History Creator / DeanKoontz

* AnAesop. Sometimes subtly, sometimes not.

* EyeScream: The Outside from ''The Watchers'' rips out it's victims eyes because it knows everyone sees it as the monster it knows it is.

[[quoteright:184:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/koontz184_230.jpg]]

Dean Ray Koontz (born July 9, 1945) is an American author known for writing suspense thrillers, many of which also contain elements of horror, action, science fiction, romance and satire.

On the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism, his works fall pretty far on the Idealistic side despite the disturbing content found within the stories and the fact that the villain has usually no redeeming qualities. The heroes, on the other hand are always brave, highly intelligent, compassionate and admirable human beings whose virtues vastly outweigh whatever flaws they might possess. Common themes and messages in his books usually revolve around overcoming adversity rather than feeling sorry for oneself, and living life to its absolute fullest. [[WriterOnBoard This sense of idealism is contrasted by having one or more characters reflect on the decline of modern society over the past twenty or thirty years due to sex, free drugs, or liberalism in general]]. However, despite such musings, the worlds created by Dean Koontz seem to be populated with genuinely good people who are [[ThePowerOfFriendship always willing to help a friend in need]]. If his protagonists have any flaws, it is a specific insecurity that is holding them back. These insecurities can often be traced back to events from the character's childhood, and through the course of the story the character must work through these insecurities in order to achieve their dream or to otherwise live full and happy lives.

* MotiveDecay: Victor Helios in Creator/DeanKoontz's Frankenstein series first desires to eliminate humanity and replace it with a masterrace of his own creation, and eventually take over the world and the universe. In the sequel series, [[spoiler: his clone who has his memories and personality now just wants to wipe out humanity and then kill himself when it is completed for some reason.]] This is explained by Koontz as the next logical step to the original motivation, even though they are two completely different things.

One notable aspect of Koontz' writing is that almost anytime there is a supernatural occurrence, its explanation, as outlandish as it might sometimes be, is usually physically possible, at least in theory. Very rarely does his work tread into outright fantasy (a notable exception being the ''Literature/OddThomas'' books, which include real ghosts).

* AerithAndBob: Many, many, many characters he writes have ridiculous sounding names to go with people with normal first or last names.

* CoolGuns: A surprising number of protagonists can get their hands on a Desert Eagle. If they can't, Smith & Wesson magnum [[RevolversAreJustBetter revolvers]] are a great second choice.
** Laura and the Nazis carry Uzis in ''Literature/{{Lightning}}''. It's even lampshaded by the SS officers, who don't like that the guns are of Israeli design.

%%* CloningBlues

* {{Cameo}}: The first chapter of the fourth ''Frankenstein'' book, ''Lost Souls'' has Deucalion (The Monster) at the Monastary of St. Bathalomew's, conversing with Brother Salvatore, aka Brother Knuckles a former Mafia enforcer turned monk. Both the setting and the character are from ''[[Literature/OddThomas Brother Odd]]''.

* CloningBlues

* ChildrenAreInnocent: Played straight in general.

* GoodPeopleHaveGoodSex: And we tend to get to read all about it, too. The reverse of this trope is in play as much as this one is, in the sense that the villains don't ''have'' sex, due to being either indifferent to it, or almost hysterically repulsed by it. Alternatively, to the extent that they do have sex, their estrangement from humanity makes it strange and alien; joyless rutting that brings them neither emotional nor physical satisfaction.
** Unless Koontz wants to establish them as a monster, then the villains will rape and torture people to show just how evil they are.
** On the other hand, ''Dark Rivers of the Heart'' shows that Bad People Have Good Sex too (a hands-off kind, but they still enjoy it).
** Moongirl and Harrow from ''The Darkest Evening of the Year'' quite readily get it on, but in Moongirl's case, only in the windowless room where not even the smallest point of light can get through. The couple has no compunctions or hangups about sex, and the primal/animalistic way they go about it is meant to accentuate their evilness.

* PositiveDiscrimination: Most of his disabled characters get this treatment.

* TermsOfEndangerment: [[MonsterClown Konrad Beezo]] calls Lorrie "missy, little lady, dear, and darling," and treats her in a friendly way as he's preparing to [[spoiler:kidnap her and deliver and steal her firstborn]]. It seems his [[TastesLikeDiabetes upbeat, syrupy facade]] is the only thing keeping him from exploding into [[AxCrazy homicidal rage]].

* CanonWelding/ArcSymbol: In ''Nameless: Season 2'', the protagonist is having psychic visions of an ersatz-Nazi group using a triskelion made up of red arms with fists as its symbol. This symbol is also used by the group the villains of ''Relentless'' are affiliated with.

One notable aspect of Koontz writing is that almost anytime there is a supernatural occurrence, its explanation, as outlandish as it might sometimes be, is usually physically possible, at least in theory. Very rarely does his work tread into outright fantasy (a notable exception being the ''Literature/OddThomas'' books, which include real ghosts).

* GoodPeopleHaveGoodSex: And we tend to get to read all about it, too. The reverse of this trope is in play as much as this one is, in the sense that the villains don't ''have'' sex, due to being either indifferent to it, or almost hysterically repulsed by it.

!!Koontz's novels with their own trope pages include:

* MadArtist: [[spoiler: Valis]] from ''Velocity''.