One of the most prolific and popular contemporary novelists, Dean Koontz has captivated both young and mature readers alike. This critical companion examines his mature fiction, including his most popular recent novels, Watchers, Lightning, Dark Rivers of the Heart, and Intensity. Its intention is to provide both conventional and alternative readings so that students and readers who love Koontz's fiction can develop their critical skills. Other novels examined in depth are Phantoms, Strangers, IMidnight, ^IThe Bad Place, and Mr. Murder. Seven other Dean Koontz novels are examined in comparison to these as well.A biographical chapter sketches Dean Koontz's background and suggests ways in which growing up as the child of an abusive alcoholic has affected his work. A chapter on genre shows that Koontz combines elements from a number of genres in his writing and that his novels are moving in the direction of mainstream fiction. Kotker's discussion of Koontz's increasingly somber world view shows him to be a writer deeply concerned with issues of individual freedom. Each chapter deals with one novel in depth while making comparisons to other novels in his canon. Plot, character development, setting, point of view, and thematic issues are discussed for each novel. Kotker also examines each novel from an alternative critical approach, providing the reader with an additional perspective. Because of its easy-to-use format and thorough critical approach, this book will be a key purchase for school and public libraries whose students and patrons read Dean Koontz.