The Big Dark Sky

I just love his books. They are a fantastic journey with fabulous characters and it draws you in and it spins a web around you and you lose track of time. Absolutely incredible.

I have read books by Dean Koontz for a (very) long time now, and ‘The Big Dark Sky’ reminds me a lot of those earlier books of his that I grew up with: ‘Watchers’, ‘Lightning’, ‘Midnight’, ‘Phantoms’, ‘Strangers’, ‘Cold Fire’, etc. We have different groups of hero’s who must overcome obstacles but eventually end up together to fight the big bad. However, unlike Mr Koontz’s earlier books, ‘The Big Dark Sky’ is lacking somewhat in world-building, characterisations and plot and I found that it just didn’t captivate and engage me like his earlier works. I still enjoyed reading ‘The Big Dark Sky’ and several of the characters did jump out at me but overall, it’s not something I will likely revisit unlike his earlier works which I find myself returning to time and time again.Our main character is Joanna ‘Jojo’ Chase who we meet when she is 9 years old and grieving the loss of her mother who recently died. Jojo lives on Rustling Willows ranch in rural Montana. She is a child of stories and dreams having grown up with her mother, Emelia, teaching Jojo how to read and encouraging her love of books and her wild imagination. It is an almost idyllic childhood up until the tragedy that ripped Jojo’s world apart with the loss of her mother. Whilst curled up watching home videos one night, Jojo hears her mother’s voice through the TV.‘ “You will soon be going away, Jojo, going away to grow up elsewhere. I might reach out to you many years from now and ask you to come home.”Four days later, she was taken to Santa Fe to live with her aunt Katherine, her mother’s sister.“I might reach out to you many years from now and ask you to come home.” ’We jump twenty-four years ahead and Jojo has grown up and discarded her nickname, now going by Joanna. She has embraced her love of literature and become a successful author living in Santa Fe, close to her aunt but happy in her own house. The episode of her mother’s voice talking to her from the TV has faded and been relegated to the fantasy of her overwhelming grief. One night as Joanna is making dinner, she hears her car engine start. More puzzled than worried she investigates to find her car idling in the garage but no other person around. She turns off the car and thinks no more of it apart from dropping it off at the dealership to get checked out. As the days unfold, more mysterious events start happening around Joanna. Strange dreams of Rustling Willows, phone calls from the unknown, and the remembrance of her past on the ranch and the people who lived there. Driven to uncover the truth of her childhood, she heads back to Montana.At the same time, Wyatt Rider, a private investigator, is meeting with Liam O’Hara in Seattle. Liam is a self-made billionaire and friend of Wyatt’s who has been buying up large tracts of land in Montana to try and preserve the pristine beauty of the area. As part of Liam’s purchases, he bought Rustling Willows ranch and he and his family had decided to vacation for a week there ‘roughing’ it and spending time together as a family. They arrived on a Friday and by Monday they fled the property after several incidents that were at first magical turned increasingly darker and terrifying. Liam asks Wyatt to investigate the property and find out what is going on, so Wyatt travels to Rustling Willows.Whilst these events are being set in motion we are also introduced to the main protagonist, Asher Optime. Asher is insane. He thinks he is here to usher in the end of days by killing off the entire human race. Before he is introduced, he has kidnapped and killed several people in his effort to rid the world of humanity and recently kidnapped Ophelia Poole. There is not one thing likeable or relatable to Asher and yet I still found myself intrigued by his characterisation. Mr Koontz is a maestro at writing a character that is truly repulsive and yet you eagerly read along just to make sure he gets his comeuppance.The book is narrated by several different characters including Joanna, Wyatt, Asher, Ophelia etc. It can get slightly confusing at times, but the changing perspective keeps the storyline moving. I don’t think Joanna and Wyatt are strong main characters. They are likeable enough, but I didn’t feel like they were in danger at any time, so their chapters became filler for me rather than driving towards the finale. The conclusion itself was too easy and rushed. We spent so much time bringing all the different characters / groups together for the showdown and then it was just over without any twists or turns or edge of your seat suspense.Overall, I enjoyed reading ‘The Big Dark Sky’ by Dean Koontz. I felt like it was reminiscence of his early masterpieces but didn’t quiet reach the same level. The overall story kept me interested in the outcome, but I never went into 'Ignore the world mode'. The protagonist characters were all likeable, and the antagonist characters were suitably repugnant. The world building was satisfying, if a little too overblown in the description of Montana and the big dark sky. If you have liked other books by Dean Koontz or appreciate a good sci fi / mystery / suspense, then I recommend this book for you.4 out of 5 stars!

Dean Koontz,to me, is a master at injecting humanity and hope into his writings - a strange combination for an author known for stories balancing precariously on the razor edge between suspense and horror. The Big Dark Sky accomplishes that balance perfectly. The characters are interesting, the dialog intense, and the conclusion both gratifying and , where Artemis is concerned, not entirely unexpected. We may not know where AI will eventually lead humanity but it’s certain to be a wild ride!

The Big Dark Sky by Dean Koontz was, of course, fantastic, believable dark fantasy. The characters were easy to picture and put myself beside as the story unfolded. There are so many truths, so much realness, too much realness in the fantasy of the memories of childhood and the big dark sky of reality.

Three stars. As usual, it's a fairly good read. Koontz's tired, rather simplistic and frequently just wrong politics gets in the way of this, though. Still, there were a few very interesting characters, and his silly libertarianism doesn't quite ruin it. In fact, he may have gone somewhat lighter with the right wingnut thing in this than he has in some of his past books. Ahistorical, indeed, but can be ignored.The sad truth is that this is an attempt at recreating what he has done so well in the past, particularly with Whispers and Strangers: The bringing together of disparate people in the service of a good cause. Some of the quotes by the fictional character are really good, although generally speaking his read of quantum mechanics is kind of like that of many woo woo New Agers, and highly simplified. (I'm sure he'd be horrified to be lumped with New Agers, but well, that's what he sounds like.)I decided to re-read Strangers, and it's such a much better book, as I recalled. I've actually read it several times. The characters are more well-developed, there are more of them, and the plot is much more intense and interesting. And it's a lot more book for your buck.SPOILER ALERT:******************************************Really, aliens? Again? He adds the AI tie-in, how tiresomely timely, by way of an update, I assume. And the technology fear we all harbor, for various reasons. But this is the same old ground. I rolled my eyes so much they hurt. Jimmy Two Eyes is probably the most interesting character, with or without the force in him. It's worth reading for the sake of Jimmy and the young couple from Seattle, who are skimpily but well-drawn.

Although I really enjoy this author, the distraction caused by so many plot lines made it less enjoyable. If the reader sticks with this book for several days, perhaps Following several plot lines would be easier. As someone who takes time away from the story., I found it difficult to follow.

I always enjoy this author, his storytelling is a consistent pleasure to read. I hope you enjoy it too!!Ellie

This book does not disappoint because all the supernatural things that a good Dean Koontz book has! It ordered it for myself for Christmas and is one of the best books. I have all the books and hardcover and he's my

Synchronicity is the idea that seemingly unrelated events or experiences are somehow related, intertwined in ways that defy mere cause-and-effect. Effect can occur before cause, as crazy as that sounds. Our collective thoughts in the here-and-now connect us all in a complex web of future-making, shaping it towards our shared vision. If we all want and expect war, we get war. If you spread peace and positivity, you're but one cog in the machine to help stave off dark futures. Synchronicity.This book—THE BIG DARK SKY, written by the legendary wordsmith Dean Koontz and released on July 19th, 2022, ten days after the man's 77th birthday—is built upon that concept. If you've scoured all avenues of the internet (even the dark and shady ones) to find new video interviews with the man because your fandom borders on obsession—like I have—then you know he's spoken about synchronicity before. Dean expressed his excitement for this then-upcoming book by saying something akin to: "I've thought about synchronicity many times before, and I've touched upon it in previous books, but I've never been able to do a book deeply rooted in the concept. I've never had the right idea. And then I was working on *insert book* and it suddenly came to me. It was such a brilliant start that I had to keep going."Now I could dig up that YouTube video—or maybe it was on PornHub—or you could just take my word for it. Synchronicity.I adored this book, and I was often left in awe at how Dean was laying out the story, weaving together all the different narratives, everything spiralling to a central point. I don't want to spoil the twists, because there are many. The final twists and the ending I both saw coming, but it's very prescient. To release a book so good this late in the game is impressive. But I've been mostly impressed with Dean's output since switching over to Amazon.Four thoughts came to mind constantly while reading THE BIG DARK SKY:1. This dude can write a sentence. Flip to any page in the book, point anywhere, read and enjoy. And I say this consistently with his novels, even when they're not really blowing me away on the story frontier. He has a masterful way with words, which is overshadowed by his popularity and propensity towards genre-blending. Dean Koontz's prose is beautiful. There, I said it.2. There's something King-like about the writing I can't put my finger on. But I'll try. Don't get me wrong—the book contains many of the usual Dean Koontz tropes. I've read enough of his books to know them when I see them. But I've also read nearly all of King's books, and something about this one feels different from Dean's usual output since maybe ASHLEY BELL, taking some of King's gumption. Maybe it's how rich and detailed many of the characters are? And there are many characters. The first ten chapters I swear introduces eight or nine of them for you to follow. And Dean spends time going into their backstories, their way of thinking. It's impressive to analyse if you're a writer. Maybe it's the conversational tone possessed by many of the characters? I dunno.3. This is very much a modern take on old-school sci-fi/spec-fic. A modern take on old-school Dean Koontz—as in the old science-fiction paperbacks he's taken out of circulation. Yes, it's a thriller. Yes, it's a mystery. But it will throw concepts at you that take you for a ride. If you don't like soft sci-fi or speculative fiction, maybe avoid this one.4. I'm currently writing a comedic mystery novel. There were numerous moments in the book that touched on writing concepts I had either tackled while writing my own novel, was in the process of tackling, or was thinking about how to tackle. It was kinda synchronistic, people.In closing, THE BIG DARK SKY is a spectacular read and highly recommended. There's an underlying reflection on writing throughout the novel, especially in Joanna Chase (the novelist)'s chapters, which I think would be of benefit to any would-be writers. Fingers crossed his next one is just as good!

As an avid fan of Dean Koontz I was not left wanting with The Big Dark Sky .The characters just seemed to jump out and transport you into the plot .I read it in three sittings and would recommend to anyone who likes a great story and a lot of the unusual.

Be careful, it’s very difficult to put this thriller down, some sleepless nights included.Brilliant work, what an incredible imagination

Ultima fatica letteraria di Dean Koontz, dove suspense e ironia si intrecciano con la teoria junghiana della sincronicità.

"The Big Dark Sky" is the latest book by Dean Koontz. It makes me want to re-read his entire oeuvre. Yes, all 80 books I have of his. That's a feeling that was gone for a while, but has returned in recent years.Something strange is going on in the US state of Montana, but also far beyond. People seem to be attacked by an unknown enemy. Even one man's house implodes; only a heap of ash remains. Everything points to strange, supernatural phenomena. Joanna Chase, who grew up on a ranch in Montana but moved away after the death of her parents, is drawn to it again, as are a detective and a hacker investigating the strange case, and a few other people who are caught in the middle of it all by accident, but who will still play a very important role. It all reminds me a bit of "Strangers" from 1986. But there are also some elements that remind me of "Winter Moon" from 1994 and "Cold Fire" from 1992.Koontz writes better than a while ago. The religious elements and the usual overdose of dogs that many people got annoyed by and which caused many Koontzmaniacs to drop out in the past decades, have disappeared from his stories. Or as good as; those things never bothered me and therefore they never struck me as irritating, so it's always possible that I'm still reading past them. After his thriller series with the main character Jane Hawk, he also seems to be returning to the genre in which he wrote in the 80s and 90s: semi-horror stories with supernatural or paranormal elements, the kind of books with which he became famous and often got him the label of a second-rate Stephen King.With "The Big Dark Sky" we get an exciting story with not only characters we can root for, but also a megalomaniac villain with Thanos as a role model. Someone who could be compared to Preston Maddoc from 2001's "One Door Away From Heaven". Koontz has been putting the chapters told from the villain's perspective in the present tense for years, while the other chapters are in the past tense. This is to make clear that the antagonist lives only in the present, that he has no future, that the past has no value to him. That the only thing that matters to him is himself in the here and now.The plot of the book also led me on the wrong track a few times. Is the explanation for all strange events really something supernatural? Or is it a matter of a scientific experiment going wrong, which is also a theme often used by Koontz? I was hoping for the first one mainly, because these are my favorite stories, and I started to get a little scared as I saw more and more clues in favor of the second. But who knows, maybe Koontz just wants to mix it up this time. You will have to read the book to discover it!