 First edition (UK, with original title) | |
| Author | Dean Koontz |
|---|---|
| Original title | Darkness Comes |
| Cover artist | Graham Potts |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Horror |
| Publisher | W. H. Allen (UK) Berkley Books (US) |
Publication date | Feb 1984 (UK) Oct 1984 (US) |
| Media type | Paperback |
| Pages | 351 |
| ISBN | 0-491-03152-1 |
| OCLC | 11997351 |
Darkfall is a novel by the best-selling author Dean Koontz, released in 1984. The novel is also known as Darkness Comes.
Jack Dawson, a New York City detective, is dealing with a variety of situations in his life. His wife Linda died, leaving him the sole caretaker for their two children, Penny and Davey. He is also forced to confront an especially brutal string of murders of Mafia criminals, which have been seemingly done by animals even though no living creature would simply tear a victim to pieces without actually eating anything. Finally, his work partner Rebecca, with whom he begins a tentative personal relationship, dismisses his eventual belief that there may be supernatural or magical factors in the killings.
In truth, these creatures have been called forth from hell by a bocor named Baba Lavelle. Because of their small size, Lavelle assumed were just minor demons and the portal to Hell is not yet big enough to accommodate greater entities. At the end of the novel, Dawson is surprised to see that the portal has grown so big it has engulfed the shed where it is concealed. Numerous tentacles have sprouted from the pit and dragged Lavelle to hell. When Jack sees this, he comes to the conclusion that this was just a mere finger of a greater evil that was about to come. When holy water doesn't stop the pit from growing, Jack uses his blood from a wound inflicted by a tentacle to stop the pit. He fears that if he fails, he will be forced to sacrifice himself into the pit. The novel ends with all the denizens turning to mud and Jack hearing Rebecca say "I love you Jack" in thin air.
According to Koontz in the afterword of a 2008 paperback reissue of The Eyes of Darkness , television producer Lee Rich purchased the rights for this book along with The Face of Fear , The Eyes of Darkness, and a fourth unnamed novel for a television series based on Koontz's work. Koontz himself wrote the script for Darkfall. [1] A change in studio heads, however, resulted in the project being put into turnaround as the new head of the network, according to Koontz, "didn't want to make a movie about 'little creatures living in the walls.'" [2] Ultimately, The Face of Fear was the only book of the four made into a television movie.
Dean Ray Koontz is an American author. His novels are billed as suspense thrillers, but frequently incorporate elements of horror, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and satire. Many of his books have appeared on The New York Times Best Seller list, with fourteen hardcovers and sixteen paperbacks reaching the number-one position. Koontz wrote under a number of pen names earlier in his career, including "David Axton", "Deanna Dwyer", "K.R. Dwyer", "Leigh Nichols" and "Brian Coffey". He has published over 105 novels and a number of novellas and collections of short stories, and has sold over 450 million copies of his work.
In literature, an epigraph is a phrase, quotation, or poem that is set at the beginning of a document, monograph or section or chapter thereof. The epigraph may serve as a preface to the work; as a summary; as a counter-example; or as a link from the work to a wider literary canon, with the purpose of either inviting comparison or enlisting a conventional context.
Odd Thomas is a thriller novel by American writer Dean Koontz, published in 2003. The novel derives its title from the protagonist, a twenty-year-old short-order cook named Odd Thomas. The book, which was well received and lauded by critics, went on to become a New York Times Bestseller. Following the success of the novel, six sequels, Forever Odd (2005), Brother Odd (2006), Odd Hours (2008), Odd Apocalypse (2012), and Deeply Odd (2013), were also written by Koontz. The final novel in the series Saint Odd (2015) was released on Jan 13, 2015. Three graphic-novel prequels, In Odd We Trust, Odd Is On Our Side and House of Odd have also been released. In the postscript to the graphic novel, Koontz states that "God willing, there will be six Odd Thomas novels." A Special Odd Thomas Adventure, Odd Interlude, was released on December 26, 2012, and another Odd Thomas: You Are Destined to Be Together Forever on December 9, 2014.
Phantoms is a horror novel by American writer Dean Koontz, first published in 1983. The story is a version of the now-debunked urban legend involving a village mysteriously vanishing at Angikuni Lake.
Deathlands is a series of novels published by Gold Eagle Publishing. The first novel, Pilgrimage to Hell, was first published in 1986. This series of novels was first written by Christopher Lowder, under the name Jack Adrian. Lowder became ill after developing the plot and writing most of the book. Laurence James, under the name James Axler, then finished the story.
Dean Koontz's Frankenstein is the collective title of five novels co-written by Dean Koontz. Though technically of the mystery or thriller genres, the novels also feature the trappings of horror, fantasy, and science fiction.
Hideaway is a novel by American horror writer Dean Koontz, published by Putnam in 1992.
The Eyes of Darkness is a thriller novel by American writer Dean Koontz, released in 1981. The book focuses on a mother who sets out on a quest to find out if her son indeed died one year ago, or if he's still alive.
Twilight Eyes is a novel by American writer Dean Koontz, released in 1985 and 1987. Throughout the book, a character with the self-appointed name "Slim MacKenzie" uses his psychic powers to hunt Goblins – a kind of monster that seems to have the ability to mimic human beings.
Watchers is a 1987 suspense novel by American author Dean Koontz. Along with Strangers, Lightning, and Midnight, Watchers is credited with establishing Koontz's status as a best-selling author.
The Bad Place is a horror novel by American writer Dean Koontz, released in 1990. It includes elements of horror, suspense, and mystery, and is presented partially as a twist on the private eye drama.
Cold Fire is a 1991 novel written by the best-selling author Dean Koontz.
Prodigal Son is a novel by the best-selling author Dean Koontz, released in 2005. The book is the first book released by Koontz in a series of five, entitled Dean Koontz's Frankenstein. The book was co-authored by Kevin J. Anderson.
The Beast is a 1996 television movie starring William Petersen, Karen Sillas and Charles Martin Smith. Aired in two parts as a miniseries, the movie is based on the 1991 novel Beast by Jaws author Peter Benchley. The film is about a giant squid that attacks and kills several people when its food supply becomes scarce and its offspring is killed.
What Dreams May Come is a 1978 novel by Richard Matheson. The plot centers on Chris, a man who dies then goes to Heaven, but descends into Hell to rescue his wife. It was adapted in 1998 into the Academy Award-winning film What Dreams May Come starring Robin Williams, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Annabella Sciorra.
Ticktock (1996) is a novel by Dean Koontz. It is significantly out-of-genre for Koontz: after a typical horror opening, the tone of the plot changes to screwball comedy and the humour increases steadily to the end. The subplot of protagonist Tommy Phan's struggle to reconcile his family's tenacious hold on their Vietnamese roots with his personal desire to be purely American is essential to the plot development.
Chase is Dean Koontz's first hardcover novel, originally written under the name K. R. Dwyer and released in 1972, it was revised and reissued in 1995 within Strange Highways.
Hideaway is a 1995 horror film directed by Brett Leonard. It is based on the 1992 novel of the same name by Dean Koontz, and stars Alicia Silverstone, Jeff Goldblum, Christine Lahti, Jeremy Sisto, Alfred Molina and Rae Dawn Chong.
This is a list of every work by American novelist Dean Koontz.
77 Shadow Street is a New York Times Bestselling 2011 sci-fi horror novel by American author Dean Koontz, and his 101st novel. The book was first released on December 27, 2011, through Bantam Books, and follows a diverse group of individuals living in an apartment building with a dark history of murder and mystery. The story of 77 Shadow Street is narrated through the viewpoints of each of the building's occupants, including the newer and more sinister characters of One and Witness.