Episode · How I Write · 2025-05-07
David Perell & Dean Koontz: books mentioned on How I Write (May 2025)
Dean Koontz: 120 Novels Published. 500M Copies Sold.
Dean Koontz recommended Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury and A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, and discussed Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, The Road by Cormac McCarthy, No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, and Great Expectations by Charles Dickens.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
-
Oliver Twist
Oliver Twist is a classic novel by Charles Dickens that follows the life of an orphan navigating the harsh criminal underworld and street life of nineteenth-century London.
Discussed“And I said what about Oliver Twist? uh whatever and I just started naming off all the novels where the characters are children.”
Where to get it
-
The Road
The Road by Cormac McCarthy is a bleak, post-apocalyptic novel that follows a father and his young son as they walk across a burned America, striving to survive while holding onto their morality.
Discussed“Then he moved to things like No Country for Old Men and The Road which is stripped down and just the opposite of everything in his first career.”
Where to get it
-
No Country for Old Men
No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy is a bleak, violent western thriller about a drug deal gone wrong and the relentless hunter pursuing the survivor.
Discussed“Then he moved to things like No Country for Old Men and The Road which is stripped down and just the opposite of everything in his first career.”
Where to get it
-
Fahrenheit 451
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is a classic dystopian novel depicting a future American society where books are outlawed and firemen burn any that are discovered.
Discussed“Uh well, unless you read Fahrenheit 451, uh which is a dark dark piece.”
Where to get it
-
Something Wicked This Way Comes
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury is a dark fantasy novel that explores the complex dynamics of father-son relationships against the backdrop of a sinister carnival arriving in a small town.
Recommended“But my favorite thing of his is something wicked this way comes which is just a wonderful wonderful book about fathers and sons and the right kind of father-sons relationships and things.”
Where to get it
-
A Tale of Two Cities
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens is a classic historical novel set against the backdrop of the French Revolution, exploring themes of sacrifice, resurrection, and extreme societal upheaval.
Recommended“And I chose Tale of Two Cities. And I just became utterly captivated with it.”
Where to get it
-
Great Expectations
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens is a classic Victorian novel following the orphan Pip as he navigates social class, ambition, and personal growth.
Discussed“Oliver Twist Great Expectations Tale of Two Cities he wasn't afraid of emotion”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (6) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“The first time I worked this way was a book called Strangers, which was the first hardcover bestseller I ever had.”
“I'll go to a a novel of mine called Lightning. Uh I had Strangers was a hardcover bestseller, not at the top of the list, but then the next one, Watchers, went further up the list. And then I delivered a book of lightning.”
“I'll go to a a novel of mine called Lightning. Uh I had Strangers was a hardcover bestseller, not at the top of the list, but then the next one, Watchers, went further up the list.”
“So, I had to move but I the first thing I did was write a comic novel and it was a book called Hanging On. It was published very good reviewers, but it didn't sell particularly well.”
“And that line just it was like an arrow. I had I was in the car and within 15 minutes I had an idea for a novel called Life Expectancy. And I think it's one of the best things I've ever done.”
“I wrote a book called Breathless and some people love that book and some people say, "Boy, this is a little too out there for me."”