Will I love Watchers?

Technically a re-read from many, many moons ago, "Watcher" was every bit as good as I remembered. The primary reason I loved this book (again) was because of the genetically-enhanced golden retriever, Einstein.

Dean Koontz frequently features dogs in his works -- golden retrievers, in particular -- but in this instance, the dog is gifted with human-level intelligence, so Einstein was truly his own character alongside the humans, Travis and Nora. Perhaps more so.

If you like tense suspense/horror, it's worth your time. If you're a dog-lover, you really should give it a look.

This book is more than 30 years old and some of the language and ideas reflect that, but the ideas in it strike a chord that is timeless and needed more than ever now. On the surface it's a "good v evil" story. Underneath it's not so simple and the "evil" characters have vulnerabilities that that were exploited rather than healed. Abuse culture thrives in silence and shame. Watchers helps us see and acknowledge it.

I confess: I love the book because of the dog, Einstein. But I also love it because Koontz shines a spotlight on the downside and potential harm of technology and spins a classic tale of good versus evil.

I have never forgotten this book, and I read it on publication in 1987. The story is fascinating and different. But it stayed with me because of the quality of the writing and the unexpected use of magical realism. A dog who understands language? Wonderful. And he was a major character, another surprising bonus for me.

I’m a fan of Dean Koontz… show more.

Again, another fantasy writer whose proliferation causes us to overlook sheer artistry.

This is a stellar story, ahead of its time, the good/evil paradigm framed in genetic experimentation. The lead character, a dog—and anyone who follows Koontz knows his affinity for golden retrievers—is a whole being and a gentle soul. Even anti-fantasy snobs would love this book. It’s a great contemporary fairy tale and a harbinger. 

As a footnote to this, most of the songs on my playlists are also forty-plus years old. Why tinker with success?

I have been a Dean Koontz fan since I picked up Watchers.

It was truly the first book I’d read that integrated science so seamlessly into the story. It also made me wish for a genetically altered Golden Retriever that could communicate with wooden ABC blocks. And the emotions Koontz evoked in the reader for the engineered monster were deep—fear and anger layered with pity and sadness.

This book taught me that sometimes villains do horrible things for good reasons. And sometimes those reasons are completely understandable and relatable.