An avid reader, Mr. John V. Karavitis lists Dean Koontz among his favorite authors. Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Koontz graduated from the Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania and subsequently taught English at Mechanicsburg High School. Working on his first novel, Star Quest, in his spare time, Koontz eventually secured a publisher in 1968. Koontz continued to publish a number of books throughout the 1970s, but his breakthrough novel, Whispers, did not hit shelves until 1980. Over the past four decades, Koontz has written dozens of books that have been number one bestsellers on the New York Times Bestseller list.
John V. Karavitis is especially fond of Koontz’s Frankenstein trilogy, which includes the novels Prodigal Son, City of Night, and Dead and Alive. Drawing their inspiration from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Koontz’s novels are a modernization and exploration of the basic themes found in the original work that remain applicable to today’s society. Set in New Orleans, Louisiana, the trilogy follows protagonist Victor Frankenstein as he continues to engineer new forms of life for a variety of purposes. Whereas Frankenstein once used human body parts for his creations, he now uses modern technology to create a race of androids with downloadable personalities. The books also feature the exploits of Frankenstein’s original monster and a pair of detectives. Koontz’s Frankenstein trilogy has been adapted into a film, which aired on the USA Network, and a comic book series published by Dabel Brother Productions. In May 2010, Koontz published Lost Souls, the first book of a second Frankenstein trilogy. The next two novels are due in May 2011 and May 2012.
