Status
Available
Series
Collection
Publication
Bantam (1998), 448 pages
Description
Fiction. Horror. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:Christopher Snow is the best-known resident of 12,000-strong Moonlight Bay, California. This is because 28-year-old Chris has xeroderma pigmentosum (XP)�??a light-sensitivity so severe that he cannot leave his house in daylight, cannot enter a normally-lit room, cannot sit at a computer. Chris's natural element is the night, and his parents, both academics, chose to live in Moonlight Bay because in a small town Chris can make the nightscape his own�??roaming freely through the town on his bike, surfing in the moonlight, exploring while most people sleep. But Chris's brilliant mother, a scientist, was killed in a car accident 2 years ago, and as the book opens his father, Steven Snow, is dying of cancer; Chris's protected life is about to change forever. We meet Chris as he is carefully preparing himself to go out in the late-afternoon sun to visit the hospital. In his last moments of life his father tells Chris he is "sorry" and that Chris should "fear nothing"�??cryptic words that Chris cannot really relate to. Steven Snow's body is removed to the hospital basement for transport to the funeral home/crematorium, and when Chris goes downstairs for a final moment of farewell, he witnesses a frightening and clandestine encounter: the funeral director and another man Chris doesn't recognize are substituting the body of a hitchhiker for Steven Snow's body�??which is being taken not to the crematorium but to some secret destination. For Chris, this scene is the first intimation of a conspiracy that he will come to realize envelopes many of his townspeople. His parents knew of it and wanted to protect Chris from it. His best friend has had hints of something wrong because of the frightening nocturnal visitors that have come to his beachhouse. And the first person to try to explain to Chris what's going on�??and warn him about the special danger he himself is in�??will be hideously murdered. In the 24 hours this book encompasses, Christopher Snow will find out that, sheltered though he's been, he has the soul of a fighter and an adventurer. By the end of the book he will have killed a man, will have discovered the role his own mother played in the birth of the conspiracy, will have come to recognize the extraordinary guardians that, unknown to him, have watched over him for years. He will realize that some people hate him, others revere him, and neither his own life nor those of anyone he knows will ever be the same. From the Paper… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member krysteria
Finally! The old Dean Koontz is back! This book reminds me of Lightning because both books were spooky and eerie and so well written to be that way. The type of books that make you shiver and look over your shoulder at night, if you’re up late reading.
I LOVE the main character of this book!
His best friend Bobby is extremely cool, too. A very loyal friend. I’m too fond of Sasha, his girlfriend yet, but maybe she will grow on me.
And Orson! Chris’ dog! Now he’s an awesome dog!
When I first realized this book was written in first person, I groaned. I don’t like most books written in first person. Most authors don’t convince me they are someone else and that someone else is who is telling the story. It ends up being a story told by the book’s author instead of a character in the book. Koontz did not do that this time. He greated an awesome character in Chris Snow, and told the story as Chris would tell it, not as Dean Koontz would tell it. And Chris has an awesome sense of humor and was always thinking something funny in the face of terror! It was great reading! Very fun! He was one character who’s head I enjoyed being in!
I loved the fact this entire book takes place 99% in a single night. What a busy night for Chris! That made it so unique! You see that a lot in movies and TV shows, but not so much in books.
Koontz descriptions in this book were amazing. I feel like I’ve visited Moonlight Bay.
Lastly, this book was just plain scary, in the way Halloween is supposed to be scary. Spooky! Since it takes place at night, that only adds to the spookiness.
When I finished this book, I was really sad. I really enjoyed hanging out with Chris Snow. Then I read the author’s notes at the back of the book where Dean Koontz expressed his like for these characters as well and said he would spending more time with them in the future! "Could it be he’s writing another book about them?" I thought. Then I turned to last page in the book and read that on Dec. 29, a new book with the same main characters would be released! HURRAY! I hope he writes more!
On a scale of 1 to 10, a definitive 10!! A bursting-at-the-seams 10!
I LOVE the main character of this book!
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Christopher Snow, a 28 year old who has XP (the disease where you can’t be exposed to light). He is such a brave soul, and so full of life despite his condition. So smart, bright, determined. I’d go out with him!!His best friend Bobby is extremely cool, too. A very loyal friend. I’m too fond of Sasha, his girlfriend yet, but maybe she will grow on me.
And Orson! Chris’ dog! Now he’s an awesome dog!
When I first realized this book was written in first person, I groaned. I don’t like most books written in first person. Most authors don’t convince me they are someone else and that someone else is who is telling the story. It ends up being a story told by the book’s author instead of a character in the book. Koontz did not do that this time. He greated an awesome character in Chris Snow, and told the story as Chris would tell it, not as Dean Koontz would tell it. And Chris has an awesome sense of humor and was always thinking something funny in the face of terror! It was great reading! Very fun! He was one character who’s head I enjoyed being in!
I loved the fact this entire book takes place 99% in a single night. What a busy night for Chris! That made it so unique! You see that a lot in movies and TV shows, but not so much in books.
Koontz descriptions in this book were amazing. I feel like I’ve visited Moonlight Bay.
Lastly, this book was just plain scary, in the way Halloween is supposed to be scary. Spooky! Since it takes place at night, that only adds to the spookiness.
When I finished this book, I was really sad. I really enjoyed hanging out with Chris Snow. Then I read the author’s notes at the back of the book where Dean Koontz expressed his like for these characters as well and said he would spending more time with them in the future! "Could it be he’s writing another book about them?" I thought. Then I turned to last page in the book and read that on Dec. 29, a new book with the same main characters would be released! HURRAY! I hope he writes more!
On a scale of 1 to 10, a definitive 10!! A bursting-at-the-seams 10!
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LibraryThing member Heptonj
This is a superb tale of 'science gone wrong' and the havoc it can bring. All the more scary because it shows how the best intentions can bring disaster.
Christopher Snow suffers from a rare illness which prevents him from going out in daylight. His girlfriend Sasha and best friend surf guru Bobby
Christopher discovers a cover-up when he goes to the mortuary and discovers his father's dead body has been swapped with a murdered transient. This brings him to the attention of the people who want the fact of genetic experiments to be kept quiet. He then finds out that all the 'friends' he had, apart from Sasha and Bobby, are not at all what they had seemed.
A riveting read by Dean Koontz.
Christopher Snow suffers from a rare illness which prevents him from going out in daylight. His girlfriend Sasha and best friend surf guru Bobby
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are both night-owls so can share in his adventures. Christopher discovers a cover-up when he goes to the mortuary and discovers his father's dead body has been swapped with a murdered transient. This brings him to the attention of the people who want the fact of genetic experiments to be kept quiet. He then finds out that all the 'friends' he had, apart from Sasha and Bobby, are not at all what they had seemed.
A riveting read by Dean Koontz.
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LibraryThing member brucemmoyer
Prolific author Koontz appears unsure of where he was going with this effort as he vacillates between horror, suspense, philosophy, and at times humor in the style of Dave Barry. Page 163, discussing a stored nativity display, "One of the wisemen stood with his face in the bell of an angel's
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trumpet, and joseph appeared to be in conversation with a camel. Baby Jesus lay unattended....Mary sat with a beatific smile and an adoring gaze, but the object of her attention ....was a galvanized bucket. Another wiseman seemed to be looking up a camel's butt." Lots of funny parts in a story dealing with mutilations, mayhem and murder. Just did not feel right to me although it was interesting to read, but probably not for all the reasons the author intended. Show Less
LibraryThing member MelodieAnn
My all time favorite book. I have read it over and over and everytime I think about it I want to read it again. Ingenious way to foretell the end of the world. Not the normal Armageddon, not the end of the world by Zombies. Its the end of the world by genetically engineered People and Animals who
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become smarter, meaner, and more skilled in everything they do, and are slowly bringin down the end of Moonlight Bay.. and someday the world. Show Less
LibraryThing member Prop2gether
Really good thrill reading--love this series
LibraryThing member andyray
If any story ended so the reader would demand a sdequel, this is such a story. I yawned through the first 100 pages, but by the time the story is almost ended, I wanted to stay in the town of Moonlight Bay, and see what I'd "become." Koontz can do characterization as SK can not. SK has standard
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characters -- the boy(s), the old man, the clairvoyent woman or girl-child, but with Koontz, you join with the characters and feel what is hapening, not just "see" it. Show Less
LibraryThing member Darla
I keep forgetting to look for Koontz's books. This one, like all the others of his I've read, was purchased by my husband. It's partly because horror isn't usually my cuppa (so determined because I don't like horror movies, and reinforced because I don't like Stephen King's writing style), partly
ANYWAY.
Fear Nothing is about Christopher Snow, a young man with a genetic disorder that makes light, particularly sunlight, deadly to him. Despite that, he's been raised well, and he's unremittingly optimistic and enjoys life to the fullest. Until his father is dying, bringing him out into the sun to rush to his hospital bedside. His father's last words to him are "fear nothing." Good advice, as Christopher is plunged into danger and intrigue.
He stumbles upon morgue attendants switching his father's body with that of a vagrant whose eyes have been removed, and from then on, he's fleeing for his life. Men with guns, aggressive monkeys with strange eyes, people he thought he knew behaving out of character. He's aided by his best friend, surfer Bobby, his girlfriend, and his super-intelligent dog Orson.
A couple of things distracted from my enjoyment: too many people started to explain things to him, then stopped and told him to forget about it. Once or even twice, this can build suspense. More than that, and it gets tedious.
My other complaint is that "secret government experiments" is right up there on my list with serial killers who are killing their mothers or wives over and over again as being overdone and therefore predictable and boring. Granted, Fear Nothing is 10 years old, but I'm pretty sure there've been secret government experiment stories around much longer than that.
However, the characters are interesting individuals. I loved Chris's optimism and outlook on life, and I liked how it complemented and contrasted with Bobby's laid-back surfer personality. I liked Orson, and how Chris interpreted his thoughts and behavior.
But it's the feel of the book, the rising tension, the horror, that really shines and explains Koontz's popularity. Ironically, if I hadn't cared so much about the characters, the tension wouldn't have affected me so much, and I wouldn't have been so irritated with the several characters who refused to explain further.
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because he has tended to keep me supplied with enough horror novels that there's always one available when I have the urge, and partly because until recently, I've only been keeping track of new releases on my must-buy list, and I don't like to buy new releases, particularly not hardcovers, when an author has a large backlist I haven't read yet. I think I've fixed that last problem, so hopefully, I'll be reading more by Koontz in the future.ANYWAY.
Fear Nothing is about Christopher Snow, a young man with a genetic disorder that makes light, particularly sunlight, deadly to him. Despite that, he's been raised well, and he's unremittingly optimistic and enjoys life to the fullest. Until his father is dying, bringing him out into the sun to rush to his hospital bedside. His father's last words to him are "fear nothing." Good advice, as Christopher is plunged into danger and intrigue.
He stumbles upon morgue attendants switching his father's body with that of a vagrant whose eyes have been removed, and from then on, he's fleeing for his life. Men with guns, aggressive monkeys with strange eyes, people he thought he knew behaving out of character. He's aided by his best friend, surfer Bobby, his girlfriend, and his super-intelligent dog Orson.
A couple of things distracted from my enjoyment: too many people started to explain things to him, then stopped and told him to forget about it. Once or even twice, this can build suspense. More than that, and it gets tedious.
My other complaint is that "secret government experiments" is right up there on my list with serial killers who are killing their mothers or wives over and over again as being overdone and therefore predictable and boring. Granted, Fear Nothing is 10 years old, but I'm pretty sure there've been secret government experiment stories around much longer than that.
However, the characters are interesting individuals. I loved Chris's optimism and outlook on life, and I liked how it complemented and contrasted with Bobby's laid-back surfer personality. I liked Orson, and how Chris interpreted his thoughts and behavior.
But it's the feel of the book, the rising tension, the horror, that really shines and explains Koontz's popularity. Ironically, if I hadn't cared so much about the characters, the tension wouldn't have affected me so much, and I wouldn't have been so irritated with the several characters who refused to explain further.
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LibraryThing member brokenmuse21
i've never found an author who was so successful at description of situation and surroundings as is koontz. he is by far my favorite. and this is by far my favorite book of his. it's hard NOT to fall completely in love with christopher snow and his quirky life. the supporting characters in this
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book are also very rounded and charming. moonlight bay is a place you want to visit - to see if you can discover more secrets - but better be careful you don't run into a pack of mutant monkies! Show Less
LibraryThing member ladybug74
This was a typical Koontz book with a mixture of suspense, science fiction, and a very smart dog. I really enjoyed it until the end, which left some things unresolved. I have noticed since starting this book that Christopher Snow also appears in Seize the Night, so maybe we will learn more about
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what happens next in that book. I thought the person reading this recorded version did an excellent job. He managed to make the characters seem real and added personality in the voices that he gave to the characters. Show Less
LibraryThing member harpua
As I've got a large collection of Koontz novels that I have yet to read, I usually pull one out when I need a filler book in between other novels. He is truly hard to classify. Being very prolific, his two or so novels a year, give a large variety of styles and genres to choose from. As he is
Fear Nothing, in my mind, falls more in the realm of thriller or actually a mystery and not so much horror. Here we follow Christopher Snow, a young man with a genetic disorder that leaves him vulnerable to light, as he is swept up in a mystery following the death of his father. This is a fast paced novel that lacks some substance and I do wish that his genetic disorder was explored a bit more. I do suspect that the future novels in the Christopher Snow series will explore this a bit more.
Overall an enjoyable novel. Probably not a real memorable novel, but I do look forward to reading the rest in the series.
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typically classified in the horror section his novels are often overlooked by those that stay away from the genre for one reason or another. That is usually a mistake as his are not your typical horror novel. Fear Nothing, in my mind, falls more in the realm of thriller or actually a mystery and not so much horror. Here we follow Christopher Snow, a young man with a genetic disorder that leaves him vulnerable to light, as he is swept up in a mystery following the death of his father. This is a fast paced novel that lacks some substance and I do wish that his genetic disorder was explored a bit more. I do suspect that the future novels in the Christopher Snow series will explore this a bit more.
Overall an enjoyable novel. Probably not a real memorable novel, but I do look forward to reading the rest in the series.
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LibraryThing member melydia
Chris Snow has a genetic disorder which causes UV light to inflict permanent and cumulative damage. Thus his life is necessarily lived between dusk and dawn. Soon after his father dies from cancer, Chris starts running into a bunch of weirdness and people not telling him things. There's a lot of
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vague talk of the end of the world, of people "becoming," and not a whole lot of straight answers. Chris spends his time running from suspicious-acting friend to suspicious-acting friend to find out The Truth. I remember really liking this book when I first read it a few years ago, but this time I felt more lukewarm. Chris didn't have a whole lot of personality, flipping from surf bum to intellectual to philosopher, depending on who he was talking to. This would be a good book for someone new to bio-thrillers. As for me, well, it was a decent way to spend the commute, but I won't be reading it again. Show Less
LibraryThing member becker2558
First of all, this is one of the strangest books I have ever read. Dean Koontz clearly has a mind unlike most people on this planet. But I love it. The bizarre science fiction interests me in a way that most other things can't. The thing that starts this book off to a total victory in my liking of
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it is the main character. He is an extremely personable and lovable guy. And wait, he has a disease in which he sunlight harms his skin rendering him ultimately nocturnal. You can't go wrong with this in my mind. Once I read this, I was hooked. Now on top of this, throw in some great action scenes, crazy science projects, and um... evil monkeys, and you've got something I can't resist. Sure people may say that this is just too crazy and impossible for enjoyment, but I am certainly not one of those people. Simply having an interesting, in this case extremely interesting, main character who displays natural heroics and nothing "phony" (thanks Holden) creates an irresistible book that I was unable to put down until it was finished. The sequel, "Seize the Night", was equally entertaining, and even more insane. Show Less
LibraryThing member jayne_charles
This book was based on an interesting idea - the main character cannot go out due to an extreme skin condition which means any kind of sunlight could place him at risk of developing cancer. We see things through his eyes as he roams the town at night time, and we meet his friends, one of whom is a
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surf dude so laid back he is practically horizontal. The story is not bad at all, quite moving in places, and left me wanting to read the next in the series about this character. Show Less
LibraryThing member DomingoSantos
Not spectacular, but entertaining. California coastal town and descriptions ring true. Story's premise a bit "out there," but if you enjoy Koontz, you'll probably like this.
LibraryThing member mbertsch
This book is great. To be a guy that can't go out in the sun? And his entire life is lived after everyone else is asleep? And to find out the tragedies of his life after those accountable are gone? Very suspenseful.
LibraryThing member bobleino
Book may have been great but the reader's voice was to low of a tone and too soft foe listening in a car. I had to max the volume but could not hear the soft voice and many times whispered. This may be a good listen at home but not in a car with road noise.
LibraryThing member jonwwil
When I was younger, I was a huge Dean Koontz fan. As I got older, my reading tastes changed, and there came a point where I realized there were several Koontz books I hadn't read, and I wasn't terribly concerned about it. I still liked the stuff of his I had read - indeed, Watchers is a favorite of
So the other day I was searching my shelves for something to read, and I realized I had a couple of Koontz books that I'd picked up and never read. I grabbed Fear Nothing, and reading the description brought back a ghost of the excitement I used to feel when contemplating a new Koontz. I decided to give it a go, and I'm glad I did. The typical flaws that turned down my dial on Koontz are present: the ridiculously idealized characters, the wooden dialogue, the complete lack of nuance and subtlety, you name it. But all that aside, this book was just fun. He can set up a suspenseful scene, that's for sure; and few writers nail the bond with a dog with the skill (not to mention the persistence) that he does.
I did like how he mentioned, at least obliquely, the events of Watchers in this book, because up to that point I was thinking he had come across his notes from that novel and decided he could make another book out of them. That's how similar the two are. There are some elements of Midnight thrown in as well. Those are two of the books in the wheelhouse of my Koontz-obsessed period, so reading this was a nice blast from the past, even though I hadn't read it before. I'll have to check out Seize the Night, too; luckily, I have that one on my shelf as well.
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mine even now, good for a reread every so often - I just no longer felt the need to devour everything of his the way I once did.So the other day I was searching my shelves for something to read, and I realized I had a couple of Koontz books that I'd picked up and never read. I grabbed Fear Nothing, and reading the description brought back a ghost of the excitement I used to feel when contemplating a new Koontz. I decided to give it a go, and I'm glad I did. The typical flaws that turned down my dial on Koontz are present: the ridiculously idealized characters, the wooden dialogue, the complete lack of nuance and subtlety, you name it. But all that aside, this book was just fun. He can set up a suspenseful scene, that's for sure; and few writers nail the bond with a dog with the skill (not to mention the persistence) that he does.
I did like how he mentioned, at least obliquely, the events of Watchers in this book, because up to that point I was thinking he had come across his notes from that novel and decided he could make another book out of them. That's how similar the two are. There are some elements of Midnight thrown in as well. Those are two of the books in the wheelhouse of my Koontz-obsessed period, so reading this was a nice blast from the past, even though I hadn't read it before. I'll have to check out Seize the Night, too; luckily, I have that one on my shelf as well.
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LibraryThing member AnnieHidalgo
This is my favorite Dean Koontz book. It develops into the usual Koontz conspiracy plot, but begins with a woman who begins having panic attacks that center around her own possible capacity to do harm with anything close at hand. This turns out to be hypnotically induced - leading me to wonder,
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COULD you plant a suggestion in someone's mind causing them to be paralyzed with the fear that they will do some unspecified evil? Probably. It's intriguingly diabolical. And of course it's satisfying to watch the good guys triumph in the end, as they mostly do in Koontz. Show Less
LibraryThing member KerryAlanDenney
Wish Dean had finished this trilogy!
LibraryThing member presto
Probably the best of the Koontz that I have read. Christopher Snow, a more rounded out individual than many of the writer's, is an interesting character, and I enjoyed his close relatonship with his beach house residing 'Bro'.
LibraryThing member Joybee
Great book. Christopher Snow's world is turned upside down after his father's death. The story covers one night, the night of his father's death when Chris stumbles upon secret and frightening things going on in his small town. While roaming the town with his bike and trusty dog (who may be more
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was mysterious and plausible enough to be creepy and scary. The characters were well formed with out being over done and I loved Orson (Chris's black lab mix). It did get a little wordy in places but overall an exciting and suspenseful read. I am interested to see how the story continues.
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than just a dog) Chris tries to unravel the mystery surounding the now closed military compound, what the government let go on there and how his family is (or was) involved.I really enjoyed reading this book. It was mysterious and plausible enough to be creepy and scary. The characters were well formed with out being over done and I loved Orson (Chris's black lab mix). It did get a little wordy in places but overall an exciting and suspenseful read. I am interested to see how the story continues.
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LibraryThing member Rockhead515
To celebrate Halloween this year I thought I'd break from my usual and do a little horror, by reading Koontz's Moonlight Bay trilogy and am glad I did.
This was a great read that flowed very well, was engaging, and maybe because I identified with Snow got me to care about the characters right off
Very much looking forward to Seize The Night!
This was a great read that flowed very well, was engaging, and maybe because I identified with Snow got me to care about the characters right off
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the bat.Very much looking forward to Seize The Night!
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LibraryThing member AliceAnna
I really liked this one, but I didn't realize that it was the first book in a trilogy and it really leaves the reader hanging. The second book was released but as of September 2019, the third book hasn't been released and is years and years overdue. I really wish I'd known that. I don't want to
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read Book 2 and be left hanging again. Rude! But seriously, the book was vintage Koontz, suspenseful as hell and hard to put down. Just give me a real ending!! Show Less
LibraryThing member JHemlock
A mid par novel for Koontz. It kind of drug for me. I liked the main character and how he made a world of darkness so bright.
LibraryThing member HeidiAngell
I love this book... and one of the reasons is that I have managed to read it probably four or five times in the last eight years and every time I pick it up and I'm like... "Hmm... this sounds really good... I don't remember the story... have to read it again!" Which, sadly, what does that really
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say about the story? Yet, I do always enjoy it... it is just very forgettable. (apparently) Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Bram Stoker Award (Nominee — Novel — 1998)
Black-Eyed Susan Book Award (Nominee — High School — 2001)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1997
Physical description
6.9 inches
ISBN
0553579754 / 9780553579758