"In the belly of the Leviathan, Mr. Thomas, one can either despair and perish, or be cheerful and persevere."
— Odd Thomas, Dean Koontz
Some people misunderstand evil and believe it will relent, and because their misplaced hope inspires dark hearts to dream darker dreams, they are the fathers and mothers of all wars. Evil does not relent; it must be defeated. And even when defeated, uprooted, and purified by fire, evil leaves behind a seed that will one day germinate and, in blooming, again be misunderstood.
- Odd Apocalypse, Dean Koontz
"Guilt and shame have, until now, kept me silent on this issue. I am old enough, even if just twenty, to know that I have no logical reason to feel either guilt or shame, that I was the victim, not the victimizer. Yet I've been so Iong marinated in both emotions that they will forever flavor mine."
- Odd Thomas, Dean Koontz
"I understand why I am such an easy mark for guilt. The origins lie with my mother and her guns.
Recognizing the structure of your psychology doesn't mean that you can easily rebuild it. The Chamber of Unreasonable Guilt is part of my mental architecture, and I doubt that I will ever be able to renovate that particular room in this strange castle that is me."
- Odd Thomas, Dean Koontz