Strangers

图书标准信息

• 作者 Dean Koontz 著
• 出版社 Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
• 出版时间 2002-10
• ISBN 9780425181119
• 定价 66.40元
• 装帧 平装
• 开本 其他
• 纸张 其他
• 页数 704页
• 正文语种 英语

【内容简介】

THEYWERESTRANGERS.

Ahandfulofpeople.Fromdifferentbackgrounds,livingindifferenttownsandcitiesacrossAmerica,theyhadnothingincommon-exceptfear.

THEYWEREVICTIMS.

Coldandstark,anunknownterrorgrippedtheirdreamsandturnedtheirdaysintolivingnightmares.

THEYWERECHOSEN.

Andtheycouldnotescape.Deepintheheartofasprawlingdesert,adarkmemorycalledouttothemdrawingthemtotheTranquilityMotel-wheretheterrifyingtruthwaswaiting...

Theyarefromdifferenttownsacrossthecountry,withdifferentbackgrounds.Theyhavenothingincommonbuttheirdreams--fullofaterrorthatturnsnightintohellanddayintolivingnightmares.ThestrangersaredrawntotheTranquilityMotel,deepintheheartofthedesert,wheretheywilldiscoverashockingtruth.

【作者简介】

DeanKoontz
Amazinglyprolificandrelentlesslysuspenseful,DeanKoontzcanbecountedonforchilling,sometimesgorystoriesthatoccasionallyoverlapgenres.Hisnovelscanjumpfromstraightforwardcrimetosci-fitohorror,buttheonethinghe'sconsistentaboutisdeliveringnail-bitingyarnsthathavekeptfansreadingformorethanthreedecades.

Biography
Heisoneofthemostrecognized,read,andlovedsuspensewritersofthe20thcentury.Hisimaginationisaveritablefactoryofnightmares,conjuringtwistedtalesofpsychologicalcomplexity.HeevenhasafaninStephenKing.Fordecades,DeanKoontz'snamehasbeensynonymouswithterror,andhisnovelsneverfailtoquickenthepulseandsetheartspounding.Koontzhasalifelongloveofwritingthatledhimtospendmuchofhisfreetimeasanadultfuriouslycultivatinghisstyleandvoice.However,itwasonlyafterhiswifeGerdamadehimanofferhecouldn'trefusewhilehewasteachingEnglishatahighschooloutsideofHarrisburg,Pennsylvania,thathehadarealopportunitytomakealivingwithhisavocation.GerdaagreedtosupportDeanforfiveyears,duringwhichtimehecouldtrytogethiswritingcareerofftheground.Littledidsheknowthatbytheendofthatfiveyearsshewouldbeleavingherownjobtohandlethefinancialendofherhusband'smassivelysuccessfulwritingcareer.Koontzfirstburstintotheliteraryworldwith1970'sBeastchild,asciencefictionnovelthatappealedtogenrefanswithitsdescriptionsofaliensandotherworldlywarsbutalsomineddeeperthemesoffriendshipandthebreakdownofcommunication.Althoughitisnotusuallyrankedamonghisclassics,BeastchildprovidedthefirstinklingofKoontz'stalentforpopulatingeventhemostfantasticaltalewithfullyhumancharacters.Evenathisgoriestormostterrifying,healwaysallowsroomforredemption.ThiscomplexityiswhatmakesKoontz'sworksopopularwithreaders.Hehasatruegiftfortemperinghorrorwithhumanity,grotesquerieswithlyricism.Healsohasaknackforgenre-hopping,inventingHitchcockianromanticmysteries,crimedramas,supernaturalthrillers,sciencefiction,andpsychologicalsuspensewithequaldeftnessandimagination.PerhapsTheTimes(London)putsitbest:"DeanKoontzisnotjustamasterofourdarkestdreams,butalsoaliteraryjuggler."

GoodToKnow
Shortlyaftergraduatingfromcollege,KoontztookajobwiththeAppalachianPovertyProgramwherehewouldtutorandcounselunderprivilegedkids.However,afterfindingoutthatthelastpersonwhoheldhisjobhadbeenbeatenupandhospitalizedbysomeofthesekids,Koontzwasmoremotivatedthanevertogethiswritingcareergoing.WhenKoontzwasaseniorincollege,hewontheAtlanticMonthlyfictioncompetition.KoontzandKevinAnderson'snovelFrankenstein:TheProdigalSonwasslottedtobecomeatelevisionseriesproducedbyMartinScorsese.However,whenthepilotfailedtosell,theUSANetworkaireditasaTVmoviein2004.BythattimeKoontzhadremovedhisnamefromtheproject.SomefunandfascinatingouttakesfromourinterviewwithKoontz:"Mywife,Gerda,andItooksevenyearsofprivateballroomdancinglessons,twiceaweek,ninetyminuteseachtime.Afterwehadgottengoodateverythingfromswingtothefoxtrot,wenotonlystoppedtakinglessons,butalsostoppedgoingdancing.Learninghadbeengreatfun;butforbothofus,goingoutforaneveningofdancingprovedfarlessexhilaratingthanthelearning.Webothhavealowboredomthreshold.Nowwedanceataweddingorothercelebrationperhapsonceayear,andwe'recreaky.""OnmydeskisaphotographgiventomebymymotherafterGerdaandIwereengagedtobemarried.Itshows23childrenatabirthdayparty.ItisneithermypartynorGerda's.Iamthreeyearsold,goingonfour.Gerdaisthree.Inthatcrowdofkids,wearesittingdirectlyacrossatablefromeachother.I'mgrinning,asifIalreadyknowshe'smydestiny,andGerdahasaseriousexpression,asifshe'sworriedthatImightbeherdestiny.WenevermetagainuntilIwasaseniorinhighschoolandshewasajunior.We'vebeentryingtomakeupforthatlosttimeeversince."GerdaandIworkedsomuchforthefirsttwodecadesofourmarriagethatwenevertookarealvacationuntilourtwentiethweddinganniversary.Thenwewentonacruise,bookingafirst-classsuite,sparingnoexpense.Formorethanhalfthecruise,theshipwascaughtinahurricane.Theopendeckswereclosedbecausewaveswouldhavewashedpassengersoverboard.About90%ofthepassengersspentdayafterdayintheircabins,projectilevomiting.Wediscoveredthatneitherofusgetsseasick.Wehadtheshowrooms,thecasino,andthebuffetsvirtuallytoourselves.Becausethecrewhadnoonetoserve,ourservicewasexemplary.Theshipdarednottrytoputintothescheduledports;itwassaferontheopensea.Thebigwindowsofthemainbarpresentedaspectacularviewofmassivewavesandlightningstrikesthatstabbedtheseabythescore.Veryromantic.Wehadagrandtime.