Strange Highways

In this book, you will find a story entitled, "Chase". This is one of those rare stories that make the entire work worth purchasing. The character development is strong enough to elicit tears from the reader. You're only disappointmet is that this story was a novella, or short story, and you will mourn that it had to end. THAT is always a good sign..........enjoy!

Koontz isn't a horror novelist, even though he's been cast in that role. He's called the Master of SUSPENSE, and for a reason: his tales are downright suspenseful (the mold for other novelists) even if they usually don't use the element of horror.But in this collection, Dean Koontz delivers several short stories that contemplate and expertly acheive horror genre greatness.The title story (actually, it's a novel) is about a man who returns home...then is forced to face the demons of his past, who have come back to haunt him. "Kittens," Koontz's first published work of fiction, is about a little girl who decides to get revenge on her parents."The Black Pumpkin," along similar lines, is about a little boy ostracized from his own family. "Miss Atilla the Hun," "We Three," and "The Night of the Storm" are brilliant sci-fi pieces (from Koontz's old days of writing science fiction), while "Trapped" follows a similar vein as Koontz's pinnacle novel "Watchers"."Bruno" is a flat-out hilarious sci-fi farse, while "Hardshell" (the first piece of fiction I read by Koontz) is about a cop hunting down a killer who is a little different. "Snatcher" is a journey into the macabre, while "Twilight of the Dawn" is a moving tale of a man's search for faith and guidance."Strange Highways" is not so strange at all; it's great fiction by a masterful writer. Dean Koontz is without a doubt one of the best writers of all time. That statement may sound a little exaggerated, if you haven't read any of his work. If you read something by him, though, you'll know what I mean. Why not start here, with "Strange Highways"? It's diverse, and it shows you what this man can do--and do well.

This is the best book to read if you've never read dean koontz. It shows all the aspects of a dean koontz book. BRUNO shows his humorous side... STRANGE HIGHWAYS shows his supernatural side...CHASE shows you his psychological side...WATCHERS and THE NIGHT OF THE STORM shows you his sci-fi side...and KITTENS shows his creepy side, as does every other story in this book. This is a great collection of stories from koontz's wide varitety of interests.

What more could Koontz addicts ask for? Two very good novellas and 12 stories which are completely different from each other. Commendation to the author is a must, but also redundant. There are two stories here which still do a perfect job of poking me uncomfortably in the subconscious. Those would be "Down in the Darkness", a perfectly written gem, and "Kittens", one of the most disturbing short stories I ever read in a long, long time. It still goes on to prove there are some writers out there who manage to convey more terror in 8-10 pages than others who take up a whole Bible's worth and do nothing which remains in the memory of the reader. Koontz has not only achieved this with this collection, but with all the other books of his which I have read. Koontz is the one man who manages to write the gruesome horror of contemporary novels with the elegant, nearly poetic lyricism of past days. Well done, Mr. Koontz!