“When you have dogs, you witness their uncomplaining acceptance of suffering, their bright desire to make the most of life in spite of the limitations of age and disease, their calm awareness of the approaching end when their final hours come. They accept death with a grace that I hope I will one day be brave enough to muster.”

American author

Dean Ray Koontz is an American author, known for suspense thrillers and, more broadly, for fiction that often blends horror, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and satire. He has published more than 105 novels and many novellas and short story collections. Many of his books have reached The New York Times Best Seller list, including fourteen hardcovers and sixteen paperbacks that rose to number one. Earlier in his career, he also wrote under several pen names, and his work has sold more than 500 million copies. Rolling Stone described him as “America's most popular suspense novelist.”