# Dean Koontz

> A Pennsylvania teacher whose wife offered to support him for five years while he wrote, he moved from paperback science fiction to suspense and became one of the best-selling novelists of his era.

- Novelist · Watchers · Odd Thomas · Jane Hawk
- Known for: Suspense novels that mix thriller, horror and the supernatural, among them *Watchers*, *Intensity* and the Odd Thomas series; his books have sold more than 500 million copies in 38 languages.[1]
- Born: July 9, 1945
- Last updated: 2026-11-14
- Editorial review: approved 2026-11-15
- Web page: https://authorbackstories.com/authors/dean-koontz/
- Reading list (PDF): https://authorbackstories.com/authors/dean-koontz/reading-list.pdf

## Featured book: Newest book

*The Friend of the Family* (2026). A novel set in Depression-era America about Alida, a young woman exhibited in a carnival sideshow who is taken in by a family she comes to believe is in danger.[12] The Spokesman-Review called it his first venture into magical realism.[13]

## At a glance

- Born: Dean Ray Koontz, July 9, 1945, in Everett, Pennsylvania[2]
- Raised: Bedford, Pennsylvania; Bedford High School, 1963[2]
- Education: Shippensburg State College (now Shippensburg University)[1]
- Before writing: Tutored children for the Appalachian Poverty Program, then taught high-school English[1]
- First novel: *Star Quest* (1968)[2]
- Pen names: Ten, among them Leigh Nichols, Owen West, Brian Coffey, K. R. Dwyer and Deanna Dwyer[2]
- No. 1 bestsellers: Fourteen New York Times No. 1 hardcovers and sixteen No. 1 paperbacks, by his own count[1]

## Dean Koontz's Backstory

### Early life

Dean Ray Koontz was born on July 9, 1945, in Everett, Pennsylvania, and grew up in nearby Bedford, graduating from Bedford High School in 1963.[2] He has said that his father was an alcoholic who regularly beat him, and that the experience shaped his fiction.[2] He studied at Shippensburg State College, now Shippensburg University, and in his senior year won a fiction competition held by *The Atlantic Monthly*.[1]

### Teacher and tutor

After college Koontz worked for the federally funded Appalachian Poverty Program, counseling and tutoring children one-to-one, and then taught English for about a year and a half in a school district outside Harrisburg, writing at night and on weekends.[1][2] He married his high-school girlfriend in 1966.[2] His wife then offered to support him for five years while he tried to make a living as a writer; she later left her job to manage the business side of his career.[1]

### Science fiction and pen names

His first novel, *Star Quest*, appeared in 1968 as one half of an Ace Double paperback, and science-fiction novels such as *Beastchild* (1970) followed.[2][4] In the 1970s he turned to suspense and horror and, because editors warned him that changing genres under one name risked "negative crossover," published many books under ten pen names, among them Leigh Nichols, Owen West, Brian Coffey and K. R. Dwyer.[2] *Demon Seed* (1973) became his first bestseller, helped by its 1977 film, and two pen-name novels, *The Key to Midnight* and *The Funhouse*, each sold more than a million copies.[2]

### Breakthrough

Wikipedia describes *Whispers* (1980) as his acknowledged breakthrough under his own name, and *Strangers* (1986) as his first hardcover bestseller.[2] Through the late 1980s and 1990s he published suspense novels including *Watchers*, *Lightning*, *Midnight*, *Intensity* and *Sole Survivor*, several of which were filmed.[4][2] He has said that fourteen of his novels reached No. 1 on the New York Times hardcover list and sixteen on the paperback list.[1]

### Odd Thomas, Frankenstein and Jane Hawk

In 2003 he began the Odd Thomas series, which ran to seven novels and a novella, with graphic-novel prequels.[4][3] He also created the Frankenstein series, the first two books written with Kevin J. Anderson and Ed Gorman, and the five Jane Hawk thrillers (2017–2019).[4] His golden retriever Trixie, a former service dog with Canine Companions for Independence, became the subject of his 2009 memoir *A Big Little Life*; Wikipedia reports that his donations to the charity totaled $2.5 million between 1991 and 2004.[2][3]

### Later work

Koontz began publishing with Amazon Publishing in 2019.[2] His Thomas & Mercer novels include *Going Home in the Dark* (2025) and *The Friend of the Family* (2026), a novel set mostly in the 1930s that the Spokesman-Review described as his first venture into magical realism.[9][13] At 80, he told the paper, he publishes a book about every nine months, down from about two a year.[13]

## Fun facts

- As a college senior he won a fiction competition run by *The Atlantic Monthly*.[1]
- His wife offered to support him for five years so he could write full time; she later left her own job to run the business side of his career.[1]
- At the Appalachian Poverty Program, he has said, the person who held the job before him had been beaten by students and hospitalized for weeks.[1]
- He said he took pen names because editors warned that switching genres under one name risked "negative crossover."[2]
- His golden retriever Trixie started out as a service dog with Canine Companions for Independence; after she died in 2007 he wrote humor books credited to "TOTOS," short for "Trixie on the Other Side."[2]
- He told the Spokesman-Review that a novel takes him 2,000 to 4,000 hours, that he works 60 to 70 hours a week, and that his home library holds about 20,000 volumes.[13]
- The German shepherd in *The Friend of the Family* stands out because the dogs in his books are usually golden retrievers.[13]

## Books

In order of first publication; each series is kept together in reading order.

Titles and first publication years from FantasticFiction's bibliography, checked against Wikipedia's Dean Koontz bibliography, with first-edition dates for disputed titles from Collecting Koontz and the Locus Index.[4][3][5][6][11]

- 1968: *Star Quest* (Novel). His first novel, half of an Ace Double paperback.[3] [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Star%20Quest%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1969: *Fear That Man* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Fear%20That%20Man%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1969: *The Fall of the Dream Machine* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20Fall%20of%20the%20Dream%20Machine%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1970: *Anti-Man* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Anti-Man%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1970: *Beastchild* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Beastchild%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1970: *Dark of the Woods* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Dark%20of%20the%20Woods%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1970: *Hell's Gate* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Hell's%20Gate%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1970: *Soft Come the Dragons* (Story collection). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Soft%20Come%20the%20Dragons%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1970: *The Dark Symphony* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20Dark%20Symphony%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1971: *The Crimson Witch* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20Crimson%20Witch%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1972: *A Darkness in My Soul* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=A%20Darkness%20in%20My%20Soul%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1972: *Starblood* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Starblood%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1972: *The Flesh in the Furnace* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20Flesh%20in%20the%20Furnace%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1972: *Time Thieves* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Time%20Thieves%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1972: *Warlock* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Warlock%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1972: *Writing Popular Fiction* (Nonfiction). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Writing%20Popular%20Fiction%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1973: *A Werewolf Among Us* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=A%20Werewolf%20Among%20Us%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1973: *Demon Seed* (Novel). His first bestseller, helped by the 1977 film.[2] [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Demon%20Seed%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1973: *Hanging On* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Hanging%20On%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1973: *The Haunted Earth* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20Haunted%20Earth%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1974: *After the Last Race* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=After%20the%20Last%20Race%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1975: *Nightmare Journey* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Nightmare%20Journey%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1976: *Night Chills* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Night%20Chills%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1977: *The Vision* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20Vision%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1980: *Whispers* (Novel). His acknowledged breakthrough.[2] [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Whispers%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1981: *How to Write Best Selling Fiction* (Nonfiction). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=How%20to%20Write%20Best%20Selling%20Fiction%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1983: *Phantoms* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Phantoms%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1984: *Darkfall* (Novel). Also published as *Darkness Comes*.[4] [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Darkfall%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1985: *Twilight Eyes* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Twilight%20Eyes%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1986: *Strangers* (Novel). His first hardcover bestseller.[2] [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Strangers%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1987: *Watchers* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Watchers%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1988: *Lightning* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Lightning%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1988: *Oddkins* (Children's book). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Oddkins%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1989: *Midnight* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Midnight%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1990: *The Bad Place* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20Bad%20Place%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1991: *Cold Fire* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Cold%20Fire%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1992: *Hideaway* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Hideaway%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1993: *Dragon Tears* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Dragon%20Tears%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1993: *Mr. Murder* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Mr.%20Murder%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1994: *Dark Rivers of the Heart* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Dark%20Rivers%20of%20the%20Heart%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1994: *Winter Moon* (Novel). Rewritten from *Invasion*, a short novel first published under the pen name Aaron Wolfe.[7] [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Winter%20Moon%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1995: *Icebound* (Novel). A revision of *Prison of Ice*, first published under the pen name David Axton.[3][4] [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Icebound%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1995: *Intensity* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Intensity%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1995: *Strange Highways* (Story collection). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Strange%20Highways%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1996: *Beautiful Death* (Nonfiction). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Beautiful%20Death%20Dean%20Koontz)
- **Santa's Twin** (series, 2 books, 1996–2004)
  - 1996: Book 1, *Santa's Twin* (Children's book). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Santa's%20Twin%20Dean%20Koontz)
  - 2004: Book 2, *Robot Santa* (Children's book). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Robot%20Santa%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1996: *Ticktock* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Ticktock%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1997: *Sole Survivor* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Sole%20Survivor%20Dean%20Koontz)
- **Moonlight Bay** (series, 2 books, 1998–1999)
  - 1998: Book 1, *Fear Nothing* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Fear%20Nothing%20Dean%20Koontz)
  - 1999: Book 2, *Seize the Night* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Seize%20the%20Night%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 1999: *False Memory* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=False%20Memory%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 2000: *From the Corner of His Eye* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=From%20the%20Corner%20of%20His%20Eye%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 2001: *One Door Away from Heaven* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=One%20Door%20Away%20from%20Heaven%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 2001: *The Paper Doorway: Funny Verse and Nothing Worse* (Children's book). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20Paper%20Doorway%3A%20Funny%20Verse%20and%20Nothing%20Worse%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 2002: *By the Light of the Moon* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=By%20the%20Light%20of%20the%20Moon%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 2003: *Every Day's a Holiday* (Children's book). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Every%20Day's%20a%20Holiday%20Dean%20Koontz)
- **Odd Thomas** (series, 8 books, 2003–2015). *Odd Interlude* is a novella set between the fourth and fifth novels.[4]
  - 2003: Book 1, *Odd Thomas* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Odd%20Thomas%20Dean%20Koontz)
  - 2005: Book 2, *Forever Odd* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Forever%20Odd%20Dean%20Koontz)
  - 2006: Book 3, *Brother Odd* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Brother%20Odd%20Dean%20Koontz)
  - 2008: Book 4, *Odd Hours* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Odd%20Hours%20Dean%20Koontz)
  - 2012: Book 4.5, *Odd Interlude* (Novella). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Odd%20Interlude%20Dean%20Koontz)
  - 2012: Book 5, *Odd Apocalypse* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Odd%20Apocalypse%20Dean%20Koontz)
  - 2013: Book 6, *Deeply Odd* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Deeply%20Odd%20Dean%20Koontz)
  - 2015: Book 7, *Saint Odd* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Saint%20Odd%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 2003: *The Face* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20Face%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 2004: *Life Expectancy* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Life%20Expectancy%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 2004: *The Taking* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20Taking%20Dean%20Koontz)
- **Frankenstein** (series, 5 books, 2005–2011)
  - 2005: Book 1, *Prodigal Son* (Novel, with Kevin J. Anderson). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Prodigal%20Son%20Dean%20Koontz)
  - 2005: Book 2, *City of Night* (Novel, with Ed Gorman). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=City%20of%20Night%20Dean%20Koontz)
  - 2009: Book 3, *Dead and Alive* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Dead%20and%20Alive%20Dean%20Koontz)
  - 2010: Book 4, *Lost Souls* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Lost%20Souls%20Dean%20Koontz)
  - 2011: Book 5, *The Dead Town* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20Dead%20Town%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 2005: *Velocity* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Velocity%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 2006: *The Husband* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20Husband%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 2007: *The Darkest Evening of the Year* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20Darkest%20Evening%20of%20the%20Year%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 2007: *The Good Guy* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20Good%20Guy%20Dean%20Koontz)
- **Odd Thomas graphic novels** (series, 3 books, 2008–2012). Graphic-novel prequels to the Odd Thomas novels.[3]
  - 2008: *In Odd We Trust* (Graphic novel, with Queenie Chan). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=In%20Odd%20We%20Trust%20Dean%20Koontz)
  - 2010: *Odd Is on Our Side* (Graphic novel, with Fred Van Lente). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Odd%20Is%20on%20Our%20Side%20Dean%20Koontz)
  - 2012: *House of Odd* (Graphic novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=House%20of%20Odd%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 2008: *Your Heart Belongs to Me* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Your%20Heart%20Belongs%20to%20Me%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 2009: *A Big Little Life: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog Named Trixie* (Memoir). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=A%20Big%20Little%20Life%3A%20A%20Memoir%20of%20a%20Joyful%20Dog%20Named%20Trixie%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 2009: *Breathless* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Breathless%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 2009: *I, Trixie, Who Is Dog* (Children's book). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=I%2C%20Trixie%2C%20Who%20Is%20Dog%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 2009: *Relentless* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Relentless%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 2010: *Trixie and Jinx* (Children's book). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Trixie%20and%20Jinx%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 2010: *What the Night Knows* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=What%20the%20Night%20Knows%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 2011: *77 Shadow Street* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=77%20Shadow%20Street%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 2013: *Innocence* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Innocence%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 2014: *The City* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20City%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 2015: *Ashley Bell* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Ashley%20Bell%20Dean%20Koontz)
- **Jane Hawk** (series, 5 books, 2017–2019)
  - 2017: Book 1, *The Silent Corner* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20Silent%20Corner%20Dean%20Koontz)
  - 2017: Book 2, *The Whispering Room* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20Whispering%20Room%20Dean%20Koontz)
  - 2018: Book 3, *The Crooked Staircase* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20Crooked%20Staircase%20Dean%20Koontz)
  - 2018: Book 4, *The Forbidden Door* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20Forbidden%20Door%20Dean%20Koontz)
  - 2019: Book 5, *The Night Window* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20Night%20Window%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 2020: *Devoted* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Devoted%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 2020: *Elsewhere* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Elsewhere%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 2021: *The Other Emily* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20Other%20Emily%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 2022: *Quicksilver* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Quicksilver%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 2022: *The Big Dark Sky* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20Big%20Dark%20Sky%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 2023: *After Death* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=After%20Death%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 2023: *The House at the End of the World* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20House%20at%20the%20End%20of%20the%20World%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 2024: *The Bad Weather Friend* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20Bad%20Weather%20Friend%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 2024: *The Forest of Lost Souls* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20Forest%20of%20Lost%20Souls%20Dean%20Koontz)
- 2025: *Going Home in the Dark* (Novel). ISBN 9781662517792. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781662517792) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781662517792)
- 2026: *The Friend of the Family* (Novel). ISBN 9781662533303. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781662533303) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781662533303)

## Latest news

- Sept. 20, 2026: The cover of his next novel, *A Storm So Bright and Beautiful*, was revealed; the Spokesman-Review reported it is scheduled for January 2027.[10][13]
- Jan. 20, 2026: Thomas & Mercer published *The Friend of the Family*, a novel set mostly in the 1930s and dedicated to the charity Canine Companions for Independence.[8][13]

## Adaptations and other media

### Film

- *Demon Seed* (1977). Based on *Demon Seed*. An MGM film of the novel.[2]
- *Watchers* (1988). Based on *Watchers*. A Universal film, followed by the sequels *Watchers II* (1990), *Watchers 3* (1994) and *Watchers Reborn* (1998) from Concorde.[2]
- *Whispers* (1990). Based on *Whispers*. A film from the Canadian company Cinepix.[2]
- *Hideaway* (1995). Based on *Hideaway*. A TriStar film of the novel.[2]
- *Phantoms* (1998). Based on *Phantoms*. A Miramax/Dimension film of the novel.[2]
- *Odd Thomas* (2013). Based on *Odd Thomas*. A film starring Anton Yelchin as Odd Thomas.[2]

### Television

- *Intensity* (1997). Based on *Intensity*. A Fox adaptation of the novel.[2]
- *Mr. Murder* (1998). Based on *Mr. Murder*. An ABC adaptation of the novel.[2]
- *Sole Survivor* (2000). Based on *Sole Survivor*. A Fox adaptation of the novel.[2]

## Timeline

- July 9, 1945: Born in Everett, Pennsylvania; grows up in Bedford.[2]
- 1967: Graduates from Shippensburg State College and begins teaching English at Mechanicsburg High School.[2]
- 1968: His first novel, *Star Quest*, is published as half of an Ace Double paperback.[2][4]
- 1980: *Whispers*, his acknowledged breakthrough, is published.[2]
- 1986: *Strangers* becomes his first hardcover bestseller.[2]
- 2003: Publishes *Odd Thomas*, the first of seven Odd Thomas novels.[4]
- 2009: Publishes *A Big Little Life*, a memoir of his golden retriever Trixie.[3]
- 2019: Begins publishing with Amazon Publishing.[2]
- Jan. 20, 2026: Publishes *The Friend of the Family*.[8]

## What's next

His next novel, *A Storm So Bright and Beautiful*, is scheduled for January 2027.[13][4]

## Sources

1. [About Dean](https://www.deankoontz.com/about/about-dean/). Dean Koontz (official site). (primary record)
2. [Dean Koontz](https://wikiwand.com/en/articles/Dean_Koontz). Wikipedia, via Wikiwand. (reference)
3. [Dean Koontz bibliography](https://wiki.krisyotam.com/content/wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2026-03/Dean_Koontz_bibliography). Wikipedia (March 2026 snapshot). (reference)
4. [Dean R Koontz](https://www.fantasticfiction.com/authors/Dean_R_Koontz.htm). FantasticFiction. (reference)
5. [The Bad Place](https://collectingkoontz.com/guide/the-bad-place). Collecting Koontz. (website)
6. [Cold Fire](https://collectingkoontz.com/guide/cold-fire-drk). Collecting Koontz. (website)
7. [Winter Moon](https://collectingkoontz.com/guide/winter-moon). Collecting Koontz. (website)
8. [The Friend of the Family](https://collectingkoontz.com/guide/the-friend-of-the-family/). Collecting Koontz. (website)
9. [Going Home in the Dark](https://collectingkoontz.com/guide/going-home-in-the-dark/). Collecting Koontz. (website)
10. [Latest Posts](https://collectingkoontz.com/the-blog/). Collecting Koontz. (website)
11. [The Locus Index to Science Fiction: 1984–1998](https://locusmag.com/index/b275.htm). Locus. (reference)
12. [The Friend of the Family](https://admin.bookreporter.com/reviews/the-friend-of-the-family/about). Bookreporter. (website)
13. [Dean Koontz takes surprising turns with new novel](https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/jan/18/dean-koontz-takes-surprising-turns-with-new-novel). The Spokesman-Review. (news)