How to write

Odd Thomas, by Dean Koontz, is a quirky story of a young man, who lives and works as fry cook in Pico Mundo. He is mostly content with his life, despite the burden of acting as a spiritual watch man, seeing ghosts about town: some benevolent, some malevolent and avoiding detection by the “bodachs”, shadowy spirits that feast on violence.  

“You should not take this to mean that my life is romantic and magical. Too much mystery is merely an annoyance. Too much adventure is exhausting. And a little terror goes a long way.”

Odd, above all, is a sweet and earnest boy.  He believes it is his duty to help spirits move on, tied to Earth with a longing for life. Elvis, in particular, makes frequent appearances and communicates wistful regret without saying a word: because the dead don’t talk. He must also protect residents from more sinister spirits who visit the town, although only his soul mate, Stormy Llewellyn, an eccentric author friend, Little Ozzie and the town’s sheriff, know of his special gift.   By the way, it is thanks to the Little Ozzie’s encouragement of Odd’s writing, we are able to peek inside his memoir, detailing Odd’s encounters and relationships with the living, as well as, the dead.

“If you don’t keep it light,” Ozzie said, “I’ll sit my four-hundred-pound ass on you, and that’s not the way you want to die.”  Ozzie is bragging. His ass, while grand enough, probably weighs no more than a hundred and fifty pounds. The other two hundred fifty are distributed across the rest of his suffering skeleton.”

Odd notices a gathering of “bodachs”, a sure sign of disaster brewing. They hover near a stranger who has recently come to town:  “Fungus Man”, a creepy little villain who worships at the altars of previous serial killers.  Odd must find a way to stop Fungi from whatever dastardly deed he is planning.   

The collection of characters, humor and wit, set this story apart from the other works by Dean Koontz.  Koontz has always offered unique characters, every man and every woman who are placed in extraordinary circumstances, but Odd Thomas goes beyond strong characterization.  There is an undertone of spirituality and optimism that shines through despite evidence of evil.  In fact, maybe the physical existence of pure evil makes it easier to have faith in pure good and pure love.