I know about his personal life and it's tragic. He had a dark childhood and his own father tried to kill him. Glad that Koontz is showing how strong he is through his books.
@@SuperStrangSshadow I have read that one. It came out in 95 and Koontz didn’t really start to get bad until the late 90s, in my opinion. I kept reading his books for a while after that.
Dean Koontz writes amazing books. His more recent books like The Big Dark Sky, The Other Emily, Ashley Bell, etc i mean, you are entitled to your opinion, but you are factually wrong if you think Dean hasn't consistently put out bangers. I also haven't read every book of the man's career, because I believe life is too short to read an author's worst work. And like all Author's, Dean probably has several books that he too would rather everyone not read lol I can name 20 great books by Dean. And having 20 great reads under your belt is enough for me to call you a great author. I haven't read all of the 100+ books by him yet, but I haven't read a bad one yet. My favorite has got to be Intensity. That was the first Dean I read, and I've been a fan ever since. He writes in a Dicken's type of voice. His prose is beautiful.
Watchers and Twilight Eyes are really good but he wrote those a long time ago. I stopped reading his books about 25 years old because he became so formulaic. Every book was about a guy and a girl and usually a dog on the run from a monster with psychic powers and could shape-shift and also worked for a secret government agency.
Willie the cat! The Stately Vaughan Manor lore deepens! Intensity is a later work by Koontz that I thought was incredible, however, in the back cover, he appears to sport a five o’ clock shadow and a receding hairline, so perhaps he had an episode where he was able to exorcize this demonic deal, but only momentarily. Also, interesting that he’d make a deal with a demon, when his books are so loaded with Christian references. Maybe he’s trying to atone for his sins. Also, this hair-deal-gone-wrong is the plot of Odd Thomas, isn’t it?
Well, Intensity was published in 1995. It wasn’t until later 1990s that his demon hair appeared, followed shortly by terrible books. It is possible that he periodically removed his mustache as a protection against mustache hunting supernatural beings. Obviously he foolishly grew it back, drawing the attention of the demon.
He's one of my favorite authors. And he has written some of my very favorite books that I re-read every few years. One Door Away From Heaven and By the Light of the Moon, especially. And Odd Thomas forever. We all have our own tastes. But this was a funny video!
Thanks for this I've seen his books and wondered if he was worth reading, I'll try and find a book pre-demon and see if it is worth the time. Great story telling.
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 I thought of the balding, mustache having Dean looked like a down to Earth High School shop teacher and the shaven, turtleneck wearing Dean with a full head of hair looks like a math teacher that would argue with the other Dean in the teacher's lounge...LOL!!! 😁
Tick Tock is brilliantly written. The plot isn't believable. In fact, it's pretty absurd. But the writing itself is great. I'm a writer, and I was impressed.
Dean Koontz has a few great Books. Now matter what anyone says. Watchers , Bad Place , and Hideaway are all pretty good books. Way better than some Authors I can think of. Of course those are the only ones that come 2 mind as being good. LoL 🤣🤣🤣 Great Video. Poor Dean Koontz 🤣🤣🤣👍
For horror go with Phantoms, Twilight Eyes, Bad place, Hideaway, Midnight and Watchers. For more thriller based books go with: Lightining, Intensity, Velocity and Mr. Murder. Twilight Eyes, Watchers, Intensity and Lightining are probably the fan favorites, apart from the first volumes of his series like Frankenstein and Odd Thomas which I have never read. Basically all of these are from his "golden age Koontz" according to Travis Mcbee or his "pre demon work" according to Michael xD. What happened is that he started putting more and more religion into the books, starting probably at the "From the corner of his eye" (stay away). Since then it became a hit (little or no religion) or miss (lots of religion) for many people. Besides, Dean Koontz does have a fantastic formula for writing his books, but it is still a formula. So you get a little sick of the guy after reading many books in a row. Something that doesn't happen nearly as often with Stephen King's readers for example. However, one of his most recent releases "Devoted" has 4.11 average on goodreads, quite high for Koontz. So perhaps it would be a good experiment to begin with that one, since it's from his demon period. Maybe Phantoms, Intensity and Devoted for a detailed investigation.
@@marcelprado6528 Thank you for the information! I think I have Odd Thomas and Midnight sitting on the shelf at home. Maybe I’ll give Midnight a try in 2022.
@@revenantreads That is a very good start. It's a very solid beginning with Koontz, while is not an absolute favorite for many people. So after reading it, if you like it and want some more, it won't be difficult to find even better books of his to try. Good read!
From those I've read, I enjoyed almost all of his older books as entertaining, some even with re-reading quality as I forgot about them. And although I don't received the newer ones (again, those I've read) as crappy crappy crap, I don't buy him from the regular shelf anymore, only the rummage table. By the way, what did you have to sacrifice to the demon in exchange for "the hat you can wear inside your home"? ;)
Just finished reading shattered omg was amazing i kept picturing george as the blob PRE FAT BLOB in wolverine origins in everybody hates chris dads clothes anybody else? lmao
This was hilarious 😂 (and sadly, kind of true) The thing is with Dean Koontz, is that he actually does have some talent, but he rarely employs it, at least to his full potential. I think he's become more about quantity than quality over the years, and is unconcerned with evolving as a writer and coming up with new ideas. However, Intensity is arguably his best book and that was released in, I believe, 1993. Though before that many of his better books came early in his career (Twilight Eyes, Watchers, etc.) I've read about 20 of his novels and started out loving his work, and over time I realized he's kind of a hack. A good writer and he has the potential, but his imagination is apparently limited to writing the same stories over and over again and he seems to be more concerned with pumping them out for income rather than the passion of it. Still, he'll always have a few books in his catalogue that will remain within my all time favorites
It was in the later 1990s that Koontz had his tragic encounter with the demon. It was then that his horrifying hair first appeared, followed shortly by terrible books.
how does that make any sense sir? how do you become an author that sold more books than Stephen King without talent? His recent stories are great. The Other Emily, Ashley Bell, The Big Dark Sky...Like, you are entitled to your opinion, but your opinion isn't fact. at all.
What’s funny is there’s a lot of truth to this. With his “old look,” he put out some good material. Phantoms, Intensity, Mr. Murder, Watchers, Midnight, Dragon Tears, etc. but ever since the “new look,” they haven’t been that great. Honestly, most of what I own of his is from the mustache days. But one thing I like about Koontz is his humility. He’s not a dick like Stephen King. But then again, to me, King was so damn good from Carrie through Misery. He still put out good books in the 90s, but in my opinion, I can live without every book after The Green Mile, with the sole exception of 11/22/63. I feel most writers pump out their best work early in their careers. I can think of several authors of various genres this applies to.
“Little writing talent”? I’ve read over 30 Stephen King books and almost 20 Dean Koontz books. I’ve fallen out of love with King and continue to enjoy Koontz’s work. Yes none of his books are outstanding works of art but none are “crappy” as you put it. I can pick up any Koontz book and find it enjoyable. I honestly can’t say that about King. So I strongly disagree with your opinion.
Oh dear the hair. I have only read one of Dean’s books (Strangers) and really enjoyed it. That was years ago. I’d love to hear why his books are “crappy.”
Well, it’s a tough thing to isolate just what it is that makes his books so bad. Is it the obviously rushed and ridiculous plots? Is it his sloppy handling of details? Is it his constantly mining his earlier books for recycled ideas. Perhaps his inconsistent characterizations play a part in these dreary, interminable exercises in awfulness. I suppose it could be a combination if all these things. It’s telling that none of his heroes have mustaches after his encounter with the demon.
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 I was listening to a radio interview of Koontz that I think explains a lot of the choppiness of his work. He rejects Freudian psychology and makes certain that any semblance of those ideas are scrubbed from his books. Since Freudian psychology is pretty much how we think about psychology the absence of it in his work makes the work incredibly odd from the outset.
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 I love his books! And he is actually my favorite fiction author. There is nobody else that can hit that thriller sc-fi note so consistently like him. To each there own I suppose.
I actually have a lot respect for Koontz: he turned his trauma into something that transformed his life for the better . Sons of alcoholic fathers usually either become alcoholics or they become extreme overachievers; I hate to make such a blanket statement, but I've witnessed the pattern. Sure, it's easy to crack on him--especially when he repeats himself. Except for its rosy ending, Voice of the Night does have penetrating insights; the interaction between Roy and Colin could have come straight out of a casebook; and that junkyard chase scene, in my opinion, is superb. Watchers went off the tracks in the middle, and, yes, is sappy--I wanted more about the monster. Koontz frustrates me because he puts commercialism (the safe, easy way) over exploring the really complicated aspects of the human condition--which can ONLY be done in horror, you know? Koontz is Catholic, and I'm not knocking him for that (I'm Catholic). But so was Blatty, and, for that matter, Flannery O'Connor--and they did some deep dives into evil. There's just a territory that Koontz won't enter; and I don't mean "extreme horror," I mean spiritually. Maybe I'm wrong; this is just my opinion.
This video is more true than ever. His writing is so clumsy, amateurish and more interested in preaching his personal ideology than telling a good story
This was a most entertaining video! i suspect you are right about Dean! But I wonder, around when do you think this hellish bargain took place? I read his book Lightning when I was around eleven and loved it. It was kind of a thriller, kind of science fiction, full of action and a great female protagonist. And it had Time travelling Nazis! From there I got a whole bunch of his books for the next few years, until I was around fifteen, when I just seemed to stop reading him. I think intensity was one of the last ones I read, if not the last one, back in the 90s. Years later I got one of his newer books from my workplace...it was called One Door Away from heaven, and is probably one of the worst books I've ever read. Just awful! Since then I've really avoided him, but there are still some early works I feel like I might enjoy someday.
His tragic encounter with the mustache hunting demon must have taken place sometime in the late 1990s. After that his demonic hair and terrible books began to appear.
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 Aha ok! So that still leaves plenty of material from the 70s and 80s that I might work through sometime. Mid-90s is the time I was a teen and kind of gave up on him. I remember reading Mr. Murder 9a bit crappy and too stephen King-like), Intensity (I don't remember it leaving a huge impression except for a twist near the end), Midnight (fun body horror, some of Koontz's weird domestic attitudes showing through), and something else..The Bad Place? Hideaway? One of those. And of course Lightning. Damn that was a cool book for 11-year-old me.
I take it you're not a fan of Dean Koontz's work? I read a couple back in the 90s, and I have to agree they were pretty crappy and I stopped reading them completely. But he still churning them out at a fast pace today.
I'm here because my friend moved "The Mask", a book with a great 80s horror cover and written by "Owen West", into his 2 dollar book box lol. I've always avoided Dean because a lot of the books i researched in high school all sounded similar and seemed like generic thrillers. I'm actually glad it seems like a lot of the stuff he does in his other books isn't present under his Owen West pseudonym. but it's nice to see that universally everyone accepts the fact his modern stuff is lukewarm, at best
Dean Koontz litters my local second hand book shops. I became naturally curious and picked one up. I did not go back for more. On the other hand though he is quite inspiring. If he can make it as an author then maybe even I have a chance.
Hilarious, and like so much that's funny, it's funny because it's true. I've read a number of Koontz's novels over the years. I quite enjoyed Twilight Eyes, Watchers, Lightning, Cold Fire, and a few others. But _none_ of the books he wrote after he started wearing that God-awful rug have been any good. I thought I had found an exception several years ago, when I needed a book on a long flight, and the only thing I could find on short notice that looked interesting was a book Koontz co-wrote with Kevin J. Anderson. It was the first book of a trilogy, and I held off buying volumes 2 and 3 because it was a new book by Koontz, and I hadn't liked _any_ of his recent work. Then, to my surprise, the book was actually quite good. After I read it, I bought vols. 2 & 3. I am now sure that Kevin Anderson was what had saved that book. The second, co-written with a different author (Ed Gorman, whom I had never heard of), was merely alright -- not actually bad, but not terribly good either. The third volume was a steaming pile of dog excrement. It was genuinely one of the worst books I've ever read. Koontz wrote that one solo -- and said in the foreword that he had not enjoyed the experience of collaborating with other authors. There was a lengthy delay in the publication date of the third book, and Koontz appears to have written the whole thing in a pissed off mood, as if to say to the many fans who had written to him, earnestly pleading with him to finish the series, "okay, here's your _damned_ final volume! Now stop _fucking bugging me!"_ And as for the toupee.... Oh my God, google him, and look at some recent photos. In some of them, he looks like he went into a cheap, novelty costume shop, and bought a Beatles wig -- one not nearly as well made or realistic looking as the ones you can buy on Amazon. This is not even _slightly_ an exaggeration. I have to wonder if the man has any friends, or if his wife actually loves him, because if he had, or if she did, I _can't_ imagine them letting him appear in public like that.
Lol...😂😂😂😂 This video made my day. But really, his hair looks absolutely horrible now! Also, I've only read one of his books and I didn't like it, so this story sounds totally legit, lol.
Explains a lot about why Dean's later books are so awful. I believe he got the best of the deal. All he has to do is recycle his crappy stories over and over, and folks continue to scoop them up by the armful at their local used bookstore.
Wow that is pretty mean I gather you're not the inconsistent friend he is one of my favorite authors I like his style of writing alright I wonder where you get your facts from??? Oh let me see you probably had lunch with him and he told you his story please don't make me laugh Because most likely it's all BS
I know about his personal life and it's tragic. He had a dark childhood and his own father tried to kill him. Glad that Koontz is showing how strong he is through his books.
I’m glad you enjoy his books.
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 Yeah, they are not all that great but some of them. Have you read Intensity? You won't get bored with that one. =)
@@SuperStrangSshadow I have read that one. It came out in 95 and Koontz didn’t really start to get bad until the late 90s, in my opinion. I kept reading his books for a while after that.
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 I still do. I havea weakness for his books and the books by King. Devoted byKoontz is one of his best new ones. =)
@@SuperStrangSshadow I saw that it has a 4.11 average on goodreads. For him that is very high. It must really be awesome then.
Dean Koontz writes amazing books. His more recent books like The Big Dark Sky, The Other Emily, Ashley Bell, etc i mean, you are entitled to your opinion, but you are factually wrong if you think Dean hasn't consistently put out bangers. I also haven't read every book of the man's career, because I believe life is too short to read an author's worst work. And like all Author's, Dean probably has several books that he too would rather everyone not read lol
I can name 20 great books by Dean. And having 20 great reads under your belt is enough for me to call you a great author. I haven't read all of the 100+ books by him yet, but I haven't read a bad one yet. My favorite has got to be Intensity. That was the first Dean I read, and I've been a fan ever since. He writes in a Dicken's type of voice. His prose is beautiful.
"you are entitled to your opinion but you are factually wrong when you think"... an opinion. Uh?
I happen to think Dean Kuntz is an amazing writer.
i hate to say it: but if you sell way over 200 m books you must do some thing right...
Watchers and Twilight Eyes are really good but he wrote those a long time ago. I stopped reading his books about 25 years old because he became so formulaic. Every book was about a guy and a girl and usually a dog on the run from a monster with psychic powers and could shape-shift and also worked for a secret government agency.
“Intensity” and “Sole Survivor” were the peak of Dean Koontz. Once “Seize the Night” came out, something was different.
I would never make fun of a man who wears a rug. Well, unless its behind his back of course ! 🤣 This was gold !!
Ha! Thanks! A couple Koontz fans have called it something else…
@@michaelk.vaughan8617Oh I didnt know they still existed. You've smoked them out !
If a guy has the audacity to wear a piece in public, you know his testicular sack weighs about 18 pounds!
Willie the cat! The Stately Vaughan Manor lore deepens!
Intensity is a later work by Koontz that I thought was incredible, however, in the back cover, he appears to sport a five o’ clock shadow and a receding hairline, so perhaps he had an episode where he was able to exorcize this demonic deal, but only momentarily.
Also, interesting that he’d make a deal with a demon, when his books are so loaded with Christian references. Maybe he’s trying to atone for his sins.
Also, this hair-deal-gone-wrong is the plot of Odd Thomas, isn’t it?
Well, Intensity was published in 1995. It wasn’t until later 1990s that his demon hair appeared, followed shortly by terrible books. It is possible that he periodically removed his mustache as a protection against mustache hunting supernatural beings. Obviously he foolishly grew it back, drawing the attention of the demon.
This just got served up to me by UA-cam and I’m dying 😂😂
Ha! It’s all true!
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 Given the video is still up after a year it must be!
That's funny, man. Thank you for putting a smile on my face.
You are very welcome.
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 Btw, do you have a Discord server?
He's one of my favorite authors. And he has written some of my very favorite books that I re-read every few years. One Door Away From Heaven and By the Light of the Moon, especially. And Odd Thomas forever. We all have our own tastes. But this was a funny video!
I like Dean Koontz 🤷♂️
Why would anyone choose a full head of hair over that sweet mustache? A real shame.
His mustache was awesome! And his demon hair is so awful! It’s obviously of supernatural origin, for as Dean himself ages…his hair remains the same….
Thanks for this I've seen his books and wondered if he was worth reading, I'll try and find a book pre-demon and see if it is worth the time. Great story telling.
Definitely go for the pre-demon books!
LOL!!!! 😆 I love Dean Koontz but that was really comical
I was a little hard on the Dean in this one! Thanks!
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 I thought of the balding, mustache having Dean looked like a down to Earth High School shop teacher and the shaven, turtleneck wearing Dean with a full head of hair looks like a math teacher that would argue with the other Dean in the teacher's lounge...LOL!!! 😁
I actually enjoy his writing. Everyone has a right to their opinion.
Tick Tock is brilliantly written. The plot isn't believable. In fact, it's pretty absurd. But the writing itself is great. I'm a writer, and I was impressed.
Dean Koontz has a few great Books. Now matter what anyone says. Watchers , Bad Place , and Hideaway are all pretty good books. Way better than some Authors I can think of. Of course those are the only ones that come 2 mind as being good. LoL 🤣🤣🤣
Great Video. Poor Dean Koontz 🤣🤣🤣👍
Of course all those book you mention were released before the demonic encounter. Poor Dean…if only you held on to your mustache…
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 LoL 🤣🤣
I have dean koontz books but I have not read them .but I will start very soon .Thankyou for your video
😂 Well now I HAVE to try Dean Koontz. I’m morbidly curious in that way.
Uhh…might I recommend his pre demon work…
For horror go with Phantoms, Twilight Eyes, Bad place, Hideaway, Midnight and Watchers.
For more thriller based books go with: Lightining, Intensity, Velocity and Mr. Murder.
Twilight Eyes, Watchers, Intensity and Lightining are probably the fan favorites, apart from the first volumes of his series like Frankenstein and Odd Thomas which I have never read. Basically all of these are from his "golden age Koontz" according to Travis Mcbee or his "pre demon work" according to Michael xD. What happened is that he started putting more and more religion into the books, starting probably at the "From the corner of his eye" (stay away). Since then it became a hit (little or no religion) or miss (lots of religion) for many people. Besides, Dean Koontz does have a fantastic formula for writing his books, but it is still a formula. So you get a little sick of the guy after reading many books in a row. Something that doesn't happen nearly as often with Stephen King's readers for example.
However, one of his most recent releases "Devoted" has 4.11 average on goodreads, quite high for Koontz. So perhaps it would be a good experiment to begin with that one, since it's from his demon period. Maybe Phantoms, Intensity and Devoted for a detailed investigation.
@@marcelprado6528 Thank you for the information! I think I have Odd Thomas and Midnight sitting on the shelf at home. Maybe I’ll give Midnight a try in 2022.
@@revenantreads That is a very good start. It's a very solid beginning with Koontz, while is not an absolute favorite for many people. So after reading it, if you like it and want some more, it won't be difficult to find even better books of his to try. Good read!
From those I've read, I enjoyed almost all of his older books as entertaining, some even with re-reading quality as I forgot about them. And although I don't received the newer ones (again, those I've read) as crappy crappy crap, I don't buy him from the regular shelf anymore, only the rummage table.
By the way, what did you have to sacrifice to the demon in exchange for "the hat you can wear inside your home"? ;)
I have read around 10-12 of his books they were entertaining.
Very sad story! He looked better with the mustache 😃 Bad Rhonda looked pretty peaceful 😍
He looks like Eric Bischoff from wrestling 🤣😆
I have just completed "Strangers". I really enjoyed it.
Strangers was a good one.
So who got the meagre writing talent? My guess, and it's a good one, is James Patterson.
Are you sure that's not a photo of Burt Reynolds? LOL.
That was such a cool look he had going on. Damn that Demon!
Just finished reading shattered omg was amazing i kept picturing george as the blob PRE FAT BLOB in wolverine origins in everybody hates chris dads clothes anybody else? lmao
This was hilarious 😂 (and sadly, kind of true)
The thing is with Dean Koontz, is that he actually does have some talent, but he rarely employs it, at least to his full potential. I think he's become more about quantity than quality over the years, and is unconcerned with evolving as a writer and coming up with new ideas. However, Intensity is arguably his best book and that was released in, I believe, 1993. Though before that many of his better books came early in his career (Twilight Eyes, Watchers, etc.)
I've read about 20 of his novels and started out loving his work, and over time I realized he's kind of a hack. A good writer and he has the potential, but his imagination is apparently limited to writing the same stories over and over again and he seems to be more concerned with pumping them out for income rather than the passion of it. Still, he'll always have a few books in his catalogue that will remain within my all time favorites
It was in the later 1990s that Koontz had his tragic encounter with the demon. It was then that his horrifying hair first appeared, followed shortly by terrible books.
how does that make any sense sir? how do you become an author that sold more books than Stephen King without talent? His recent stories are great. The Other Emily, Ashley Bell, The Big Dark Sky...Like, you are entitled to your opinion, but your opinion isn't fact. at all.
What’s funny is there’s a lot of truth to this. With his “old look,” he put out some good material. Phantoms, Intensity, Mr. Murder, Watchers, Midnight, Dragon Tears, etc. but ever since the “new look,” they haven’t been that great. Honestly, most of what I own of his is from the mustache days. But one thing I like about Koontz is his humility. He’s not a dick like Stephen King. But then again, to me, King was so damn good from Carrie through Misery. He still put out good books in the 90s, but in my opinion, I can live without every book after The Green Mile, with the sole exception of 11/22/63. I feel most writers pump out their best work early in their careers. I can think of several authors of various genres this applies to.
I guess that demon gets around. I wonder what he offered Stephen King? Thanks for watching!
Dean was born about an hours drive south of me .... I think he lost it when he moved to California....which seems logical😂
“Little writing talent”? I’ve read over 30 Stephen King books and almost 20 Dean Koontz books. I’ve fallen out of love with King and continue to enjoy Koontz’s work. Yes none of his books are outstanding works of art but none are “crappy” as you put it. I can pick up any Koontz book and find it enjoyable. I honestly can’t say that about King. So I strongly disagree with your opinion.
I’m glad that whatever I don’t see in his work, you do. You are certainly not alone in your opinion.
To be fair, I don't think Michael is a huge fan of King either
Ha ha! That was a funny one!
Totally true story.
And here I thought it was because he bought out the publishing rights to his early science fiction from Ace Doubles. Tricky demon.
😂😂 You are a great storyteller!!
😲 What an awful choice to be faced with, those dastardly demons!
Dastardly indeed!
Oh dear the hair. I have only read one of Dean’s books (Strangers) and really enjoyed it. That was years ago. I’d love to hear why his books are “crappy.”
Well, it’s a tough thing to isolate just what it is that makes his books so bad. Is it the obviously rushed and ridiculous plots? Is it his sloppy handling of details? Is it his constantly mining his earlier books for recycled ideas. Perhaps his inconsistent characterizations play a part in these dreary, interminable exercises in awfulness. I suppose it could be a combination if all these things. It’s telling that none of his heroes have mustaches after his encounter with the demon.
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 I was listening to a radio interview of Koontz that I think explains a lot of the choppiness of his work. He rejects Freudian psychology and makes certain that any semblance of those ideas are scrubbed from his books. Since Freudian psychology is pretty much how we think about psychology the absence of it in his work makes the work incredibly odd from the outset.
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 I love his books! And he is actually my favorite fiction author. There is nobody else that can hit that thriller sc-fi note so consistently like him. To each there own I suppose.
I actually have a lot respect for Koontz: he turned his trauma into something that transformed his life for the better . Sons of alcoholic fathers usually either become alcoholics or they become extreme overachievers; I hate to make such a blanket statement, but I've witnessed the pattern. Sure, it's easy to crack on him--especially when he repeats himself. Except for its rosy ending, Voice of the Night does have penetrating insights; the interaction between Roy and Colin could have come straight out of a casebook; and that junkyard chase scene, in my opinion, is superb. Watchers went off the tracks in the middle, and, yes, is sappy--I wanted more about the monster. Koontz frustrates me because he puts commercialism (the safe, easy way) over exploring the really complicated aspects of the human condition--which can ONLY be done in horror, you know? Koontz is Catholic, and I'm not knocking him for that (I'm Catholic). But so was Blatty, and, for that matter, Flannery O'Connor--and they did some deep dives into evil. There's just a territory that Koontz won't enter; and I don't mean "extreme horror," I mean spiritually. Maybe I'm wrong; this is just my opinion.
This video is more true than ever. His writing is so clumsy, amateurish and more interested in preaching his personal ideology than telling a good story
Then I imagine you hate all of Kings new books then right.
This is fantastic!
I like Steven King too..
Seems that demon gave him a bad deal.
She wrote no amoss!
I’m not sure what I just watched.
DDB says what you just watched is gold. I’ll go with that.
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 😂
So what did the demon give you for your meager youtube content creator talent?
A new hat. Still waiting on the hair.
This was a most entertaining video! i suspect you are right about Dean! But I wonder, around when do you think this hellish bargain took place?
I read his book Lightning when I was around eleven and loved it. It was kind of a thriller, kind of science fiction, full of action and a great female protagonist. And it had Time travelling Nazis!
From there I got a whole bunch of his books for the next few years, until I was around fifteen, when I just seemed to stop reading him. I think intensity was one of the last ones I read, if not the last one, back in the 90s. Years later I got one of his newer books from my workplace...it was called One Door Away from heaven, and is probably one of the worst books I've ever read. Just awful! Since then I've really avoided him, but there are still some early works I feel like I might enjoy someday.
His tragic encounter with the mustache hunting demon must have taken place sometime in the late 1990s. After that his demonic hair and terrible books began to appear.
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 Aha ok! So that still leaves plenty of material from the 70s and 80s that I might work through sometime. Mid-90s is the time I was a teen and kind of gave up on him. I remember reading Mr. Murder 9a bit crappy and too stephen King-like), Intensity (I don't remember it leaving a huge impression except for a twist near the end), Midnight (fun body horror, some of Koontz's weird domestic attitudes showing through), and something else..The Bad Place? Hideaway? One of those.
And of course Lightning. Damn that was a cool book for 11-year-old me.
I take it you're not a fan of Dean Koontz's work? I read a couple back in the 90s, and I have to agree they were pretty crappy and I stopped reading them completely. But he still churning them out at a fast pace today.
What a tragic tale! Such a shame. RIP Dean Koontz's talent...
If only he hadn’t given up his mustache…
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 it'd be like Poirot abandoning his moustache! Which of course hasn't happened since that confusing 1930s adaptation...
Lol 😂 yeah 👍 ok
LMAO! I love it! I've read many of his books and there is a modicum of truth to the Demon Tale.
😂
I'm here because my friend moved "The Mask", a book with a great 80s horror cover and written by "Owen West", into his 2 dollar book box lol. I've always avoided Dean because a lot of the books i researched in high school all sounded similar and seemed like generic thrillers. I'm actually glad it seems like a lot of the stuff he does in his other books isn't present under his Owen West pseudonym.
but it's nice to see that universally everyone accepts the fact his modern stuff is lukewarm, at best
Not everyone. There are those of us that know a great author and then there are people like…well, you…who don’t.
my cousin has had hair implants, he thinks he looks super cool and young now but he looks like a sttupid bog brush with 3 hairs in every hole
I like you but this is mean
Pretty sure Koontz can take it.
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 fair enough
😂😂😂 This is brilliant!
Thanks! I felt the tragic tale needed to be told at last.
Dean Koontz litters my local second hand book shops. I became naturally curious and picked one up. I did not go back for more.
On the other hand though he is quite inspiring. If he can make it as an author then maybe even I have a chance.
Write a better book, Chuckles.
Hilarious, and like so much that's funny, it's funny because it's true. I've read a number of Koontz's novels over the years. I quite enjoyed Twilight Eyes, Watchers, Lightning, Cold Fire, and a few others. But _none_ of the books he wrote after he started wearing that God-awful rug have been any good. I thought I had found an exception several years ago, when I needed a book on a long flight, and the only thing I could find on short notice that looked interesting was a book Koontz co-wrote with Kevin J. Anderson. It was the first book of a trilogy, and I held off buying volumes 2 and 3 because it was a new book by Koontz, and I hadn't liked _any_ of his recent work. Then, to my surprise, the book was actually quite good. After I read it, I bought vols. 2 & 3.
I am now sure that Kevin Anderson was what had saved that book. The second, co-written with a different author (Ed Gorman, whom I had never heard of), was merely alright -- not actually bad, but not terribly good either. The third volume was a steaming pile of dog excrement. It was genuinely one of the worst books I've ever read. Koontz wrote that one solo -- and said in the foreword that he had not enjoyed the experience of collaborating with other authors. There was a lengthy delay in the publication date of the third book, and Koontz appears to have written the whole thing in a pissed off mood, as if to say to the many fans who had written to him, earnestly pleading with him to finish the series, "okay, here's your _damned_ final volume! Now stop _fucking bugging me!"_
And as for the toupee.... Oh my God, google him, and look at some recent photos. In some of them, he looks like he went into a cheap, novelty costume shop, and bought a Beatles wig -- one not nearly as well made or realistic looking as the ones you can buy on Amazon. This is not even _slightly_ an exaggeration. I have to wonder if the man has any friends, or if his wife actually loves him, because if he had, or if she did, I _can't_ imagine them letting him appear in public like that.
Lol...😂😂😂😂 This video made my day. But really, his hair looks absolutely horrible now! Also, I've only read one of his books and I didn't like it, so this story sounds totally legit, lol.
Explains a lot about why Dean's later books are so awful. I believe he got the best of the deal. All he has to do is recycle his crappy stories over and over, and folks continue to scoop them up by the armful at their local used bookstore.
Horrible take. He’s still writing good solid entertaining books while King has turned all political and become a nut job.
Wow that is pretty mean I gather you're not the inconsistent friend he is one of my favorite authors I like his style of writing alright I wonder where you get your facts from??? Oh let me see you probably had lunch with him and he told you his story please don't make me laugh Because most likely it's all BS