Product Description

An extraordinary collection of short fiction, including the title novel, nine novellas, and six stories, explores the intriguing, vast variety of human experiences--failures, triumphs, adventures, terrors, joys, and more--that occur along the path from birth to death. 500,000 first printing. $500,000 ad/promo.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3298836 in Books
• Published on: 1999-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: School & Library Binding

From Publishers Weekly
Collection of tales from horror novelist Koontz.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
This collection includes a new novel along with previously published novellas and short stories.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
The King of Creep is back, not with a novel, however, but with his first collection of short fiction. Fourteen stories, two of which are actually novel length, provide Koontz with various venues for exploring eeriness. The title piece, one of the two very long works in the collection, is the tale of a young man's hallucinations; the other long story, entitled "Chase," is a dark, almost dank psychological suspense yarn. An out-and-out monster appears in the shorter "Black Pumpkin," and "Bruno" is a combination sf and detective story. Other stories take different approaches to tingling the reader's spine, but all are successful. Koontz's legion of fans won't be let down. Brad Hooper

Customer Reviews

Koontz enters the realm of horror...and we love it!
Koontz isn't a horror novelist, even though he's been cast in that role. He's called the Master of SUSPENSE, and for a reason: his tales are downright suspenseful (the mold for other novelists) even if they usually don't use the element of horror.

But in this collection, Dean Koontz delivers several short stories that contemplate and expertly acheive horror genre greatness.

The title story (actually, it's a novel) is about a man who returns home...then is forced to face the demons of his past, who have come back to haunt him. "Kittens," Koontz's first published work of fiction, is about a little girl who decides to get revenge on her parents.

"The Black Pumpkin," along similar lines, is about a little boy ostracized from his own family. "Miss Atilla the Hun," "We Three," and "The Night of the Storm" are brilliant sci-fi pieces (from Koontz's old days of writing science fiction), while "Trapped" follows a similar vein as Koontz's pinnacle novel "Watchers".

"Bruno" is a flat-out hilarious sci-fi farse, while "Hardshell" (the first piece of fiction I read by Koontz) is about a cop hunting down a killer who is a little different. "Snatcher" is a journey into the macabre, while "Twilight of the Dawn" is a moving tale of a man's search for faith and guidance.

"Strange Highways" is not so strange at all; it's great fiction by a masterful writer. Dean Koontz is without a doubt one of the best writers of all time. That statement may sound a little exaggerated, if you haven't read any of his work. If you read something by him, though, you'll know what I mean. Why not start here, with "Strange Highways"? It's diverse, and it shows you what this man can do--and do well.

Short Stories
Strange Highways is an immense doorstopper sized collection of short stories by one of the greatest writers of all time. Some of these stories have appeared in other compilation thriller author short story novels so you may have read them before. Most of these were written at least thrity years ago. Like any collection of stories the quality varies across the range as well as the subject matter. Science fiction fans are catered for well here with aliens, genetic engineering gone wrong, an alternative dimensions. Twilight of the Dawn contrasts what the emptiness of life is like without anything to believe in. Fans of serial killers are catered for with Chase although you are likely to have already read this one as a stand alone novel either under the pseudonym K.R. Dwyer or Koontz's own name. The other lengthy story is the title track, Strange Highways. Not one of my favourites but you may like it. My favourites and ones I would rate five stars are The Black Pumpkin, Miss Attila the Hun, Trapped, Kittens (his first ever published work) and Twilight of the Dawn.

There is also a commentary by Koontz on how publishers do not encourage short story writing and how hard it is for them to be published which is quite interesting.

Whilst not the masterpieces that some of his novels like Mr Murder, Watchers, Intensity, Night Chills and some others are the stories in here are still a great and satisfying read.

Dean Koontz does it again.
Loved this book. I have read a lot of Koontz and this was a great read. I loved "Chase" and "Miss Atilla the Hun" and "Trapped" gave me the willies. Buy this book, if your a Koontz fan, as a matter of fact, buy it if you aren't a Koontz fan.