Fear That Man

by Dean Koontz

Genres: Science Fiction, Horror

124 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

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, the author of many #1 New York Times bestsellers, lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, their golden retriever, Elsa, and the enduring spirit of their goldens, Trixie and Anna.

Facebook: Facebook.com/DeanKoontzOfficial
Twitter: @DeanKoontz
Website: DeanKoontz.com

Reviews

[itchy · Rating 4 out of 5]

ocr:
There's a lot, namely, all apostrophes. They have become a sort of lowercase L with a diagonal strike-through on one reader and rectangle with diagonal bisectors on another. Took me a while to acclimatize. There's few besides that.

This is some sort of sci-fi horror with religious elements. I though it began okay but kinda lost its way later.

[Kevin Phyland · Rating 3 out of 5]

The man they call Sam has no memory of his past when he becomes aware that he is on a spaceship. A ship he instinctively knows how to fly. He picks up a passenger called Hurkos, a Mue (mutant), who is a telepath, and then another, as he almost collides with the famous poet Gnossos Mikos. Together they make the unwelcome discovery that Sam’s ship is a construct of protoplasm, created from whole cloth. As Sam appears to be as well. Something is directing Sam to a mission of some importance of which he is still unaware, but at predetermined times posthypnotic suggestions cause him to act, sometimes violently. Violence has been eliminated in this future except for Unnaturals, who have their violent impulses reflected back on themselves mentally. When the being pulling their strings is revaled they call it God. And dispose of it. Nominally an end but it appears God was actually an entire higher dimension and the next highest has dropped down to take its place. An early novel from Dean Koontz, it creaks a bit and has a kitchen sink feel to it, but it won’t take up too much of your time and resolves. Sort of.

[Steph · Rating 2 out of 5]

This novel was written in the 70’s, and it reads like it. Btw, did you all know that Koontz started out writing sci-fi, back when he started writing? Yup, and thank goodness he gradually changed over to horror like he has, because I feel he has really found his niche. It suits him much better.
This novel was rather boring, silly, and ham-fisted in its messages. Don’t read it if you find that characters in a novel talking about religion like it’s bad, for crazy people, and should all be gotten rid of, bothers you in some way. Or if you don’t like reading about slugs….. especially when those slugs are killed in very gory ways. (It was pretty gross, but it takes a lot of effect me, in the gore area).

https://readfrom.net/dean-koontz/page...

2.5 stars, and not really recommended.

[Stephen Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually really liked this book. It's Koontz back when he was substantially weirder than he is these days and this is one of his most virulently anti-religion or, really, anti-God, but he builds a great world and the story never quite goes where you think it will. Ending is dumb though, which subtracts a star.

[Sterling DePaul · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another early Dean Koontz sci-fi, definitely a bit subpar compared to his other books. It was split into three parts, and the first two were so disjointed I felt like maybe it was a collection of short stories. Overall, would not recommend, stick to his later thriller novels.

[Ron · Rating 2 out of 5]

His third novel. Fairly immature writing overall and SF concept is wildly imaginative and clunky.

[MikeR · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Fear That Man" by Dean Koontz is a science fiction novel first published in 1969. The protagonist is a mysterious figure known as "The Man Without a Past." He arrives in a galaxy that has long forgotten war and evil, and his presence begins to disrupt the established order. His true nature and motivations unfold throughout the novel, leading to a dramatic confrontation that challenges the morality of power and control.

Critically, Fear That Man has received mixed reviews. The novel’s brevity, just 131 pages, limits its ability to fully develop its characters and world-building, making it feel rushed compared to Koontz’s later works. However, the novel shows Koontz’s early experimentation with suspense and psychological tension, hallmarks of his later bestsellers.