Rating: 
Summary: Mister Roboto
Review: I love Koontz's story Midnight. I listend to the audiobook on cassette tape years ago on a trip across the country. It was rivetting. Over time I lost the tapes and years later I now wanted to hear it again. Excited, I received the Compact Disc version of Midnight as a gift. The narration is awful! It is like mister roboto is reading a book. I'm not even convinced the narrator isn't just a computer voice. If you've ever listened to the weather report at a rest-stop, that's what this entire reading sounds like. It's like Cher in that "Do you believe" song, with the voice crossing notes like a synthesizer. I tried it on various quality pieces of audio hardware and it always sounded the same, so it's certainly not a hardware issue, its just simply, as a few other reviewers pointed out, a really poor narrator and/or some very bad post processing.
Rating: 
Summary: Manifold Frankenstein
Review: Beasts in the night; heroic, yet troubled FBI agent; a mad scientist; corrupt small-town police, and it is all one big smarmy cliche, right? WRONG.
MIDNIGHT is a wonderfull novel, and a terribly disturbing story. Yes, as a matter of fact, there are horror cliches. But if you prefer to think, as I do, they are stylistic tributes and more than excellent portrayals of terrifying literature.
Mr. Koontz stepped up his suspense, his characterization, as well as his tone and style with this one, and that is why it earned him his first bestseller. It's no surprise either; MIDNIGHT is a word that becomes here, a nightmare.
This was the first Koontz novel I read, long ago, when I was much younger. I was also more suscptible to scares, or being scared not only by monsters who "caper" in moonlight, but those mosters of uspeakable psycholgical madness. And after years of refusing to reread this book, for the fear of spoiling its terrific shocking contents, I choose to remember it just as well.
MIDNIGHT is really an updated FRANKENSTEIN. And although I'm not sure what the author is up to with his new endeavor with the Mary Shelley story, I know that it will be worthwhile. I know this because I've read both FRANKENSTEIN and MIDNIGHT.
Separated by more than a hundred years, these two stories hold disinct similarities. The flight from moral obligations, and the differences between progressive science and pure madness are here. But most importantly is the overwhelming human nature of escaping responsibilty. The word "regressive" implies it, but only this story and these characters can tell it as well.
Here, the townsfolk do not "regress" into a mob of different kind of monsters, as in FRANKENSTEIN. Instead, they BECOME the monster, each in their own way. They flee responsiblity and compassion and humanity to become something easier. They lose their hope, and regress. And the struggle of those left behind becomes impossible, if not hopeless. But a good Koontz charatcter has nothing if not hope.
My First, and one of my all time favorite Koontz novels.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting subject; not enough steam for my machine!
Review: I love Koontz. I have read a ton of his books, but I have noticed one strange trend. Some of his books are awesome. Others need to be rewritten or thrown in the dumper.
"Midnight" somehow falls in the middle of those two categories. I really like the subject matter - the inability for humankind to find a natural balance between enlightenment and staying true to its roots. The character of Thomas Shaddack is blatantly psychotic, the typical megolamaniac. It really is not a bad story, if the actual writing could be a bit clearer. Sometimes, Koontz gets a little lost in his description of the landscape and exterior events. Maybe it is my rampant impatience, but I always want to get to the meat of the story in as little time as possible.
Maybe, if at all interested, you (the reader of this review) can try one of Mr. Koontz's other books. For instance - I was stunned by the deeply tragic story of the young screenwriter in the novel "Whispers". The terror that was contained in that book is the Koontz that I know and really admire. It is one of his first, so check that out!
I feel like I have been reading a watered down version of this writer for some time now. I did like his recent novel, "Odd Thomas". Try that one too!
Well, to sum up, I like Midnight. I just could do without all the "filler" material in the middle.
Rating:
Summary: Horrible Narrator!
Review: Avoid at all costs buying the audio version of the novel. The narrator over pronounces the words as if he's speaking to a deaf mute trying to read his lips. Ever worse, he has no dramatic qualities to his voice. It's just comple monotone. Awful.
Rating:
Summary: Mister Roboto
Review: Though I've read most of his novels, this one is a classic and one of my favorites. I'd have to say it focuses more on the sci-fi element than his standard novels, but is no less enjoyable. It's more twisted and subtly erotic as well, which, though many "respectable" readers might not comfortably admit to liking, adds a futher level of perverse fascination.
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