By Nicholas Shewprasad

Early Life Koontz was born July 9, 1945 in

Everett, Pennsylvania to Ray and Florence Koontz.

Koontz was abused by his alcoholic father, Ray, and grew up in poverty. Ray Koontz had 44 jobs in 34 years

Later on, his father was diagnosed as schizophrenic and attempted to kill adult Dean twice.

Dean’s mother was a strong woman, who protected Dean from his father as much as she could.

Growing Up Although poor, Koontz was

able to enjoy simple childhood pleasures.He enjoyed Donald Duck

comics

Koontz felt that stories helped him cope with his troubles and began writing stories at 8-years-old and sold them for 5 cents.

College Years After graduating high school,

Koontz attended Shippensburg State College

Majored In English with a Minor in Communications.

Won the Atlantic Monthly Creative Writing Award for a story he wrote for a class

After graduating, Koontz married Gerda Ann Cerra.

Post-College After graduating Koontz

went to work for the Appalachian Poverty Program

Working there made Koontz develop a high distrust for the government and politics

This distrust in the government is evident throughout many of his works, such as “Dark Rivers of the Heart.”

Post-College Koontz then taught high school for

two years while pursuing a part-time career as a writerSold three novels and short stories

Seeing his potential, Gerda offered to support them for 5 years so Dean could pursue his career full-timeGerda was able to quit her job and

manage Dean’s successful writing business

Writing Career

In 1968, Koontz created Star Quest, his first novel.This was a science fiction novel

Koontz wanted to explore all genres and created numerous pseudonyms

Writing Career Pseudonyms

Gothic Romance Suspense

These pseudonyms irritated critics since it made it difficult for them to track Koontz’s work

Horror

Deanna Dwyer K.R. DwyerOwen West

The True Beginnings Career launched after Chase Chase told the story of a

Vietnam veteran (Ben Chase) returning to civilian life

Ben becomes an alcoholic to escape his pain and believes a psychopath is out to kill him.

“When society is sick, the mad are sane - and persecution is a killer's game...” (Back cover of Chase)

Continued Success

After Chase, Koontz’s next success was Whispers, created 8 years later.

Whispers is a tale of horror where Hilary Thomas becomes the target of her psychopathic neighbor.

Mr. Murder One of Koontz’s

famous horror/mystery stories is Mr. Murder

Story is told from two different perspectives

Story revolves around the uncertainty of the mind and how it plays tricks on us.

Frankenstein Novel & Comics Koontz’s version of Shelley’s

classic Frankenstein (Helios) tries to

create alternate lifeThese life forms are electronic

based like computers The Monster (Deucalion) tries

to stop the creation of Helio’s artificial life

Readers who read Frankenstein are likely to see the similarities within the series.

TV series was in development by TNT, but was cancelled

Odd Thomas Novels Horror/Thriller, New York Times Best Seller Odd Thomas is a cook, but has the talent to

speak to the lingering dead and becomes a friend of Elvis

Odd converses with the spirits and helps solve disaster before it happens, but also discovers that his talent is a menace to both the living and the dead

Influence Koontz has gotten a lot of influence

from the people around him. His mother was the basis for the

maternal character within Dragon Tears

Janet Davis, the mother, protects her son from the horrors of abuse and poverty, scavenging for food

Koontz’s mother is the basis for many of his female characters, where the female character always finds the strength to overcome the impossible.

Influence Dean’s father became

characters within Koontz’s books

Ray Koontz is the basis for all weak characters, especially antagonistic males

The mention of alcoholism/abuse is always a direct referral to his father

After his father attempted to kill him at a nursing home, Dean became well versed in police procedure and incorporated this knowledge into his books.

Trixie Koontz was greatly

influenced Trixie, who Koontz believed to have been an angel sent from God.

Koontz believes Trixie made him see the beauty in the world around him.

Koontz wrote a memoir and children’s book about her.

Writing Process Koontz writes on

an 18-year-old computer with no email/internet

Process has evolved over the years

Involves spiritual power

Dean refers to himself as a suspense novelist

As an Author

Dean Koontz books cover a number of genres.

By using pseudonyms, Koontz was able to collect knowledge about each and use them in his stories

14 novels were #1 in New York Times hardcover best seller list

16 books were #1 in paperback Best seller in Sweden and Japan

The door disappears to all characters except Jess, the main character

The story does not seem to be horror in the beginning as Jess and his wife go house shoppingThere is really no conflict present at the

beginning except for the conflicting opinions of the home

The Beginning

The Door Appears

The Door becomes the horror aspect of the story

The Door Appears, Again

Jess is fearful of what he will find in the cellar.

Koontz creates a sinister tone by omitting all aspects of light

The Darkness

Notice Koontz shows that the darkness is almost absorbing the light.Creates a spooky setting where many

unknowns hide within the darkness.

The Darkness

Notice the use of the word corruptionCorruption is moral perversion; depravityThis almost foreshadows what’s to come later in the story.

The Darkness

Jess has not reached the ground floor yet.The darkness seems to envelope more of the light

Instead of the light cutting the darkness, the darkness is eating the light

The Bottom

Strong diction is used to convey to readers the abysmal setting. How does this passage relate to corruption?

The corruption is the solitary confinement of the soldiers/the way they were treated

Mr. Phu

Jess finally puts the pieces together and realizes that Mr. Phu was once his abuser in Vietnam

Does any diction foreshadow what is going to happen in the future?Yes, Jess turns the tables by putting Phu through a

living hell.

Tables Turned

How would you interpret the basement? I interpreted the basement as a door to hellIt can also be interpreted as a place where people

repent for their sinsJess says he will “assist fate” assuming he has come to

bring justice on the sinners

The Horrors appear How would you interpret Phu’s death?

Was it justified for Jess to allow Phu to be killed by the horrors within the dark?Phu was killed by his own personal demonsJess was merely the messenger, who could

have possibly summoned the past to kill Phu.

The End How would you interpret

the ending?Possibly Jess was consumed

by the darkness and continued to kill off those who bothered him

Is this horror?

Yes, may aspects of horror are present Can you name any aspects of horror

that are present?Psychological horror – Jess’s frame of

thoughtMonsters – Jess’s dead buddies as skeletal

creatures