Books › Ticktock
Ticktock
First published 1996 · 416 pages
A relentless, single-night monster chase laced with quirky humor and B-movie adrenaline.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like being strapped into a runaway roller coaster in the dark, where every sudden drop is accompanied by a wry joke. It is a masterclass in propulsive, single-night pacing, trading the brooding dread of traditional horror for a frantic, adrenaline-fueled sprint against a literal ticking clock. The atmosphere is a bizarre but highly entertaining cocktail of B-movie monster terror and quirky, oddball comedy, anchored by a protagonist whose deadpan observations keep the escalating absurdity grounded. The prose is cinematic and punchy, designed to keep the pages turning at breakneck speed rather than lingering on atmospheric details. It is the perfect, popcorn-munching escape for readers who crave a breathless, suspenseful chase that balances genuine, claustrophobic scares with a surprisingly playful, lighthearted spirit.
- Mood
- adrenaline-fueled
- bizarre
- claustrophobic
- frenetic
- Tone
- wry
- frantic
- playful
- suspenseful
- Pace
- propulsive
- Themes
- relentless pursuit · the American Dream · unexpected alliances · survival against the absurd
- The writing
- Punchy, cinematic, and laced with deadpan humor that perfectly offsets the escalating B-movie horror.
- The arc
- Moves from eerie curiosity into a frantic, adrenaline-pumping panic, culminating in exhausted, hard-won relief.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love a breathless, single-night chase thriller that balances genuine monster scares with quirky, oddball comedy.
Content notes
- monster violence
- body horror elements
- peril
About the book
Tommy Phan is a 30-year-old Vietnamese-American detective and novelist living in Southern California, and a chaser of the American Dream. He drives home his brand-new Corvette one day to discover a strange doll on his doorstep. It's a rag doll made entirely of white cloth, with no face or hair or clothes. Where the eyes should be, there are two crossed stitches of black thread. Five sets of crossed black stitches mark the mouth, and another pair form an X over the heart.He brings it into the house. That night, he hears an odd little popping sound and looks up to see the crossed stitches over the doll's heart breaking apart. When he picks up the doll, he feels something pulsing in its chest. Another thread unravels to reveal a reptilian green eye --and not a doll's eye, because it blinks. Tommy Phan pursues the thing as it scrambles away into his house -- and then is pursued by it as it evolves from a terrifying and vicious minikin into a hulking and formidable opponent bent on killing him.From the Paperback edition.
Description from Open Library.
Books like Ticktock
See why they match
Odd HoursDean R. KoontzA quirky, dread-soaked coastal mystery where a reluctant psychic battles apocalyptic visions with folksy charm and quiet courage.
TwilightDean R. KoontzA relentless, paranoid chase thriller that weaponizes a mother's worst nightmare against a backdrop of fanatical terror.
MidnightDean Ray KoontzA relentless, paranoid thrill ride through a fog-drenched coastal town where humanity is being systematically erased.
Brother OddDean KoontzA quirky, bittersweet paranormal thriller where a snowbound sanctuary becomes a chilling battleground against creeping darkness.
WhispersDean Ray KoontzA relentless, dread-soaked descent into the darkest corners of a fractured mind and the terrifying lengths one must go to survive it.
The Door to DecemberLeigh NicholsA relentless, rain-slicked descent into the darkest corners of the human mind and the terrifying power of a fractured psyche.