Action/Adventure Aficionados discussion

My library finally got in some of NY books. The only problem is they got in three of the biggest ones I had on hold. One is Eragon and The Wolf Gift and Lone Wolf. Good thing I have a read a thon coming up.

I would say so, Tracy. Some light spring reading. LOL

I finished You Shall Never Know Security a fantastic dark fiction. In the middle of Watchers more horror, then on deck The Gray Man.

I love Watchers. I've read it like three times!

I don't know what I was expecting when I started, I can see why you read it three times. I love Nora's story line, one minute there's this love story then I'm getting scared to death.

I liked The Watchers. My favorite Koontz book is Twilight Eyes.

Eileen, exactly. I admit, one time I skipped all the gross monster parts and just read the romance/Einstein parts. I so wanted a Golden Retriever named Einstein.

Hugh, I haven't read Twilight Eyes.

I liked Watchers. It's still one of my favorite Koontz books. My only complaint with it is that it's back in DK's "f" word period. I'm glad he finally realized that everyone doesn't spout "f**k" every third word. Other than that this is a great book. Like Lady D, I loved dog.

I've got a review on Twilite Eyes. It's a bit darker than Watchers, but intense.

and I wanted a Golden Retriever too, since Never met a golden retriever I didn't like. I settled for a Basset Hound Named Henry. Um... a note about expectations, Basset Hounds aren't exactly the brain surgeons of the canine world...but they make up for it in being lovey dovey. Just train them with food (yes, it's the only dog where the manual says, it's not always a good idea to use food when training dogs...unless it's a Basset Hound.) but I digress...

Twilight eyes, good book, a bit darker than watchers. Watchers fun book. Basset Hounds, not exactly canine brain surgeons.

I liked Twilight Eyes to, as did my son. He uses it as his Email address. I always wished he'd write a sequel to it. He ends it with (view spoiler)[ and the war against the (did he call them goblins, I can't recall?) goes on. Frustrating. (hide spoiler)]

Our last dog was a Sheltie. Sweet and smart as a whip. She adopted my wife as "her person".

Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "I liked Twilight Eyes to, as did my son. He uses it as his Email address. I always wished he'd write a sequel to it. He ends it with [spoilers removed]

Our last dog was a Sheltie. Sw..."

Yes! Mike someobody write this down! Mike and I agree! I thought the same thing about the end. I mean, heck, wouldn't that make a good series of movies?

And Shelties are cool.

Hey...we've agreed before. I'm sure of it, really. I'm just not able to come up with an example right now.

And yeah we agree again, it would make a good movie series.

Maybe it's the canine link, shelties and collies are close kin... I'm channeling my inner Lance?

I can see Twilight Eyes as fodder for a serial movie, or a TV serial, though I think it would fare better in the movies. I mean, in it's own way, it was sort of "Buffy" before Whedon... well, cept the main character's a guy, not a girl... and... okay, I'l work on it. Daddy needs a new TV contract.... (and lots of capital!)

Good luck.

I noted once that some of Koontz's books (a lot of the ones I'm ambivalent about Midnight, Lightning a few others) almost sounded like they were set-ups for movie ideas. Koontz apparently had some bad experiences with what was done to some of his books. I heard an interview where he is very unhappy (I remember there were like 3 attempts to do Watchers, all awful. Remember them trying to turn it into a "boy and his genius dog" story?).

Anyway I do still wish he'd revisit it.

My wife was really into his Moonlight Bay books and waited for him to finish the series right up till she passed. He often ends books with a feeling that "there's more to come".

Didn't Mark Hamil play the lead in one of the Watchers Movies?

I don't recall...but I'm headed for Google. Poor Mark.

You're right!!!!! Watchers Reborn.

I remembered the one with Corey Haim and then the one with Mark Singer...I may have blocked Reborn.

you may need to block all of them.

HA. Too true. I think the first one scarred me.


To shift the subject from bad movies (quickly) I've started 47th Samurai The 47th Samurai . It's not part of a group read or anything, but I've been meaning to for a while and just went with it. Sometimes you gotta break away.

Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "I liked Watchers. It's still one of my favorite Koontz books. My only complaint with it is that it's back in DK's "f" word period. I'm glad he finally realized that everyone doesn't sp..."

I shall have to read that still. Someone who's equally bad at that, and writes awfully confusing plots is China Mielville. Basically every second work is an obscenity of some kind. When authors do that it annoys me because it's not true to real life. Same goes with characters who just sleep around with every single person they meet. And also it's like they're trying to be gritty and failing.

But anyway I'm reading completely different matter. Brotherband and An Ideal Husband. YA from the guy who writes the Ranger's Apprentice series and Oscar Wilde comedy.

Koontz got away from it, but for a while it was something that bothered me. It's not in his more recent works.

I'm looking into reading some of his starting with his Frankenstein short series. It appeals to my tastes of fiction. And I also want to see how good Koontz is as a writer to get into some of his other works.

I'm a Koontz fan, have read most of his books over the years, but oddly I haven't read Watchers. After reading the comments here I must get it. Some of my favourite Koontz were Strangers, Intensity, Fear Nothing and Seize The Night. Unfortunately I don't find his latest books quite as good as the early ones though. But I love his dog characters and the humour he interjects with them (like in Fear Nothing and Seize The Night).

Currently I'm reading The Doomsday Key by James Rollins. I got a bit behind with his books, and with a new one out in June I thought I'd better get caught up. I am enjoying this one, although I wasn't so much at the beginning. Initially I didn't think it was quite as good as his others, but as I'm progressing I'm liking it more.

Cool, Alison. I liked Lightning by Koontz. I've read some of Koontz older writing. Twilight Eyes, Phantoms, Darkfall. enjoyed all of those.

I'm a fan of Rollins too. Have you read any of his Non-Sigma Force books? Some think those are better than Sigma-Force (which I like very much also.

I'm still reading Swan Song, by Mcgammon. Wich is very good, but gory, and dark, with a gritty, noirish side to it.

Hi Curmudgeon, yes I've read most of Rollins non-Sigma Force books, my favourites being Subterranean and Excavation. As much as I love the Sigma books, I love his stand alone books equally as much, and some of them even more. The only one I haven't read yet is Ice Hunt, although I have it on my shelf waiting to be read (soon).

Oooh. Yes, read Ice Hunt! That ones really good.

Finished Watchers and I really enjoyed the book! I can see myself reading this again.

Since it's not April yet...I'll be starting today Cry Wolf. This book has been mentioned in other groups lately it's peeked my interest again. Put it off long enough, lol.

Eileen, do you still like Watchers?

Yes...Yes I do. I wish I could have been scared a little more, that being my only complaint. I did laugh out loud when they said the names Huey, Dewey, and Louie....that's what my husband and I named our kids.

Heh...I remember, after reading "The Watchers", calling Koontz, the "Walt Disney" of Horror writers, because he wasn't that scary and the sweet dog and such. I still liked it.

Again, my favs are Twilight Eyes, Phantoms, and Lightning. Of them, Lightning is maybe the least scary, but, something about it is eerie and different. The other two are scary, though Phantoms maybe less so than Twilight Eyes. The Servants of Twilight was almost an action adventure Novel until the very end... then you kind of go..hmmm...

I'm reading Swan Song and about halfway through, or close. It's plenty scary. The Apocalypse is very well written. This is renewing my faith in apocalyptic stories. I would mention that it is gory and violent, not so much violence as devastation...it is apocalyptic after all. McGammon's writing is wonderful (if dark and sometimes Tooo picturesque in his awful discriptions , but I like it.)

This was my second Dean Koontz book, the first being The Bad Place which did scare me and left me wanting to read more of his books. When I went to check out what books Koontz has written I was surprised he has written so many. Here on GR there were 20 pages of Dean Koontz books, I could never read them all. : )

Yes, and he's put out a couple of series too. Frankenstein. His newer stuff hasn't been as interesting to me as his older stuff like, Twilight Eyes, Midnight...another scary one is "Darkfall" (gave a friend of mine in the navy bad dreams) and Phantoms. Lighting is more a PNR-ish/SFR-ish story, though Koontz doesn't really write R's very much.

For me Koontz has a nice flow to his story telling. I will look into the books you mentioned.

Save room for Ice Hunt!

Allison wrote: "I'm a Koontz fan, have read most of his books over the years, but oddly I haven't read Watchers. After reading the comments here I must get it. Some of my favourite Koontz were Strangers, Intensi..."

I'm one of the 'early' Koontz fans as well and admit Watchers is my favorite, though I have Strangers, Lightning and a couple of others on my re-read shelves.

I've not read anything of his recently, pretty much given up on his books.

I just finished A Discovery of Witches...not much action but a good story nonetheless. Started The Templar Legacy by Steve Berry...so far so good.

Watchers is easily Koontz's best ever. I also love Dragon Tears and Tick tock. The latter is more of a comic / horror story. The ending isn't the best but overall it's easily his funniest. Also, Intensity is a really gripping read. Basically his older books are much better than his more recent fare for some reason.

I've heard that often from Koontz readers that his earlier work is much better. So I will take everyones advice and stick with the earlier books. And add everyones suggestions on what books of his to read to my ever going list.

Yeah, Tick Tock had some very strange comedic elements. I liked it though.

Eileen wrote: "I've heard that often from Koontz readers that his earlier work is much better. So I will take everyones advice and stick with the earlier books. And add everyones suggestions on what books of his ..."

I love Koontz earlier stuff but I also love the Frankenstein series.

I suppose I should point out that, while I say, I like Koontz's earlier stuff, that's only because that's all I've read. Not because I know it to be superior.

I just really like the books I've read.

I love Koontz as well. He has a sense of humor that can't be matched. Relentless and Life Expectancy shows that humor.

He could write a lot of things into a story. Humor, Romance, many books are chock full of romance, a little Urban Fantasy (if you count Demons from Twilight Eyes and Darkfall as UF) and even Science fiction, like Midnight, Phantoms and Lightning (Lightning is even partially Dystopian).

He's a wonderful read.

Curmudgeon wrote: "I suppose I should point out that, while I say, I like Koontz's earlier stuff, that's only because that's all I've read. Not because I know it to be superior. "

I can't really define the change between his earlier books (which I enjoyed tremendously) and later books which finally ended up with books I didn't finish. The closest I can come is that his mindset or outlook on things changed. When comparing "Watchers" for example, to one of the later books I tried to read, it doesn't even have the feel of being written by the same person to me.

That is exactly how I feel about Anne Rice's new book The Wolf Gift. It doesn't even feel like Rice at all. I know she has gone through a few dramatic changes recently but I don't feel her in this book at all.

I completely agree about Koontz. When his next book came out I used to rush out and buy it right away. Now I don't even bother.

I have always avoided Koontz because I thought most of his stuff was horror, which is not my thing. Does he have anything that leans more towards suspense/thriller?

He does a lot of 'horror' ... creepy, crawly kinds of things, but Strangers, Watchers and Lightning are not what I would consider horror ... though all three have a definite sci-fi component.

I think Watchers was more of a love story, with suspense/psycho killer thrown in. The only other Koontz book I've read was The Bad Place and that was more suspense/thriller.

Lisa wrote: "I have always avoided Koontz because I thought most of his stuff was horror, which is not my thing. Does he have anything that leans more towards suspense/thriller?"

I agree with that, and Dark Fall is not really much scarier than the scary parts of a James Rollins Novel. Phantoms is more of a Creature Feature than Horror. Basically the answer is yes, or rather that i Koontzbooks have a lot of cross appeal with other genres.

I'd even go so far to say that, Lightning is more of a Sci-Fi/romance, almost Dystopian in nature.