A pleasant discovery at the weekend – Dean Koontz, one of my favourite ‘dark side’ fiction writers, started a podcast last month. I found his second episode on iTunes, recorded just a few days ago, and immediately subscribed.

I’ve been reading Dean Koontz’ novels since about 1990 and finished reading his last one in paperback, Velocity, on my flight home from the US last month.

One of my all-time favourites is Hideaway which was made into an awful film about ten years ago. I didn’t go to the cinema to see it but did see it on video. Big mistake. It didn’t put me off his writing, though, just made me think of the wasted opportunity when the wrong Hollywood people get hold of a great story. (Another example: All The Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy, which I did go and see. Someone with a clue should have screenwrote and made that film.)

So it was interesting indeed to hear Dean discussing the film of Hideaway, how it bore no relation to the novel’s characterization of its central character (boy, is that ever true) and what he thinks of certain film directors and actors. I was pleased to hear him say that he thought it was an awful film, too.

The Husband, Dean Koontz’s latest novel, was published in hardback in May. It’s heading for a movie version which, Dean says, he’s more confident about the outcome this time.