Latest Book at Theater Near You

Star Trek viewers at the theater sat through a moody trailer in which a wounded hero leaves town with only his backpack and dog; the voiceover saying, “I once dreamed of living out my days in the peace and tranquility of Pico Mundo, my hometown. I can wait. In the meantime I see dead people. I try to help them when I can.”

The ad is a trailer for the latest book by Dean Koontz, Odd Hours. Executives in publishing call them “book videos.” To view the trailer, go to www.deankoontz.com. I think this is very clever advertising. But I also agree with critics that a book video inhibits creativity as it erases the need for readers to imagine the characters on the printed page.Overall, I love it...so long as the book meets expectations.