Dean Koontz's Frankenstien Series

Let me say that I'm not a fan of Dean Koontz. I tired many times to get into his work, but just couldn't do it. But I was interested in his re-imagining of Frankenstein. I'll give a brief overview of the plot which expands over three books.


The story takes place in New Orleans and features four main characters, Carson O'Connor a hot headed, fast driving NOPD Homicide detective, her partner, Michael Maddison, the original Frankenstein's monster Deucalion and the good doctor himself, now known as Victor Helios.


Helios has been working long and hard over the past 240 years to produce a master race that will work to serve him. This new race waits, void of most emotions, with the exception of hate, anger, and lust and just meat machines that do his bidding and are competely obediant to him. while waiting for the day that they go to open war and kill off the human race or old race.


I'm going to focus this review on the last novel in the series Dean Koontz's Frankenstein: Dead and Alive. I have waited for almost four years for this novel to come out. I had to know how it all ended. now that i know, I am sadly disappointed. Let's just say that I, as the reader, had to suffer through the inane plot line of Jacko to be able to get to the end. Think of Jacko as the Jar Jar Binks of the series. I felt there was so much more Koontz could have done with this plot line. Jacko is what happened to a male New Race member who gave birth. I guess I should mention that throughout the series the New Race are direct to brain download educated and programmed and are engineered to be sterile. So when a male member of the New race splits open and out walks a little white troll like creature the reader is left to wonder the possibilities.


Oh, and there is also countless pages wasted on Bucky and Janet that serve as nothing more than a way for the detectives to get a dog. The dog in the end doesn't serve a purpose either.


Another thing that bothered me about the series is that in a matter of days all of the New Race members the reader encounters are having problems. There is a maid in the Helios house that is killing children, another who believes she is a character from Rebecca. The butler is chewing off his fingers, the New Race members that are living and working and waiting all over the town are having breakdowns and the arrogant Dr. Helios is such a megalomaniac that he doesn't see it as a problem as a whole, but as singular problems unique to each individual.

How it all ends.

I won't spoil it, other than to say that it was so anti-climatic. No big gun battles, one explosion, no blood. It's too wrapped up for me and well, it's not really over when all is said and done.

All in all I was very disappointed with this novel. I give it 1 out 5 stars which is too bad since the other two novels in the series gave this one so much potential that was wasted on filler.