Phantoms
Published: March 1983
Author: Dean Koontz
Genre: American, Contemporary, Crime, Drama, Fiction, Horror, Literature, Rural, Science Fiction, Small Town, Suspense, Thriller
Check the summary of this book here:
The Review
Dean Koontz's novel Phantoms is full of horror suspense. The narrative is based on a now-debunked urban legend of a community unexpectedly disappearing in Angikuni Lake. The plot was brief and mostly well-written. Some of the situations and conversations looked stereotyped. This is without a doubt one of my favorite genres, thus I admit that my opinion is prejudiced. But I did my hardest to remain focused on what is real to me and to be as honest as possible.
Fantastic and delightfully creepy! When debating whether to buy this book, I was first concerned by the synopsis because it looked like such a fascinating concept! This worried me because I was afraid it would be one of those books where the author takes a really great idea with amazing potential, maybe even one with ideas that seem plausible and realistic thus making it even scarier, only to build the suspense, get you completely hooked... then drops you with a bang after 85-90 percent of the book that is done by making some predictable decisions. Thankfully, such was not the case here, and it did not disappoint. It actually grew better with each passing paragraph and page!
This book was deemed a horror novel by Koontz, and it surely featured more unexpected twists and turns than most of his writings. It is, nevertheless, really well written and quick-paced.
This is a what-if book in the best style of horror stories, which I enjoy in general. However, Koontz took care to make the work he was required to write also the novel he desired to write.
Tightly paced, and, like all of Koontz's writing, loaded with vividly sketched characters, both good and bad, and, above all, brimming with his signature combination of unyielding suspense.
There is just enough believability to keep the reader engaged, and just enough pauses to keep the reader from becoming bored. Easily one of Koontz's greatest. Definitely one of the greatest of any in this genre.
The novel contains numerous literary nods to H.P Lovecraft's work, such as the suggestion that the novel's Ancient Enemy is H.P Lovecraft's god Nyarlathotep, also known as the Crawling Chaos, and the fact that the air force expert who may come into touch with non-human intelligence is titled Captain Arkham (cf. Lovecraft's invention Arkham). The majority of these Lovecraftian allusions were removed from the 1998 film adaptation of Koontz's novel.
I enjoy Dean Koontz's books and can attest that many non-readers become readers after being introduced to them - especially young men like my brother, who is not into reading but is happy to read Koontz's books and sometimes I make him read Stephen King as well, but only if I tell him it is 100% recommended.
People are drawn to the conflict between good and evil, as well as the plotline, which suggests a relationship to folk traditions, mystic forces, or government misdeeds.
His protagonists are easy to identify with and the heroic cause of the conflict seems to be a good mix for the skeptical reader. He appeals to me since I am an animal lover, particularly a dog lover.
In certain situations, teachers may choose to consider this as YA, but only with parental approval. When it comes to reading material, some of my young acquaintances prefer to feel like they are making adult decisions, but their parents are still in the process. For many years, Koontz was my go-to author, and I gave away many copies of his books, receiving comments that it converted some people into readers.
This book's plot is one of the creepiest and most spine-chilling I've ever read. Dean Koontz's works can conjure up some horrific pictures, and this story is a horror classic. The Ancient Enemy is a sentient immortal entity with extraordinary survival and predatory abilities, as well as a hive mind that may be both beneficial and deadly, depending on who owns it.
This is one of my favorite novels, and it's one of the stories that got me even more hooked on Dean Koontz. This is the story for you if you enjoy spooky stories!
In 1998, Phantoms was turned into a film starring Peter O'Toole, Rose McGowan, Liev Schreiber, Ben Affleck (Batman), and Joanna Going. Joe Chappelle directed the film, which was produced by Neo Art & Logic and distributed by Dimension Films. It was shot in Colorado.
The film is prominently mentioned in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, notably by Affleck himself. It was a good movie in my opinion, but it lacked a lot of material from the book, particularly H.P Lovecraft-related material.
When I first heard about the film, the notion of this narrative piqued my interest. I recently returned to it and decided to re-read it (I actually used the audio version this time as I am doing with almost all the revisits to old books). I've been reading Stephen King and H.P Lovecraft for years and have read almost all of their works, including Dean Koontz - I'm a major horror fan—and wanted to broaden my horizons.
I won't go into the description because the synopsis is included with the book. If you've read any of Dean Koontz's books, you'll note that the basic premise is the same: a woman is threatened by a bad guy, and a man with remarkable talents rides to her aid. Not to mention a good boy dog. This one is unique in that the evil guy is a dreadful thing.
Overall, I was always ready to return to it, which makes for an excellent novel.
Final Thoughts
It reads like a movie, with good characters, locations, mystery killings, and so on. You get an idea of what this is all about if you combine Poltergeist with a slasher film and then put in the traditional old-school Star Trek god-like evil entity.
When describing supernatural or unique species, I normally prefer less explanation to more, but this depiction was at least creative. Be aware that there are scenes of intense gore.
According to one of my friends, it took 200 pages to get to the monster, which is correct, but boy did it really build-up to the monster.
I attempted to conjure up an image of the creature. I was tossed for a spin. It's pretty unique because it connects to the historical realities of mass disappearances. It's one of the most inventive monster conceptions I've ever read, and it definitely has a Lovecraftian vibe to it. In fact, the word "Lovecraftian" appears in the narrative.
If you want a fantastic monster story that seems genuine and might maybe happen in real life... heck, if you enjoy a good scare in general, stop reading my review and go read Phantoms. You will not be sorry.
Synopsis
““Phantoms is gruesome and unrelenting…It’s well realized, intelligent, and humane.”—Stephen King
They found the town silent, apparently abandoned. Then they found the first body, strangely swollen and still warm. One hundred fifty were dead, 350 missing. But the terror had only begun in the tiny mountain town of Snowfield, California.
At first they thought it was the work of a maniac. Or terrorists. Or toxic contamination. Or a bizarre new disease.
But then they found the truth. And they saw it in the flesh. And it was worse than anything any of them had ever imagined...”
Useful Search Related Words & Keywords
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Rating: 90/100
Recommended: 100/100 Yes.
Buy the Kindle Version Here
Free With Free Audible Trial
Phantoms (1998) (R)
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