Dean Koontz on his newest book and fame as an author
Author and dog lover Dean Koontz recently spoke about his newest work and fame as an author.
In a recent interview with the Sacramento Bee newspaper, Dean Koontz stated that he is a believer in dog telepathy, and that he dislikes labeling his novels as a particular genre, because humans don’t understand everything and labels only make us think we do (EB White’s Dr. Dorian from Charlotte’s Web would approve of this).
The interview was to promote his latest novel, which bears the simple title Devoted.
He also talked about how uncomfortable he is with the attention and political aspects of fame when it comes to authorship.
“I’ve had just enough fame to know how embarrassing it is,” Koontz told the Bee. “People tend to treat you with an awe you don’t deserve, and it puts distance between you and others that makes life less fun.”
Of Devoted, while it could be described as a work about the love between a mother and son, or the love a family holds for their pet, or the adoration of a dog towards his humans, Koontz preferred to think of it this way:
“It’s about how the bond of love and the truth it inspires between us is our only hope of surviving in a world of deceit and corruption.”
Dean Koontz has written over a hundred novels in his career since the late 1960s, beginning in science fiction and horror before becoming known for suspense, using close to a dozen pen names at various times. He was originally a high school English teacher like contemporary Stephen King (author of Cujo), and is a devoted Catholic who’s been married to his wife Gerda for 53 years.
Though he’s a name that is familiar to bookworms everywhere, I (Wes) never read one of his works until last month when I picked up 2007’s The Darkest Evening of the Year while organizing for our library’s annual book sale.
It seemed like what would result if the character-driven action of William Goldman was blended with the sentimentality of Nicholas Sparks; a Golden named Nickie was a major character, and it provided an interesting look at the lives of those who devote themselves to rescue work.
Koontz is also a longtime dog lover, especially of Golden Retrievers, writing several books in the voice of his dog Trixie. Other dogs he has owned include Trixie’s grandneice Anna and his current dog Elsa. He has been a generous donor to the service dog organization Canine Companions for Independence over the years.
Next. Dog-Eared Reads: The Call of the Wild reviewed. dark
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