Prodigal Son (Dean Koontz's Frankenstein, Book 1)

Rating:
Summary: Salavating for More
Review: Dean Koontz has woven together a novel that draws the reader in from the first page...He creates an epilouge to Mary Sheely's Frankenstein that easily stands on its own two feet...Set in New Orleans in the present, the story follows Victor Helios, a.k.a Dr. Frankenstein, gruesome creations as they assimilate into everyday life...He wishes to grow the new age of human beings; human beings he controls...

Koontz's descriptions of New Orleans, Victor Helios' creations and the grisly details of murders committed are esquisite...

Frankenstein: Prodigal Son is the first in a series of books being written by Dean Koontz...As this book ends, you are wishing for the next installment...A very easy, quick read Dean Koontz's Frankenstein will leave anyone spellbound...

Rating:
Summary: A gripping, suspenseful novel of terror and mystery!
Review: Forget what you've heard about. Victor Frankenstein and his creation did not die--they are still alive, and in New Orleans. Driven by power, Victor has created a race--a New Race--of "men" who follow only his orders, who are programmed only to obey him...but like all master plans, this one has a few glitches. Like, what happens when a superhuman suddenly gets a mind of its own?

Deucalion was Victor's first creation. He has spent two hundred years in hiding...and has just found out his creator's plans. Traveling to New Orleans, Deucalion hooks up with two cops: Carson O'Connor, a street-wise cop as beautiful as she is deadly, and Michael Maddison, sarcastic but dangerous. Their goal: to stop a demented serial killer...and make sure they put a hault to Victor Helios's plans before it's too late. If the deadline hasn't already passed, that is...

"Prodigal Son" is gripping and unforgettable. I thought I would hate it; my all-time favorite author, Dean Koontz, reworking an old legend into a new story--it sounded like a recipe for disaster. I almost didn't buy the book. I'm glad I did. This novel is chock-full of humor, suspense, terror, quantum physics, horror, romance, suspense...everything you expect from a good Koontz book (this one also reminded me of Koontz's older work...you know, the buddy-cop novels with a twist).

Dean Koontz and Keven J. Anderson's "Prodigal Son" is a great beginning to what may become a legendary series. Don't miss this book, not if you're a fan of great horror/suspense. Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: HEEEEEEEEE'S BAAACCCKKKK!!!
Review: Frankenstein is still alive. He's been building up an evil scheme which, in his demented mind, he thinks is the answer to all of lifes problems. You, like everyting Koontz has written, you are thrown into right into the middle of a fast paced roller coaster thrill ride. Koontz, as usual, makes you feel like you're a character written into the book. He's able to weave a tale with the best of them.

Make sure that you've had plenty of rest. Make sure that you have about a good long period of free time. Make darn sure that you have food and water nearby. Then, find a comfortable chair, and sit back. You're NOT going to want to put this book down. I sure wish I could've found the time to read this book in one sitting, because I dreaded putting this book down even for a moment.

Enjoy this thrilling update of one of the most infamous schemers in the history of literature. You ask yourself, part way through, did Mary Shelley write Frankenstein from personal experience? Was it pure fiction? After reading this book you might not want to know the answer.

Rating:
Summary: Another Koontz sucess
Review: I enjoyed this book and do not think I need to reiterate what the other folks have said in their reviews. I do not think it is as good as some of his others, but nevertheless a good story. I think the series should have been done in one book. This was another "large print with lots of spaces" book and I alwys feel a bit cheated when I get one.

My complaint with this book is that nowhere is Kevin Anderson's name mentioned by either the author or the publisher. I did not even realize until halfway through the book that he was involved. All I can say is "Dean, you have enough kudos to share a little with your co-author".

Rating:
Summary: Fun! Cops Chasing Serial Killers and Monsters!
Review: I have read most of Dean Koontz's books and really enjoy him when he doesn't get too dark or "weird". This book was neither (unless your squeamish about serial killers, in which case you shouldn't be reading horror anyway ;o) and I really enjoyed it.

The Cop/Buddy aspect was fun and the monsters kept it interesting. If you are looking for a good horror read, definitely pick this book up!

Rating:
Summary: A modern day twist on an old classic.
Review: I just love the way Dean Koontz can weave a tale. Its like you're cast in a spell and you can do nothing but hold on until the ride stops. I couldn't put this book down. I could have read it in one sitting if work and other annoying obligations didn't get in the way.

What if Dr. Frankenstein never died and was more powerful then ever? What could he accomplish with untold riches and resources? Well Dean Koontz certainly answered those questions. Dr. Victor Frankenstein (aka Victor Helios) is living in present day New Orleans and has created an empire where he a god. He creates life and takes it away at a whim. He has fine-tuned his craft by creating a New Race that will eventually wipe out mankind (the Old Race) and fulfill his dream of a utopian society that works like a beehive with a class system (alphas, betas, gammas, etc).

You might be asking what about Frankenstein's monster. Well he is alive and well also. He calls himself Deucalion (mythical son of Prometheus). Living in Tibet, he receives word that Victor is still alive. So he travels to New Orleans for what he believes to be his destiny...to finally destroy his maker.

After two hundred years, the man becomes the monster and the monster becomes human.

There is so much more to tell. There are so many new and interesting characters that are well developed. I urge you to read this book. Dean Koontz is a master storyteller and you will be enchanted. I can't wait for the next installment: Dean Koontz's Frankenstein: City of Night.

Jennifer


Rating:
Summary: It had to be New Orleans....
Review: It had to be New Orleans because the plot meandered around the city like the chronicles of a certain vampire-loving raconteur from the Big Easy. Don't misunderstand me, I admire the detail, but get on with the story. If I wanted excessive minutia, I'd read Crichton. Too many details derail the rising action and sidetrack the attention span. These characters burn tissue thin except for the side show freaks including Deucalion. He deserved the story and not the two dimensional, reiterated clones that became as souless as their flat egotistical creator (I guess Helios meant that he is the center of the solar system and not just this world). I hope if I live 200 years I will not become as concerned with humanity that I find the need to control it through a B-movie motivation. Helios deserved more. Mr. Sinister in Marvel Comics played more convincing than Helios. I wanted to like this novel since I adored the Modern Prometheus and the Dune prequels, but where was the story? More matter and less art next time! I won't be tagging along for the extended tour of New Orleans for the next book. Sorry.

Rating:
Summary: Best Frankenstein Story that I have read
Review: The idea to keep the original story intact and just bring us a new chapter 200 years later is just great! The story, as usual with a Koontz book, unfolds at break neck speed. I mean it never lows down, right up to the very last page! Be forwarned, there is nothing that even comes close to closure in this book. Its as if they wrote the entire story and picked the most suspenceful parts and end the book there. Then smiling , they watch as we anxiously wait for next volume to come.

If you like Koontz, horror or SiFi please go out and get this book. But take one word of advice, you may want to wait till we are a little closer to the release date for the second book. I'm in anguish knowing I have to wait four months!

Rating:
Summary: Koontz Effectively Recasts an Old Story
Review: Though a fan of Koontz, when I first saw the title of this book I was afraid it would be trite. But I was wrong. This is one of Koontz's best efforts in years. He does not rewrite the story of Frankenstein, rather, he builds on it.

It is the present day and Dr. Frankenstein is alive and well and continuing his efforts. His goal is more clarified. He is no tragic figure, but an evil man bent on building a race of perfect beings that will replace humanity. Over the two hundred years since the events portrayed in Mary Shelley's book (which, in an nice twist, is explained as a semi-historical account based on legends and hearsay), Dr. Frankenstein has amassed a fortune and a vast biotech empire. Through modern genetics and science, he no longer has to piece together his creations from dead humans. He grows them and programs them with directives and information. He and his creations bide their time, infiltrate humanity, and await the time to strike openly.

Opposing these efforts is Dr. Frakenstein's first creation. The Monster still lives, but has become more and more human while his creator has become less. Koontz and Anderson do a great job of portraying the monster as a suffering man, noble in spirit yet malformed in body. His path and mission cross paths with two homocide detectives on the trail of one of the New Race who has become a serial killer after he realizes that his programing and superior genetics has left him empty, missing something that humans seem to possess.

Koontz and Anderson's decision to place the story in New Orleans was a stroke of genius. They do a good job of capturing the mood of what is perhaps America's most foreign, haunted city. The food, the history, the music, the graveyards. All are effecitvely portrayed and woven into the story.

The book is a quick read, with 4-5 page chapters dealing with one sequence of events, the moving to another. Despite this, it does not come across choppy. The writers keep the pace going while making the narrative clear.

A good book. Reminscent of, though not quite at the level of, Koontz's excellent Twilight Eyes.

Rating:
Summary: Forget Mary Shelly
Review: Well actually, no. Of course not. Nothing can top the original. But Koontz comes at this classic tale with his own scythe ready to cause a change of faith in the fans of the original. This is not so much a remake as a supplement to the classic tale. Koontz references the story we all now and simply fast-forwards to our time, keeping the original Victor and his monster, and giving them longevity.

The prose is ellegant and the speed is neck-breaking. It appears that Mr. Koontz uses 'big' words and paints detailed scenarios that may intimidate some readers, but I challenge you to read his work out loud - you'll see how nicely the words roll off your tongue.