The Pseudonyms

 

There are eleven confirmed pseudonyms used by Dean Koontz, and purportedly more.  With his name so closely associated with science fiction, and being told that in order to be taken serious he should release only one or two novels per year, DK began to use pen names to gain his freedom to produce other material.
Slowly, he developed a style of novel that mixed many forms of writing in the same book.  As we now know, he is known as the forerunner of cross-genre fiction, and has sold millions of books with his unique style.
The books listed as being reissued at a later time, under his own name, were usually revamped and or expanded by DK.

David Axton
One book using this name.

Prison of Ice
1976 Lippincott hardback. VVR.
1977 Fawcett-Crest paperback.  Rare.
Reissued in 1995 as "Icebound".
 
 
 
 
 
 

Brian Coffey
Five books using this pen name.

Blood Risk
1973 Bobbs-Merril hardback. VVR.
No US paperback issued.
This book has not been reissued.
1973 UK hardback.  Arthur Barker.
1975 UK paperback by Futura.
 
 
 

Surrounded
1974 Bobbs-Merril hardback. VVR.
No US paperback.
Not reissued.
1974 UK hardback.  Arthur Barker.
 
 
 

The Wall of Masks
1975 Bobbs-Merril hb. VVR+.
No US paperback.
Not re-released.
 
 

The Face of Fear
1977 Bobbs-Merril hb. VR.
1978 Ballantine paperback.  Rare.
Reissued in 1985.
1978 UK hardback.  Peter Davies.  As K R Dwyer.
1980 UK paperback.  Sphere.  As K R Dwyer.
 
 
 

The Voice of the Night
1980 Doubleday hb. Extremely difficult to find a copy that is not ex-library(me included).  Copyright page states "Copyright 1980 by Dean Koontz" as well as "First Edition".  $10.95 price on inside flap.
1981 Signet paperback.  Somewhat rare.
Reissued in 1991.
1980 UK hardback.  Published by Robert Hale.  This is supposedly one of the most difficult hb to find.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Leonard Chris
One known mature book using this name.
Note: This identity has never been "officially" claimed and most likely never will(the publisher took many, many liberties with the original manuscript).  But, the title "Hung!" has been mentioned in at least two different sources.  In the afterword of "Again, Dangerous Visions" and in the DK biography by Katherine Ramsland.  Leonard Chris was also a character in the short story "Muse".
As this name is now commonly known, I will post it on this site - for now.  Any others he may/may not have used will most definitely not!
According to Ramsland's Koontz biography, this was his first use of a pen name.

Hung!
1970 Cameo Press paperback. ER+.
1989 American Arts reprint paperback.  ER+.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Deanna Dwyer
Gothic written to pay the bills.
All 5 in paperback only.  Not re-released.
Supposedly the estranged wife of K. R. Dwyer.
Released as by Magnum Books also, which are not quite as collectable, but for any DD book, you can expect to pay about 40-50 dollars minimum.

Demon Child
1971 Lancer. VR.
 
 

Legacy of Terror
1971 Lancer. VVR+.
 
 

Dance With the Devil
1972 Lancer. VR.
 
 

Children of the Storm
1972 Lancer. VVR.
 
 

The Dark of Summer
1972 Lancer. VVR.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

K. R. Dwyer
Three books. DRK backwords.

Chase
1972 Random House hardback. VVR+.  Even as early as the mid-seventies, Dean regretted not using his own byline for this novel.  Feeling he should have used his own name for his more serious work.
No US paperback.
Later  in "Strange Highways".
197?  UK hardback.  Arthur Barker.
 
 
 

Shattered
1973 Random House hardback. VR.
No paperback.
Reissued in 1985.
197? UK hardback.  Arthur Barker.
 
 
 
 

Dragonfly
1975 Random House hardback. VR+.
1976 Ballantine paperback.  Rare.
Not reissued.
1977 UK hardback.  Peter Davies.
1979 UK paperback.  Sphere.
 
 
 
 
 
 

John Hill
One book in paperback format only.

The Long Sleep
The Nightmare that Had No End
"He couldn't move.  He was more frightened than he had ever been.  This time, he had really thought it was okay.  He had thought it was over.  What a joke.
Maybe it would never be over."
1975 Popular Library. SBN 445-00325-125, $1.25.  Any copy is a first edition.  An expansion of the storyline of "Grayworld", which appeared in the anthology Infinity Five.  Not an expanded version of the actual story.  VR.
Not re-released.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Leigh Nichols
Five books, no US trade hardback.
All fairly common.

The Key to Midnight
DK's only international spy/intrigue book.  With a touch of romance, and alot of suspense.  It is also one of his few books to take place outside the US; in Japan and Europe.
1979 Pocket paperback.
1989 Dark Harvest reissue.
Reissued in 1995.
1980 UK Magnum Books paperback.
1985  UK hardback.  Guild Publishing.
1985  UK Fontana paperback edition.  My personal favorite release.  Having our friend, the Good DOKTOR on the cover.
 
 
 

The Eyes of Darkness
1981 Pocket paperback..
1989 Dark Harvest reissue.
Reissued in 1996.
1981 UK hardback.  Piatkis.
1981 UK paperback.  Futura.
 
 
 

The House of  Thunder
1982 Pocket paperback..
1988 Dark Harvest reissue.
Reissued in 1992.
198? UK hardback.  Piatkis?
198? UK paperback.  Futura.
 
 
 

Twilight
1984 Pocket paperback.  The only rare LN pb.
This has to be the dumbest cover, for such an excellant book, I've ever seen.  OK, OK I admit there is romance in the book, but still, give me a break!  Needless to say, the final Nichols book was not by Pocket.
1988 Dark Harvest reissue.
Reissued as "The Servants of Twilight" in 1990.  This is the book that started it all for me.  Oddly enough, I had already found my other two favorites long before Koontz; Robert McCammon and Dan Simmons.
1984  UK hardback.  "The Servants of Twilight".  Piatkis.
1985 UK paperback.  Fontana.
 
 

Shadowfires
If you like Intensity, you'll love Shadowfires.  An unrelenting nemesis to the MAX.  Note:sign the divorce papers before your spouse makes the change!
1987 Avon paperback.
No romantic cover?!!!
His LAST pseudonym release.
There was a bce hardback(No trade release).
1990 Dark Harvest reissue.
Reissued in 1993.
1987 UK hardback.  Collins.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Anthony North
One hb only.
Extremely rare.

Strike Deep
1974 Dial Press hb.
Not re-released or paperback.
 
 
 
 

Richard Paige
One paperback only.

The Door to December
1985 Signet paperback, no US hardback.
Fairly rare.
As Leigh Nichols in the UK.
1987 Inner Circle hardback.
UK paperback.
Reissued in 1994.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Owen West
Two books.  Both re-released.

The Funhouse
1980 Jove paperback. Fairly common.
Adapted from a screenplay by Larry Block.
BCE hardback.
Reissued in 1994.
1981 UK paperback.  Sphere.
 
 
 

The Mask
1981 Jove paperback. Fairly rare.
Cool foil wrap similar to the Whispers and Darkfall paperback releases.  This book contains the first ever quote from "The Book Of Counted Sorrows" used by Koontz.
Reissued in 1988.
1983 UK paperback.  Coronet.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Aaron Wolfe
One book only under this name.

Invasion
1975 Laser Books #9 pb. Rare.  Kelly Freas cover art.
Reissued in 1994 as "Winter Moon"
 
 

After Strangers and Watchers, the books using his own name were well-outselling the pseudonyms, and with just as much hard work going into every novel, it no longer made any sense to use anything other than his own name.  So, with the untimely death of Leigh Nichols(on a Carribean cruise ship, decapitated in a freak limbo accident) came the end of the Koontz pen names.

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