The novel “Elsewhere” by Dean Koontz was published for the first time in 2020.
Jeffy Coltrane lives with his daughter Amity, and things seem to be going well for them, even though seven years earlier his wife, Michelle, had abandoned her husband and daughter. When Ed, a homeless man who makes ends meet in the area, shows up at their house and gives Jeffy a box that he claims holds the key to everything, warning him never to open it, Jeffy thinks he has a screw loose and agrees to take it simply to get rid of the man.
Shortly after that strange visit, a team of agents led by John Falkirk, who has an NSA badge, goes around the area asking everyone for information about Ed, or rather, Dr. Edwin Harkenbach. Surprised and a little scared, Jeffy decides to examine the contents of the box Ed had entrusted to him. The device in the box gets accidentally activated, bringing Jeffy and Amity to a house that isn’t entirely like their own and in a city that has some significant differences from the one they know.
Dean Koontz is best known for his thriller and horror stories, but his work actually spans different genres. For this reason, I wasn’t surprised when I discovered this thriller with science fiction foundations. Parallel universes are a classic theme, and the author developed it in his own unique way. In fact, this is precisely my problem with “Elsewhere,” because the plot seemed far too predictable.
The first part of the novel builds up the protagonists. The relationship between Jeffy and his daughter Amity is very strong and was forged by the trauma of Michelle’s abandonment. Jeffy continues to hope that his wife will return one day, despite everything, but he’s a dreamer, and sometimes that leads him to hope for hopeless events. Amity is an eleven-year-old girl (almost twelve!) who has matured far too quickly, precisely because of her mother’s abandonment. She seems a bit too mature for her age.
The author really pushes the envelope in developing Agent John Falkirk, who consistently displays only negative personality traits. He’s a truly dark villain, devoid of any positive qualities. His subordinates aren’t better than him, they’re just dumber.
Over the years, Dean Koontz had already written stories featuring secret agents whose goals were anything but protecting people. The author has often depicted various government agencies, both intelligence and law enforcement agencies, as dangerous because they only serve to support power structures. Certainly, reading the part set in a parallel universe where the USA is governed by a fascist regime is quite disturbing nowadays!
When he wrote “Elsewhere,” Dean Koontz already had a remarkable career behind him, and his skills in developing an action-packed plot at a fast pace are evident. Thinking about other novels he wrote, I get the impression he could have done better in developing some important characters. He seems to have focused on the good ones and put some effort into developing some versions of Edwin Harkenbach from various universes, but otherwise, he didn’t make great efforts.
Having read several Dean Koontz novels and stories by other authors based on the concept of parallel universes over the decades, unfortunately, “Elsewhere” seemed far too predictable in its plot developments. I can’t say it’s poorly written, but the author has written stories that I found decidedly more brilliant. If you’re looking for a science fiction thriller that doesn’t require much commitment, this is still a good choice. You can find it on Amazon USA, UK, and Canada.
