Customer Reviews

Darkness Under the Sun (Novella): A Tale of Suspense

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

During the 80's and early 90's, Dean Koontz was one of my favorite authors. I loved the twists in the original plots, the violence with a purpose, and the characters that just crawled in to your psyche and took up residence. I even named one of my sons after the sheriff in Intensity (Ethan!). Then something changed. He started to write in this self-amusing sing-song prose that he obviously thought was clever and that I found annoying. Annoyed so much so that I stopped reading him PERIOD. I would still glance at the releases, read the reviews, and, being unimpressed by the write up or the subjects (Frankenstein, Really?), I would move on without another thought of reading another Koontz book yet again.

But that all changed recently. I saw this intriguing little novella for my kindle, and after reading the sample, quickly bought the rest of the story. I do mean that I BOUGHT it. Everything, hook, line, and sinker. Trust me, this is the best Koontz in 15 years. I so much enjoyed it, I pre-ordered the new novel based just on this prequel! That is how impressive this story is. I won't ruin it by hashing out the plot and the characters, even as deliciously evil as it is and they are, but I will tell you that you will not be disappointed. Also, I read in a recent interview with Koontz that his villain came to him in a dream, and was so terrifying that he had to write it down and use him in these tales. Talk about inspiration...Fantastic! So will this story have me digging thru the back catalogue and picking up some of those for a second chance? No, but I can see a time again when I will eagerly await the new novel from Dean Koontz and the possibilities it holds.

"Darkness Under The Sun" is a novella which can stand alone, but is related to an upcoming Koontz novel, "What The Night Knows." Included is the first chapter of the novel -- and I'll comment on that as well.

I selected this because I like Koontz. Some novels I like more than others, but I'm a fan. I also think he seems like a great guy in real life, and we both have an affinity for dogs, so I'll always lean toward buying his stuff. The other reason I selected this, about as important as the first, is I love novellas and short stories -- particularly ones with horror or suspense - and I cannot get enough. So, an author I like publishing the type of read I enjoy the most.

What has interested me about Koontz in recent years is the combination of something that's always been a part of his writing and the newer choice to become a little edgier. I think of Koontz as an optimistic writer. His characters, no matter what tragedy befalls them, tend to be hopeful. His protagonists are easy to root for because they believe in common decency and are simply good. That's something that's always been there and hasn't left, but Koontz seems to be willing to allow bad things to happen in a way he didn't used to. Bad things always happened to good people, yes, but there always seemed to be a safety net and, if needed, a full on deus ex machina. (Characters would be saved in ways that seemed a little bit like cheats, but you'd like them so much that you were just glad!) A handful of years ago he didn't save a character and I had to respect that and I think his writing needed that in order to be suspenseful -- the reader's belief that thinks could really do very wrong.

As to this novella, I think he met that burden he set for himself in making it tie into an upcoming book. That burden I believe is to make it stand on its own, have it be completely satisfying in its own right, instead of a gimmick to make more money and sell the book. If it had just been a cheap (in quality) and costly (in amount charged) excuse, it would have been inappropriate.

Instead, this is a pretty creepy tale. The narrator is a young boy who has suffered a lot and is about to come face to face with evil in the form of a charming psychopath. It was so easy to care about this child, Howie, to fear for him, to shiver as we pick up on the things this Bad Man says that he is unable to hear yet with adult ears. Howie is a Koontz protagonist in the sense mentioned above and that innate goodness and his loneliness and feeling that he -- like Alton, the bad guy -- is an outsider is what puts him (and others) in danger and is what perhaps will save him too. I think there was also a nice theme of what makes someone a hero and how it can be present even in a little boy.

A lot of the fear dissipated toward the end, but the eerie tone continued. I suppose that as much as I liked all of it, the ending allowed too much of the fear to subside, although there was still creepiness. I suppose that while I think Koontz met the aforementioned burden, the very last portion or two of the book began to be more about (successfully in my case) hooking the reader's interest in the unreleased novel. We see Howie in a figurative sense hand off the story to a detective character and then give up his own relevance. Still, the novella is complete and fully realized.

This is a quick read, ideal for a rainy afternoon or an evening when you can convince yourself that your trusting pet goofball could be a guard dog if need be, or at least give a bark or two, and you're sure the doors are all locked.

***

The first chapter of the novel is very nicely done and I'm really anticipating reading the rest. Honestly, from that brief portion there were moments I thought it seemed too much like Hannibal Lecter and "quid pro quo," but it was also chilling in its own right. And, of course, I wonder how the novella fits in, what puzzle piece it provides. Anyone reading that first chapter will have a theory on what's going on, many of us the same theory, but only a reading of the novel will answer that for sure -- which means it's almost the perfect hook.

4 stars for the novella, a little taken off for the ending. 4.5 stars or the teaser chapter, but there's no place to put that on the official scoreboard. :)

Edited to add that, unfortunately, What The Night Knows wasn't a successful read for me. I haven't finished it and so I don't want to officially review it, but my main issue was with the children sounding impossibly mature and perfect.

I'm glad to see big-name writers like Koontz experimenting with digital-only content. While DARKNESS UNDER THE SUN is, to some extent, a teaser for WHAT THE NIGHT KNOWS and a marketing ploy, it's also a great standalone story. And for the price, you can't go wrong.

Think of this as something a step above DVD bonus content. It's not a chapter cut from the book or a behind-the-scenes look at the story, but rather an extension of the upcoming novel, a tale told from another perspective, more like an extra episode of a television show than a deleted scene from a movie. Whether or not you plan on buying WHAT THE NIGHT KNOWS, you'll be glad you picked up this novella. I know I am.

I bought this for my Kindle and then forgot I had it since I still read actual hardcopy books,too. So then I got What the Night Knows in the mail and of course, since I am a huge Koontz fan, sat down and read it straight through. Loved it by the way (reviewed it also if you're interested).

It was only after I finished the novel and read a couple of other reviews that I remembered this novella. I don't think it mattered much in which order I read these. "Darkness Under The Sun" IS a prequel to the novel but it also has some later scenes in it. It was very well done, Whichever order you read it. You should be sure to read it, though, because it contains valuable information not included in the novel that helps you understand some of the background of the story.

To me, this novella was well worth the small price charged and I feel rewarded as a Kindle owner on being able to obtain it.

Not my type of book I am afraid, however it is well written and descriptive with Howie the centre to the story and Blackwood the evil character being very believable. For a short story it is OK but covers so much time span that there is little detail of the later events. I believe, but could be wrong, that it is a summary or teaser of a forthcoming book by Dean Koontz and as such should have remained as a free download.

I enjoyed this novella. Takes about an hour to read. It was 103 kindle pages but truly only 75. The last 25 or so is a preview of Koontz's next book. I thought it was a bit different than his recent works. It almost felt like I was reading Stephen King. But that's what I liked about it, the different feel. Yet I could still detect Koontz in the story. The character Howie was convincing and enjoyable. The story had that creepy feel with a disturbing edge and a touch of suspense. Mostly though, creepy. Well worth $1.99.

I used to love to read Dean Koontz novels. But somewhere along the line they lost their appeal to me. I stopped reading them after Fear Nothing. When I saw this novella with a great price, I decided to give him a chance again. I'm so glad I did. This book reminded me of the Koontz I used to love so dearly. Howie is a wonderfully written character who drew me in immediately. Although I pretty much knew from the beginning what would happen, I really enjoyed the journey. Perhaps I'll buy What the Nigh Knows. It has a great opening and I hope it will not disappoint.

I am an avid Koontz fan. I have basically read and loved most of the books he's written. His " Odd Thomas" books or his "Frankenstein" ones, haven't read. Just didn't interest me at the time when the books came out, because of the subject matter.
I selected this, because I like the way Koontz writes. He brings his characters to life in a way that you actually would care for the young hero or to not sympathize for the killer. The killer is almost like the Raven itself, even though he is human. (Because his calling card is leaving a Ravens' feather, the way he's described physically and never settles down in one place for very long. " just blew here on the breeze". He also stares at people like a bird does.
I found it very interesting that Koontz adds the Raven, because that's what usually what Stephen King adds to his books & movies.
I love it when Howie is saved by his mother. I love the fact that he always adds a dog to the stories he writes. It gives a heart-warming touch to the story.
I like the part when Howie saves his family from "Mr. Blackwood", because he knew it was the right thing to do. I really cared and sympathized for Howie throughout the story. I loved it when Howie saved his daughter.
This was Koontz's best work to date. I got 3 chapters from the newest book on my Kindle. December 28th, the new book comes out. Would definitely download it by then.

Call it a short story, a novella or a teaser, it is good. Koontz did a good job putting the characters, plot, and setting together. I read it for free, which is one thing that is good about kindle and the ebook trend at the moment. So much is for free. Like the Usurper and Other stories, the dialogue is smooth flowing and the narrative comes out strong. The pace reminds me of another I read last week. Flash of the Sun, that is. Koontz's other novels are my future buys. a great storyteller.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novella. I usually enjoy Koontz' novels, so I was interested to see how satisfying this novella would be.
The story is told almost entirely from the perspective of a ten year old boy named Howie Dugley. Early on in the story, Howie meets a strange man on the rooftop of a building. Howie immediately feels a kinship to this man because he, like Howie, has physical deformities. I don't want to give too much away, so I'll just say the rest of the story unfolds with the reader finding out the man's secrets and how Howie responds to the truths that unfold.
It is impossible not to like Howie. It is obvious he has suffered a great deal, and yet, he remains brave and hopeful.
The story is fast paced, and has an eerie feel to it from beginning to end. I was so engrossed in it that I finished it in one sitting. It is short, but I found the novella to be satisfying as a stand alone read. However, I look forward to reading What the Night Knows. It will be interesting to learn more about how this novella ties in with the novel.
All in all, a satisfying read and well worth the price.