Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Odd Thomas | 2003 | Dean Koontz | Buy |
| 2 | Forever Odd | 2005 | Dean Koontz | Buy |
| 3 | Brother Odd | 2006 | Dean Koontz | Buy |
| 4 | Odd Hours | 2008 | Dean Koontz | Buy |
| 5 | Odd Interlude | 2012 | Dean Koontz | Buy |
| 6 | Odd Apocalypse | 2012 | Dean Koontz | Buy |
| 7 | Deeply Odd | 2013 | Dean Koontz | Buy |
| 8 | Saint Odd | 2015 | Dean Koontz | Buy |
Odd Thomas works as a short-order cook in a small California desert town called Pico Mundo. He sees the lingering dead. They come to him because he can help them, though they never speak. He also sees bodachs, shadowy creatures that gather wherever violence is about to occur. When bodachs start swarming around Pico Mundo, Odd knows something terrible is coming.
Dean Koontz wrote Odd Thomas in 2003 after decades of publishing thrillers and horror novels. The character became one of his most popular creations. Odd narrates his own story with a dry, self-deprecating voice that offsets the darkness of what he encounters. He doesn’t want to be a hero. He’d rather make pancakes. But the dead keep asking for help, and he can’t say no.
The series follows Odd through seven novels and a novella as he moves from Pico Mundo to a monastery, a resort, and eventually back home. Each book involves a new threat, but an overarching story builds toward a conclusion in Saint Odd. Koontz has said Odd’s voice came to him more naturally than any other character he’d written.
A film adaptation starring Anton Yelchin was released in 2013. Koontz remained involved in the production. The series has been a consistent bestseller, with readers drawn to Odd’s mix of vulnerability and quiet courage.