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Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado
(last edited Feb 24, 2010 09:46AM)
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Lori wrote: "Hi Driftwood, I'm not trying to be ugly here, and our fine mods Dustin & Jason do a really good job, but I don't think you should call anyone an asshole. This topic is "How did you get to know Dean..."Thanks, Ma. ;-)
Your Welcome Son! :) Any time you all need me just let me know.
Lori wrote: "Your Welcome Son! :) Any time you all need me just let me know."I'll alert you next time someone is being mean and has a naughty potty mouth. :-D
My first Koontz book was The Vision. I was around 12 when I read it. I was hooked after that and would go to used book stores and thrift stores to look for any Koontz books that I could find! Some of my favs are The Vision, Watchers, The Doorway to December, The Funhouse, The House of Thunder, and of course Odd Thomas! I love Odd and can't wait for the next one to come out!!! I'm so glad there will be at least 4 more Odd books to come! :)
I think I was 17 when I picked up my first Dean Koontz book. I was waiting for someone at a book store and since he was late, I looked for a book to read. Expecting to be waiting only for about a half hour, I searched for a book in the horror section that grabbed my attention on page one. After reading the first pages of several books I chose Dean Koontz's The Fun House. As it turned out, I had over an hour to read that day. When my friend finally I arrived I put the book back on the shelf. This happened again another day and I went back to the same book. Being more than two hours into The Fun House, and completely engrossed, I bought the book on my way out of the store and took it home. I couldn't put it down and finished it that night.
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Curiously, I've heard that it's one of his worst. I've read that it's not even his own novel - it's a novelization of some B-grade horror.
Haven't read that one. I got it for my late wife (she was a huge Koontz fan and as I believe I mentioned is the one who intro'd me to him). I may have a paper back around, so if I do I'll probably get to it sooner or later.
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Maciek wrote: "Curiously, I've heard that it's one of his worst. I've read that it's not even his own novel - it's a novelization of some B-grade horror."The Fun House was a great book, but the movie that came out after the book was definitely a b rated horror flick!
Melissa wrote: "The Fun House was a great book, but the movie that came out after the book was definitely a b rated horror flick!"Is the movie based on the book? I have never heard of it.
I really liked Fun House. My mom liked it too but she said that it is not like his usual style of writing. I would love to read it again. I didn't know it was also a movie.
Jason "plasborgma" wrote: "Melissa wrote: "The Fun House was a great book, but the movie that came out after the book was definitely a b rated horror flick!"Is the movie based on the book? I have never heard of it."
Actually, Maciek is right. It is a novelization of someone elses screen play. Apparently, he started writing the novelization while the movie was in production. The movie took longer than expected to make so his book came out before the movie hit the theathers.
Melissa wrote: "Actually, Maciek is right. It is a novelization of someone elses screen play. Apparently, he started writing the novelization while the movie was in production. The movie took longer than expected to make so his book came out before the movie hit the theathers."Wow, that is really disillusioning and disappointing. :-(
Jason "plasborgma" wrote: "Wow, that is really disillusioning and disappointing.:-("Your right, it is! But at least he made the book out to be much better than the movie was.
I was right around 13 or 14 when my eldest brother bought me the book Midnight as a gift and I have been reading Koontz books ever since. Wow, now that I think about it that's quite a bit of time since I am now 37. Where did all the time go? How did I get so old? lol.
I'm thinking I was around 15 or 16 and my kindergarten teacher (she became a family friend after she had me in class) gave me a copy of Odd Thomas to read. I remember not wanting to put the book down and it was actually the first book that I had read that made me cry. I absolutely loved it. That Christmas I recieved more Koonts books (Forever Odd and Twilight Eyes) and it was over. I became a Dean Koontz freak:)
I had a friend in grade school who was allowed to read them, and she snuck me a copy of Watchers. Scared the crap out of me!
Initially, I read The Bad Place, which-IMO-is one of Koontz's best. Since then, I've read several additional titles....
I wasn't quite sure where to put this but there is a small article in today's Parade magazine, 12-19, about Dean Koontz called "Corny? You Bet." Its a recipe for "The Best Baked Corn".
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Sunday Dinner with Dean Koontz
12/17/2010
by: Dean Koontz
Suspense novelist Dean Koontz offers a holiday side dish to make your heart swoon
I fell in love with my wife, Gerda, in high school. Her wit, intelligence, beauty, grace, and humility won my heart in the first 10 minutes of our first date. My enchantment grew when she invited me to Sunday dinner with her family—and one of the side dishes that she contributed was baked corn. Baked corn! I had fallen in love with a goddess! All these years later, I remember no other food at that dinner besides the corn.
The sight of the thin crust, golden overall and golden brown in places, brought tears of joy to my eyes. I can recall the precise aroma of that delicious dish on that long-ago evening. I’m sure that Gerda smelled wonderful, too, but her baked corn was an olfactory triumph.
Gerda and I recently celebrated our 44th anniversary. Her many fine qualities have been the glue that keeps our relationship strong. But if you’re young and hoping for a long marriage, a good baked-corn recipe cannot be overvalued.
The Best Baked Corn
“The flavor, the texture—this is what God expected when He sat down at His table.”
Serves 4.
Ingredients:
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp flour
1 15-oz. can of corn (whole and drained)
2 eggs (well beaten)
Directions:
Boil 3/4 cup milk with butter and sugar. Dissolve flour in 1/4 cup milk. Pour flour mixture into milk mixture to make a thin white sauce. Add to drained corn in a 1- to 1.5-quart Pyrex loaf pan. Mix in eggs. Bake 1 hour at 400°F.
Serves 4. Per serving: 220 calories, 10g fat, 125mg cholesterol, 370mg sodium, 20g carbs, 7g protein
Koontz Traditions Dean's Family Dinner Traditions:
* “At holiday meals, each person at the table tells a story about a relative or friend— even a pet— who has passed on. Remembering is a way of keeping them in our lives.”
* “We roast a turkey each year, so at some point during dinner, we ‘roast’ one another, too. Being able to laugh at yourself fosters humility.”
*
Koontz’s new novel, What the Night Knows ($28), will be released on Dec. 28 and is available for pre-order on amazon.
http://www.dashrecipes.com/blogs/dash...
I was introduced to king in middle school (think back.. 6th grade, 11 or 12 years old, 1992.. good times!! lol). A good friend of mine's mother read his and king's books. My friend brought the funhouse. I have been reading his books ever since. I started collecting his books about 6 years after I started reading them...One of my favorite books of Koontz would have to be The Taking. I used that book to turn on a few of my friends to Koontz..
Angie wrote: "I was introduced to king in middle school (think back.. 6th grade, 11 or 12 years old, 1992...."Did you mean to say "Koontz" here? :-)
Yep. I meant Koontz, I am a dingy.. plus I realized I left 2 comments on this post..One last month.. and one this month.. I am telling you.. ding.. lol
My first Koontz book was Watchers and I loved it!
Mod
Watchers was my first too, but I didn't. I waited a full year before I tried another Dean Koontz book.
Relentless, and I have been reading Koontz every since! Almost everytime I read one of his books they are my favorite until the next one.
My sister-in-law gave me two Dean Koontz books for my 20th birthday (The Eyes of Darkness & The Taking) and I put off reading them for several months because I am always a little nervous when trying new authors. I finally read them and became completely hooked! Now, two years later, I have expanded my Koontz collection from 2 to 14 books.
I was in middle school when I started reading Dean Koontz. Each summer I would visit the library on a weekly basis, and one day I came across Intensity. I'm not sure how many of his novels I finished that summer, but it was a lot. Since then, I have tried to collect as many of his novels as I can find in hardback, and occasionally I'll go back and read some of the older ones.
my first was The Watchers, picked it up by chance,great book.
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You are an Awesome Koontz Addict!
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Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado
(last edited May 04, 2011 03:14PM)
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great book."
Watchers was my first introduction to Koontz also, but the book is not one of my favorites. However I'm guessing 90%+ of Koontz fans would consider it one of their favorites. Thanks for sharing Anne
:-)
When I think about it, I must have been reading Koontz for almost 20 years. That's scary! Not sure how I got started, probably due to the King comparison that many make.After I read False Memory (a long time ago) I was hooked!
I guess I've been very influenced by him, because I see similarities in my own writing!
Koontzland - Dean Koontz
Books mentioned in this topic
Fear Nothing (other topics)Odd Thomas (other topics)
Relentless (other topics)
The Exorcist (other topics)
Whispers (other topics)
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when i was in about 5th or 6th grade (about 12 yrs old) my best friend at the time brought in a book to school. she read it, and then let me borrow it. it was "the funhouse". first dean koontz book i read, and i have been hooked since (i am currently 28). I collect his books...