Dean Koontz combines deep pessimism with unexpected optimism. His villains are horrifyingly evil despite their respectable facades, while his good characters are vulnerable and at times terrified but have an expected strength that helps them survive hard times and ultimately prevail. His vision of present and near future realities is a postmodernist one: terrifying, bleak, alienated. At the same time, friendship, love, and the companionship of dogs transform the world into a place of personal warmth and hope.

1. What qualities do characters like Zina and Chase Glyson and Martie and Dusty Rhodes share that are lacking in Koontz's villains?

2. Name the villains (besides Ahriman) and explain what qualities Koontz criticizes in them.

3. How does Koontz's introduction of the Bellon-Tockland Institute in Santa Fe broaden his warning about the pathologies of secretive corporations engaged in private scientific research?

4. What final events suggest truth is vindicated?

5. What final...