Celebrating a master of suspense

 

“Books were this wonderful escape for me because I could open a book and disappear into it, and that was the only way out of that house when I was a kid.” – Dean Koontz

Born in Pennsylvania on this date in 1945, Koontz has been a writer almost his entire life.   His professional writing career began when he won an Atlantic Monthly fiction competition while in college, and since then he has written over 100 books with 450 million copies sold.

 

A multiple award winner for his suspense thrillers, he often is emulated by other writers.  Sci Fi writer Brian Herbert noted, "I went though a phase where I read everything that Dean Koontz wrote, and in the process I learned a lot about characterization and building suspense.”

 

Fourteen of Koontz’s novels went to number one on the New York Times hardcover bestseller list - led by Strangers, Sole Survivor, and What the Night Knows - making him one of only a dozen writers to have achieved that milestone.   And perhaps even more remarkable is that 17 of his books have been made into movies.

 

Abused as a child, Koontz has championed causes to help victims of both alcohol and abuse.  “Even in the darkest moments light exists if you have faith to see it.  Civilization rests on the fact that most people do the right thing most of the time.”