Koontzland - Dean Koontz discussion

Dragon Tears is our January 2016 Group Read (along with Forever Odd & Ashley Bell).

Please consider reading Dragon Tears during January. This is a new thread for the 2016 discussion, but there is also an older thread in the Koontz's Many Stand-Alone Novels discussion folder, which you may find interesting.

Thank You!

I have read this book a few times and loved it!! I dont own any of the Odd books so I think I will do this discussion instead. :)

Thank you Sara. Happy Christmas!

The book was a NYT no. 1 in Jan. 1993 (www.hawes.com), I read in 2014. Look forward to my second read in a group to be better.

FDeroche wrote: "The book was a NYT no. 1 in Jan. 1993 (www.hawes.com), I read in 2014. Look forward to my second read in a group to be better."

Thank You FDeroche :-) I guess I better find me an audiobook soon.
Happy New Year!

Forgive me, but I'll pass. I had a hard time reading this one the first time.

Charissa wrote: "Forgive me, but I'll pass. I had a hard time reading this one the first time."

You are forgiven :-) Thanks Charissa
We'll look forward to next time when a title works out for you.

FYI: Forever Odd and Ashley Bell are also January Group Reads
Brother Odd and The Face are February Group Reads.

I know I have read Dragon Tears....it's not one of his books I kept in my library. I can not remember what the story was at all !!

I just started Dragon Tears after finishing Forever Odd. In this book the perp in the beginning keeps calling out Elvis song titles. I had to laugh. It makes me wonder, is Dean Koontz a big Elvis fan, does anyone know?

There are no coincidences :-) Everything is connected.

Dustin, that is true; like the whole Wyvern thing with Odd and Christopher Snow.

BTW today is Elvis Presley' 81st Birthday :-)

That reminds me, Dustin, do you know when Dean's birthday is?

The audio version I have of Dragon Tears is really good. Sometimes I can read faster without it but I am slower this time because I only have the speed at 1.5 . The narrator does the voices so well.

Karen B. wrote: "That reminds me, Dustin, do you know when Dean's birthday is?"

Hold on. Let me ask him :-)

Deans birthday is July 9th. He was born in 1945 and will be 71 this year - that is 10 years Elvis' junior. If you're wondering why Dean seems so young - it's the hair (and possibly the supernatural ability to teleport and travel through time).

Yes he does seem very young. But then again I have been reading his work for a long time it seems and I am no spring chicken! (I know about the hair LOL I say more power to him to get it done)

My reading start is showing Police Dectitives partners, Harry Lyon and Connie Gulliver have a typical police novel theme bringing a good partnership and off duty bond together. Two strange Items to follow is 'ratman' and the expression 'tick toc, tick toc' as they bring the fear to characters.

:-) Thank you FDeroche :-)

Karen and Dean, To note your comments with audiobooks. This is my second reading using both an audiobook and book. I have recently found using both (when you can) makes the reading go better and you pick up the emotions in character voices.

FDeroche wrote: "Karen and Dean, To note your comments with audiobooks. This is my second reading using both an audiobook and book. I have recently found using both (when you can) makes the reading go better and yo..."

I agree totally. I loved the narration that went with this book. For example when the perp and Connie were yelling Elvis song titles back and forth. And I loved the way he made the dog sound.

Thank you Karen

FDeroche wrote: "Thank you Karen"

I use immersion reading whenever I can as I seem to pay attention better. Also I can set the speed for the narration faster and increase my reading speed. I'm curious, what did you think of the dog?

Pages with the dog's voices did not add much my following the plot?

I re-read this book and thoroughly enjoyed it a second time! I loved the rave scene! I felt like I was there even though im glad I wasnt! I'd like to keep all of my appendages!! Lol

FDeroche wrote: "Pages with the dog's voices did not add much my following the plot?"

but sure is fun :-)

Thank you to everyone who has read Dragon Tears in January. I am going to be reading Dragon Tears the last week in January - so there's still time to join in if you haven't already.

I will be starting Ashley Bell this week.

I'm joining you Dustin. Loving this book so far. Dean Koontz must be an Elvis fan. Rat man is disgusting. Tick tock Gotta get back to reading.

Diane Lynch wrote: "I'm joining you Dustin. Loving this book so far. Dean Koontz must be an Elvis fan. Rat man is disgusting. Tick tock Gotta get back to reading."

Diane agree with you on everything you said.

I'm currently reading Dragon Tears :-)

I'm over half-way through Dragon Tears now. In all of Koontz's works, we can see inter-connectedness of certain themes and objects (we have a discussion topic devoted to this). Reading Dragon Tears, I am seeing many elements that Koontz later used in his novels - More than the usual crossover. I am wondering if he felt they weren't fully appreciated in Dragon Tears and so included them in other stories. Here are a few examples:

The Main Characters - A man & woman police team is very similar to the Frankenstein Books.

A Character with a Distorted God Complex - Also similar to Victor Frankenstein.

Tick Tock - Dean Koontz later titles a novel with this same phrase (view spoiler)[and it also features a supernatural entity, one that grows in size as the story progresses (hide spoiler)]

ELVIS - his life & song titles are used in Dragon Tears and then later in the Odd Thomas series.

Eyes in Jars - (view spoiler)[ I believe it's in False Memory where the villain keeps the eyes of his father in a jar and takes them out from time to time (hide spoiler)]

Magical Mirrors - What the Night Knows

In Dragon Tears we meet a villain with (view spoiler)[ Supernatural Gifts. I find myself wondering how much good could be done with these same powers. The ability to stop time, save lives etc. (hide spoiler)]

Now on Part Three - A Scary Little Cottage in the Woods

I'm still reading Dragon Years and loving it. Plan on finishing next couple of days then straight to The Face.

I was surprised by how much I liked Dragon Tears.

Straight to The Face :-) That sounds funny.

I'm here to entertain you Dustin:)

Diane Lynch wrote: "I'm here to entertain you Dustin:)"

Thanks. I am easily amused :-)

Anything for you Dustin. You do so much for all of us.