Deeply Odd discussion

I couldn't manage to get past Koontz' grandiose verbage in this Odd Thomas book (although I love him and this serie) and didn't finish it. Can someone tell me what Miss Edie meant by "smooth and blue"?

It remains a mystery.

Probably having to do with the state of your mind/body and soul.

Is it just me or did these become more of a formulaic story & more depressing by each book? I guess Stormy's death made these not as fun? The first book was amazing!

I noticed it too in his Frankenstein series, both have oddly depressing air - a sort of, we'll lose in the end and die but die trying - and a sort of crude sexual sadism in the villains. I have only read these two series by Koontz so I don't know if this follows in other books that stand alone or a theme for him.

I suppose "smooth & blue" might be a jazz reference. However, when a welder fires up an acetylene torch, he adjusts the oxygen & acetylene gas pressures until the flame is smooth & blue- optimum cutting temperature-ready to work.
Personally, what I take away from Koontz is: Evil is real. So is good. People can be both- their choice. Good will prevail, if most of us just do the right thing. And dogs are cool.

Stuart wrote: "I suppose "smooth & blue" might be a jazz reference. However, when a welder fires up an acetylene torch, he adjusts the oxygen & acetylene gas pressures until the flame is smooth & blue- optimum c..."

I like that interpretation. And yes, that does seem to be the prevailing message from Koontz.

For one - I do feel you would have to finish the book to understand.

On Page 329, Odd writes: . . . "I found myself flying through a smooth blue realm of radiance with no detectable source, gliding as if on wings, though still I had no body." I took it to mean the smooth blue was related to the avatar (Annamaria) as a deity / angel and simply the voyage to "heaven" if that's what we want to call where he and Stormy are.

The problem with smooth and blue referring to heaven or the voyage is that it would mean that Edie and anyone else fully smooth and blue also went to heaven. None of them are dead, as far as I know.

Well, I'm going through the last Odd book, and so far, so BAD, I'm unhappy to report. For almost halfway in, there is a whole lot of nothing. I feel like I'm in for a lot of unfinished premises, unsolved mysteries (that earlier books promised future resolution) loose ends, phoned in half assed excuses and other unfulfilled potential. Dean Koontz himself PROMISED an explanation of the meaning "smooth and blue" in his final Odd book, so to those who say they don't know have either not finished the Odd series or Dean Koontz is a damn liar. I haven't gotten to finding out for myself, but I will say that at the rate this last book is going: "smooth and blue" will likely have an anticlimactic, groan worthy reveal. Stuart Redmond's welding torch analogy is brilliant and I believe that comes the closest...

I have no idea, and I read the whole series and he never fully explains smoothed out and fully blue. I like the welding reference, but I can't see how anyone would infer that from these novels. I'm wondering if he wanted to leave it up to the reader. he never really explained the secret society either so your guess is as good as mine.

Stuart wrote: "I suppose "smooth & blue" might be a jazz reference. However, when a welder fires up an acetylene torch, he adjusts the oxygen & acetylene gas pressures until the flame is smooth & blue- optimum cu..."

Great analogy, I'm going to go with your guess on this, it definitely makes the most sense considering he never really explained it (even though he said ti would become clear, but as far as i could tell it was not made clear at all lol)

To me it's moved out and blue refers to someone recovering the state of grace that was lost at the fall of humanity. Having exercised free will to the highest good and having finally discovered as much as we can about the underpinnings and truth of life.