16 Best Dean Koontz Books to Read

Books are said to be a man’s best friend. People who want to gain knowledge are known for reading books. Novels have become a significant part of our life as they tell stories and often show us the reality of society. Novels are also a great tool to know more about different places from around the world, and they can take us to alternate realities depending on the genre that we study. The Best Dean Koontz Books have been a go-to read for people around the world. Here we will know a bit more about him and then hop on the journey to know about the books that he has written over the years. 

About Dean Koontz: 

Dean Koontz is an author belonging from the United States, where he was born in 1945 in Pennsylvania. He primarily pens down novels belonging from the genre of suspense thrillers. He is known for incorporating the themes of horror, fantasy, science fiction, and satire. The books have often reached the New York Bestsellers List making him a famous author in America as well as around the world.

Currently, his book count is around 105, and he has also written books under pseudonyms. He has sold about 450 million books around the world. When someone reads the books that have been written by them, they often feel that there is a dense mixture of different genres. Being an avid writer, he is still writing several standalone novels as well as short stories. If you are someone who doesn’t have the patience to read novels, then you may try your hands at short stories that are written by Koontz. So, let us learn about the best books of the author that you should include in your reading list. 

The Best Books by Dean Koontz: 

1. Prodigal Son (Frankenstein 1):

The Frankenstein series by Dean Koontz is one of his best works. The series begins with the book, The Prodigal Son and he tells the story of Deucalion, who is a tattooed man, and his origins are mysterious. His secret is said to be worse than death. Dean Koontz fans say that it is one of the best places to start with his work as the series is based in fantasy, and it is easy to get into it. The book was first released by 2005, and it is still widely available. 

2. Demon Seed:

This 1973 book by Koontz is regarded as one of the best books by him, and it was his first bestseller. The novel covers the story of Susan Harris, who is a reclusive, wealthy divorcee and about the cunning AI computer that takes her as a hostage in her home. The computer is named Proteus, and the novel talks about its desire. It desires to stay out of the machinery and live and breathe like a human being.

The computer also tries to impregnate Susan, who will be his soldier for taking the world. The novel shakes you up, and it is a book that takes on the genre of horror, sci-fi as well as a different take on a love story. The book was also turned into a movie in 1977, and it starred Julie Christie. 

3. Night Chills: 

This novel was first published in 1976, and it is about an unknown entity that hurts innocent people. The protagonists of the story are made to search for the body, which is causing the problem. The book is set in Black River, Maine, and they are going through a massacre.

It is about the Government conspiracy that includes mind control of the people, which drives them to behave erratically. Paul Annendale and his children are forced into the problem of the town, and they try their hands at solving it. Readers should be aware of the fact that Koontz has written graphic scenes in the novel, which also includes rape scenes.

4. Whispers: 

Koontz published this novel in 1980, and it was the first novel that brought him to popularity among people, and they got to know more about them. The book is about a psychopath who is following Hillary Thomas, who is an LA-based screenwriter. The man, Bruno Frye, suffers from a delusion where he believes that his abusive mother’s spirit is residing in Hillary, and he wants to put an end to it.

Hillary complains to the police and even stabs him, but that doesn’t deter him from pursuing the agenda. This career-building book by Koontz remains one of the most read books by his fans, and it is an excellent introduction to the psychotic tension-building atmosphere.  

5. Phantoms: 

As Koontz released this book in 1983, his fans understood that he had something for quaint and mysterious villages and unknown forces. Not a story of his imagination, but this novel is based on the vanishing village located at Angikuni Lake. It is mainly about a mysterious force that takes hold of the town and drives the citizens into a murder spree.

Dr. Jennifer Paige and her sister Lisa are the ones that find out about the state present in the village, and the military’s Biological Investigations Unit of the army helps them. No one can give them a proper answer before they meet Timothy Flyte. The novel is said to be immensely enjoyed by the fans of H.P. Lovecraft. He was a writer that often wrote about strange disappearances woven around classic folklores. 

6. Odd Thomas (Odd Thomas 1): 

Along with a great author of world-building, Koontz also pays critical attention to his characters, especially the odd ones. The Odd Thomas series has been a success for him, and it has helped in the creation of several spin-off comic books as well as films. It was first published in 2003.

The book deals with a person Odd Thomas, who is a cook belonging from a small desert town. He has the power to talk to dead souls, and they seek him. He also helps the police officer to solve cases or to prevent a crime. Suddenly, a mysterious man comes to the town, and even Odd is bewildered about it. It knits the element of fantasy quite well, making it a likable series by most of Koontz’s fans.

7. Intensity: 

This novel was published in 1987, and it is regarded as one of the best works in his active career. The name is apt as the plot of it does get intense, keeping the readers on their toes, which they are reading the book. The book begins with Chyna Shepard, who is there to visit her best friend’s house in Napa valley, and she looks out of the window in the moonlit midnight. She senses something is wrong, and the instinct is indeed right.

Edgler Foreman Vess, a sociopath, enters the house with a motive to kill everybody, and he often works out his desires. Chyna survives, among others, and feels the need to prove her strength. She comes to know of the victim that Vess plans to hurt next, and she goes on a journey to save her even though the situation grows intense. It is a book that can stay in the reader’s head because of the images that they are made to imagine.

8. Watchers: 

If you are someone who is not into the genre of intense thrillers, then you may want to start reading Watchers, which is a novel by Koontz released in 1987. It is a novel that is mainly based on the sci-fi genre. The book follows the Delta Force operative Travis Cornell, who is depressed in his life. While hiking near his home, he finds a golden retriever, and he decides to keep him and names him Einstein. Travis soon observes that the dog is much more intelligent than the average dog.

Soon, the dog starts communicating that it is being chased by the Outsider, who is a mysterious character that was made by the Government just like he was. Travis tries to help Einstein to help his problem, and he soon gets into a problem with the Government along with a mysterious assassin. This book is definitely for those who love cute dogs and sci-fi mysteries with Government conspiracies.

9. Strangers: 

Koontz first published the book in 1986, and it looks deep into the characters that are present in this novel. The book mainly deals with six aspects that come together because all of them are suffering from the same obscure experience. All of them are confronted by strange messages and photographs which make them hunt for each other.

They are driven towards a Nevada motel, which can be the source of their problems. The novel is a page-turner as the genres of horror and mystery are incorporated. The author here succeeds in keeping the readers intrigued. The secret is also related to Government conspiracies, which are a recurring theme in Koontz’s novels. This novel is a prime example of the psychological horror or thriller genre.

10. Lightning: 

This novel that was published in 1988 has made into the list of New York’s Bestseller List. The world-building and writing of this novel are quite different compared to the other books of Koontz. The book follows Laura Shane, who is saved from several dangers in her life by one single stranger who is quite mysterious. Laura tries to weave theories, which may prove the reason for the stranger helping her, and the author takes the reader through the process of finding the truth.

11. Midnight:

For the first time, the novel was published in 1989, and it describes the story of Moonlight Cove when the place is going through terrifying changes. The residents of the place are facing turmoil, and they are losing their minds and lives.

Only four of the residents are surviving, and they have to fight against evil. They also have to fight against the police officer, who tries to hide the terrifying truth of the town. It is a novel where they blend the genres of horror, suspense, science fiction, and romance, which makes the novel fast-paced and a great page-turner. 

12. Cold Fire: 

Cold Fire is a novel that was published in 1991, and it reads as a premise to a superhero novel. The protagonist saves a young boy from a drunk driver and another boy from an underground explosion in Boston. Jim Ironheart is known for protecting people from disastrous situations. It intrigues a reporter named Holly Thorne and falls in love with him.

She wants to know more about the power of Jim and the mystery of him saving twelve people in three months. There is also an enemy who is coming to haunt him. Diving into the book provides the readers with the experience of knowing more about Jim and the powers that he has gained. This book tells you more about a character and lets you delve deep into his life.

13. Murder: 

Koontz published this novel in the year 1993, and it follows a writer Martin Stillwater who has a vivid imagination. His wife and children love his vision. Soon his vivid imagination becomes the reason for his tension as someone comes and tells that he is the real Martin Stillwater and accuses the former of stealing his life and family. The police aren’t convinced, and Martin has to run with his family. They soon find that the strange man is following them to all the places that they visit.

Martin and his family are tensed because of the constant threat. The book thrives on the plot of unveiling the reality of the stranger. The fans of Koontz think that this book is an exceptionally well-written thriller that can help people to get into reading. This book is also perfect for people who like to read about different personalities.

14. Dragon Tears: 

This novel was released in 1993, and it follows a special project police officer, Harry, who has to shoot someone even though he doesn’t want to. With his partner Connie, they have to face a week that is full off strange things and events, and it becomes one of the most eventful weeks in their lives.

Soon, they meet a man who tells Harry that he will be dead within sixteen hours. Their week goes into searching for the things that may cause strange events in the little town in California. The shifting POVs in the book lets the readers discover a new way of writing, which is exciting and holds a grip for unraveling the story.

15. The Husband: 

It is one of the latest novels by Dean Koontz, which was released in 2006. It is one of the most thrilling as well as heartwarming at the same time. It follows Mitch Rafferty and his quest to save his wife Holly, who has been kidnapped. The captors threatened to kill Holly and to dump her body if they do not get the money on time.

Mitch has to figure a way to collect that money and to save his wife. He thinks that he has found the perfect ploy, but soon who is he trusts immensely ends up deceiving him. This novel is a fantastic suspense novel that begins, but soon ends up becomes a strange yet mesmerizing journey. 

16. Innocence (Innocence 1): 

The first book in the Innocence series was published in 2013. The book follows a man who lives away from society, as coming in the front can pose a threat to everyone. There is also a girl who stays away from the people who are there to harm her. This mutual fear has created a bond between them.

The world wants them to come out, and this may be the end for them. The story is quite heartwarming as you get to know about their bonds and realize that society isn’t as simple as you may perceive it to be. Apart from all the turmoil that the protagonists go through, we still get to see a hopeful end. 

So, here are some of the great books by Dean Koontz that we will recommend you to read. As we said, Dean Koontz is an author who is known for his genre-bending talent. Readers will love him if they are fond of mysteries, psychological thrillers, fantasies, strange events, etc. All the books published by him are page-turners, and teenagers, as well as adults, would love to read them. They are perfect gift items as they are thrilling, and people will remember the book that they have learned. We are sure that if you include some of these books on your list, you would be able to finish them fast and have an excellent time.