Watchers (1987)Is this the first Dean Koontz book to feature a lovable golden retriever in a starring role? Maybe, maybe not. It is the first one of his that I read that features such a dog. How do I know? Because it was also the first book I read by the esteemed Mr. Koontz and, as such, began my abiding love for his fiction.
The dog in question here is Einstein, a super-smart dog that resulted from an experimental government lab. He is found in the wild canyons of Orange County, California by the hero of our story, Travis Cornell. This is another thing that attracted me immediately to this story; when I read Watchers I had just recently discovered Silverado and Black Star Canyons and found it to be fascinating how such a wild place could exist in the middle of one of the most populated areas in the country. Then I read this book and my imagination ran wild; I never got the chance to explore those canyons more before they were ultimately built up and then I moved away, but what an opportunity that would have been. (Note: there is still some wilderness area there, but the influx of homes, businesses and freeways has definitely taken away much of the mystery.)
Travis and Einstein are hunted by "The Outsider," another experiment by the government lab, but one that did not go so well. They are all hunted by the people that run the lab. It is a thriller with elements of science fiction and horror. It is one of Koontz's most beloved books as well.
Skip the lousy movie adaptation and its worse sequels, though; these are the movies that convinced Koontz to never give up artistic control of any project because Hollywood just does not know when to leave well enough alone.
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