Dean Ray Koontz (born July 9, 1945) is an
AmericaThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
n
authorAn author is defined both as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created...
best known for his
novelA novel is a long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s which could be described broadly as suspense thrillers. He also frequently incorporates elements of
horrorHorror fiction is a genre of fiction in any medium intended to scare, unsettle and horrify the audience. Historically, the cause of the "horror" experience has often been the intrusion of a disturbing supernatural element into everyday human experience...
,
science fictionScience fiction is a genre of fiction. It differs from fantasy in that, within the context of the story, its imaginary elements are largely possible within scientifically-established or scientifically-postulated laws of nature...
,
mysteryMystery, mysteries, or mysterious may refer to:-Religion:* Sacred Mysteries*Mystery play, a form of medieval European dramatic theatre dealing with religious themes-Genres:*Mystery , a genre of detective fiction...
, and
satireSatire is often strictly defined as a literary genre or form; although in practice it is also found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, human or individual vices, follies, abuses, or shortcomings are held up to censure by means of ridicule, derision, burlesque, irony, or other methods,...
. Several of his books have appeared on the
New York Times Bestseller List, with ten hardcovers and fourteen paperbacks reaching the number one slot. Early in his career, Koontz wrote under an array of
pen nameA pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
s.
Koontz describes his youth as one of
povertyPoverty is the condition of lacking basic human needs such as nutrition, clean water, health care, clothing, and shelter because of the inability to afford them. This is also referred to as absolute poverty or destitution...
under the abuse of a tyrannical father.
When it came to formal classes, I was a slacker. But I've always been a diligent Autodidacticism|autodidact and can teach myself virtually any subject — if I have a serious interest in it.
Berkley, 1991, ISBN 0-425-12816-4
It's so damn hard to bloom… to change. Even when you want to change, want it more than anything in the world, it's hard. Desire to change isn't enough. Or desperation. Couldn't be done without… love.
Part 1, Chapter 7.5; Nora's comment on her changes since meeting Travis
Did you get the leash on him yet, Einstein?
Part 1, Chapter 7.6; Nora's query during Travis's futile struggle to leash human-smart dog Einstein
Evidently, Ted had walked down the block from his own house and entered with the intention of fixing something. Now Ted was broken, too, and beyond repair.
Part 1, Chapter 7.7; about the death of Travis's landlord, Ted Hockney
… mankind has no right to employ its genius in the creation of another intelligent species, then treat it like property. If we've come so far that we can create as God creates, then we have to learn to act with the justice and mercy of God.
Part 1, Chapter 7.8; Garrison Dilworth on the responsibility to help keep Einstein free
I thought of you as my guardian, Einstein… you taught me that I'm your guardian, too, that I'm Travis's guardian, and he is my guardian and yours. We have a responsibility to stand watch over one another, we are watchers, all of us, watchers, guarding against the darkness. You've taught me that we're all needed, even those who sometimes think we're worthless, plain, and dull.
Part 2, Chapter 9.2; Nora to an ill and unresponsive Einstein at the veterinary clinic
Dean Ray Koontz (born July 9, 1945) is an
AmericaThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
n
authorAn author is defined both as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created...
best known for his
novelA novel is a long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s which could be described broadly as suspense thrillers. He also frequently incorporates elements of
horrorHorror fiction is a genre of fiction in any medium intended to scare, unsettle and horrify the audience. Historically, the cause of the "horror" experience has often been the intrusion of a disturbing supernatural element into everyday human experience...
,
science fictionScience fiction is a genre of fiction. It differs from fantasy in that, within the context of the story, its imaginary elements are largely possible within scientifically-established or scientifically-postulated laws of nature...
,
mysteryMystery, mysteries, or mysterious may refer to:-Religion:* Sacred Mysteries*Mystery play, a form of medieval European dramatic theatre dealing with religious themes-Genres:*Mystery , a genre of detective fiction...
, and
satireSatire is often strictly defined as a literary genre or form; although in practice it is also found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, human or individual vices, follies, abuses, or shortcomings are held up to censure by means of ridicule, derision, burlesque, irony, or other methods,...
. Several of his books have appeared on the
New York Times Bestseller List, with ten hardcovers and fourteen paperbacks reaching the number one slot. Early in his career, Koontz wrote under an array of
pen nameA pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
s.
Biography
Koontz describes his youth as one of
povertyPoverty is the condition of lacking basic human needs such as nutrition, clean water, health care, clothing, and shelter because of the inability to afford them. This is also referred to as absolute poverty or destitution...
under the abuse of a tyrannical father. He graduated from Shippensburg State College (now called
Shippensburg University of PennsylvaniaShippensburg University of Pennsylvania, commonly known as Ship, or SU, is a public university located in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, 40 miles west-southwest of Harrisburg...
) in 1967, and went to work as an English teacher at
Mechanicsburg High SchoolMechanicsburg Area Senior High is a secondary school located on 500 South Broad Street in the borough of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.-Communities:...
. In his spare time he wrote his first novel,
Star QuestStar Quest was Dean R. Koontz's first novel. Originally published in 1968, by Ace Books, Inc. This book was 127 pages and was published as an Ace Double paperback together with Doom of the Green Planet by Emil Petaja, priced at $0.60.- Movie Confusion :No film version of this nearly forgotten...
, which was published in 1968. Koontz went on to write over a dozen
science fictionScience fiction is a genre of fiction. It differs from fantasy in that, within the context of the story, its imaginary elements are largely possible within scientifically-established or scientifically-postulated laws of nature...
novels. Seeing the Catholic faith as a contrast to the chaos in his family, Koontz converted in college because it gave him answers for his life, admiring its "intellectual rigor" and saying it permits a view of life that sees mystery and wonder in all things. He says he sees the Church as English writer and convert G.K. Chesterton did and notes that spirituality has always been part of his books, grace and our struggle as fallen souls, but "never get[s] on a soapbox".
In the 1970s, Koontz began to grow a magnum publishing mainstream suspense and
horror fictionHorror fiction is a genre of fiction in any medium intended to scare, unsettle and horrify the audience. Historically, the cause of the "horror" experience has often been the intrusion of a disturbing supernatural element into everyday human experience...
, under his own name as well as several
pseudonymA pseudonym is a fictitious name used by a person, or sometimes, a group.Pseudonyms are often used to hide an individual's real identity, as with writers' pen names, graffiti artists, resistance fighters' or terrorists' noms de guerre and computer hackers' handles. Actors, musicians, and other...
s. Koontz has stated that he began using pen names after several editors convinced him that authors who switched back and forth between different
genreA genre is a loose set of criteria for a category of composition; the term is often used to categorize literature and speech, but is also used for any other form of art or utterance...
s invariably fell victim to "negative crossover" (alienating established fans and simultaneously failing to pick up any new ones). Known pseudonyms used by Koontz during his career include Deanna Dwyer, K. R. Dwyer, Aaron Wolfe, David Axton, Brian Coffey, John Hill, Leigh Nichols, Owen West, Richard Paige, Leonard Chris, and Anthony North. Many of Koontz's pseudonymous novels are now available under his real name.
Koontz's acknowledged breakthrough novel was
WhispersWhispers is a novel by American suspense author Dean Koontz, originally published in 1980. It was the first of Koontz's novels to appear on the New York Times Bestsellers List, and is widely credited with launching his career as a best-selling author...
, published in 1980. Since then, ten hardcovers and thirteen paperbacks written by Koontz have reached #1 on the
New York Times Bestseller List.
In 1997, psychologist
Katherine RamslandKatherine Ramsland is an author who has published 27 books, most of which are in the genres of crime, forensic science, and the supernatural. She holds graduate degrees in forensic psychology, clinical psychology, and philosophy, and teaches forensic psychology at DeSales University. She has...
published an extensive biography of Koontz based on interviews with him and his family. Titled
Dean Koontz: A Writer's Biography, this "
psychobiographyPsychobiography aims to understand historically significant individuals such as artists, political leaders, and so on, through the application of psychological theory and research. It is, in essence, a form of case study....
" (as Ramsland called it) often showed the conception of Koontz's characters and plots from events in his own life.
Early author photos on the back of many of his novels show a balding Koontz with a mustache. After Koontz underwent
hair transplantationHair transplantation is a surgical technique that involves moving skin containing hair follicles from one part of the body to bald or balding parts . It is primarily used to treat male pattern baldness, whereby grafts containing hair follicles that are genetically resistant to balding are...
surgery in the late 1990s, his subsequent books have featured a new clean-shaven appearance with a fuller head of hair. Koontz explained the change by claiming that he was tired of looking like
G. Gordon LiddyGeorge Gordon Battle Liddy was the chief operative for the White House Plumbers unit that existed during several years of Richard Nixon's Presidency. Along with E. Howard Hunt, Liddy masterminded the first break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate building in 1972...
.
Since 1988 Koontz has contributed almost $73,000 to conservative Republican candidates and causes, of recent notability to the US Presidential campaigns of
Mitt RomneyWillard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and former Governor of Massachusetts. Romney was CEO of Bain & Company, a management consulting firm, and co-founder of Bain Capital, a private equity investment firm...
and
John McCainJohn Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
.
As of 2006, Koontz resides in
Newport Beach, CaliforniaNewport Beach, incorporated in 1906, is a city in Orange County, California, United States south of downtown Santa Ana. As of January 1, 2009, the population was 86,252. The current OMB metropolitan designation for Newport Beach lies within the Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine area...
, where many of his novels are set. He lives with his wife Gerda. In 2008 he was listed as the sixth highest-paid author, in a tie with
John GrishamJohn Ray Grisham is an American author, best known for his popular legal thrillers. Before becoming a writer, he was a successful lawyer and politician...
.
Inspiration
One of Dean Koontz's pen names was inspired by his dog,
Trixie Koontz, a
golden retrieverThe Golden Retriever is a breed of dog, historically developed as a gundog to retrieve shot waterfowl and upland game during hunting. As such they were bred to have a soft mouth to retrieve game undamaged and an instinctive love of water...
, shown in many of his book-jacket photos. Originally a service dog with
Canine Companions for IndependenceCanine Companions for Independence is a non-profit organization that trains and provides assistance dogs. - Foundations :CCI was founded in Santa Rosa, California in July 1975 by Bonnie Bergin. Since then, it has grown to a national organization...
(CCI), a
charitable organizationA charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . The term is relatively general and can technically refer to a public charity or a private foundation. It differs from other types of NPOs in that its focus is centered around goals of a general philanthropic nature A charitable...
that provides service dogs for people with disabilities Trixie was a gift from CCI in gratitude of the Koontz's substantial donations, totalling $2,500,000 between 1991 and 2004. Koontz was taken with the charity while he was researching his novel
MidnightMidnight is a novel by the best-selling author Dean Koontz. It was published in 1989.-Plot summary:The book opens with four separated stories that join into one plot later on....
, a book which included a CCI-trained dog, a black
Labrador retrieverThe Labrador Retriever is one of several kinds of retriever, a type of gun dog. The Labrador, once known as the Lesser Newfoundland, is the most popular breed of dog in the world, and is by a large margin the most popular breed by registration in Canada, the United States ,and the United Kingdom.It...
named Moose.
In 2004 when Koontz wrote and edited
Life Is Good: Lessons in Joyful Living in her name and in 2005, Koontz wrote a second book credited to Trixie,
Christmas Is Good. Both books are written from a supposed canine perspective on the joys of life. The
royaltiesRoyalties are usage-based payments made by one party to another for ongoing use of an asset, sometimes an intellectual property right. Royalties are typically a percentage of gross or net sales derived from use of an asset or a fixed price per unit sold of an item...
of the books were donated to Canine Companions for Independence. In 2007, Trixie contracted terminal
cancerCancer is a class of diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled growth , invasion , and sometimes metastasis...
creating a
tumorA tumor or tumour is the name for a swelling or lesion formed by an abnormal growth of cells . Tumor is not synonymous with cancer. A tumor can be benign, pre-malignant or malignant, whereas cancer is by definition malignant....
in her heart. The Koontzes had her
put to sleepAnimal euthanasia is the act of inducing humane death in an animal. Euthanasia methods are designed to cause minimal pain and distress....
outside of their family home on June 30. After Trixie's death, Koontz has continued writing on his website under Trixie's names, in "TOTOS", standing for Trixie on the Other Side.
It is widely thought that Trixie was his inspiration for his November 2007 book
The Darkest Evening of the YearThe Darkest Evening of the Year is a novel by the author Dean Koontz, released on November 27, 2007. The title is a possible allusion to Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening".-Premise:...
, about a woman who runs a golden retriever rescue home, and who rescues a 'special' dog, named Nickie, who eventually saves her life. In August of 2009, Dean published "A Big Little Life," a memoir of his life with Trixie.
In October 2008 Koontz released he had adopted a new dog, Anna. It was eventually learned that Anna was the grandniece of Trixie.
Characters
- Until recently, Koontz had only rarely written more than one novel featuring the same characters, the two exceptions being the Black Bat Mystery series featuring Mike Tucker, art dealer and professional thief (Tucker appeared in the novels Blood Risk, Surrounded, and The Wall of Masks, all written under the pseudonym Brian Coffey); and the (as yet unfinished) Moonlight Bay Trilogy
The Moonlight Bay Trilogy is a trilogy of three novels by Dean Koontz. They revolve around the mysterious events in Moonlight Bay that are investigated by the main character Christopher Snow, who suffers from the genetic disorder Xeroderma pigmentosum....
, whose hero, Christopher Snow, appears in the novels Fear NothingFear Nothing is a novel released in 1997 by the best-selling author Dean Koontz. The book is the first installment in what is reported to be a three part series of books, known as the Moonlight Bay Trilogy, featuring Christopher Snow, who suffers from the rare disease called XP . The second of...
and Seize the NightSeize the Night is a novel written by the best-selling author Dean Koontz, released in 1998. The book is the second in a trilogy of books known as the Moonlight Bay Trilogy, involving Christopher Snow, who suffers from the rare disease called XP...
(a proposed third entry, Ride the StormRide the Storm is the final book in the Moonlight Bay Trilogy written by NYT best-selling author Dean Koontz. The book is the third installment featuring Christopher Snow, a young man who suffers from the rare disease called XP...
, has yet to appear). In recent years, however, Koontz has written four novels featuring the character of Odd Thomas (Odd Thomas, Forever OddForever Odd is a 2005 novel by Dean Koontz, and the sequel to Odd Thomas. The plot takes place six months after the events of Odd Thomas.-Plot summary:...
, Brother OddBrother Odd is a novel by Dean Koontz, published in 2006. The novel is the third book in Koontz's series focusing on a young man named Odd Thomas.-Plot Summary:...
, and Odd HoursOdd Hours is the fourth novel in the Odd Thomas series by Dean Koontz. It was released on May 20, 2008.-Plot Summary:The story begins with Odd finding a woman who featured prominently in his dream, a young, pregnant woman who calls herself Annamaria. After being assaulted and nearly killed by a...
), as well as the ongoing Dean Koontz's FrankensteinDean Koontz's Frankenstein is the collective title of two trilogies of novels co-written by Dean Koontz. Though technically of the mystery or thriller genres, the novels also feature the trappings of horror, fantasy, and science fiction....
series, based on a concept for a failed television series that Koontz was briefly involved with. The show's pilot episode wound up being repackaged as a direct-to-DVD movie. Additionally, the Christopher Snow novels are loosely connected to WatchersWatchers is a novel written by the best-selling author Dean Koontz, released in 1987. A film adaptation was released in 1988.-Premise:On his 36th birthday, Travis Cornell wakes up at five and goes hunting. While in the woods he meets a dog that will change his life. The dog, whom Travis names...
, and the Tranquility Motel of Strangers appears in the Odd Passenger web series.
- The female lead is often intelligent, beautiful, and assertive, and is just as often paired with a more sensitive and easygoing male counterpart (e.g., Bobby and Julie Dakota in The Bad Place
The Bad Place is a novel written by the best-selling author Dean Koontz, released in 1990. It includes elements of horror, suspense, and mystery, and is presented partially as a twist on the private eye drama.-Synopsis:...
, Detectives Michael Madison and Carson O'Conner in Dean Koontz's Frankenstein, Tommy and Del in TicktockTicktock, a novel by best-selling author Dean Koontz, has as its protagonist a Vietnamese-American named Tommy Phan who one day finds a mysterious doll on his doorstep. He soon discovers that the doll contains an evil creature, which is determined to kill him.-Plot summary:The story opens with...
, and Jimmy and Lorrie Tock in Life ExpectancyLife Expectancy is a novel by suspense/horror writer Dean R. Koontz. The plot centers on five pivotal moments in the life of a self-proclaimed "lummox" named James "Jimmy" Tock.-Plot summary:...
, to name a few).
- Several of Koontz's female protagonists are single mothers bringing up their children against all the odds.
- Male protagonists are usually tough and capable, often either police officers (as in Phantoms
Phantoms is a novel written by best-selling author Dean Koontz, first published in 1983.-Plot summary:Jenny and Lisa Paige, two sisters, return to Jenny's hometown of Snowfield, California, a small ski resort village nestled in the Sierra-Nevada Mountains where Jenny works as a doctor, and finds no...
, Dragon TearsDragon Tears is a paranormal/horror novel by the best selling author Dean Koontz. It was written and released in 1993.- Book's description :...
, or The Door to DecemberThe Door to December is a novel by the best-selling author Dean Koontz, released in 1985. It was originally released under the pseudonym Richard Paige.-Plot Teaser:...
) or seemingly mild mannered sorts who are revealed to have police or military experience in their background (as in The Good GuyThe Good Guy is a novel by American author Dean Koontz, which was released on May 29, 2007.-Premise:Timothy Carrier is an unassuming stone mason who, while having a beer at his regular bar, is accidentally mistaken for a hitman by a stranger who hands him an envelope containing $10,000 and a photo...
, Dark Rivers of the Heart-Synopsis:Spencer Grant is a man with a tainted past and a lovable dog, Rocky, who together embark on a quest to find a life in a woman named Valerie Keene, whom he meets in a nightclub. Grant and his dog come back to the club later to find out that the woman is late for work.When Grant attempts to...
, The Eyes of DarknessThe Eyes of Darkness is a best-selling novel written by Dean Koontz, released in 1981. The book focuses on a mother who sets out on a quest to find out if her son truly did die one year ago, or if he was still alive — somewhere.-External links:*...
, Shadow FiresShadow Fires is a novel by the best-selling author Dean Koontz, released in 1987.- Plot summary :The protagonist of the story is a woman who has just divorced her abusive husband, an intense scientist at a bio-research company...
, and others).
- Many of Koontz's heroes come from abusive (or at least dysfunctional) backgrounds, but are nonetheless portrayed as successful, financially independent, strong-willed, and emotionally stable.
- Conversely, his antagonists are often sociopath
Psychopathy is a psychological construct that describes chronic disregard for ethical principles and antisocial behavior.The term is often used interchangeably with sociopathy. This is a commonly made mistake. Sociopathy is no longer a correct term to use, and when it is used it actually refers to...
ic monsters with no redeeming or humanizing qualities whatsoever, who are invariably destroyed by the story's end; many of Koontz's villains are delusionA delusion, in everyday language, is a fixed belief that is either false, fanciful, or derived from deception. Psychiatry defines the term more specifically as a belief that is pathological...
al, and consider their extremely warped and elaborate worldviews to be philosophically transcendent (e.g., Edgler Vess from Intensity-Plot summary:Chyna Shepard is a college student visiting the family of her friend, Laura Templeton, for a long weekend. The victim of a violent, unstable and abusive childhood, Chyna finds the Templeton house provides something she has yearned: acceptance...
, Corky Laputa from The Face- Plot summary:The main plot of the story follows Ethan Truman, an ex-cop who now works as the head of security for the most famous actor in Hollywood, Channing Manheim, a.k.a "The Face." Ethan is trying to track down the sender of several gruesome "messages" that were received in black boxes....
, Vassago from HideawayHideaway is a novel written by Dean Koontz and published by Random House in 1992. It is a supernatural thriller centering on an antique dealer named Hatch Harrison who develops a telepathic connection with a serial killer after a car accident leaves him clinically dead for over eighty minutes...
, Bryan Drackman from Dragon Tears, Vince Nasco from WatchersWatchers is a novel written by the best-selling author Dean Koontz, released in 1987. A film adaptation was released in 1988.-Premise:On his 36th birthday, Travis Cornell wakes up at five and goes hunting. While in the woods he meets a dog that will change his life. The dog, whom Travis names...
, Preston Maddoc from One Door Away from HeavenOne Door Away From Heaven is a novel by the best-selling author Dean Koontz, released in 2001.-Plot summary:Michelina Bellsong, who survived a childhood of abuse herself, befriends a young girl named Leilani Klonk. Michelina and her Aunt Geneva become convinced the girl is in deadly danger...
, Valis in VelocityVelocity is a novel by Dean Koontz first published in 2005. Set in Napa County, California, it is about a man in his thirties who takes the law into his own hands when, out of the blue, he is threatened by an anonymous adversary....
, Thomas Shaddack in Midnight, Junior Cain in From the Corner of His EyeFrom the Corner of His Eye is a novel by the best-selling author Dean Koontz, released in 2000. It is the story of a boy named Bartholomew Lampion, a ruthless killer named Enoch Cain, and a girl named Angel, born by the result of a rape.-Synopsis:...
, and Krait in The Good GuyThe Good Guy is a novel by American author Dean Koontz, which was released on May 29, 2007.-Premise:Timothy Carrier is an unassuming stone mason who, while having a beer at his regular bar, is accidentally mistaken for a hitman by a stranger who hands him an envelope containing $10,000 and a photo...
).
- Many of Koontz's novels feature sympathetic portrayals of characters who suffer from some mental or physical abnormality (e.g., Christopher Snow from the Moonlight Bay Trilogy, Regina from Hideaway, Shepherd in By the Light of the Moon
By the Light of the Moon is a novel by the best-selling author Dean Koontz, released in 2002.-Synopsis:An evil doctor forever changes the lives of Dylan O'Conner, his autistic brother Shepherd, and a comedian named Jillian Jackson, and instigates a new force for good from his evil acts.-External...
, and Thomas in The Bad PlaceThe Bad Place is a novel written by the best-selling author Dean Koontz, released in 1990. It includes elements of horror, suspense, and mystery, and is presented partially as a twist on the private eye drama.-Synopsis:...
).
- Koontz is an only child
An only child is a child with no siblings, either biological or adopted. Although first-born children may be considered temporary only children, and have a similar early family environment, the term only child is generally applied only to those individuals who never have siblings...
, and many of the protagonists in his stories are only children (e.g. Christopher Snow, Odd Thomas, Jimmy Tock - although born a twin, he was raised an only child - from Life Expectancy, Laura Shane from LightningLightning is a novel by the best-selling author Dean Koontz, released in 1988. A 2003 reprinting includes an all new afterword by the author, discussing editorial politics.-Synopsis:...
, Fric from The Face- Plot summary:The main plot of the story follows Ethan Truman, an ex-cop who now works as the head of security for the most famous actor in Hollywood, Channing Manheim, a.k.a "The Face." Ethan is trying to track down the sender of several gruesome "messages" that were received in black boxes....
).
Plot
- Though Koontz's books often feature fantastical plot elements, he usually offers plausible, logically consistent science-based explanations for these bizarre events. Very few of Koontz's novels involve the overtly supernatural
The term supernatural or supranatural pertains to an order of existence beyond the scientifically visible universe. Religious miracles are typically supernatural claims, as are spells and curses, divination, the belief that there is an afterlife for the dead, and innumerable others...
, instead often relying on unique genetic traits and natal conditions.
- Koontz's protagonists often arm themselves with guns to combat the various monsters and madmen they are forced to do battle with. Often a Chief's Special
The Smith & Wesson Model 36 is a revolver chambered for .38 Special. Like nearly all other "J-frame" Smith & Wesson revolvers, it has a 5-round capacity in a swing-out cylinder, and features an exposed hammer. It features a blued finish and either wood or rubber grips...
or Combat Magnum Heckler & Koch P7 appear as handguns (Koontz himself is a lifelong gun owner). An exception to this rule has been the recurring character Odd Thomas who is said in fact to dislike guns due to his childhood trauma of his mother threatening suicide by using her favorite gun, however the fourth book in the series, Odd HoursOdd Hours is the fourth novel in the Odd Thomas series by Dean Koontz. It was released on May 20, 2008.-Plot Summary:The story begins with Odd finding a woman who featured prominently in his dream, a young, pregnant woman who calls herself Annamaria. After being assaulted and nearly killed by a...
seems to ignore this established trait.
- A protagonist having to hide a dead body.
- A desperate struggle for survival that leads to a final confrontation where good completely vanquishes evil, usually leading to a "happy ending" for the main characters. (An exception would be Dark Rivers of the Heart).
- A corrupt, often sinister police force.
Themes
- Serious themes about the importance of faith, especially faith in God.
- Characters who follow an unwavering moral compass, but do not conform to organized religion or depend on the law.
- The ideal that love and compassion can save one from the apparent absurdities of existence and the cruelties of life.
- Love for children by their parents
- Reflection (sometimes at length) on the decline of modern society in the past twenty to thirty years, either in a dialogue between two characters or in the private musings of the protagonist, sometimes centering the blame on liberal
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of individual freedom. This belief is widely accepted today throughout the world, and was recognized as an important value by many philosophers throughout history...
-based tolerance of criminal and/or undesirable activity; free loveThe term free love has been used since at least the 19th century to describe a social movement that rejects marriage, which is seen as a form of social bondage, especially for women. Much of the free-love tradition is an offshoot of anarchism, and reflects a civil libertarian philosophy that seeks...
, drugA drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.In pharmacology, a...
use, and political correctnessPolitical correctness is a term denoting language, ideas, policies, and behavior seen as seeking to minimize social offense in gender, racial, cultural, handicap, and age-related usages...
are frequent targets (the antagonist of Dragon Tears, for instance, evidently owes not only his superhuman abilities but also his pathological personality to his mother's use of illicit drugs while he was in utero).
- A particular high respect for humanity and repugnance for those who degrade any human. Sometimes (as in One Door Away from Heaven) taking a critical stance against "life" issues like Utilitarian bioethics
Utilitarian bioethics is a branch of utilitarian ethics and bioethics that recommends directing medical resources where they will have most long-term effect for good....
.
- A lack of atonement or redemption from the villains and antagonists, coinciding with main characters who are (eventually) clearly depicted as either good or evil with little moral ambiguity. Little sympathy is elicited for the antagonists.
Other trademarks
- Koontz is an avid dog lover, and canines (typically an unusually smart Golden or Labrador Retriever) often feature prominently in his works: Fear Nothing, Seize the Night
Seize the Night is a novel written by the best-selling author Dean Koontz, released in 1998. The book is the second in a trilogy of books known as the Moonlight Bay Trilogy, involving Christopher Snow, who suffers from the rare disease called XP...
, The TakingThe Taking is a 2004 novel written by Dean Koontz.-Plot summary:In the midst of an oddly sudden rainstorm, author Molly Sloan awakens in the middle of the night. Unable to return to sleep, she leaves her husband Neil slumbering in bed and goes downstairs to work on a manuscript in progress.Dark...
, WatchersWatchers is a novel written by the best-selling author Dean Koontz, released in 1987. A film adaptation was released in 1988.-Premise:On his 36th birthday, Travis Cornell wakes up at five and goes hunting. While in the woods he meets a dog that will change his life. The dog, whom Travis names...
, Dark Rivers of the Heart, Dragon Tears, One Door Away from HeavenOne Door Away From Heaven is a novel by the best-selling author Dean Koontz, released in 2001.-Plot summary:Michelina Bellsong, who survived a childhood of abuse herself, befriends a young girl named Leilani Klonk. Michelina and her Aunt Geneva become convinced the girl is in deadly danger...
, TicktockTicktock, a novel by best-selling author Dean Koontz, has as its protagonist a Vietnamese-American named Tommy Phan who one day finds a mysterious doll on his doorstep. He soon discovers that the doll contains an evil creature, which is determined to kill him.-Plot summary:The story opens with...
, Twilight EyesTwilight Eyes is a novel by the best-selling author Dean Koontz, released in 1985 0riginal version, Land Enchantment . Twilight Eyes begins with a character with the self-appointed name, "Slim MacKenzie". Slim mainly uses his psychic powers to hunt Goblins, a kind of monster that seems to have the...
(Towards the end of the book) and The Darkest Evening of the YearThe Darkest Evening of the Year is a novel by the author Dean Koontz, released on November 27, 2007. The title is a possible allusion to Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening".-Premise:...
are prime examples. Cats have often fared worse in his books (Koontz is allergic to felines), though he has occasionally included cats as characters, most notably the smart feline Mungojerrie in the Christopher Snow novels, Terrible Chester in the Odd Thomas novels and Aristophanes in The MaskThe Mask is a novel by the best-selling author Dean Koontz originally released under the pseudonym Owen West in 1981. Koontz later re-released the novel under his own name.-Plot summary:...
.
- A setting in southern California
Southern California, or SoCal, is defined as the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its population centers around three major metropolitan areas, each of which have over 3 million people; the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area with over 12 million inhabitants, the San Bernardino-Riverside...
.
- A Smith and Wesson .38 caliber Chiefs Special or Heckler and Koch P7.
- Use of the words "preternatural
The preternatural or praeternatural is that which appears outside or beyond the natural. While this may include what is more commonly called the supernatural, it may also simply indicate extremity — an ordinary phenomenon taken 'beyond' the natural...
" and "ozoneOzone or trioxygen is a simple triatomic molecule, consisting of three oxygen atoms. It is an allotrope of oxygen that is much less stable than the diatomic O
2. Ground-level ozone is an air pollutant with harmful effects on the respiratory systems of animals...
" is prevalent in his books.
- A motorhome, usually owned by the villain (such as Edgler Foreman Vess in Intensity), with some exceptions such as the ones at the carnival in Twilight Eyes
Twilight Eyes is a novel by the best-selling author Dean Koontz, released in 1985 0riginal version, Land Enchantment . Twilight Eyes begins with a character with the self-appointed name, "Slim MacKenzie". Slim mainly uses his psychic powers to hunt Goblins, a kind of monster that seems to have the...
.
- An ability to travel by some type of understanding of space/time (such as Deucalion in the Frankenstein novels and Shepherd O'Conner and Jillian Jackson in By the Light of the Moon).
- Vivid, detailed descriptions of the settings' architectural and interior design elements.
- Street lights being described as "Sodium Vapor lights".
- Strange weather - A climax that coincides with the development of an unseasonable or unusual storm, with the penultimate moment of conflict often occurring during the height of the storm's violence. (Lightning)
- Amoral scientists using brutalizing techniques (especially upon children) to further their research (Sole Survivor
Sole Survivor is a novel by the best-selling author Dean Koontz, released in 1997. It is about a woman named Rose, who is being pursued by a company called Teknologik.-Plot summary:...
, Midnight, Frankenstein, The Door to DecemberThe Door to December is a novel by the best-selling author Dean Koontz, released in 1985. It was originally released under the pseudonym Richard Paige.-Plot Teaser:...
, The Eyes of DarknessThe Eyes of Darkness is a best-selling novel written by Dean Koontz, released in 1981. The book focuses on a mother who sets out on a quest to find out if her son truly did die one year ago, or if he was still alive — somewhere.-External links:*...
)
- References to literature and poetry of which Koontz is a fan. The poetry of T. S. Eliot
Thomas Stearns Eliot, OM , was a poet, playwright, and literary critic. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1948. Among his most famous writings are The Love Song of J...
plays a prominent role in The TakingThe Taking is a 2004 novel written by Dean Koontz.-Plot summary:In the midst of an oddly sudden rainstorm, author Molly Sloan awakens in the middle of the night. Unable to return to sleep, she leaves her husband Neil slumbering in bed and goes downstairs to work on a manuscript in progress.Dark...
, and many of the same lines by Eliot are seen in VelocityVelocity is a novel by Dean Koontz first published in 2005. Set in Napa County, California, it is about a man in his thirties who takes the law into his own hands when, out of the blue, he is threatened by an anonymous adversary....
. Fear Nothing includes a character named Tom Eliot, another reference to the famous poet. Little Ozzie from the Odd Thomas series often quotes T.S. Eliot and Shakespeare.
- Plants and flowers are described in great gardener type detail, and bougainvillea
Bougainvillea is a genus of flowering plants native to South America from Brazil west to Peru and south to southern Argentina . Different authors accept between four and 18 species in the genus...
flowers often feature in Dean Koontz's books.
- Small references to Japan are often made. Such as plants and characters with a Japanese name, or people having Japanese gardens, furniture or enjoying Japanese food and drink.
- Strange, quirky descriptions, eg. The Darkest Evening of the Year
The Darkest Evening of the Year is a novel by the author Dean Koontz, released on November 27, 2007. The title is a possible allusion to Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening".-Premise:...
"...but a pair of lamps shed light as lusterless as ashes and the colors were muted as though settled smoke from a long-quenched fire had laid a patina on them."
- Frequently references Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is a novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells the story of a girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar and anthropomorphic creatures. The tale is filled with...
.
- Frequent quotations from The Book of Counted Sorrows
The Book of Counted Sorrows was a previously nonexistent book "quoted" in many of Dean Koontz's books.-Rumor:For many years Koontz fans everywhere searched for this elusive book. Many librarians were frustrated in their attempts to locate it because it did not exist. This was confirmed by a...
.
- Frequent vivid details from the inside of a Catholic church describing a character, usually escaping from someone, in the "Sacristy", "Narthex", or the "Nave"
- Characters with a military background.
- Frequent references to Armenian cuisine are made, usually while some character(s) eat at some Armenian restaurant in California.
Film and television adaptations
Though several of his novels have been adapted either as motion pictures or
televisionTelevision is a widely used telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images, either monochromatic or color, usually accompanied by sound. "Television" may also refer specifically to a television set, television programming or television transmission...
movies, Koontz is generally unhappy with most of these adaptations. According to a 1996 interview, Koontz was so unhappy with the final cut of the film adaptation of his novel
Hideaway that he now insists on keeping creative control over all subsequent films based on his books.
Film adaptations
- The Husband
The Husband is a novel by the best-selling author Dean Koontz, released in 2006. Focus Features, in conjunction with Random House Films, has announced that a film adaptation has been greenlit...
(TBA) - Focus FeaturesFocus Features is the art house films division of NBC Universal's Universal Pictures, and acts as both a producer and distributor for its own films and a distributor for foreign films....
- Frankenstein
Frankenstein is the 2004 USA Network production starring Thomas Kretschmann as Victor Frankenstein and Vincent Perez as his creature. It was produced by Martin Scorsese and based on Dean Koontz's version of Frankenstein. The film was originally intended as the pilot for an ongoing series, but this...
(2004) - USA NetworkUSA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1977. The channel shows a variety of original and second-run programming, from syndicated TV series to edited movies...
- starring Adam GoldbergAdam Charles Goldberg is an American actor, director, and producer.-Early life:Goldberg was born in Santa Monica, California and was raised near Miami Beach, the son of Donna and Earl Goldberg. His father is Jewish and his mother is a Roman Catholic of Irish, French and German descent...
, Parker PoseyParker Christian Posey is an American actress. She became known during the 1990s after a series of roles in several well-received independent films. As a result, she has often been referred to as the "Queen of the Indies"....
, Michael MadsenMichael Soren Madsen is an American actor, poet, and photographer with Irish and Danish roots. He has starred in central roles in such films as Reservoir Dogs, Donnie Brasco and Kill Bill.-Early life:...
, Vincent PerezVincent Pérez is a Swiss-Spanish actor from Lausanne, Switzerland. Of Spanish and German descent, he is the second of three children...
, and Thomas KretschmannThomas Kretschmann is a German actor best known in his role in The Pianist and as Cross in Wanted and Captain Englehorn in King Kong.-Early life:...
(Koontz pulled out of the project midway through production because he did not like the direction the film was headed. He ended up writing his own books with the storyline he had originally created. The project continued without him.)
- Black River
Black River is an American television movie about a writer who comes upon the town of Black River, only to find that it will not let him leave. Based on a short story by Dean Koontz, the film premiered July 6, 2001 on Fox.-Synopsis:...
(2001) - FoxFox is a common name for many species of carnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail ....
- starring Jay MohrJay Mohr is an American actor, impressionist and stand-up comedian.-Personal life:Mohr was born Jon Ferguson Mohr in Verona, New Jersey to Jean, a nurse, and Jon Mohr, a marketing executive. He has two sisters, Julia and Virginia. He also has one son, Jackson, from his six-year marriage with...
, and Stephen TobolowskyStephen Harold Tobolowsky is an American actor. He is well known for his role as Ned Ryerson in Groundhog Day, as well as portraying Commissioner Hugo Jarry in Deadwood for nine episodes and Bob Bishop in Heroes for eleven episodes over the second and third seasons.-Early life:Tobolowsky was born...
- Sole Survivor (2000)–Fox
The Fox Broadcasting Company , commonly referred to as Fox , is an American television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, from 2004 to 2009 Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the 18–49 demographic...
- starring Billy ZaneWilliam George "Billy" Zane, Jr. is an American actor and director. He is best recognized for his role as Caledon Hockley in the 1997 blockbuster film Titanic, as the deranged psychopath Hughie Warriner in Dead Calm, John Justice Wheeler in Twin Peaks, as The Phantom in the 1996 film of the same...
, John C. McGinleyJohn Christopher McGinley is an American actor, most notable for his roles as Perry Cox in Scrubs, Bob Slydell in Office Space, and Sergeant Red O'Neill in Oliver Stone's Platoon.-Early life:...
, and Gloria ReubenGloria Reuben is a Canadian singer and actress of film and television, known for her role on ER.-Life and career:Reuben was born in Toronto to a...
- Watchers Reborn
Watchers Reborn is the 1998 sequel to the Canadian horror film Watchers. Starring Star Wars veteran Mark Hamill, the film is loosely based on the novel Watchers by Dean Koontz.-Plot:...
(1998) - Concorde Pictures - starring Mark HamillMark Richard Hamill is an American actor, voice artist, producer, director and writer, Hamill is a best known for his role of Luke Skywalker in the original Star Wars trilogy and as the iconic voice of The Joker in the DC Animated Universe.-Early life and education:Hamill was born and raised in...
- Phantoms
Phantoms is the 1998 film adaptation of Dean Koontz's 1983 novel Phantoms. The screenplay was written by the author. The film takes place in the peaceful town of Snowfield, Colorado, where something evil has wiped out the community...
(1998) - Miramax/Dimension Films - starring Peter O'ToolePeter Seamus O'Toole is an actor of stage and screen who achieved stardom in 1962 playing T. E. Lawrence in Lawrence of Arabia. He went on to become a highly-honored film and stage actor. He has been nominated for eight Academy Awards...
, Ben AffleckBen Affleck is an American actor, film director and screenwriter. He became known in the mid 1990s, after his involvement in the film Mallrats and later played the lead role in Chasing Amy in 1997. Affleck has since become an Academy Award winner for his screenplay in Good Will Hunting in 1997...
, Rose McGowanRose Arianna McGowan is an American actress known for her role as Paige Matthews in WB Network supernatural drama series Charmed, as well as for her roles in several major Hollywood films including The Doom Generation, Scream, Jawbreaker, and Grindhouse...
, and Joanna Going-Early life:Going, the oldest of six children, was born in 1963 in Washington, D.C. to the late Joseph Burke Going and Lorraine M. Going . She was raised in Newport, Rhode Island and graduated from Rogers High School in 1981...
.
- Mr. Murder
Mr. Murder is a horror novel by the best-selling author Dean Koontz, released in 1993.-Plot summary:This story has two intervening plots occurring throughout...
(1998)–ABC–starring Stephen BaldwinStephen Andrew Baldwin is an American actor and the youngest of the Baldwin brothers.-Early life:Baldwin was born in Massapequa, New York, the son of Carol Newcomb , a breast cancer survivor who founded the Carol M...
, Thomas Haden ChurchThomas Haden Church is an American actor. After co-starring in the 1990s sitcom Wings, Church became well known for his film roles, including his Academy Award-nominated performance in Sideways and his role as the Sandman in Spider-Man 3.-Early life:Church, the fourth of six children, was born...
, and James CoburnJames Harrison Coburn, Jr. was an American film and television actor who appeared in nearly 70 films and made over 100 television appearances in his 45-year career...
- Intensity (1997)–Fox–starring John C. McGinley, Molly Parker
Molly Parker is a Canadian actress, notable for her roles in Canadian and American independent films and the HBO television series Deadwood and Six Feet Under.-Life and career:...
, and Piper LaurieRosetta Jacobs, better known as Piper Laurie , is an American actress of stage and screen noted for her roles in the television series Twin Peaks and the film Carrie.-Early life:...
- Hideaway
Hideaway is a 1995 horror film directed by Brett Leonard and based on the novel of the same name by Dean Koontz. It stars Jeff Goldblum, Alicia Silverstone, Christine Lahti and Jeremy Sisto. In the movie Goldblum plays a man who dies in a car accident, only to be revived two hours later...
(1995)–Tristar Pictures–starring Jeff GoldblumJeffrey Lynn "Jeff" Goldblum is an American actor. Currently, he stars as Detective Zach Nichols on the USA Network's crime drama series Law & Order: Criminal Intent.-Early life:...
, Christine LahtiChristine Lahti is an American actress and film director.-Early life:Lahti was born in Birmingham, Michigan, the daughter of Elizabeth Margaret , a painter, homemaker and nurse, and Paul Theodore Lahti, a surgeon. Lahti has Finnish ancestry. Her surname means "a gulf", "a bay" or "a cove" in...
, Jeremy SistoJeremy Merton Sisto is an American actor. He has had many prominent roles in movies and television, and is probably best known for his recurring role as Billy Chenowith on the HBO series Six Feet Under and Detective Lupo on Law & Order...
, and Alicia SilverstoneAlicia Silverstone is an American actress, author, and former fashion model. She first came to widespread attention in music videos for Aerosmith, and is best known for her roles in Hollywood films such as Clueless and her portrayal of Batgirl in Batman & Robin .-Early life:Silverstone was born...
- Watchers 3
Watchers 3 is the 1994 sequel to the Canadian horror film Watchers. Starring b-movie veteran Wings Hauser, the film is loosely based on the novel Watchers by Dean Koontz.-Plot:...
(1994) - Concorde Pictures - starring Wings HauserWings Hauser is an American actor, director and film writer.Hauser was born Gerald Dwight Hauser in Hollywood, California, the son of Geraldine and Academy Award-winning director and producer Dwight Hauser...
- The Servants of Twilight
The Servants of Twilight is a novel by best-selling American suspense author Dean Koontz. The book's plot revolves around a single mother being tormented by members of a religious cult whose leader believes the woman's son to be the Antichrist. A film adaptation was released in 1991.The book was...
(1991)–Trimark–starring Bruce GreenwoodBruce Greenwood is a Canadian actor. He is generally known for his roles as the President of the United States in National Treasure: Book of Secrets and Thirteen Days and for his role as Captain Christopher Pike in the 2009 Star Trek film.-Personal life:Greenwood was born Stuart Bruce Greenwood...
- The Face of Fear
The Face of Fear is a novel by best-selling author Dean Koontz, first published in 1977. It was originally released under the pseudonym Brian Coffey.-Plot summary:...
(1990)–CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is an American television network, one of television's original "big three", which also include NBC and ABC. Like NBC, CBS started out as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System...
–starring Pam DawberPam Dawber is an American actress, best known for her title roles as Mindy McConnell in the 1978–82 sitcom Mork & Mindy and as Samantha Russell in My Sister Sam . Dawber has a four-octave soprano voice.-Biography:...
and Lee HorsleyLee Horsley is an American actor best known for his starring roles on the television shows Nero Wolfe , Matt Houston and Paradise .-Early life:...
. Also includes Kevin ConroyKevin Conroy is an American actor of stage, screen and voice, best known for his voice role as Batman in numerous animated television series and feature films that comprised the DC Animated Universe.-Early life:...
.
- Watchers II
Watchers II is the 1990 sequel to the Canadian horror film Watchers. Starring Marc Singer and Tracy Scoggins, the film is loosely based on the novel Watchers by Dean Koontz.-Plot:...
(1990) - Concorde Pictures - starring Marc SingerMarc Singer is a Canadian-born American actor known for his roles in science fiction films and television.-Personal life:...
and Tracy ScogginsTracy Scoggins is an American actress known for her roles as Cat Grant in the television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and Monica Colby in the 1980s prime time soap opera Dynasty, and its spin-off series The Colbys...
- Whispers
Whispers is a novel by American suspense author Dean Koontz, originally published in 1980. It was the first of Koontz's novels to appear on the New York Times Bestsellers List, and is widely credited with launching his career as a best-selling author...
(1990) - Cinepix–starring Victoria TennantVictoria Tennant is an Anglo-American film and television actress.-Early life:Tennant was born in London, England...
, Chris SarandonChristopher Sarandon is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Prince Humperdinck in the film The Princess Bride, as Detective Mike Norris in the first entry of the Child's Play series, as the speaking voice of Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas and its spin-offs,...
, and Jean LeClere
- Watchers (1988)–Concorde Pictures - starring Corey Haim
Corey Ian Haim is a Canadian actor, known for a 1980s Hollywood career as a teen idol. He starred in a number of films such as Lucas, The Lost Boys, License to Drive and Dream a Little Dream, and in particular, collaborated numerous times with Corey Feldman and the pair were dubbed "The Two...
, Barbara WilliamsBarbara Williams is a Canadian-born American actress, and is the wife of Tom Hayden. Barbara starred in the 1984 Paramount film "Thief of Hearts" and in the 1982 film Oh, What a Night....
, and Michael IronsideMichael Ironside is a Canadian actor. He has also worked as a voice actor, producer, film director, and screenwriter in movie and television series in various Canadian and American works. He is best known for playing villains, "tough guy" heroes and amputees, though he has also portrayed...
- The Intruder (1977) - MGM - starring Jean-Louis Trintignant
Jean-Louis Trintignant is a French actor.-Biography:At the age of twenty, Trintignant moved to Paris to study drama, and made his theatrical debut in 1951 going on to be seen as one of the most gifted French actors of the post-war era...
(French film adaptation of Koontz's novel ShatteredShattered is a 1973 novel by Dean Koontz; it was previously published for Random House under his pseudonym, K.R. Dwyer.The Berkeley edition was published in February 1985, the second printing was in June 1985, and the third printing was in November 1985.For the 1985 printing, the author's name is...
)
- Demon Seed
Demon Seed is a 1977 American science fiction-horror film starring Julie Christie and directed by Donald Cammell. The film was based on the novel of the same name by Dean Koontz, who updated his novel in 1997. The original 1973 novel was written as a first-person account by the Susan character...
(1977) - MGM - starring Julie ChristieJulie Frances Christie is a British actress. A pop icon of the "swinging London" era of the 1960s, she has won the Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Screen Actors Guild Awards.-Early life:...
, Fritz WeaverFritz William Weaver is an American actor and voice actor.Weaver was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of Elsa W. and John Carson Weaver. His mother was of Italian descent. Weaver attended Peabody High School. He served in Civilian Public Service as a conscientious objector during World...
, and Robert VaughnRobert Francis Vaughn, Ph.D. is an American actor noted for stage, film and television work. He is perhaps best known as suave spy Napoleon Solo in the 1960s TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E....
as the voice of Proteus
External links