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Night Chills
#1 New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz unleashes a contagion on a small Maine town—one that triggers the darkest desires of the soul.Designed by top scientists and unleashed in a monstrous conspiracy, night chills are seizing the men and women of Black River—driving them to acts of rape and murder. The nightmare is real. And death is the only cure...
386 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1976
About the author
Dean Koontz
870 books37.5k followersAcknowledged as "America's most popular suspense novelist" (Rolling Stone) and as one of today's most celebrated and successful writers, Dean Ray Koontz has earned the devotion of millions of readers around the world and the praise of critics everywhere for tales of character, mystery, and adventure that strike to the core of what it means to be human.
Dean, the author of many #1 New York Times bestsellers, lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, their golden retriever, Elsa, and the enduring spirit of their goldens, Trixie and Anna.
Facebook: Facebook.com/DeanKoontzOfficial
Twitter: @DeanKoontz
Website: DeanKoontz.com
Dean, the author of many #1 New York Times bestsellers, lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, their golden retriever, Elsa, and the enduring spirit of their goldens, Trixie and Anna.
Facebook: Facebook.com/DeanKoontzOfficial
Twitter: @DeanKoontz
Website: DeanKoontz.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 536 reviews
August 16, 2021
"Americans were brought up to respect what was new and progressive—and more often than they wanted to admit, they died for their faith in what was bright and shiny."
Yes! 4.5 stars. Great fast paced and fun mind controlling awesomeness from the Koontzter.
The plot in this one centres around two villainous individuals who want to seize power over others through mind control. There's no shades of grey with these two as is so often the case with Dean Koontz baddies. We have Salsbury, a twisted and nasty little scientists, who gets off on his ability to control overs. Then there's his employer, Dawson, a full on megalomaniac hellbent on world domination. This leads them to the town of Black River, who's population become Guinea pigs for the dastardly pair.
A small group go unaffected by the drugs pumped into the water supply and it's their job to unravel the sinister plan and put a stop to things before it's too late. It's all very dramatic and there's some particular dark stuff in this one. Although a brilliant scientist, Salsbury is a full on psychopath who gets off on his ability to toy and play with others. This leads to some pretty unsettling scenes, so if you trigger easily this may not be the book for you.
The plot is fast-paced, as is the case with most Dean Koontz novels, and he keeps things dark and edgy. This is a hallmark of his early novels, before he got really religious and started to become preachy with his readers. It's why a lot of people tend to stay away from his newer stuff and it's a rule I tend to stick with. There's also no mutt taking centre stage, which has become an annoying feature of his stories throughout his career.
"I’m an old-style liberal when it comes to most things. But this liberal line about compassion for the criminal—that’s ninety percent horseshit."
The characters are fairly consistent and do engage the reader to some extent, even if they are a bit one-dimensional. But character work is never a strong point for this author and in my mind it's what stops him from being considered a great. Sorry, but not sorry Koontz fans.
But what this story has going for it is the dark and dastardly vibe and narrative that keeps the reader fully engaged. The locations catch the imagination and there is enough action to make Night Chills a page-turner. It's certainly amongst my favourite Koontz books and if you're a fan of his then definitely give it a try.
Oh and one last thing... I am the key
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October 31, 2023
This early (1976) novel by Dean Koontz was very shocking to me. I have read many of his books - old and newer - and have never ever read anything near to what I read in this one.
Don't get me wrong, the story was very good, but some of the content was very, very sexually explicit. Even shocking to me who has read a lot of Stephen King books. And he can be very overwhelming, at times. Maybe I'm getting old, but I think Koontz went way over the top to get his point across.
The story involved a man who has developed a chemical which he uses to contaminate a small town's water supply. He also uses subliminal suggestion to control their minds. I won't say any more.
I will continue to read Koontz's books, although I know that many readers would be totally turned off by this one.
Don't get me wrong, the story was very good, but some of the content was very, very sexually explicit. Even shocking to me who has read a lot of Stephen King books. And he can be very overwhelming, at times. Maybe I'm getting old, but I think Koontz went way over the top to get his point across.
The story involved a man who has developed a chemical which he uses to contaminate a small town's water supply. He also uses subliminal suggestion to control their minds. I won't say any more.
I will continue to read Koontz's books, although I know that many readers would be totally turned off by this one.
May 11, 2022
Night Chills was—to a bit of my own embarrassment as a horror literature fan—the first of his work that I actually read. I had listened to an audiobook, but I think that one was more of a thriller than a horror novel.
Anyway, what happens when you put three guys, an Army general, a religious and extremely wealthy CEO, and a brilliant, but severely misogynistic and morally bankrupt scientist? Well, Night Chills tries to answer that. And it also tells a story about what it might look like if people with a lot of control over others, want more, and seek to create a way to have total control over people.
We have these three antagonists, one who has control by virtue of their lifetime of service and an organization backing them up, one who will do whatever is needed get what they want—even if in the name of their religion, and a guy who has problems in his past and simply wants to punish the world with his intellect. These three team up. What’s worst that can happen, right? Well, spoiler alert—a lot. And all of it bad.
Against them we have four unlikely heroes. Conflict ensues. A resolution is reached.
There were a few parts where I had a hard time tracking what was going on, but I enjoyed Night Chills a lot. I aim to fix my lack of breadth of reading Koontz’s work. To me, horror truly succeeds when it makes you live the malignancy of what drives the action. Reading some dude hacking at some victim is one thing. But getting into the mind of the dude doing the hacking and the rage, and fear, and want, and need that drives that action—now that is what makes a horror story gripping. In my humble opinion, Night Chills does that.
Anyway, what happens when you put three guys, an Army general, a religious and extremely wealthy CEO, and a brilliant, but severely misogynistic and morally bankrupt scientist? Well, Night Chills tries to answer that. And it also tells a story about what it might look like if people with a lot of control over others, want more, and seek to create a way to have total control over people.
We have these three antagonists, one who has control by virtue of their lifetime of service and an organization backing them up, one who will do whatever is needed get what they want—even if in the name of their religion, and a guy who has problems in his past and simply wants to punish the world with his intellect. These three team up. What’s worst that can happen, right? Well, spoiler alert—a lot. And all of it bad.
Against them we have four unlikely heroes. Conflict ensues. A resolution is reached.
There were a few parts where I had a hard time tracking what was going on, but I enjoyed Night Chills a lot. I aim to fix my lack of breadth of reading Koontz’s work. To me, horror truly succeeds when it makes you live the malignancy of what drives the action. Reading some dude hacking at some victim is one thing. But getting into the mind of the dude doing the hacking and the rage, and fear, and want, and need that drives that action—now that is what makes a horror story gripping. In my humble opinion, Night Chills does that.
March 29, 2023
Night Chills is one of Koontz's most graphic and violent books, and one of his most suspenseful horror stories. It suffers a bit from having the characters be all good or completely around-the-bend bug-butt crazy evil, but it's a very captivating story about greed and mind-control, in which an evil consortium uses drugs and subliminal messages in advertising to take over the world. It's very convincing, with a long list of references at the rear and a cautionary introduction. Chilling, indeed!
April 4, 2013
Most Dean Koontz novels are a source of brain candy for me...think the gooey, dripping kind that parents never want their kids to have because they know they'll be the ones scrubbing it off the couch or inside of the car. After I read them I usually forget about them in a month or so; I might keep one or two details that make me smirk whenever I see the cover of that book.
NIGHT CHILLS was a bit different. This book disturbed me. I have no problem with violence within the confines of a horror novel; I mean that is one of the central themes in these types of books, right? But what I do have a problem with is: violence as a form of masturbation. Let me elucidate. Let's say there is a killer that has been overcome with some sort of demonic possession and he then goes on a killing rampage. Okay, the author has dutifully illustrated the nefarious nature of this demon and also shown the spiritual/mental/psychological weakness of said character. I get it, no problem. But what if you have a character that figures out a way to subliminally control people for his own means? Okay, I can see where the person now in power wants to show his abilities of playing god, small g. But what if this goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on...(you get the picture), without a real juicy story to back it up. Well, that's exactly what happens in this novel. And it gets very tiresome reading about some psychotic playing puppet master. I WANT A STORY!! To be honest, I was getting rather bored with this novel once and set it down and then came back to it a few WEEKS later...never a good sign.
So why the four stars? The reason is simple: The images of evil that permeate through this book were harrowing for me. Does that make it a good read? Not necessarily. But it does make it, IMO, thought provoking. Why the heck did I keep thinking about these images that I found repulsive and grotesque and filthy? Am I hardwired wrong? Is a there a darkness that resides within me that I don’t know about? I wish I had answers to these questions. What I can say is: This book makes the reader think about if they had the powers that allowed them to control somebody, would they enact the same savagery that this psychotic does? I guess I am in closer contact with the reptilian side of my brain than I thought because I wanted to think I would do good, be a super-hero, but the truth is, I cannot honestly say I would do good.
As I said, disturbing.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
NIGHT CHILLS was a bit different. This book disturbed me. I have no problem with violence within the confines of a horror novel; I mean that is one of the central themes in these types of books, right? But what I do have a problem with is: violence as a form of masturbation. Let me elucidate. Let's say there is a killer that has been overcome with some sort of demonic possession and he then goes on a killing rampage. Okay, the author has dutifully illustrated the nefarious nature of this demon and also shown the spiritual/mental/psychological weakness of said character. I get it, no problem. But what if you have a character that figures out a way to subliminally control people for his own means? Okay, I can see where the person now in power wants to show his abilities of playing god, small g. But what if this goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on...(you get the picture), without a real juicy story to back it up. Well, that's exactly what happens in this novel. And it gets very tiresome reading about some psychotic playing puppet master. I WANT A STORY!! To be honest, I was getting rather bored with this novel once and set it down and then came back to it a few WEEKS later...never a good sign.
So why the four stars? The reason is simple: The images of evil that permeate through this book were harrowing for me. Does that make it a good read? Not necessarily. But it does make it, IMO, thought provoking. Why the heck did I keep thinking about these images that I found repulsive and grotesque and filthy? Am I hardwired wrong? Is a there a darkness that resides within me that I don’t know about? I wish I had answers to these questions. What I can say is: This book makes the reader think about if they had the powers that allowed them to control somebody, would they enact the same savagery that this psychotic does? I guess I am in closer contact with the reptilian side of my brain than I thought because I wanted to think I would do good, be a super-hero, but the truth is, I cannot honestly say I would do good.
As I said, disturbing.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
February 18, 2019
An entertaining page-turner with some creepy science.
There’s also some philosophizing about how humanity’s morality is effected by advanced technology. It was a fun read.
There’s also some philosophizing about how humanity’s morality is effected by advanced technology. It was a fun read.
October 10, 2023
Night Chills follows three very evil people, a billionaire, a rogue government researcher, and a rogue U.S. Army general, as they carry out a mass mind control experiment using a combination of subliminal messages delivered through various media sources (e.g. local TV stations, local newspapers, local radio) and a drug developed by the rogue government researcher Ogden Salsbury that "primes" the population so they are easier to program through the subliminal messaging, which is delivered after the drug is administered. The experiment is carried out on the entire population of ~400 people in the mountain mill town of Black River. Things go predictably awry, and the experiment turns into a fight for survival for a small group of townspeople who aren't affected by the drug and are still free to fight back.
Don't read this book. Especially if you are female. This is probably the most misogynistic, viciously woman-hating piece of literature I have ever read. I'd like to say Koontz was just creating evil characters here who hated women, but he's done this before, notably in Demon Seed, which was just one long awful slog of a crazed home AI keeping the female house occupant prisoner, the AI having perverted thoughts about her, obsessing over her, trying to control her, etc for like 300 pages. So at this point it just seems like Dean Koontz hates women for real?
As if that weren't enough to avoid this one, it also features multiple graphic scenes of rape, a graphic scene of brutal child murder that would never be published today, and a plot that's so moronic and unbelievable and that is executed like bad fan fiction. Seriously, this book is just one large trigger warning for so many people, and if Koontz tried to publish this today he would probably be canceled for all time, and justifiably in my opinion.
This is a vile, disgusting, idiotic book, and the only reason I don't rate it one star is because the topic of subliminal messaging is one I'm interested in, and in all fairness aside from its horrible content it was slightly better-written than some other Koontz books I've read. But that's not saying much.
Recommended for diehard Koontz fans only. All others should avoid it like the plague.
P.S. This is the first review I've written in quite a while. Sorry about that guys (if anyone cares?). Things haven't been so great lately, so I just haven't had the energy to write reviews. Especially since a lot of the books I've yet to review were mostly crap. I mean, who wants to sit there for an hour writing a review for a book that didn't really even deserve the time I spent reading it, let alone the time it will take me to review it on top of that? Hope you guys are doing well. I hope to catch up on my reviews, but I'm not sure if/when I will. Can't promise anything. Whoa! It's like I've broken the fourth wall! I'm now talking directly to my review reader. Hi review reader! Thanks for reading this review. You're the best. Talk soon. Bye for now! :-)
Don't read this book. Especially if you are female. This is probably the most misogynistic, viciously woman-hating piece of literature I have ever read. I'd like to say Koontz was just creating evil characters here who hated women, but he's done this before, notably in Demon Seed, which was just one long awful slog of a crazed home AI keeping the female house occupant prisoner, the AI having perverted thoughts about her, obsessing over her, trying to control her, etc for like 300 pages. So at this point it just seems like Dean Koontz hates women for real?
As if that weren't enough to avoid this one, it also features multiple graphic scenes of rape, a graphic scene of brutal child murder that would never be published today, and a plot that's so moronic and unbelievable and that is executed like bad fan fiction. Seriously, this book is just one large trigger warning for so many people, and if Koontz tried to publish this today he would probably be canceled for all time, and justifiably in my opinion.
This is a vile, disgusting, idiotic book, and the only reason I don't rate it one star is because the topic of subliminal messaging is one I'm interested in, and in all fairness aside from its horrible content it was slightly better-written than some other Koontz books I've read. But that's not saying much.
Recommended for diehard Koontz fans only. All others should avoid it like the plague.
P.S. This is the first review I've written in quite a while. Sorry about that guys (if anyone cares?). Things haven't been so great lately, so I just haven't had the energy to write reviews. Especially since a lot of the books I've yet to review were mostly crap. I mean, who wants to sit there for an hour writing a review for a book that didn't really even deserve the time I spent reading it, let alone the time it will take me to review it on top of that? Hope you guys are doing well. I hope to catch up on my reviews, but I'm not sure if/when I will. Can't promise anything. Whoa! It's like I've broken the fourth wall! I'm now talking directly to my review reader. Hi review reader! Thanks for reading this review. You're the best. Talk soon. Bye for now! :-)
June 10, 2024
Dean Koontz is such a hit an miss for me, but I seem to be getting more misses lately.
I thought this one would be a win because the premise of the book really interested me. This book was all about subliminal messages, mind control and torment and there were parts of this that really interested me. However the majority of this book was about sex, sexual desires and there was a lot of horrible description of rape and assault.
I was hoping this book could focus more on how a persons mind could withstand should torment and manipulation rather than the control itself.
I have a lot of Dean Koontz books left to read and I never know how it's going to go! I don't think I would recommend this to anyone really. I will say although quite descriptive this book wasn't overly long like some of his other works. The ending especially ended rather abruptly. I won't give this book 1 star because the actual concept and some of the commentary I enjoyed.
I thought this one would be a win because the premise of the book really interested me. This book was all about subliminal messages, mind control and torment and there were parts of this that really interested me. However the majority of this book was about sex, sexual desires and there was a lot of horrible description of rape and assault.
I was hoping this book could focus more on how a persons mind could withstand should torment and manipulation rather than the control itself.
I have a lot of Dean Koontz books left to read and I never know how it's going to go! I don't think I would recommend this to anyone really. I will say although quite descriptive this book wasn't overly long like some of his other works. The ending especially ended rather abruptly. I won't give this book 1 star because the actual concept and some of the commentary I enjoyed.
November 9, 2015
2.5 Stars
Now and again I read a Dean Koontz novel. They're good for that five or ten minute read before turning out the light at night or while killing time waiting. Not heavy reading and Koontz basically writes from a template making a change here or there.I find that I can skim through sections that are not catching my interest and not miss out on anything. I speculate that he might have a ghost writer now, but who knows? Maybe he's just a spectacular workaholic.
Anyway Night Chills is one of his earlier works from the mid-seventies. Though he had at least a couple dozen books under his belt by the time this one was published. Compared to the more current works by Koontz Night Chills has a more of an edge to it. There are a couple rape sequences that are very uncomfortable to read and the two main protagonists have an active sex life that Koontz describes in detail. However it was the seventies and many authors were doing the same thing. Basically soft porn, but porn was sort of mainstream at the time and nobody can accuse Koontz of not being mainstream.
Night Chills is more of an action novel then a horror story. There are aspects of horror, but there is never that overwhelming sense of dread and doom that marks true horror (in my opinion). It's an action movie with good guys and bad guys and sequences that scream out for a full orchestra score.You can predict what is coming, but you keep watching because..............why not? It's entertaining (mostly) and goes well with popcorn. His works translate well to the screen for that very reason.
So heading somewhere for your summer vacation and you're not sure if War and Peace is just the thing for reading while swatting mosquitoes or trying to tan/burn? Well grab a copy of Night Chills and six or seven other Dean Koontz novels. If you find that you are getting bored with one of the novels try a mash-up. Read a chapter of one then a chapter from another. Great fun. Enjoy your summer.
Now and again I read a Dean Koontz novel. They're good for that five or ten minute read before turning out the light at night or while killing time waiting. Not heavy reading and Koontz basically writes from a template making a change here or there.I find that I can skim through sections that are not catching my interest and not miss out on anything. I speculate that he might have a ghost writer now, but who knows? Maybe he's just a spectacular workaholic.
Anyway Night Chills is one of his earlier works from the mid-seventies. Though he had at least a couple dozen books under his belt by the time this one was published. Compared to the more current works by Koontz Night Chills has a more of an edge to it. There are a couple rape sequences that are very uncomfortable to read and the two main protagonists have an active sex life that Koontz describes in detail. However it was the seventies and many authors were doing the same thing. Basically soft porn, but porn was sort of mainstream at the time and nobody can accuse Koontz of not being mainstream.
Night Chills is more of an action novel then a horror story. There are aspects of horror, but there is never that overwhelming sense of dread and doom that marks true horror (in my opinion). It's an action movie with good guys and bad guys and sequences that scream out for a full orchestra score.You can predict what is coming, but you keep watching because..............why not? It's entertaining (mostly) and goes well with popcorn. His works translate well to the screen for that very reason.
So heading somewhere for your summer vacation and you're not sure if War and Peace is just the thing for reading while swatting mosquitoes or trying to tan/burn? Well grab a copy of Night Chills and six or seven other Dean Koontz novels. If you find that you are getting bored with one of the novels try a mash-up. Read a chapter of one then a chapter from another. Great fun. Enjoy your summer.
February 26, 2020
It's been a while since I read this (I'm pretty sure I was still in high school), but I do recall, even then, that it was crap. Granted, it was highly readable and entertaining crap, but crap nonetheless. I remember thinking, as I read it: "Koontz is pretty much projecting every sick, sexually perverted male fantasy he's ever had into this story and passing it off as entertainment.". The story, I think, had something to do with some kind of government project that turns the inhabitants of a small town into submissive sex slaves. The subsequent orgy and rape-a-thon could best be described as "tasteless", which this novel pretty much was...
Director George Romero did this much better and much creepier in a film called "The Crazies". It was made into a less-than-superb remake several years ago starring Timothy Oliphant.
Director George Romero did this much better and much creepier in a film called "The Crazies". It was made into a less-than-superb remake several years ago starring Timothy Oliphant.
February 16, 2022
King is number one and Koontz is number 2, with Saul, Hendrix, Little, McCammon, Cutter, Sager...and anyone else you would like to add on a lower tier. Much like King, it appears that Koontz early work in 70s amd 80s are more gritty , visceral and more violent than the contemporary novels by both "K"'s.
This one is no different. An early and Very violent novel by Koontz. A mad scientist like villain , Salisbury, had a rough childhood to say the least. He succeeds at developing and utilizing mind control through subliminal conscious methods and it basically living out revenge through his own violent ways, through power over women, rape and murder.
Him and his rich partner , who has his own plans for the mind control, pick a small town to use as a test site for the subliminal mind control. Things unravel and things get a little nuts. "I am the key"
I enjoyed this alot. It's fast paced and very violent. The rape scenes are in abundance so it's not for feint of heart. One death of a protagonist is very sad and I didn't see it coming.
This is highly recommended for Koontz fans.
This one is no different. An early and Very violent novel by Koontz. A mad scientist like villain , Salisbury, had a rough childhood to say the least. He succeeds at developing and utilizing mind control through subliminal conscious methods and it basically living out revenge through his own violent ways, through power over women, rape and murder.
Him and his rich partner , who has his own plans for the mind control, pick a small town to use as a test site for the subliminal mind control. Things unravel and things get a little nuts. "I am the key"
I enjoyed this alot. It's fast paced and very violent. The rape scenes are in abundance so it's not for feint of heart. One death of a protagonist is very sad and I didn't see it coming.
This is highly recommended for Koontz fans.
February 8, 2016
Just by the writing style of Night Chills, I could tell that this was an older book by Koontz. Night Chills was probably so far, for me one of his darkest books, with a few disturbing rape scenes. Aside from that, it was a good read, the mind manipulation plot was interesting, in a creepy kind of way, kind of reminded me of the Jedi Mind trick from Star Wars, HAHA! The first few chapters were slow, with a few lengthy flashbacks, but once I got past that and got to know the plot and the main characters, it became a real page-turner.
It also has one of those crazy villains that you just want to hate so much that you hope he gets it in the end! Another winner by Dean Koontz!
It also has one of those crazy villains that you just want to hate so much that you hope he gets it in the end! Another winner by Dean Koontz!
September 28, 2022
KoontzLand - October 2019 group read
In my second read, I do remember Paul Annedale (widower) & Jenny (widow) fall “closer” in love & how she able to help him. It’s seems better if he had a little like this in other books.
Leonard Dawson, General Klinger & Dr. Origen Salisbury have the “Mind Control/Brain Wash” experiment in the Black River town....taking control of men & woman.
Salisbury’s total woman control role is more drastic than I remember. Saying “I am the key” & they repeated “I am the lock”.....
The Monthly Group Read Link above contains/prints
“many readers will be uneasy, frightened, perhaps even horrified”....
One of Dean Koontz’s first books, published 1976, he was 31.
My June 2013 review
In a Maine town, Black River; Leonard Dawson, General Klinger and Dr. Origen Salisbury lead a "Key/Lock" mind control study over the town. Their project name is "Total Behavioral Modification through Subliminal Perception".
Salisbury uses the "Key/Lock" code phrase, saying "I am the key", the woman says the phrase "I am the lock" and then he controls the woman. Dawson & Klinger complete Black River citizen tests showing total mind control with all actions, citizens did want to escape Black River and ordered murder between themselves.
What can four residents led by Paul Annedale & Sam Edison (and their 2 daughters) do to the 3 project leaders & the "Key/Lock" code in the town?
I have not seen Koontz describe "incredible" and "detail" love scenes in any other book.
(Book is on YouTube.com)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TT-4n0k...
In my second read, I do remember Paul Annedale (widower) & Jenny (widow) fall “closer” in love & how she able to help him. It’s seems better if he had a little like this in other books.
Leonard Dawson, General Klinger & Dr. Origen Salisbury have the “Mind Control/Brain Wash” experiment in the Black River town....taking control of men & woman.
Salisbury’s total woman control role is more drastic than I remember. Saying “I am the key” & they repeated “I am the lock”.....
The Monthly Group Read Link above contains/prints
“many readers will be uneasy, frightened, perhaps even horrified”....
One of Dean Koontz’s first books, published 1976, he was 31.
My June 2013 review
In a Maine town, Black River; Leonard Dawson, General Klinger and Dr. Origen Salisbury lead a "Key/Lock" mind control study over the town. Their project name is "Total Behavioral Modification through Subliminal Perception".
Salisbury uses the "Key/Lock" code phrase, saying "I am the key", the woman says the phrase "I am the lock" and then he controls the woman. Dawson & Klinger complete Black River citizen tests showing total mind control with all actions, citizens did want to escape Black River and ordered murder between themselves.
What can four residents led by Paul Annedale & Sam Edison (and their 2 daughters) do to the 3 project leaders & the "Key/Lock" code in the town?
I have not seen Koontz describe "incredible" and "detail" love scenes in any other book.
(Book is on YouTube.com)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TT-4n0k...
October 11, 2022
Possible Triggers - Sexual abuse and rape
I can read almost anything, but I actually checked to make sure there was not another author named "Dean Koontz" that wrote this. This was a really early work of Dean Koontz, 1976. I've read better...much better...by this author. It does have a few things going in its favor...suspense, drama, mystery, but the realistic possibilities are majorly scary. Fortunately, the events that took place in Black River is hopefully still in the realms of fiction. Mind control has been the theme of many books over the years. The very idea that every action, idea or decision can easily be taken away from us without us even realizing that it's happening...that control of our lives, our thoughts, our dreams, is totally in the hands of some strangers that push the strange ideas that would cause us to lose all our control over our bodies and our very souls is mind boggling. This book contains material that I have never seen in a Dean Koontz book. I would strongly advise that the future reader read some reviews that are more detailed than this one. It's not the Dean Koontz that we are familiar with, and I can't imagine what the movie was like.
I can read almost anything, but I actually checked to make sure there was not another author named "Dean Koontz" that wrote this. This was a really early work of Dean Koontz, 1976. I've read better...much better...by this author. It does have a few things going in its favor...suspense, drama, mystery, but the realistic possibilities are majorly scary. Fortunately, the events that took place in Black River is hopefully still in the realms of fiction. Mind control has been the theme of many books over the years. The very idea that every action, idea or decision can easily be taken away from us without us even realizing that it's happening...that control of our lives, our thoughts, our dreams, is totally in the hands of some strangers that push the strange ideas that would cause us to lose all our control over our bodies and our very souls is mind boggling. This book contains material that I have never seen in a Dean Koontz book. I would strongly advise that the future reader read some reviews that are more detailed than this one. It's not the Dean Koontz that we are familiar with, and I can't imagine what the movie was like.
April 30, 2019
This book is old-school Dean Koontz, meaning it’s at least competent, and perhaps charming . . . in a cheesy, dated sort of way. Night Chills features a plot Koontz has rewritten ad nauseum: small town under siege by conspiracy. Include some dated technology and crass rape references and, yeah, ya got yo’ self a typical 1970s Koontzy thriller.
Which isn’t to say this book is bad — I gave it three stars, after all. This book is moody, and it was written before Koontz allowed himself to wallow in cheese and sentiment. The characters, while mostly forgettable, aren’t offensively bad. That’s a plus, given that Koontz is prone to writing some pretty wonky leads.
Where this novel fails most is, weirdly enough, the pacing. There’s just too build-up and too little payoff. I wanted to see more of the town; the story focuses entirely on a tight band of characters. I never got a “feel” for the town actually getting taken over via subliminal messaging. I think this one could have benefitted from being a hundred pages longer, but hey: as is, Night Chills doesn’t overstay its welcome.
A totally average Koontz story.
Which isn’t to say this book is bad — I gave it three stars, after all. This book is moody, and it was written before Koontz allowed himself to wallow in cheese and sentiment. The characters, while mostly forgettable, aren’t offensively bad. That’s a plus, given that Koontz is prone to writing some pretty wonky leads.
Where this novel fails most is, weirdly enough, the pacing. There’s just too build-up and too little payoff. I wanted to see more of the town; the story focuses entirely on a tight band of characters. I never got a “feel” for the town actually getting taken over via subliminal messaging. I think this one could have benefitted from being a hundred pages longer, but hey: as is, Night Chills doesn’t overstay its welcome.
A totally average Koontz story.
November 5, 2010
If this was the first Koontz novel I read, I would not have read another one of his books. The violence to women was over the top. I am not a prude but I feel like this was excessive and it took away from the the interesting part of the story, subliminal messaging. I just felt that Koontz took the less creative way to show the evils of mind control and when science takes a wrong turn. Very disappointing.
March 6, 2023
Koontz has the knack of writing clear and succinct, a bestseller's skill at maintaining less is less, not more is more. Economical prose aside, holy shit, this is one of the rape-iest novels in the English language. While also bogged down with pages and pages of subliminal and mind-control descriptions, this conspiracy-thriller plays-out so many scenes of forced entry and sexual violation. And the sad thing is this novel can't transcend its own bland sadism.
I am the key. I am the lock.
No mind control here. I nearly forgot the book once I closed the paperback. I enjoyed Koontz's 'The Bad Place', and 'Phantoms' was hackneyed fun - those are worthy in horror's old-school canon.
I am the key. I am the lock.
No mind control here. I nearly forgot the book once I closed the paperback. I enjoyed Koontz's 'The Bad Place', and 'Phantoms' was hackneyed fun - those are worthy in horror's old-school canon.
September 7, 2013
I was very disappointed by this book because I usually really like Dean Koontz. Night Chills started out okay in the first couple of chapters, but after that it went downhill. To begin with, the second half of the blurb is bogus. Except for in one instance, the people in Black River don't really do anything much at all. And after those first few chapters, the biggest chunk of the book is dedicated to an in-depth explanation on how subliminal messaging works.
Most of the time when I write a review, I try hard to put positive comments along with negative ones no matter how much I dislike a book, but I have no positive comments for this one. I didn't care about the characters, the writing was flat, and I was completely bored.
Most of the time when I write a review, I try hard to put positive comments along with negative ones no matter how much I dislike a book, but I have no positive comments for this one. I didn't care about the characters, the writing was flat, and I was completely bored.
March 19, 2020
Super cringey. All kinds of trigger warnings apply.
February 10, 2020
Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for being so late when writing a review, but as I told you, I had to help my father, and I also have a very strong cold, which makes me hurt when I swallow. For these reasons I have not been able to write, as I would like. Taking advantage of a respite I have decided to write this review. I must admit that it was first to write a review of Peter Benchley's "Beast" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8... because of my passionate idyll with the homonymous sea creatures, of an anthropology character, but I preferred to write a more enjundious critique. The first thing I will say (due to my agreement with María Alvarez de Asturias) is that this novel has scenes of high sexual content. So I don't recommend it to anyone who doesn't like descriptions of sex scenes. If you haven't given up this criticism yet. I will confess, that because of my personal sympathy for two authors it has been very hard to have to put suspense on both of them. I refer to the novel"Legion" by writer William Peter Blatty (may he rest in peace) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
, and of which I might write a review. Because the book didn't please me, but indifferent didn't leave me. Another of the most painful decisions has been to make the decision to suspend a novel by Dean R. Koontz :-( https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... who by the way last year with his fantastic"Coldfire" https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
managed to become part of the select club of writers that I have once put five stars.
That I would recommend to Mr. Koontz, for I would say the same advice that Paulo VI https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... gave the Catholic writer Graham Greene https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... when his novels appeared in the forbidden book index, that he did not heed that, and that he would continue to write. The same is recommended to Mr. Dean Koontz (i still have three books of his to read, that is, he has three bullets in the bedroom, to reconquer me). That ie pinged up to my idolated G.K. Chesterton (Chesty) was suspended either, and no one will doubt that this colossus is my favorite writer https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... That said anyone can have a bad day, or write a book, that I didn't like a particular reader, as in this case, and it's a shame, because the plot was very interesting. The possibility of inventing a drug, that hypnotizes people, and as if we were victims of one of the incurable curses of Harry Potter https://www.goodreads.com/series/4517... https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6... (in this case the Imperium curse) allows us to use a person, to do with it what we want. Eliminating his free will. Now that we know that the South Korean film has won the Oscars (people will be able to tell whether or undeservedly). I am not surprised, because artistically Asia it seems to take a thousand turns to a very fallen layer west, although in its defect I will say, I do not know if the example of Parasite is a good role model. I think, curiously, it has not been possible to choose, but what it does show is that Orient is fashionable. So you won't be surprised, I compared this dean R. Koontz novel to two other Asian novels I've read. One of them is one of my favorites such as "The Whisper of the Devil" by the magnificent Miyuki Miyabe https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... In fact, the Japanese author invents one of the most interesting ways to kill crime in police literature. Through hypnosis, but he doesn't make Koontz's mistake. A hypnotized person cannot kill himself, as he does in this novel with two characters, because the man has an instinct for conservation, he can only end up with a hypnotized person by making her believe that he does this action by running away from something, that he can Kill him. It also explores the subject of subliminal advertising more intelligently than Koontz. Although Koontz's resource is skilful, as he uses three characters as a tutorial the evangelist Leonard H. Dawson, General Klinger and the aspiring despot Ogden Salsford, to explain how they will develop their pioneering experience in that place of Maine Black Valley . There we are told about this drug (yet to be invented), although it may be possible. Certainly one thing we agree with Koontz, that if there is any chance of a bad deed being done it will end up done, like that the human being is man. Utopia, as in this case Dawnson, a sincere Christian apart from forage has a charitable intention, despite its undoubted hypocrisy, and its narrow-mindedness. That's another one of the novel's flaws. You're sick of seeing fanatical Christians who want to destroy the world. For when a mad Islamist, or a Buddhist like Soko Osahara, or why evil atheists? In fact, after seeing an article by the late Epstein, and seeing that aberrations are being practiced in the West. The last option is more plausible than it seems. Not that I'm a fan of Protestantism, that I dislike, but there are much worse things. In addition, I love reading non-Catholic Christian novels, although I mainly collect Catholic novels and writers. In fact Koontz does not usually employ Christian villains. This would be the first, though there may be more like Leonard H. Dawson. Anyway, Koontz already marks distance and shows us Dawson's contempt for the Catholic religion. There is a monologue of the character, when he talks about that man does not need intercessors, no prayers, and that you save yourself. With what falls into pelagio's heresy. The second novel, which reminded me was Edogawa Rampo's interesting novel "The Strange Case of the Panorama Island" where a sexual obsessive, such as Ogden Salsford uses a fortune, to build himself a site with glasses, that allows him to realize all his sexual fantasies. Just like the villain Ogden Salsford. In fact, as I read chillnights, I thought about how these two rascals look like. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... and this is something else, where I want to get to. If you go with good intentions you fail, more when things are done with bad intentions. One thinks of the first case in Anthony Burgess's colossal novel "The Clockwork Orange" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4... where the government has good intentions, although the priest already warns him of the harmfulness of using subliminal advertising, and treatments, to alter behavior. Free will was given to us, so that we might willingly choose to love and serve God, for ourselves, then one can choose right or wrong. As C.S. Lewis says, there are two types who tell God "Thy will be done" and others to which God (hopefully we will never find ourselves in this situation) to those who God says "Thy will be done". Precisely, even if it may seem better a world without free will, the characteristic of hell was this. A world with beings who are puppets, and act driven by others. Empty shells, or robots, automatons this was the characteristic of James Blish's novel "A Case of Consciousness" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... though Blish is part of a misconception. Like Manicism. By considering Satan and God equal and giving the Devil the chance to create. Something unacceptable from an orthodox point of view. But if the Devil were able to create. He would create a world like Blish's novel, and the one trying to implant this trio of lights. There are some brilliant reflections on the part of Salsford/Koontz that coincide with De Prada https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7... https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6... that repressive regimes such as fascism, communism, and Nazism are no longer practical. Ogden Salsford's world is a world of hypersexualization, fly-over rights in which the Dictator exercises a benign dictatorship. Of which it makes a great profit in this case fornication under hypnosis with several women (three in particular). There are four sex scenes throughout the novel (perhaps five) and three rapes, two of them with sadomasocism. This is completely unacceptable. I really disliked those scenes. Anyway, the author explains the misogyny, and why his disgusting character acts as he acts. I dislike the conduct of the bad guys in this novel, but also that of the good ones. Koontz falls into the sheer law of the talion, and makes his heroes Charlesrodians "Revenge Is Mine." It seems to justify, that all kinds of moral abuse is lawful, to fight the villains. It is true, that the protagonist suffers a great personal loss (the worst that can happen to a person), but here he does not kill himself by self-defense, but by revenge. It is true that Salsford is more dangerous alive than dead, and can manipulate the people's automatons as they please. But in the end he opts because his characters become executioners. But the most serious thing is that this novel written in the 70s of the last century and falls into the mistakes of this wretched and ill-wry era. The source from which protagonists Paul Amendale drink, and Sam Edison who distrust scientists although I do not like to recommend "Hideous Strength" by C.S. Lewis https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... ) and the government. So Koontz opts for an individualist company, which is wary of the great leviathan of the state, even if in this case it is a private multinational, and does not bet on Chestertonian distributionism, or Belloc, nor wendell Berry https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... , nor John Senior https://www.goodreads.com/author/show..., who are critical of scientificism and obsessive machinization. Although more serious is what Constatin Virgil Gheorghiu proposes in "The 25th Hour" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6... of human machination. If you are uneasy about this possibility read my friend Jorge Sáez's novel Raised from Memories of Sunset https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... not even for the solution given by the novelist Rosa María Arceniaga in "Moskostrom" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4... not even for the solution given by the novelist Rosa María Arceniaga in "Moskostrom" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4... No Koontz opts for a remedy worse than the disease and to bet on the recipes of plutocracy in this case the ominous Paul Ehrlich https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... one of the drivers of Neo-Malthusian antinatalism, and propelleor of abortion. This gentleman (for not calling him something uglier, and certainly deserved) is theories such as overpopulation. Well, gentlemen, this delightful and abhorrent subject is the inspiration for the novel's heroes. Of course there is talk of bucolism, and there is no talk of abortion, nor birth control, but of rejecting technology, and returning to the countryside, but users. Let's think, if the encouragement of a novel turned out to be Hitler, would you accept it? To me that vile spawn, which hides under the cloak of environmentalism, like many other authors, who under their cloak of philanthropy have done so much damage to the world, and are responsible for a series of policies, which will be disastrous, and which are being imposed on us to this day. That's why I was forced to take action and suspend Dean R. Koontz. Not even the beautiful children's scenes. I particularly liked Rya. Nor the beautiful Jenny (a little girl, for my taste). But there hasn't been any more adorable Jenny since Forrest Gump. With all this you can't fix the mess of this novel. Other than that Koontz doesn't offer me anything new either, to attract me. Unlike "Cold fire" his novel is very similar to other works of his. The end of one of the villains I don't say which one I thought was very appropriate. It is a pity that Koontz had not read this book would have been very good https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... I hope, that his next novel is more to my liking, and can give Koontz a note more in line with his merits.
, and of which I might write a review. Because the book didn't please me, but indifferent didn't leave me. Another of the most painful decisions has been to make the decision to suspend a novel by Dean R. Koontz :-( https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... who by the way last year with his fantastic"Coldfire" https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
managed to become part of the select club of writers that I have once put five stars.
That I would recommend to Mr. Koontz, for I would say the same advice that Paulo VI https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... gave the Catholic writer Graham Greene https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... when his novels appeared in the forbidden book index, that he did not heed that, and that he would continue to write. The same is recommended to Mr. Dean Koontz (i still have three books of his to read, that is, he has three bullets in the bedroom, to reconquer me). That ie pinged up to my idolated G.K. Chesterton (Chesty) was suspended either, and no one will doubt that this colossus is my favorite writer https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... That said anyone can have a bad day, or write a book, that I didn't like a particular reader, as in this case, and it's a shame, because the plot was very interesting. The possibility of inventing a drug, that hypnotizes people, and as if we were victims of one of the incurable curses of Harry Potter https://www.goodreads.com/series/4517... https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6... (in this case the Imperium curse) allows us to use a person, to do with it what we want. Eliminating his free will. Now that we know that the South Korean film has won the Oscars (people will be able to tell whether or undeservedly). I am not surprised, because artistically Asia it seems to take a thousand turns to a very fallen layer west, although in its defect I will say, I do not know if the example of Parasite is a good role model. I think, curiously, it has not been possible to choose, but what it does show is that Orient is fashionable. So you won't be surprised, I compared this dean R. Koontz novel to two other Asian novels I've read. One of them is one of my favorites such as "The Whisper of the Devil" by the magnificent Miyuki Miyabe https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... In fact, the Japanese author invents one of the most interesting ways to kill crime in police literature. Through hypnosis, but he doesn't make Koontz's mistake. A hypnotized person cannot kill himself, as he does in this novel with two characters, because the man has an instinct for conservation, he can only end up with a hypnotized person by making her believe that he does this action by running away from something, that he can Kill him. It also explores the subject of subliminal advertising more intelligently than Koontz. Although Koontz's resource is skilful, as he uses three characters as a tutorial the evangelist Leonard H. Dawson, General Klinger and the aspiring despot Ogden Salsford, to explain how they will develop their pioneering experience in that place of Maine Black Valley . There we are told about this drug (yet to be invented), although it may be possible. Certainly one thing we agree with Koontz, that if there is any chance of a bad deed being done it will end up done, like that the human being is man. Utopia, as in this case Dawnson, a sincere Christian apart from forage has a charitable intention, despite its undoubted hypocrisy, and its narrow-mindedness. That's another one of the novel's flaws. You're sick of seeing fanatical Christians who want to destroy the world. For when a mad Islamist, or a Buddhist like Soko Osahara, or why evil atheists? In fact, after seeing an article by the late Epstein, and seeing that aberrations are being practiced in the West. The last option is more plausible than it seems. Not that I'm a fan of Protestantism, that I dislike, but there are much worse things. In addition, I love reading non-Catholic Christian novels, although I mainly collect Catholic novels and writers. In fact Koontz does not usually employ Christian villains. This would be the first, though there may be more like Leonard H. Dawson. Anyway, Koontz already marks distance and shows us Dawson's contempt for the Catholic religion. There is a monologue of the character, when he talks about that man does not need intercessors, no prayers, and that you save yourself. With what falls into pelagio's heresy. The second novel, which reminded me was Edogawa Rampo's interesting novel "The Strange Case of the Panorama Island" where a sexual obsessive, such as Ogden Salsford uses a fortune, to build himself a site with glasses, that allows him to realize all his sexual fantasies. Just like the villain Ogden Salsford. In fact, as I read chillnights, I thought about how these two rascals look like. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... and this is something else, where I want to get to. If you go with good intentions you fail, more when things are done with bad intentions. One thinks of the first case in Anthony Burgess's colossal novel "The Clockwork Orange" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4... where the government has good intentions, although the priest already warns him of the harmfulness of using subliminal advertising, and treatments, to alter behavior. Free will was given to us, so that we might willingly choose to love and serve God, for ourselves, then one can choose right or wrong. As C.S. Lewis says, there are two types who tell God "Thy will be done" and others to which God (hopefully we will never find ourselves in this situation) to those who God says "Thy will be done". Precisely, even if it may seem better a world without free will, the characteristic of hell was this. A world with beings who are puppets, and act driven by others. Empty shells, or robots, automatons this was the characteristic of James Blish's novel "A Case of Consciousness" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... though Blish is part of a misconception. Like Manicism. By considering Satan and God equal and giving the Devil the chance to create. Something unacceptable from an orthodox point of view. But if the Devil were able to create. He would create a world like Blish's novel, and the one trying to implant this trio of lights. There are some brilliant reflections on the part of Salsford/Koontz that coincide with De Prada https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7... https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6... that repressive regimes such as fascism, communism, and Nazism are no longer practical. Ogden Salsford's world is a world of hypersexualization, fly-over rights in which the Dictator exercises a benign dictatorship. Of which it makes a great profit in this case fornication under hypnosis with several women (three in particular). There are four sex scenes throughout the novel (perhaps five) and three rapes, two of them with sadomasocism. This is completely unacceptable. I really disliked those scenes. Anyway, the author explains the misogyny, and why his disgusting character acts as he acts. I dislike the conduct of the bad guys in this novel, but also that of the good ones. Koontz falls into the sheer law of the talion, and makes his heroes Charlesrodians "Revenge Is Mine." It seems to justify, that all kinds of moral abuse is lawful, to fight the villains. It is true, that the protagonist suffers a great personal loss (the worst that can happen to a person), but here he does not kill himself by self-defense, but by revenge. It is true that Salsford is more dangerous alive than dead, and can manipulate the people's automatons as they please. But in the end he opts because his characters become executioners. But the most serious thing is that this novel written in the 70s of the last century and falls into the mistakes of this wretched and ill-wry era. The source from which protagonists Paul Amendale drink, and Sam Edison who distrust scientists although I do not like to recommend "Hideous Strength" by C.S. Lewis https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... ) and the government. So Koontz opts for an individualist company, which is wary of the great leviathan of the state, even if in this case it is a private multinational, and does not bet on Chestertonian distributionism, or Belloc, nor wendell Berry https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... , nor John Senior https://www.goodreads.com/author/show..., who are critical of scientificism and obsessive machinization. Although more serious is what Constatin Virgil Gheorghiu proposes in "The 25th Hour" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6... of human machination. If you are uneasy about this possibility read my friend Jorge Sáez's novel Raised from Memories of Sunset https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... not even for the solution given by the novelist Rosa María Arceniaga in "Moskostrom" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4... not even for the solution given by the novelist Rosa María Arceniaga in "Moskostrom" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4... No Koontz opts for a remedy worse than the disease and to bet on the recipes of plutocracy in this case the ominous Paul Ehrlich https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... one of the drivers of Neo-Malthusian antinatalism, and propelleor of abortion. This gentleman (for not calling him something uglier, and certainly deserved) is theories such as overpopulation. Well, gentlemen, this delightful and abhorrent subject is the inspiration for the novel's heroes. Of course there is talk of bucolism, and there is no talk of abortion, nor birth control, but of rejecting technology, and returning to the countryside, but users. Let's think, if the encouragement of a novel turned out to be Hitler, would you accept it? To me that vile spawn, which hides under the cloak of environmentalism, like many other authors, who under their cloak of philanthropy have done so much damage to the world, and are responsible for a series of policies, which will be disastrous, and which are being imposed on us to this day. That's why I was forced to take action and suspend Dean R. Koontz. Not even the beautiful children's scenes. I particularly liked Rya. Nor the beautiful Jenny (a little girl, for my taste). But there hasn't been any more adorable Jenny since Forrest Gump. With all this you can't fix the mess of this novel. Other than that Koontz doesn't offer me anything new either, to attract me. Unlike "Cold fire" his novel is very similar to other works of his. The end of one of the villains I don't say which one I thought was very appropriate. It is a pity that Koontz had not read this book would have been very good https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... I hope, that his next novel is more to my liking, and can give Koontz a note more in line with his merits.
December 7, 2021
I read this book in the 1980s, published in 1978 it seems a different era. No mobile phones and internet. An enjoyable read with a mad scientist, megalomaniac religious nut and a general corrupt to the core of his being.
Subliminal advertising and programming the human subconscious to create completely obedient robots. It sounds farfetched but nowadays we have a populace memorized by social media, television and addicted to looking continuously at their phones.
The setting in an isolated lumber town in Maine with a mad scientist who is a psychopath bent on total mind control is like a 1984 scenario. The hero Paul with his girlfriend Jenny and her father Sam are characters I thought needed more detail. Paul’s daughter Rya uncovers the experiment and the story speeds up to its inevitable conclusion.
Subliminal advertising and programming the human subconscious to create completely obedient robots. It sounds farfetched but nowadays we have a populace memorized by social media, television and addicted to looking continuously at their phones.
The setting in an isolated lumber town in Maine with a mad scientist who is a psychopath bent on total mind control is like a 1984 scenario. The hero Paul with his girlfriend Jenny and her father Sam are characters I thought needed more detail. Paul’s daughter Rya uncovers the experiment and the story speeds up to its inevitable conclusion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 30, 2017
I wasn't supposed to read Night Chills (since I already have a lot of other books planned to read), but my eyes found it in a pile of books at home and I just felt the need for a Koontz and I'm happy I followed my instinct since it was a really good novel.
Black River is a sleepy little town in Maine (Stephen King vibes) where the population starts getting night chills and suddenly all hell breaks loose. In the middle of the chaos stands a family that doesn't get the night chills and they now have to fight for their lives.
I found that the worst thing with this book is that the night chills isn't something spooky going on, something paranormal, instead, it's an experiment conducted by three men and I have always found that the horror of the things humans do to each other is far worse than monsters under the bed or aliens in space.
Night Chills was a well written, fast-paced book that I devoured quickly.
Black River is a sleepy little town in Maine (Stephen King vibes) where the population starts getting night chills and suddenly all hell breaks loose. In the middle of the chaos stands a family that doesn't get the night chills and they now have to fight for their lives.
I found that the worst thing with this book is that the night chills isn't something spooky going on, something paranormal, instead, it's an experiment conducted by three men and I have always found that the horror of the things humans do to each other is far worse than monsters under the bed or aliens in space.
Night Chills was a well written, fast-paced book that I devoured quickly.
October 9, 2016
Hmmm...wasn't that impressed by any of it really. I guess I would say his books might be lumped in a guilty pleasures pile but there wasn't much pleasure involved in this one. =|
December 25, 2018
I haven't read much of Dean Koontz' earlier work (this was originally released in the 70s). You can definitely see that he was likely an influence on Laymon, as this goes to similar places. However the subliminal mind control plot hasn't aged well, nor has Koontz' attempts to science it up. Even if you fully accept it as plausible, I don't feel as though Koontz fully explored the fun that could be had with the concept.
Decent enough in parts, the time jumping structure is poor, way too much exposition and not enough action. The final chapters of the book are especially pointless.
Only recommended for the completist.
Decent enough in parts, the time jumping structure is poor, way too much exposition and not enough action. The final chapters of the book are especially pointless.
Only recommended for the completist.
August 10, 2016
-Thriller de acción y horror sin más.-
Género. Novela (con una enorme premisa fantástica, eso sí).
Lo que nos cuenta. Dos hombres llevan a cabo un vertido en el embalse que sirve a la pequeña localidad de Black River y después se suicidan, pero alguien les ha visto mientras operaban. Una semana después, el viudo Paul Annendale y sus dos hijos se disponen a comenzar sus vacaciones en Black River y hacen una parada en la tienda principal del pueblo para saludar al dueño y amigo, que les cuenta que no se siente muy bien y que tiene escalofríos por la noche. No es el único con esos síntomas en la localidad.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
https://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com...
Género. Novela (con una enorme premisa fantástica, eso sí).
Lo que nos cuenta. Dos hombres llevan a cabo un vertido en el embalse que sirve a la pequeña localidad de Black River y después se suicidan, pero alguien les ha visto mientras operaban. Una semana después, el viudo Paul Annendale y sus dos hijos se disponen a comenzar sus vacaciones en Black River y hacen una parada en la tienda principal del pueblo para saludar al dueño y amigo, que les cuenta que no se siente muy bien y que tiene escalofríos por la noche. No es el único con esos síntomas en la localidad.
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June 29, 2012
This is one of Dean Koontz's early works. This book's plot deals with subliminal messages and what happens when someone has a powerful tool and takes it to the extreme. This is a very good book. Some of the scenes were graphic and I believe that Koontz would write a different book today if he decided to write this book. These scenes are needed to show how a tool can be used for evil. The plot moves along at a good pace and I kept wondering what would happen next. This is a good book if you are looking to be scared and it is asks the question "what if?"
November 26, 2015
I usually like Dean Koontz's writing but this one was just horrible with over-the-top forced sex situations and mind-numbing sciencology of subliminal messages.
Basically we have 3 evil geniuses trying to rule the world starting with a small town in Maine. Unfortunately it morphs into a debauched sexfest. The extent of the violence is ridiculously unnecessary to sell this story. I found myself skipping over a good lot of the encounters just trying to stay in the moment of the subliminal experiment. I didn't need repeated rapes to get the point across that mind control is bad.
Basically we have 3 evil geniuses trying to rule the world starting with a small town in Maine. Unfortunately it morphs into a debauched sexfest. The extent of the violence is ridiculously unnecessary to sell this story. I found myself skipping over a good lot of the encounters just trying to stay in the moment of the subliminal experiment. I didn't need repeated rapes to get the point across that mind control is bad.
July 4, 2024
I forgot how solid early Dean Koontz novels were. I hadn’t read any of his work in years, and recently had an opportunity to pick up a whole crate of paperbacks for a little more than a song. What the heck, right? I figured this would be a good way of completing my collection. As I was adding these to my shelf, the cover of Night Chills kept staring at me. After doing a little digging, I realized this was one of his earlier works that I had never read. So off we go…
Like I said, I forgot how solid his stuff was back in the 70s and 80s. Koontz uses a fun 70s theme - mind control - to navigate Night Chills. a government scientist conducting mind control experiments goes rogue and offers his services to the local big business mogul. Once they bring in a general that isn’t opposed to committing treason if the price is right, they set their sights on the secluded Maine town of Black River. Sound a little James Bond-ish? Yeah, a little. But this is where Koontz does his magic. He makes the unbelievable…well, believable. His character development is top-notch, and there isn’t a dog anywhere in sight in Night Chills. Double bonus. I still hold that Koontz was always a half-step or so below King, and the same holds true here. But Night Chills comes across as a bit nastier and darker than Koontz’s later work. There’s a kill scene in here that makes your stomach drop. Also, if rape scenes are too much for you, I’d recommend skipping this one. But, if you have a strong disposition and are looking to mind some mid-70s rare horror gems, you could do a lot worse than Night Chills.
4 Lock and Keys out of 5
Like I said, I forgot how solid his stuff was back in the 70s and 80s. Koontz uses a fun 70s theme - mind control - to navigate Night Chills. a government scientist conducting mind control experiments goes rogue and offers his services to the local big business mogul. Once they bring in a general that isn’t opposed to committing treason if the price is right, they set their sights on the secluded Maine town of Black River. Sound a little James Bond-ish? Yeah, a little. But this is where Koontz does his magic. He makes the unbelievable…well, believable. His character development is top-notch, and there isn’t a dog anywhere in sight in Night Chills. Double bonus. I still hold that Koontz was always a half-step or so below King, and the same holds true here. But Night Chills comes across as a bit nastier and darker than Koontz’s later work. There’s a kill scene in here that makes your stomach drop. Also, if rape scenes are too much for you, I’d recommend skipping this one. But, if you have a strong disposition and are looking to mind some mid-70s rare horror gems, you could do a lot worse than Night Chills.
4 Lock and Keys out of 5
September 30, 2008
This book was about a man who took his kids to the mountains for their annual vacation. He starts to fall in love with this woman after his wife's tragic death. Then a doctor showed up in the mountains and started asking strange questions. It turns out he had been studying subliminal messaging and he'd come across a major discovery. He would now have control of the whole world.
I would recommend this book to people who like scary-ish stories. It kept me on my toes most of the time. It was also kind of hard to follow at times. All together I thought it was a pretty good book.
I would recommend this book to people who like scary-ish stories. It kept me on my toes most of the time. It was also kind of hard to follow at times. All together I thought it was a pretty good book.
November 7, 2012
My daughter came through the living-room the other day and observed, "I just read another one of Koontz's early books, and he really has improved, a lot."
Now that's not a blanket truth, a few of his early books are pretty good. I don't, personally, think this is one of them.
It may be that I would have given the book 2 stars rather than 1 had the account of the "romance" not completely driven me up the wall and away from the book, so I put the book down. I went so far as to put it on my to be traded or sold stack.
I like Dean Koontz as a general rule but there are times he leaves me completely cold. The way the book started seemed mildly interesting, though he was stretching things a bit (hey, this is "imaginative fiction" stretching doesn't bother me, suspension of belief is part of it), but the story wasn't grabbing me. After that when the "love interest" was introed and I saw how that was going to go I just put the book down. I wasn't willing to go through the repetitive predictable conversations that would ensue. Just me. As I said I suppose if that bothered you less even if you weren't fond of the book you might go 2 stars, but I couldn't see abandoning a book and giving it more than a single star.
********************** SPOILERS BELOW LINE *************************
Now that's not a blanket truth, a few of his early books are pretty good. I don't, personally, think this is one of them.
It may be that I would have given the book 2 stars rather than 1 had the account of the "romance" not completely driven me up the wall and away from the book, so I put the book down. I went so far as to put it on my to be traded or sold stack.
I like Dean Koontz as a general rule but there are times he leaves me completely cold. The way the book started seemed mildly interesting, though he was stretching things a bit (hey, this is "imaginative fiction" stretching doesn't bother me, suspension of belief is part of it), but the story wasn't grabbing me. After that when the "love interest" was introed and I saw how that was going to go I just put the book down. I wasn't willing to go through the repetitive predictable conversations that would ensue. Just me. As I said I suppose if that bothered you less even if you weren't fond of the book you might go 2 stars, but I couldn't see abandoning a book and giving it more than a single star.
********************** SPOILERS BELOW LINE *************************
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