That’s why I’d like to take a look back on these adaptations, as I believe that the lack of an active fanbase doesn’t mean Koontz’s writing is inherently inferior. Koontz, on the other hand, only has about half that many credits to his name (but only if you count the strangely abundant Watchers sequels), and most of these have been forgotten. As of 2020, there are currently over 50 adaptations of Stephen King’s work, and many of them are considered absolute classics. Of course, there is one big difference between the two writers that may be responsible for Koontz’s less favorable status among genre fans. At the end of the day, they’re two distinct voices crafting popular genre fiction, so there’s no point in constantly comparing them.

In fact, Koontz is just about the only author to have really competed with King over their audience, with their friendly rivalry even being referenced in their stories. Some may see him as a less-edgy Stephen King, and though his stories are usually lighter in tone than most of King’s output, that doesn’t make them any less engrossing. Having sold over 450 million books, Koontz isn’t exactly an obscure author operating in a little-known niche, yet I rarely see horror fans discussing his many contributions to the genre. That’s how I discovered the weird world of Dean Koontz novels, and I’m glad that I did. This meant that I couldn’t always guarantee the name-brand horror that I craved, so I eventually learned to give other genre writers a chance. I was a Stephen King fan growing up, but my family lacked the means to keep up with my literary habits.

The watcher book dean koontz