Howiefan

I recently started getting into his work. Any members here have some suggestions as to which of his books I should read next?

Scarecrow

I liked Velocity a lot.

movie diva

I enjoyed Velocity, one of my favorites is The Watchers, Odd Thomas was also good.

cineman

Must Read:
Watchers
Dark Rivers of the Heart
Intensity
False Memory
Whispers
Dragon Tears

Worthwhile:
The Bad Place
Lightning
Servants of Twilight
Strangers

Avoid:
Sole Survivor
From the Corner of His Eye (great 1st half, falls apart)
(haven't read The Taking, but all I know who've read it hated it)

Can't wait to read Velocity in paperback. Sounds great.

Ms. M

I'll second False Memory and Odd Thomas. Odd Thomas is getting a sequel next month, so you might want to start there.

And I must admit to being one of the few who really loved The Taking. I found the atmosphere and scenario quite chilling. The characterization is not great and it does overuse the traumatic past/noble dog themes that Koontz relies on too often. And there is a twist at the end that redefines the nature of the threat you might love or you might hate (I loved it).

Geofferson

I'm getting into Koontz as well (slowly, but surely though). I have a ton of his paperbacks (picked up a bunch at a garage sale for a dime a piece).

I've heard that The Face is a must-read. I definitely plan on checking out Odd Thomas because the sequel Forever Odd comes out next month.

I'm currently reading Koontz' Frankenstein book two.

JAA

Koontz has always been very difficult for me to appreciate (although I've tried). The only titles I remember enjoying were The Watchers and Midnight.

MovieExchange

Phantoms, Strangers, Lightning, Key to Midnight.

The Bad Place was awesome. It was one of the first Koontz books I had read, and the way he wrote the main characters, you would swear that there had been other books about them before.

movielib

Loved:

Dark Rivers of the Heart (my favorite)
Lightning
Midnight
Dragon Tears
The Bad Place
Mr. Murder
Phantoms

and his best book in nine years:

Life Expectancy

Many other very good ones; those are just his best, IMO.

lysander

Intensity was pretty good. As was Dragon Tears and Servants of Twighlight.

Tick Tock was not very good. Save that till last

Dan1boy

Life Expectancy comes out in paperback in a week or two if I'm not mistaken. Definitely picking it up!

Also, I've really enjoyed reading the Frankenstein novels...juicy, noir thrillers...just the way I like 'em!

djmont

Life Expectancy is out imminently in paperback and it's a terrific book. (Check out the big ole blurb on the back from me. )

Koontz' other recent books have been wonderful, too, with Odd Thomas being a particular favorite of mine. The sequel is out in hardcover soon. I also gave rave reviews to The Face and Velocity.

I disagree with the poster who recommended avoiding From the Corner of His Eye, which is long but worthwhile, and The Taking, which is much shorter, but also very powerful. The latter, in particular, is a delight.

Really, I don't think I've read a book of his that I didn't care for, although there are some that I didn't try because they didn't look interesting to me. I think he's a brilliant writer, one of the best working today. Nearly all of his work is well worth reading.

twikoff

ive read a few koontz books
dragon tears stands out, from the ones Ive read

Tom Banjo

Some of my personal favorites are:
Watchers
Lightning
Frankenstein 1 & 2
Cold Fire
Odd Thomas
Fear Nothing
Seize The Night

Baron Of Hell

Yeah Koontz can put out some great stuff and then turn around screw you over. I was reading some book about a computer that trapped a lady in her house and just couldn't get through it. The pain was just to great. The best one I read I was Dragon Tears and one about a guy that can tell when people are about to die but I forgot the name.

Ms. M

That first book you're referring to is Demon Seed, which he wrote back in the 1970s. There was even a fairly prominent movie made out of it (probably the biggest one made for one of his books- he hasn't had King's success in that area) with Julie Christie that just came out on DVD. That one never looked too good to me- its basically about a woman being raped by her husband's computer and giving birth.

movielib

Koontz himself admitted he cringed many times when he went back and reread the book he wrote in 1973. A lot had to do with the portrayal of the computer. He was going to do a light revision and then realized he needed to pretty much rewrite the whole thing which he did in 1997. While it will never be considered one of his classics, the revised edition is a quick, entertaining read.

djmont

I finished the new book, Forever Odd, last night. It's not as good as the first one, but still very enjoyable. Reminds me of David Morrell's superb Creepers in a large part of the plot.

I'd definitely recommend it, but you should make sure you've read Odd Thomas first. Otherwise, you won't get the full appreciation of the story.

cultshock

The first Koontz book I read was The Bad Place, which I love (reread several times). I've read about 6 or 7 other Koontz books, but the only ones that really stood out for me were Lightning, and The Taking (which I just recently read). I would recommend those 3 at least.

Goldblum

Intensity (and watch the miniseries as well if you get a chance)

Eric D.

Velocity and Odd Thomas are GREAT! The Taking however was just..meh.

Howiefan

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I just picked up a bunch of his books on Ebay for cheap.

mndtrp

The Door to December is one of my favorites. It's about a guy using his daugther to test what happens to long exposures to sensory deprivation chambers.

Kelvecion

I rate Phantoms, Dark Rivers of the Heart, Twilight Eyes, Watchers, Lightning, Shadowfires, Chase, The Bad Place and Whispers as among his best. Some of his others I found rather too sugary silly for the taste I'd already acquired. I rather liked Shatter - short and sweet. Intensity was a real thrill. Koontz writes real neat, lose yourself in top notch escapism - imho. Strangers - I liked that as well.

False Memory - I didn't finish so I can't offer a proper crit. From the corner of his eye - I could not finish. Didn't stop me from admiring the novelist, though.

Phantoms, I believe, is one of the best horror novels out there. It was Phantoms that got me into DRK.

Steve

freudian-slip

If you are a fan of Stoker's Dracula, you might like Frankenstein 1 & 2. I found them entertaining and there are little nods to Stoker and the classic Universal movies in there as well. They're my first real exposure to Koontz.