K. A. PATTERSON ~ Writer/Editor/Publisher

Delightfully Odd & Rich in Character

A couple of summers ago I had the pleasure of discovering one of Dean Koontz's true story-telling treasures.  His novel, Odd Thomas.

While the book filled bookstore shelves in 2003, I hadn't grabbed a copy of it until 2007.  Had I known what I was missing, I would've been the first to preorder a hardback copy of the book years ago.

Koontz's first novel in this series is packed with core characters you immediately identify with as a reader.  Who could not be compelled to read about a young, short-order cook who can see the dead?  Odd Thomas is truly odd.  He is frequently visited by Elvis, beloved by his friends, estranged from his loony mother, and he has a keen psychic sense that he doesn't always understand, but tries diligently to hone in order to help others and in order to try and live some semblance of normal life. 

I really enjoyed reading about him and his plethora of friends: the morbidly obese mystery novelist, and closet culinary guru P. Oswald 'Little Ozzie' Boone; his girlfriend, Bronwen 'Stormy' Llewellyn; Police Chief Wyatt Porter; Elvis fan, Terri Stambaugh, owner of the Pico Mundo Grille; and Elvis 'The King' himself.

Koontz delivers the story elements we all crave, drama, suspense, humor, and chills.  This novel is rich with a homey feel, and a powerful sense that something just isn't right in this oh so normal little town.  I devoured it over a weekend, relishing every morsel Koontz fed to me.  Craving such a infrequent delicacy in a fictional tale, I looked forward to the second novel, Forever Odd. 

The second book reeled me in from the beginning just as its predecessor had done, but then it seemed to ramble.  First person narratives can be tricky.  Characters tend to reminisce too much, or babble on about things unimportant to the tale at hand.  Too many divergences from the central plot causes readers to lose focus on the story at hand.  However, the fault with Forever Odd was not that of master storyteller Dean Koontz.  It was me, twirling on a bright yellow inner tube, as I floated along the gently flowing waters of the lazy river at my favorite resort spot in Orlando.  I must have been a tad distracted. 

After setting the book aside for a whole year.  I picked it up again this past May and I was immediately reminded of how much I had missed Odd.   Like book one, I gobbled up this book in two days, and failed to find section of it where I had originally thought the story meandered away from its central plot.

Characterization has always been the main strength behind Koontz's most popular novels.  His characters pop on the page as alive as your or I.  They seem so familiar.  They possess character traits we've seen in others, our siblings, our spouse, our family members or neighbors.  His characters, like the characters in all well written works of fiction, make you care.  They make you curious.  They possess the subtle quirks that make you giggle or smile.  Their depth of character comes across naturally as the story unfolds.

I've read numerous Dean Koontz books, I've liked most of his characters, both the protagonists and the antagonists, but I truly love Odd and the characters that populate his unique little world.

So, enthralled as I was after reading the first two books and equally disappointed that I had completed them, I immediately went and bought, Brother Odd.

This weekend, while my family is away to the sandy shores of Lake Erie, I will immerse myself once again into all things Odd.  I'm sure I will enjoy reading about Odd Thomas' latest challenges and woes, his minor and major victories.  I expect I'll come away delighted and I'll be happy knowing there's yet another book out there waiting to be read.  Yet another about koontz's remarkable young hero, Odd Thomas.

No I haven't bought that one yet.  It's titled, Odd Hours.

But odds are, I will.

What have your read lately?  Find yourself a good book, savor that simple pleasure of sitting down and reading.

Posted by K. A. Patterson at 06:40 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

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It was a hard choice to pick just 3 of the books I managed to read over the summer ~ yeah, I know 'How can you manage to read so many novels with all you do?'. Well, as any writer knows, you MUST read to become a good writer. It helps you perceive word choices, pacing, the flow and order of scenes, characterization, plotting, and so much more.

Often writers make the mistake, believing they shouldn’t read while they are working on their own work. Many believe they might be influenced by the style of the author they are reading, and thus, lose their own voice and style within their own work. While this may happen, it will be a rare thing. You will more likely find yourself remaining true to your own style as you burrow deeper and deeper into the story you are writing.

Others, find themselves overwhelmed by the powerful writing of a pro writer, feeling their own writing is inadequate. So they avoid reading, hoping to preserve their self-esteem. But what you’re really telling yourself, is that you’re confident in your own writing and your don’t need to study the writing of a professional writer.

Both avoidance reasons are myths!

Best advice I can impart to you, is Read in between your writing session. If your writing a horror story, read some stories y your favorite horror writer. There is a reason you like his/her work and there is a reason you like writing horror. So, as you read the stories by your favorite writer (regardless of genre actually) keep your mind open to the areas of the story that draws you in, pay attention to how the writer introduces characters, how they present dialogue. You don’t have to memorize this or to mimic it. Just notice it.

Anyway, here are a few of my favorite books from the Summer.  These are just my notes and thoughts on the books, if you want full blown reviews and details on the plotlines, you can find those on Amazon.com.

 

Odd Thomas:  This was Koontz at his finest.  Fast paced, riveting, packed-full of 'odd', likable and quirky characters.  There is a neat evil element and the suspense sucks you in immediately.  Early on, you want to know who will live and who will die.  An excellent book for any writer eager to study the art of story-telling.  Kudos to Dean Koontz!!!

 

The Overnight:  Writing a novel in present tense is a rarity, and a awesome endeavor. Not many can sustain it. No many can do it well. But not so for Ramsey Campbell and not in this novel. The Overnight is a subtle chiller. It introduces you, the reader, to the paranormal as it does the characters of the bookstore ~ slowly and subtly. I enjoyed reading this book late at night, just before bed, while I lay under the covers with only my small headboard light on. Its a book you savor over time, and not one you’ll find yourself reading in one sitting, because Ramsey Campbell takes his time to immerse in the mundane drudgery of working an ordinary job.

It’s a great book to study how presence tense can work, if done right.

  

     The Face:  No, I'm not a Dean Koontz fanatic;and yes, I do have a wider reading range beyond that of horror fiction.  But hey, I write horror and when I write horror I read horror.  I had a lot of story deadlines to meet over the summer and most of those involved horror stories; and I have other project I'm working on that involve horror tales so I craved horror and suspense.

Although this novel possessed an evil antagonist and would be considered for speculative fiction rather than outright horror, the tale was indeed packed with suspense.  The characters here were a tad bit stereotypical for my tastes, with the exception of Fric, the neglected and most often overlooked son of a movie star.  Yet the story made up for that with the dazzling descriptive passages Koontz used to set each seen and with his use of the puzzles.

This was a page turner for me, and thus, it was savored and read in less than a week.  Neat read!

And, in case you inquiring minds want to know, I read a total of 6 books over the Summer from June through August.  For me, that's about average.

  

Posted by K. A. Patterson at 10:10 AM | Permalink

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The Cell: A Novel, by Stephen King

Not his best work by far, but it certainly entertained me and kept me turning the pages. Reminiscent of the 'old' Stephen King style, I gobbled up this pseudo-zombie tale in 1 1/2 days, but found the ending rather anti-climatic. The big dramatic battle the story builds up to never really happens ~ or at least it seemed to fizzle out to me, like Stephen tired of the tale and simple rushed the ending.

But where he may have given up at the end, he definitely had that 'old' King sizzle and enthusiasm in the beginning and middle pages of the book.  The first three pages suck you in fast, and the chapters there after teased me along as a reader, making me want more and more.

The characters were too stereotypical for me, easily recognizable as rehashes of other King characters, tough without the depth a novel should have.

But again the focal point ~ the apocalyptic aftermath of the Pulse ~ how it effects mankind and the norm of the main character’s world carries the story and keeps the reader curious enough to read on.

I found his incorporation of a simple everyday device as a catalysis for the ensuring horror a masterful stroke.

For me, Cell: A Novel was an apt tribute to George A. Romero and Richard Matheson. It was an enjoyable read.  They’ll make a movie of it, you can bet on that.

***

The Resort, by Bentley Little

This delightfully twisted tale is Bentley Little at his finest. Luckily, I savored this masterpiece a little over 4 days ~ though I was sorely tempted to speed-read it from start to finish in one sitting.

This ghoulish luxury resort could be situated anywhere and the tale would be equally appealing ~ although you wouldn't catch me vacationing at any desert resort, no matter how much my travel agent touted the palce as an oasis paradise.

Gory, bizarre, and shocking at times, it's wonderfully inventive. Like King, the main characters could use more depth to make us care, but still the book is definitely a must read for horror and Bentley Little fans.

***

Cabinet of Curiosities, By Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

I’ve been a fan of this duo ever since I snatched up a copy of the suspense-filled Relic. This was long before the movie, Relic, hit the big screen mind you.  Soon after I became enamored with their engrossing writing style.

After Relic, I plucked up a copy of Reliquary, which I enjoyed but didn’t find as satisfying.

But when I happened upon a used copy of Cabinet of Curiosities on the ‘New Arrivals’ shelf at Half Price Books, I admit I was intrigued. Once I carted the book home and plopped on the couch to read it, I was immediately hooked.

Preston & Child do their homework.  They research their subject matter thoroughly. They immerse you in time and place, pulling you deeper and deeper into a tale that twists and turns quicker than the hairpin turns of an s-bend road snaking down hills along the west coast. Their characterization is impeccable. Heroes, heroines and villains are richly defined, with deep-ocean depth and quirks galore.

do their homework by researching their subject matter thoroughly. They immerse in time and place, pulling you deeper and deeper into a tale that twists and turns. Their characterization is impeccable. Heroes, heroine and villain are richly defined, with deep-ocean depth and quirks galore.

The here and now of the story is equally depicted.  The reader expends little effort to visualize where the authors are taking you with each turn of the page.  And the suspense becomes so intense at times you'd jump out of your skin if the slightest sound disturbs your reading.

Agent Pendergast is a true gem ~ a character I enjoy reading about again and again in other Preston-Child novels. I also loved being reaquainted with Lieutenant D’Agosta.

This was another sweeping tale I hated to see come to an end.

Posted by K. A. Patterson at 02:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

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