My all-time favorite author has to be James Blaylock. However, as he hasn’t written a new novel in years, I had to find someone to fill the void, and so stumbled upon Dean Koontz. Although his work is somewhat inconsistent, and I don’t think any of his books would be in the running for “Great American Novel,” there are a few of his novels that have to rank among my list of favorites.
Having just finished one of Koontz’ earlier novels on a flight home from Chicago, with a few days of well-earned vacation ahead of me, I needed to find something new to read. So, I stopped at a Barnes & Noble and grabbed By the Light of the Moon, which, although first published in 2002, I hadn’t yet read. I think I am going to enjoy this one, if the first line is any indication.
I really appreciate good first lines. I have come up with several of my own – the problem is developing the rest of the story to go with it. My favorite original line is, “For once there was no rain in the city.” (I don’t really care if you agree, so don’t bother writing with your comments.)
The first line of this book is probably one of the best I have read, right up there with “Call me Ishmael,” “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…,” and “Last night, I dreamt I went to Manderley again.”
Without any further ado, here it is:
“Shortly before being knocked unconscious and bound to a chair, before being injected with an unknown substance against his will, and before discovering that the world was deeply mysterious in ways he’d never before imagined, Dylan O’Connor left his motel room and walked across the highway to a brightly lighted fast-food franchise to buy cheeseburgers, French fries, pocket pies with apple filing, and a vanilla milkshake.”
Okay, it doesn’t roll off the tongue quite as easily as “Call me Ishmael,” but personally, I love it. It’s all I needed to read to decide that this was the next novel to which I was willing to devote time.
So, why am I sitting here writing instead of reading? I have no clue….